Varese and the Deluxe Editions? Specifically the Omen

[KittBash 282]

Since there has been a big scramble to get The Fury Deluxe Edition I was wondering if anyone has gotten other Varese Deluxe Edition discs. Specifically The Omen by Jerry Goldsmith. I was in one of my local CD stores and I saw the Omen there but didn't get it. Was that a mistake should I go back and seek it out at all costs or did I do the right thing by walking away?

[Marian Schedenig 8,179]

Actually, I think I have all of the DEs.

The Omen is definitely worth getting if you like the score. And not so much for the additional tracks (as far as I'm concerned) - those are nice to have, but the real winner is the sound quality, which is a lot better than on the old release. I mainly got Fury for the same reason.

But then, of the Omen trilogy, the best DE is without a doubt Final Conflict. I had been crying for a remastered version for years, because the old one had such bad sound. It's one of the best scores ever written in my opinion, and the DE is a huge improvement in sound quality. This was one of the happiest CD announcements I ever read.

Of course, the other DEs are worth getting, too.

Marian - who is still hoping for Great Train Robbery.

[Wickenstein 0]

I love all three of the Omen DE's. They're all great CD releases. Just don't listen to them when someone else is in the room

[Lurker 5]

Yes, all 3 Omen scores are fantastic. You should get them all. Each has something of value.

Neil - who really likes the Damien: Omen 2 CD

[Gamecube 0]

I recently ordered Total Recall Delux Edition, but they sent me the OST. I just sent it back.

[AHerrera83 0]

Another great DE is ALIENS, which includes some of the unused tracks and which are some of the better tracks.

[Wickenstein 0]

I love the percussion only tracks on the Aliens: DE. Both versions of the unused Drop cue are great to listen to. It's really one of Horner's best scores. I only wish Krull was more readily available.

[Trumpeteer 302]

I really love the deluxe edition of The Omen. Nos. 2 and 3 I do not own, but I was never too thrilled with those scores enough to own them on CD.

The only problem I have with that CD is that it is missing two cues, which are two of my favorites:

1. The synth cue as the dog "hypnotizes" the nanny and when he is looking at Damien.

2. The choral whispering of "sanguis bibimus, corpus edimus" as the dog is creeping through the house to find Thorne. I always whisper along.

I also own the DE to Aliens. Like The Omen, the sound is significantly improved, and the chronological sequencing is terrific.

[Major Kabakov 0]

 

The only problem I have with that CD is that it is missing two cues, which are two of my favorites  

Yeah, I missed that synth cue too and I didn't buy the DE.

Apparently, there's another track missing : when Lee Remick is attacked by the evil Mrs Baylock.

About the dog cue, it seems the scene was rescored. What appears on the CD is Goldsmith's "rejected" track.

[Trumpeteer 302]

Oh yeah, I forgot about Cathy's death. That one's good, too.

And what do you mean about the dog scene being rescored and the alternate is on the CD? Which track? That's interesting news.

And I'm assuming you're talking about the scene with the choral whispers.

Jeff -- who probably gets odd looks when he's blasting "Ave Satani" in his car and singing along.

[Guest]

Sorry Trumpeteer, I messed up :oops:

In fact, the alternate cue for the "dog effect" appears on a bootleg CD from the score. Apparently, the disc was assembled from the laserdisc isolated music track. Since the synth effect wasn't featured at this moment, I suppose the scene was re-scored (the initial take used the chorus instead).

I don't have the DE, so I can't tell if Varese included this bit.

[tharpdevenport 4]

Someone combined the DE of Omen with the missing tracks from Laserdisc and made a complete score. But there was only like 5 or 6 minutes missing. Which made me think, if only that much score left, why did they not makeit complete?

Same with the Omen 2, the complete version.

[Trumpeteer 302]

OK Major. I did hear that that one scene did have different music, but I've never heard it. The Deluxe Edition does not have any alternate music. Everything on the Deluxe Edition is heard in the film....except for the first minute of "The Altar," which was retracked with the end of "Don't Tell Him."

[Major Kabakov 0]

The Deluxe Edition does not have any alternate music.

Sure. You're right, but the bootleg does.

Which made me think, if only that much score left, why did they not makeit complete?

Mmmmm missing tracks, maybe ?

If the dog scene was re-scored, the cue was recorded on a separate session. Therefore, that missing bit may be very difficult to locate.

[King Mark 3,626]

Final Conflict is certainly in the top 3 of Goldsmith's scores,the choir work simply reaches heights I never heard before..The re-mastered version is awsome.I didn't get the 2 first Omens,the music actualy scares me.

K.M.

[Jurassic Shark 12,033]

So, 17 years later, has there been a newer release of The Final Conflict than the Varese DE?

[Naïve Old Fart 9,508]

'fraid not.

[Brundlefly 2,385]

Lovely how excited the people from 2002 were about all the incomplete Deluxe Editions.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Those were different times!

[publicist 4,643]

More than sufficient in all three cases and for Final Conflict, the sound upgrade was the real deal (that old 1986 Varése was beyond awful).

[Brundlefly 2,385]

3 minutes ago, publicist said:

More than sufficient in all three cases and for Final Conflict, the sound upgrade was the real deal (that old 1986 Varése was beyond awful).

Wow, I know you're not really one of the audiophiles on this forum - now I would really like to listen to that old master. Was it worse than 1997's Planet of the Apes?

[publicist 4,643]

Of course it's worse, it was run through a faulty Dolby machine or something like that, so imagine a fifth-generation tape. A disgrace.

[Brundlefly 2,385]

Is there any YouTube video left which features that old master?

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Why not look?

I had the old release on CDr, it sounds awful.

[Ollie 1,059]

Yeah, it was dreadful. The difference is stunning.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

There is no reason to keep that OST. Its a pity my copy of Damien rotted!

[Ollie 1,059]

The deluxe edition of the second film?

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

10 minutes ago, Stefancos said:

There is no reason to keep that OST. Its a pity my copy of Damien rotted!

 

I've only ever had one CD rot on me and that was a second hand copy of the 1986 2-CD set of Phantom of the Opera. Both discs rotted to shit!

[Ollie 1,059]

I’ve been fortunate, even some of the original releases from the early 80’s that I bought, never rotted.

[Jurassic Shark 12,033]

None of the early CDs I bought rotted, but some contained rotten music.

[Nick Parker 3,040]

I was a couple years too young, but I miss the vibe and usernames of 2002 message boards.