Lights, Camera…Music! Six Decades of John Williams

One of the things I really enjoy doing while working on Daps Magic is checking out different soundtracks/scores. In general, I love that I can listen to music that I don’t get too caught up in the lyrics and can instead just simply let my imagination wander as I’m writing. Sometimes a theme will grab my attention and I’ll pause whatever I’m doing to get lost in the music. Other times it is just a nice atmospheric filler. Moving forward, I thought I’d not only share the music I create on this site but also some of the music I’m listening to. I hope you enjoy this.

Lights, Camera… Music! Six Decades of John Williams is an album of John Williams music that was released by the Boston Pops under the direction of maestro Keith Lockhart in 2017. It is a compilation album of music throughout the illustrious career of John Williams.

The score starts way back back with Williams’ score to Heidi from 1968. It then continues throughout his career and has some very recognizable themes from things like the Star Wars, movies. It also has some that aren’t quite as well-known. One of my favorites is The Men of the Yorktown March from 1976’s Midway. While Midway isn’t a soundtrack I would listen to in full generally, I do like this concert piece from it for this album. Another beautiful and obscure piece is from Dracula in 1978 called Night Journeys. My third favorite that isn’t as well known on this album is the theme from 1995’s Sabrina. There are a couple of others but these three stand out.

Fans of John Williams will also be happy with this album with its Star Wars music that is pulled from Star Wars: The Force Awakens. At the time of recording, this was presumably the newest Star Wars score from Williams. There is also a track dedicated to E.T. that is absolutely beautiful along with music from The Patriot, The Terminal and more. Ever heard of Goodbye, Mr. Chips? Me either. I like the music though!

Lights, Camera… Music! Six Decades of John Williams is a fun collection of music that isn’t quite as commonly heard in other albums and John Williams concerts. It is definitely worth giving a listen to and I find myself returning to it frequently. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

What do you think of Lights, Camera… Music! Six Decades of John Williams? What is your favorite John Williams soundtrack? What is your favorite John Williams album? Share your thoughts and opinions in the comments below!