THURSDAY, March 26, 2020
Everyone steals from everyone else, and I’m not accusing the person who wrote this Star Trek Theme of doing anything illegal or unethical by ripping of John Williams, because John Williams ripped off someone else. The secret, though, it doing it in a sneaky enough way so that the only person who knows where you lifted and idea from is you!
Listen to this new theme carefully. I set the time so that it is obvious. Listen to the chord structure.
Now, listen to this.
The first time I heard the new Star Trek Explorer theme, I immediately said: “That’s not even a subtle rip-off!”
If I were a film composer, or a TV composer, I’d never write something so close to an iconic John Williams theme and try to pass it off as original.
Jeff Russo should have disguised his source better. Any experience musician is going to instantly recognize this connect. It figuratively socked me right in the face!
Quite clearly so. Meanwhile, the music of Williams hangs together in a way that Russo’s, for me at least, does not.
OMG he stole it almost note for note!
I mean, Beethoven did it to Wolfie, ode to joy is mostly Wolfie’s K222, but…. this.. this guy’s not even trying.
At least Ludwig jiggered it around quite a bit. This guy just took it almost note for note.
Film composers, there’s almost no good ones left. Williams and Giacchino. The rest don’t even *try*.
There are similarities, however, Williams music has a fuller, richer sound.