Opinions on Randy Newman (songwriter for Toy Story, etc.)

[frankf3]

I actually think If I Didn't Have You is a great song.

But yes, he has written better songs. When She Loved Me was better than You'll Be In My Heart for example.

Am I the only one that didn't mind Phil Collins winning? I see so many people complain about the songs in Tarzan with Phil Collins singing, but it never really bothered me. I mean, in the context of the film, I don't think it would fit for Tarzan to sing since he barely knows English til Jane taught him.

Besides, that was a REALLY good year for songs imo with that, When She Loved Me, and Blame Canada from the South Park (great song).

[RyGuy]

Wait! If I Didn't Have You was from Monsters, Inc. He won for We Belong Together from TS3.

He won the Oscar for both songs.

Ok, that makes sense. My bad!

[PatrickvD]

I actually think If I Didn't Have You is a great song.

But yes, he has written better songs. When She Loved Me was better than You'll Be In My Heart for example.

Am I the only one that didn't mind Phil Collins winning? I see so many people complain about the songs in Tarzan with Phil Collins singing, but it never really bothered me. I mean, in the context of the film, I don't think it would fit for Tarzan to sing since he barely knows English til Jane taught him.

Besides, that was a REALLY good year for songs imo with that, When She Loved Me, and Blame Canada from the South Park (great song).

I never said I had a problem with Phil Collins singing instead of the characters. I just think the song isn't as good as When She Loved Me.

[thelittleursula]

Overrated lame-ass. I don't know how this man keeps on winning these awards.

Brentalfloss sums up my feelings about him here.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cfw4Ul1LKkk[/youtube]

[DisneyFan09]

I've only heard his songs for the Pixar flicks and "The Princess and the Frog". I've always thought his score for the Pixar flicks were medicore, but I really enjoyed his music for "The Princess and the Frog" (more than I did with Menken's music for "Tangled", actually).

[Disneyphile]

It's interesting to read the first page of this thread, from 2008, when people are "looking forward to" TPatF and TS3.

[Disney's Divinity]

I never said I had a problem with Phil Collins singing instead of the characters. I just think the song isn't as good as When She Loved Me.

I disagree. Sarah McLachlan gives an amazing vocal, but the song itself is kind of meh. I prefer "You'll Be in My Heart" by far, although I think "Blame Canada" was better than both.

[Atlantica]

The most disappointing thing about TPATF to me was the score; felt like a generic mess, that in no way reflected the songs sung throughout the film (which is what Menken does so well, weave the two together beautifully).

[nomad2010]

I don't actually mind anything that he does, but my biggest issue with his work is that it all sounds the same. It reminds me of Hans Zimmer and how he's used the Pirates theme essentially in everything he does. On their own, each song isn't bad. The Princess and the Frog was a major disappointment for me though. I didn't expect much from Newman, but those songs were not memorable in the slightest. The score didn't blend with the songs. There was just a general lack of creativity it seemed. It just cemented my view of him as a one trick pony.

[thedisneyspirit]

"Foxes, they like looking at bags and then they walk away so their tails are gonna wag! You pay Randy now"

in the tune of Short People.

[Atlantica]

Oh my god, YES ! Him and Hans Zimmer .... both culprits of copying their own work.

I don't know how Zimmer can get away with it sometimes ? I know the Pirates theme was done in a massive rush, but it is lifted totally from Gladiator ! How was that allowed ?

[thedisneyspirit]

But that doesn't count as plagiarism, does it? It's laziness more than anything...

[Atlantica]

....but does it not annoy him, in himself ?

Though to be fair, we now know it as the pirates theme, not really gladiator.

[estefan]

I don't know how Zimmer can get away with it sometimes ? I know the Pirates theme was done in a massive rush, but it is lifted totally from Gladiator ! How was that allowed ?

The Pirates theme was actually composed by Klaus Bedalt, who is a protege of Zimmer's, so understandably, their styles are going to be similar.

In regards to Randy Newman, I actually really like his style and I thought his songs for The Princess and the Frog and the Pixars are excellent, including his two Oscar-winning tunes. I still stand by that Cats Don't Dance is one of the rare non-Disney animated musicals of the '90s to have a strong soundtrack. I also think his scores are consistently strong, too. In addition to his Pixar work ("A Bug's Life Suite" and "To Infinity and Beyond" are my favourite tracks of his), his music in The Natural is top-notch, too.

Of course, if you want to some real meaty Newman, check out his non-movie songs. "Political Science" and "Short People" are particularly biting and satirical. So, yes, I am a Randy Newman fan.

[Sotiris]

Looks like trouble in paradise.

Randy Newman, who has won two Oscars for his music for Pixar films, says the animation studio probably won't use him again. The American singer-songwriter and film composer has scored seven Disney-Pixar films, picking up two Academy Awards for the songs 'We belong together' from Toy Story 3 and 'If I Didn't Have You' from Monsters, Inc. But the composer believes he doesn't think the animation studio will be using him again. "I'm not so sure that I don't have a reputation just for being a little trouble," Newman says.

Newman says he thinks it's easier for Pixar to get along with Michael Giacchino - who won an Oscar for his music for Up - and Thomas Newman, Randy's cousin, who wrote the scores for Finding Nemo and WALL-E. Newman was unhappy with Toy Story 3's director Lee Unkrich using his temporary score in the final version of the film. "The movie did great and everything, and maybe I'm wrong and if I look back on it I won't know the difference – but it didn't fit hand in glove the way I would have tried to do - and he fell in love with the [temporary score] very much," Newman says. "So now he's not going to use me to work with him again."

The composer acknowledges he is "troublesome". "I've just got to be nicer to directors," he tells Tommy Pearson. "I just don't like them, because they don't leave you alone. Really it's their picture, their name's on it so if they want you to use a kazoo and a bath tub and a whisk broom to do something you've got to do it."

Source: http://www.classicfm.com/discover/film- ... toy-story/

In his youth, musicians were afforded a degree of reverence in the movie industry, he reports. Rest assured that is no longer the case.

"They'll tell you they're a big fan of everything you've done - then ask you to go and re-do that seven-minute chase scene you've scored. Often they're wrong - but, actually, they're not because it's their movie. The music guys aren't always right either - but they're going to be right more often than the director. There's much less respect for the experts."

Source: http://www.independent.ie/life/randy-ne ... 32811.html

[Sotiris]

He actually believes he is one of the best composers, and songwriters, and singers of all time. This man is so full of himself, he's become completely delusional!

"I want to be remembered as one of the best film scorers," Randy Newman says as we sit down at his home studio, beside the piano on which he creates much of his work. "It's going to be hard to give me that because so many of [the films are] animated, which [many] don't take seriously, but which is harder to do than anything, almost. And [also], one of the best of the singer-songwriters," he adds, in the most recent episode of The Hollywood Reporter's 'Awards Chatter' podcast. "To be in the highest rank there would be good. That'd make me happy — down in hell, or wherever I'm gonna go!"

Source: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/race/ ... er-1243362

[Disney's Divinity]

Well, both he and Miranda were first brought in by Lasseter, and we know what an ego Lasseter had. Birds of a feather. Andrew Stanton and Nathan Greno are others in that same vein.

[Farerb]

Sotiris - all I saw was the words "want to" rather than "am". I think every artist wants to be remembered as a good artist, don't see anything wrong with that, but maybe I'm missing something.

Disney's Divinity - Miranda was recommended by the Lopezs and if I remember correctly Menken was originally supposed to work on "The Snow Queen" until "someone" brought the Lopezs to work on the project instead. Maybe they are the same kind of people like the rest of them
¯\_(ツ)_/¯.

[Disney's Divinity]

Disney's Divinity - Miranda was recommended by the Lopezs and if I remember correctly Menken was originally supposed to work on "The Snow Queen" until "someone" brought the Lopezs to work on the project instead. Maybe they are the same kind of people like the rest of them
¯\_(ツ)_/¯.

Not every director at Disney is like Lasseter either, otherwise I'd have listed a lot more names. I'd have to see the Lopezes acting arrogantly first before I add them to the list.

[Farerb]

Not every director at Disney is like Lasseter either, otherwise I'd have listed a lot more names. I'd have to see the Lopezes acting arrogantly first before I add them to the list.

That's fine. It just seemed like you said arrogance is a common feature among the people which were brought by Lasseter. Just wanted to remind that the Lopezes were also brought by Lasseter.