Intrada Soundtrack Forum

I'm happy my latest corner posting helped generate some valuable discussion on a topic of interest.

Emails from friends also provided value: My column may have illuminated something of interest but still really just boiled down to the old Citizen Kane syndrome. Waxing nostalgic about simpler times. Who doesn't do that? Hardly a topic worthy of multiple threads on Forums. Certainly not much to debate.

I'm reminded that TV was once what broadcasters chose to show us. Then VCRs came along and let us monkey with the schedules and maybe keep some stuff, albeit in low-fi manner. Fast forward: Today we can get the latest movies and TV shows in hi-def with sound up the wazoo! And it doesn't stop there. My kids watch this stuff on their smart phones with nary a silver disc in sight.

People are now asking for higher res images of CD covers for their iPods and personalized CDRs. Not something I could have dreamed of back when I first bought that classic PATTON album in 1970. [Editorial comment: I still find that original re-recorded album, at the time the only PATTON record available, to be the most dynamic and vividly performed of all the versions. And yes - I hope to realize a world premiere CD of this version direct from the London session masters, still existing in those UMG vaults. Alas... maybe someday.]

Perhaps it's just that so much media is now available, consumers, be they CD listeners or movie viewers have just become spoiled. With just about everything now available at the touch of a button - literally - why not just go ahead and demand that little portion that still remains out of reach. Perhaps consumers feel they are actually entitled to it.

In any case, one part of the original column does still pose some food for thought: My opinion that we have a dwindling number of musically satisfying "albums" balanced with a corresponding increase in mere archival CDs.

People seem to prefer the latter over the former. I'll (often) go for the former. But if both worlds can be met, and the economics support it, then we'll have musical nirvana.
--Doug

I'm not saying that there aren't some people who feel that everything should always go their way, but in terms of why film music enthusiasts might prefer the entire score over a reduced album version of it is less about entitlement, I think, and more about the nature of the beast that is film music.

As I mentioned on that other thread, the problem with film music is that the music that isn't heard on the album isn't just raw master material, it's already out there to be heard in the film. While album presentations may indeed be more satisfying albums, what people heard in the film and fell in love with was the score. It can be very frustrating if your favorite moment in the score is missing from the album.

Music in general but film music in particular is an emotional thing. The connections that people develop to it, especially those with passion, aren't always easily definable. The truth is that no matter how you slice it, we as fans are dependent upon the producers for our music, and so it makes sense that they would encourage (hopefully "encourage," but I have seen behavior more along the lines of "attempted bullying") said producers to get as much of this music out there as possible.

I personally like the idea of an album program followed by the remainder of the score (with instructions in the booklet for programming in film order for those who are so inclined). I think that would satisfy the most amount of people; whether I prefer a complete and chronological score or an album version thereof to listen to depends entirely upon the score and the choices of the album producer, so I refuse to make any sort of sweeping generalizations about whether one approach is better than the other. I do, however, feel that because film music is something that can be so close and yet so far away, that it does make sense to try to include as much as possible because we've all been disappointed in that way.

And let us not forget RoboCop and The Wind and the Lion… sometimes the scores just play better front to back when left alone.



The original album of Patton is my favorite version of the score as well. The FSM edition, while okay, doesn't have quite the same punch. I'm not into Goldsmith's Varèse recording at all because of the distant sound and the triplets performed acoustically. Yes, a trumpet can perform the triplet acoustically, but part of what made that effect so haunting in the film and on the original LP was how it would echo across the stereo soundfield.

In fact, I'm going to go right now into the other room an put on my Patton LP right now whilst I fix myself some breakfast! Thanks for the suggestion!

I think the present day technology has made things much simpler, as way back when it was much more complex. Re-recordings had to be made to provide the public with music that financial firewalls prohibited.

It's ironic to consider re-recordings were done because it was the only economical means which took twice the work to accomplish,
hence more complexity involved.

As re-recordings fell away to using the actual recording, the album arrangement was still a common practice (imposed by money again), or perhaps still a tradition, that the composer would relish to revisit his score and provide a solid listening experience.

Flash forward,
now digital recordings can be "downloaded" anywhere without the necessity of recording twice or even artwork (which I consider an important part of the any album). Most of the great composers who re-recorded and arranged albums of their music are now gone.
Without their input, the final product could be great but would lack the true collaboration to make the effort special.

Even with the nostalgia, some albums like ROBOCOP, didn't stand so well in their original album presentation, but for me back then... I didn't know anything about the money or the politics... I just got the album on vinyl or on tape and enjoyed it.
In that way it was simple.

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Jason Needs
Webmaster, Jerry Goldsmith Online

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Karl Morton IV

"Enjoy every sandwich."
-- Warren Zevon

The way technology is headed, I can envision a future where you buy your album on the website and a made-to-order CD-R is sent to you. The default option will be the producer's recommended assembly ... but you'll also have the option of selecting "complete & chronological" or even creating your own custom sequence, perhaps paying a premium for tracks that aren't on the "producer's cut." Heck, perhaps the track-titles on your jewel case art is also custom-generated based on your order! Otherwise, everyone gets the same inserts/liner notes/etc. Practical? NO idea! But it's fun to speculate.

_________________
Karl Morton IV

"Enjoy every sandwich."
-- Warren Zevon