Why was Nathan Johnson's score so underrated?
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Re: Why was Nathan Johnson's score so underrated?
xzero pretty much summed up my opinion. The problem with his score is that it's completely, utterly bland. No emotion, motifs, anything. It's basically background noise, elevator music.
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Attitudefan
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Re: Why was Nathan Johnson's score so underrated?
I loved the battle theme used when Ten attacks Nappa. It worked awesome there!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XT9fgAzb ... er&list=UL
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XT9fgAzb ... er&list=UL
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Fionordequester
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Re: Why was Nathan Johnson's score so underrated?
Eh...I dunno, I haven't watched it along with the scene, but just listening to it on Youtube, it kinda sounds like weird techno music looping over and over again with an occasional drumroll to me. Sort of like something you'd hear in a video game.
Kataphrut wrote:It's a bit of a Boy Who Cried Wolf situation to me...Basically, the boy shouldn't have cried wolf when the wolves just wanted to Go See Yamcha. If not, they might have gotten some help when the wolves came back to Make the Donuts.
Chuquita wrote:I liken Gokû Black to "guy can't stand his job, so instead of quitting and finding a job he likes, he instead sets fire not only to his workplace so he doesn't have to work there, but tries setting fire to every store in the franchise of that company".
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MCDaveG
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Re: Why was Nathan Johnson's score so underrated?
I think because he sounded like Mark Menza on liberty caps.
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Zarathustra
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Re: Why was Nathan Johnson's score so underrated?
It's not prominently audible throughout episodes and sounds fairly contrived. It does have some moments of brilliance, but it's mostly hit or miss.
I prefer the Ocean Dub's score for the Saiyan Arc. It's a shame there isn't an uncut version of the arc with the Ocean score.
I prefer the Ocean Dub's score for the Saiyan Arc. It's a shame there isn't an uncut version of the arc with the Ocean score.
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Saiyajin no Tatsujin
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Re: Why was Nathan Johnson's score so underrated?
Eh...his scores are pretty 'meh'. 
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Fionordequester
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Re: Why was Nathan Johnson's score so underrated?
You know, one thing I will give to Nathan is that he had a pretty neat Vegeta theme...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XDgLg5eWYw
That theme, the Episode Ending and Recap theme, and a few other various ones during Gohan, Krillin, and Bulma's adventures were the only ones that really stood out to me.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XDgLg5eWYw
That theme, the Episode Ending and Recap theme, and a few other various ones during Gohan, Krillin, and Bulma's adventures were the only ones that really stood out to me.
Kataphrut wrote:It's a bit of a Boy Who Cried Wolf situation to me...Basically, the boy shouldn't have cried wolf when the wolves just wanted to Go See Yamcha. If not, they might have gotten some help when the wolves came back to Make the Donuts.
Chuquita wrote:I liken Gokû Black to "guy can't stand his job, so instead of quitting and finding a job he likes, he instead sets fire not only to his workplace so he doesn't have to work there, but tries setting fire to every store in the franchise of that company".
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Zarathustra
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Re: Why was Nathan Johnson's score so underrated?
As I rewatch the dub I'm becoming more fond of this score. I particularly enjoy the piano (?) and percussion, but the strings and horns still bug me.
Re: Why was Nathan Johnson's score so underrated?
Someone else in the thread said it was "like a 4Kids" score. I agree completely.
That's its real problem. It's just generic, nearly non-stop, very obviously synthesized orchestral music. Sometimes there aren't even distinct instruments. In the same way that you could swap most of 4Kids' scores around and not notice, you could do the same with Johnson's score.
Compare it to either the Faulconer Productions or Shinsuke Kikuchi score. Those stand at completely opposite ends of the spectrum, yet I'd take either over Johnson's because they have a distinct character. They each have distinctly memorable themes, but more importantly, they each imbue the series with a very unique tone.
That said, I haven't watched either the Saiyan or Namek arcs all the way through with Johnson's score, so I suppose I'll have to try it out sometime. I still have the first three orange bricks sitting around somewhere.
Also, I suppose it's better than Menza's GT score just by virtue of not being completely offensive.
That's its real problem. It's just generic, nearly non-stop, very obviously synthesized orchestral music. Sometimes there aren't even distinct instruments. In the same way that you could swap most of 4Kids' scores around and not notice, you could do the same with Johnson's score.
Compare it to either the Faulconer Productions or Shinsuke Kikuchi score. Those stand at completely opposite ends of the spectrum, yet I'd take either over Johnson's because they have a distinct character. They each have distinctly memorable themes, but more importantly, they each imbue the series with a very unique tone.
That said, I haven't watched either the Saiyan or Namek arcs all the way through with Johnson's score, so I suppose I'll have to try it out sometime. I still have the first three orange bricks sitting around somewhere.
Also, I suppose it's better than Menza's GT score just by virtue of not being completely offensive.