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I worked with a composer a few years ago and he asked me who my favorite composer was. I told him Danny Elfman. His response surprised me.
He was very critical of him and claimed that Danny has several other composers that work for him that write his music. Danny would just “come up with simple ideas on his guitar and they would elaborate.” Of course he had absolutely no proof for his assumption other than “he isn’t trained at all.”
I knew that his presumptuous accusation was false, but I was really bothered by the fact that someone (and many others) would be critical enough to claim this garbage as truth.
Has anyone alse had this same crap thrown at them? If so, what were your responses? I would defend Danny Elfman to the death, and as such, I am interested to know how my fellow Danny fans would respond to such criticism.
You didn’t know? Yeah, he composes the whole damn score on his guitar and has someone do everything else for him.
It makes my blood boil when I see things like that, but it’s their loss.
Actually, your composer friend is wrong: Danny doesn’t write the whole score on his guitar – he *hums* all of his scores! In fact, he can imitate a whole 112-pieces orchestra by just humming – so what you hear on recordings isn’t the Hollywood Studio Symphony, it is the man himself. Boy, he really is a hell of a good hummer.
He was just a little misinformed. since Danny doesn’t arrange what he composes, that can come off as bad when you read album credits…but yeah, rather than get all spiteful and tell US what we already know, you might wanna lay it down for this know-it-all *******. :p
i’d be really interested to know who this composer was….. surely anyone with the balls to make a statement like that can also own up to it.
my high school band teacher used to tell me he didn’t like Elfman because he wrote music that emphasized the emotions of the characters in his music instead of what was actually going on in the movie.
the man is an idiot.
That is one of the most pathetic things i have ever heard. One of the best characteristics of Elfmans music is the element of character emotion.
my computer/music teacher in middle school told me that he doesn’t do anything, but i doubt he knew any more than the simpsons.
The Simpsons is one example of a composer following the action and not the characters’ emotions. Car horns, anybody?
Blunt
Anyone who doubts the awesome talent of Danny Elfman should watch the music featurette on the Men in Black 2 (MIIB) DVD. Even though Steve BArtek is credited as the orchestrator on films danny is involved in, Danny still orchestrates the score, let alone composes them. Steve is also talented, but with Danny, steve acts as his right hand. Danny Elfman is incredibly underrated by some. He is a brilliant composer.
I second that. Little pains me more than to hear negative comments on Danny Elfman, especially by those who are absolutely not qualified (i.e. knowing anything about him, etc.) to comment. That’s why this is such a cool board.
Why should negative comments about something or someone you like affect you in any way? I wouldn’t get worked up about it, just put on some Elfman tunes and lose yourself in the great vibes of the music.
Nat
Yes Nat, exactly.
After nearly twenty years, for me, of “Elf who”? and “Bongo what, now”? I’ve pretty much accepted it’s just their loss.-beth
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