Which one flows better? JP or TLW?

[Muad'Dib 1,801]

I've been thinking about this ever since the complete albums were released last year and how eclectic JP feels as a whole score. While there's a general flow to the whole thing, each cue is pretty much contained on its own, or at least it feels that way to me. Azkaban feels similar in that regard, and while I love both scores, I can't help but think that TLW flows much better. Maybe it's because one the tension starts it doesn't stop till the last act and the percussion helps patch things up.

 

Any thoughts on this? Film music a lot of times seems to have trouble flowing from start to finish compared to concert music (or even in pop music like some albums that flow perfectly from start to finish), maybe because of the film its following or temp-track tendecies to take very different from very different scores. Kamen seemed to like doing mini-symphonies with each cue and I wonder if it's something when composing for film you can even think about, because maybe as a composer you have an idea of how to do the start, middle and ending of things but when you see the necessities of the film you have to throw those ideas to the trash.... I don't know, just thinking out loud here.

[Jay 37,287]

The Lost World flows better.  It feels like a more complete score, indeed.

 

Jurassic Park has this problem where the first half builds up to the big T-Rex scene..... a scene which isn't scored, so the next cue in the complete presentation is the denouement / aftermath of the sequence.  It's not something I ever cognitively recognized before, but once we got a proper complete presentation it really stands out to me.  I'm glad the scene in the final film has no music, but oh, how I wish Williams had written and recorded something for it anyway!

 

Also as you said, each cue feels more self-contained.  They are brilliant at underscoring their scenes, absolutely... but there is very little thematic carryovers from one cue to the next.  With TLW, the Island's Voice theme is introduced right away and persists throughout, growing and growing as the threat of the monsters does, climaxing in San Diego and even getting a denouement version at the end of The Saving Dart.  Perfect thematic storytelling.

[Thor 7,465]

1 hour ago, Muad'Dib said:

I've been thinking about this ever since the complete albums were released last year

 

So your poll only applies to the complete set? Not the original soundtracks?

 

I think both the original albums flow equally well, for slightly different reasons. I have nothing to say about the expanded set, as I will not touch it with a ten-feet pole.

[Wojo 2,453]

1 minute ago, Thor said:

I have nothing to say about the expanded set, as I will not touch it with a ten-feet pole.

 

You sure have a lot to say about expanded soundtracks that you say you have nothing to say about. 

[Brundlefly 2,385]

The Lost World is the best flowing complete score there is. Almost every cue is like a little scherzo and none of them is too short like in Jurassic Park. I'm so happy that John Williams scored much more in the second movie as I'm happy about the fact that a lot was dropped in the final film. So we've got an awesome complete score that even fills the musical gaps of the film (Up in a Basket + In the Trailer) (Ludlow's Speech + The Wrecked Ship).

 

So I can just say the first score would have needed a dropped cue that was supposed to accompany the T-Rex Attack.

[Muad'Dib 1,801]

4 hours ago, Thor said:

 

So your poll only applies to the complete set? Not the original soundtracks?

 

I think both the original albums flow equally well, for slightly different reasons. I have nothing to say about the expanded set, as I will not touch it with a ten-feet pole.

 

I cordially invite you to make your own poll, then.

[Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488]

The short cues in Jurassic Park are an issue and Williams knew they were, which is why they were edited into suites or dropped entirely for the album. He made some musical sense out of that stuff, such as "Incident at Isla Nublar", which is a killer album track, but in the complete score is a short cue that builds up to an awkward abrupt ending that makes no musical sense.

[artguy360 1,843]

TLW flows better to me. Aside from some brief moments, the tone and texture of the score is very consistent from start to finish especially with the original ending cue with the final statement of The Island's Voice motif.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

TLW, for all the reasons mentioned above. 

[Kasey Kockroach 2,343]

I remember with the original albums enjoying The Lost World a lot more, as JP's album weirdly shoves in the classic theme all over the place ("Theme from Jurassic Park" and "End Credits" are just "Welcome to Jurassic Park" chopped in half, and that cue is frustratingly put in the middle of the album!), so I got sick of the theme really fast and "Journey to the Island" lost a bit of its emotional impact since it was already preceded by the "Theme from Jurassic Park" cue. 

The Lost World album was much less of a mess, my only issue being that "The Stegosaurus" is oddly placed near the end. 

Now having the complete scores, I honestly love them about the same in terms of listening experience. 

[crocodile 7,984]

TLW flows better. But, on the other hand, it feels like Williams really overscored the film.

 

Karol

[Incanus 5,713]

Does it really matter on disc? The Lost World in complete form flows better in part for that reason.

 

The OST programme of JP is again better than TLW.

[crocodile 7,984]

Does it matter? Not on album, as you say. But the complete score, as composed and recorded, would have hurt the film. I wonder whether the schedule complications (with Amistad) caused Williams to composed more music just in case.

 

As for the OST albums, yes, JP is a better album. As a complete listen it doesn't really flow that well. While it has more memorable highlights, some of the shorter cues are not that great. TLW is more consistent quality-wise.

 

Karol

[Incanus 5,713]

I suspect the schedule affected the scoring decisions, Williams scoring more scenes "just in case". You can always take music out but you can't necessarily rescore with a tight schedule like TLW had.

[crocodile 7,984]

It's always a shame to gripe about there being too much music, or that it is redundant, given how good the actual compositions are. But Hollywood is wasteful like that, sadly.

 

Karol

[Naïve Old Fart 9,498]

Why does THE HUNT on the OST fade in?

[Jay 37,287]

Just something Williams did for "listening experience"

[Naïve Old Fart 9,498]

Oh...ok...thanks.

[Datameister 2,037]

20 hours ago, Jay said:

The Lost World flows better.  It feels like a more complete score, indeed.

 

Jurassic Park has this problem where the first half builds up to the big T-Rex scene..... a scene which isn't scored, so the next cue in the complete presentation is the denouement / aftermath of the sequence.  It's not something I ever cognitively recognized before, but once we got a proper complete presentation it really stands out to me.  I'm glad the scene in the final film has no music, but oh, how I wish Williams had written and recorded something for it anyway!

 

Also as you said, each cue feels more self-contained.  They are brilliant at underscoring their scenes, absolutely... but there is very little thematic carryovers from one cue to the next.  With TLW, the Island's Voice theme is introduced right away and persists throughout, growing and growing as the threat of the monsters does, climaxing in San Diego and even getting a denouement version at the end of The Saving Dart.  Perfect thematic storytelling.

 

Couldn't have said it better myself. While I have a hard time picking a favorite between the two, I have no trouble identifying the superior flow of TLW.

 

That being said, I do find that the finale of the first score leaves a better taste in my mouth. The end of TLW feels a little abrupt to me, though I really like all the material. I feel more satisfied after JP.