Datameister

It really is interesting how these conversations can veer into such extremes on both sides. If I were to sum up my take: Potential advantages of an OST: More concise, cheaper, more accessible, less risk of listeners getting bored due to long runtime or the inclusion of less interesting material. Requires no editing by those who prefer a curated musical summary. Potential advantages of an expanded presentation: More music to enjoy. Archival value. Provides more of a look into the craft of film scoring, and filmmaking writ large. Maximum flexibility for the tiny subculture that likes to edit and rearrange things. Different scores lean differently into the advantages of the two formats. Digital distribution eases some of the difficulties associated with physical albums, but it can introduce new ones too. Scarcity does make things feel more special. Delaying a complete release can actually make it more enjoyable when it finally comes. The cost is yearning and frustration in the meantime—and the potential for loss or degradation of the source material. If the delays go on and on, some fans will die and miss out altogether. Only releasing a package deal with both presentations is probably a bad idea financially in most cases. We don't have access to detailed business records, so it's impossible to make fully informed judgments on what's economically viable. Every score is different. Every listener is different. Blanket statements and one-size-fits-all approaches won't cut it. Mostly. Whatever other thoughts I'm forgetting.

I would agree that many complete scores are too full of functional but uninteresting music. Maybe the difference is that you have more interest in a wider variety of scores than I do? The scores with a lot of boring stuff tend to bore me in OST form, too.

Such a 180. I feel no need to swing to that extreme. Minority Report is a better listen on the OST. So are some other scores. Still others aren't. I can't help seeing "THROW OUT ALL ADDITIONAL MUSIC" as a bit of an overcorrection. It's all subjective, of course.

Fixed

Oh, I love the songs. My preferred listening experience is a playlist combining the score and songs. But that's shocking to me that 12 minutes of score is enough for you. Especially considering the fact that the full film score isn't long. It's comparable to a typical OST.

I'm glad you started with the caveat about the word "ruined." I can't imagine that ever happening. But are there expanded scores that feel like they're … a little much? Sure. Some random examples: Minority Report. It's not that any of the additional music is bad, but I just find the score as a whole to be a little long and monotonous. Drop Zone. Most of the additional music is just nonessential variations on the essential stuff from the OST. (I'm glad the last cue is there, though. "After the Dub" never worked for me as the end of the OST.) Far and Away. This is an example of one where I haven't heard the OST, so I don't get the jolt of "Wow, I finally get to listen to this cue!" It just all blurs together into one nice but long presentation. I'm still glad I bought these, and I still do listen to them. But they do contrast with: OST-killers like Sky Captain, TLW, TWOK, the Potter set, etc. Scores where the OST uses different recordings to present a different experience—Jaws, E.T., etc. With those it just depends on which version I'm in the mood for, although the film scores often win out over the OSTs. Scores that never got a score OST to begin with, but I don't need one. Ferris Bueller's Day Off, The Haunted Mansion, and BTTF come to mind as examples.

It's all just so convoluted. I'm not an AOTC hater, but I can't come up with any cogent reason why I can enjoy the film as much as I do. It's pretty bad.

Same slate numbers, albeit written differently

Plot twist! Mark Graham revealed the original cue title on JW's sketch for Cantina Band #2 on Instagram. Wait for it... Reel 5/6 Part 4/1 Don't Bee That Weigh So maybe "Monkey Band" was a retitle for the full score manuscripts? Either that or it's not the title at all—just a reference to this being a different ensemble on the scoring stage.

Wow, Mark Graham revealed the original cue title on JW's sketch for Cantina Band #2 on Instagram! Wait for it... Reel 5/6 Part 4/1 Don't Bee That Weigh

AI-generated album cover. That's an automatic no-buy for me.

I already answered as best I could, @JTN:

Remember, that's just what I was most interested in listening to at that moment. It wouldn't make my top five for all time, although I do like the score quite a bit. (Incidentally, I've never seen the film, partly because I'm afraid it would ruin the score for me! 😂)

Best I can do is the top five JW scores I'd want to listen to at this moment. Answers could be very different tomorrow depending on my mood and what I'd already listened to recently. 1941 Superman Raiders Return of the Jedi Always A "top five of all time" list would definitely include Star Wars, ESB, and Raiders. But the other two slots are really, really, really damn hard. They wouldn't go to any of the others on today's list, though.

Me right now, not listening to anything: 🤔 Me earlier today, when the E.T. end credits came up in shuffle: 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍