What follows are some thoughts about the music written by John Williams, Hollywood film composer and, in my estimation, the greatest composer of all world history?  Disagree?  Then move on.  Agree?  Keep reading...

In my humble opinion, everything Williams has written has a degree of brilliance, but there is a certain window of time from 1977 through 1983 when everything is just earth-shakingly incredible!  Starting with 'Star Wars' in 1977, which is an absolute blast of remarkable music, and following shortly thereafter by 'Superman' in 1978.  Superman is one of those scores that as you listen to it, the brilliance of the themes and instrumentation is just unbelievable.  How any individual could craft this much music so brilliantly is just unthinkable.  Williams followed this with even more unbelievable music with 'Raiders of the Lost Ark', an ingenious and entertaining work of music.  There just aren't composer living, or deceased, who can write music like this.

With Williams, one of the interesting things to do is to track down his more obscure scores, like 'Heartbeeps', because even works like these that no one has heard of are gems of musical brilliance (I'm overusing the work 'brilliant' and I don't care.  There's no other way to describe Williams.  Brilliant.)  One of my favorite works by Williams is 'The Accidental Tourist', a work that, unthinkably, is out of print.  Why this score is out of print I can't imagine.  I just can't listen to this soundtrack enough... each time this haunting, beautiful and BRILLIANT score just amazes me.  If you can find it, buy it!  It's one of Williams' finest works.

One final thought:  know-nothings might say that Williams has lifted themes and music over the years, and to this I say:  the guys written an insane volume of music over the years, so of course something is bound to sound similar.  I really can't stand that people say this, as it's generally said by people who have heard 1-2 Williams scores, generally something from 'Star Wars', and the loud horns and trumpets remind them of a boring Wagner opera.  If you haven't heard a majority of the Williams canon, don't condemn his work as unoriginal.  You don't know what you're talking about!

That's my thoughts about Williams.  He's brilliant.  God bless him, he's amazing.  70+ years old and still producing remarkable music ('Revenge of the Sith' was unbelievable good.  And don't get me started on my fury at George Lucas editing his music in 'Sith' and replacing it with cues from 'Empire'.  Lucas' brain is made of oatmeal.)

On a sillier note:  I'm more apt to believe that composers from the past time-traveled to the later half of the 20th century, listened to the works of Williams then returned to their own centuries, humbled and slack-jawed in awe, and proceeded to copy as best they could (at least, I'll wager this is the case with Holst).