Is Sony punishing the fans for hating the TPM UE by not releasing the complete SW Prequel scores?

[King Mark 3,624]

so?

What do you THINK (unofficially)?

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

According to Lukas Kendall, yes!

[Jim Ware 525]

Fourteen years later?!

[BloodBoal 7,538]

Yes, because they obviously have nothing better to do.

[A. A. Ron 1,736]

I'd say both yes and no. It is primarily a business decision, but it's not purely or entirely a business decision. I don't think there's really a grudge per se either. They just released something with a good amount of ignorance about the target audience, got some backlash and they aren't interested in trying again. As far as they're concerned, they tried to give us what we want and we're the ones who are now being unreasonable. I'm sure they think we'd complain no matter what they give us, so they just don't give us anything at all. And quite frankly, after all these years Sony has other and higher priorities than Star Wars prequel expansions.

[Andy 4,071]

Is our internet rage really hurting them? I mean, didn't we all purchase it anyway? Why should they hold a grudge when it probably sold just fine? They got their dollars for the release, so why should they care if people whine about the release on message boards?

I say business decision. The sales of prequel scores might not be that great, and there may be some timing issues with Lucas licensing wanting to focus away from the Prequel Trilogy in anticipation of Ep VII.

[Jay 37,266]

Sony doesn't decide if new score releases come out or not. Lucasfilm does, and if they decide Sony gets to exclusively distribute them.

It's similar to the situation with Fox and the original films. Fox doesn't decide if they want to release a round of Blu-rays or not, Lucasfilm does, and if they decide Fox gets to exclusively distribute them.

Both contracts will expire in 2019 and 2020 and Disney will then surely release new versions themselves.

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

I trust by then, Disney will slap together a lossy digital download exclusive!

[Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488]

I listened to the prequels this week and, honestly, they don't live up to the original trilogy scores or even the Harry Potters from the same era. We don't need them. Now, the Ultimate Edition was indeed a disaster.

[Not Mr. Big 4,639]

I disagree, I think The Phantom Menace is one of John Williams' greatest scores. It easily eclipses his Harry Potter scores. It might even be my favorite of the Star Wars scores. AOTC and ROTS are good too.

[Incanus 5,713]

Do the Star Wars Prequel complete scores right or do not do them at all! There is no try!

Oh wait there is and it was a complete failure!

But I am sure the bean counters are waiting for the right moment, probably the crest of publicity when one of the new films comes out to release this stuff.

[Balahkay 627]

TPM is certainly an amazing score and the best of the prequels, but even though its a Star Wars score, I still find it hard to compare it with the OT scores. I have a hard time even comparing Star Wars and ESB since I think they're different enough where they can't be compared.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Whaaa?

[Balahkay 627]

Too wordy?

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

You cant compare 2 JW scores written 3 years apart for the same franchise?

[A24 4,326]

I constantly hear that Twilight Zone cue when I read this thread. Everyone hates the TPM UE?!

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Explain?

Have you ever heard the Prequel scores?

[A24 4,326]

Huh? What? (there's that Twilight Zone cue again)

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

I knew you have heard TPM. But I cant recall you ever commenting on the other two.

[crocodile 7,978]

Sony doesn't decide if new score releases come out or not. Lucasfilm does, and if they decide Sony gets to exclusively distribute them.

It's similar to the situation with Fox and the original films. Fox doesn't decide if they want to release a round of Blu-rays or not, Lucasfilm does, and if they decide Fox gets to exclusively distribute them.

Both contracts will expire in 2019 and 2020 and Disney will then surely release new versions themselves.

Star Wars Saga: The Legacy Collection!

Karol

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

New releases of the original trilogy scores should have a similar aesthetic to the OSTs. Back then, artwork was nice and simple. These days, they seem to have a hard on for cramming every possible image possible into an ugly collage.

[aj_vader 533]

What was so bad about SW-TPM-Ultimate Edition? Is it because it wasn't complete?

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Hell yeah!

[Marian Schedenig 8,154]

TPM is certainly an amazing score and the best of the prequels, but even though its a Star Wars score, I still find it hard to compare it with the OT scores.

But...

I have a hard time even comparing Star Wars and ESB since I think they're different enough where they can't be compared.

...as you just said yourself, there is no "the OT scores" to compare TPM with, because they're all different themselves.

[Joni Wiljami 1,206]

I like it. TPM~UE.

I have zero interest how is it in the movie because that flick is shit.

[aj_vader 533]

Missing music + tracked music + looped music + unnecessary Duel Of The Fates dialogue version + awful packaging...

I agree with all these, It annoyed me hearing all the unreleased music in video games in horrible MP3 quality. The Music video thing at the end is very unnecessary I agree.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

What was so bad about SW-TPM-Ultimate Edition? Is it because it wasn't complete?

Missing music + tracked music + looped music + unnecessary Duel Of The Fates dialogue version + awful packaging...

I agree with all these,

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

I like it. TPM~UE.

I have zero interest how is it in the movie because that flick is shit.

But the UE is almost exactly how it is in the movie. Aside from Orgy's Great Maniacal Band at the end, which is identical to the album version.

[Bespin 8,472]

I'm not an expert about the prequels soundtracks, but I beileve that the music recorded by Williams has been edited very much to fit on the final montage of the movies... and not by the fault of Williams.

I believe that if the soundtracks where released as they was originally recorded by Williams, it would be disapointing for the fans.

Maybe we would find ourselves in front of many small passages without real coherence between them... and a whole that would be very different from what we are used to.

I have the bad feeling that the last Lucas-Williams collaboration was not as happy as we could imagine... So maybe we have to wait a little more and let the dust settle...

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

I believe that if the soundtracks where released as they was originally recorded by Williams, it would be disapointing for the fans.

What?

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

I think Bespin has access to the master tapes and has heard them. He has come to the conclusion that the rejected music was bad and Lucas made the right call in nuking it.

[Bespin 8,472]

I believe that if the soundtracks where released as they was originally recorded by Williams, it would be disapointing for the fans.

What?

Well, by example, I think that all the End Credits cues on the prequels movies are "montages"... Very bad montages. On a soundtrack with the music "as it was recorded", maybe there won't be any "End Credits".

This is the case also for the opening sequences of AOC and ROTS, they are edits I think, the Star Wars Main Theme as been recorded only once for TPM.

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

AOTC had the best end credits music of the prequels, which Williams wrote and recorded specifically for the end credits and appears on the album. But for some reason, Lucas nuked it in the film and replaced it with the bare Across the Stars track. PFFT!

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Bespin, i really thinn you are missing the point

[Bespin 8,472]

I think Bespin has access to the master tapes and has heard them. He has come to the conclusion that the rejected music was bad and Lucas made the right call in nuking it.

The rejected music, as you say, is surely better that what we are used too, I must have used the word "destabilizing" instead of "disapointing".

It would also reveal even more the poor director qualities of Lucas.

Bespin, i really thinn you are missing the point

I thought that it was the standard on this forum.

[Marian Schedenig 8,154]

I like it. TPM~UE.

I have zero interest how is it in the movie because that flick is shit.

And that excuses all the unmusical edits? There are tons of moments on the UE were bits of music were either looped or completely taken out. I've rarely touched the 1CD release since the UE came out, because with its sound quality and really whacky sequencing, I find it even less satisfactory than the UE mess, but I did put on one track a few weeks ago, and it's disturbing what actually got taken out and what that did for the musical flow.

[A24 4,326]

What is an unmusical edit?

[Marian Schedenig 8,154]

Well, by example, I think that all the End Credits cues on the prequels movies are "montages"... Very bad montages. On a soundtrack with the music "as it was recorded", maybe there won't be any "End Credits".

This is the case also for the opening sequences of AOC and ROTS, they are edits I think, the Star Wars Main Theme as been recorded only once for TPM.

But you must differentiated between these scenarios:

1) Cues that were conceptually meant to be merged, i.e. two cues that were recorded separately, or even written separately, but always intended to be joined together. They were written the way they were written so that they would fit together. Sometimes (as with the main titles), a cue was even written and recorded to be an extension to an existing recording.

2) Cues that were written as stand alone cues and then merged in editing, for musical reasons. E.g. an end credit suite if there was none written - because I'm sure that if Williams creates (or lets someone create) the end credits in post production, that doesn't mean that he didn't intend the musical work to not have an ending.

3) Edits to the recorded music that were done to fit the film, usually because the final cut of the film differs from what the composer had to work with.

To do a proper album release of the music as it was composed (ignoring at this point the argument for album edits, which would be a different post production matter anyway), edits of the first category absolutely have to be preserved, edits of the second category usually should be included, and edits of the third category have no place whatsoever on a standalone representation of the music.

What is an unmusical edit?

See my follow up post.

[Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488]

The fact that they reused the same recording of the Main Title...I mean, that they no longer even bothered to record the Main Title for each new movie really says something of the slapped-together nature of the prequel scores.

[Faleel 5,326]

Yeah, that they wanted continuity.

[Marian Schedenig 8,154]

And no, Sony isn't punishing the fans for anything. What kind of business sense would that make? Are Sony Music's high ranking executive producers supposed to be bitter people holding a personal grudge against all soundtrack fans? Who would normally jump at the opportunity and release complete prequel scores, but they're all personally hurt by the negative backlash of the soundtrack community and therefore hold back on those releases just to spite us?

[crocodile 7,978]

Agreed. It just doesn't make sense.

Karol

[Bespin 8,472]

The fact that they reused the same recording of the Main Title...I mean, that they no longer even bothered to record the Main Title for each new movie really says something of the slapped-together nature of the prequel scores.

Exactly, for me, it's a real turn-off.

You know It remember me a singer I like, Charles Aznavour... he's now 90... On his three last albums, badly produced in my sense, they used Pro-Tools to corrects his false notes... It's the same Aznavour... but with... technology, and for me... it does not go together :-)

[Trent B 337]

Only if they'd let Mike Matessino and either La-La Land or Intrada release the complete Prequels then we'd get the scores as their intended versions...most likely. Assuming Williams doesn't want to have stuff left out like with Hook.

The marketing for the so called Ultimate Edition of The Phantom Menace definitely was deceptive. Now I'll admit, back then I didn't care it was essentially an isolated score and loved it for a long time. However, over the years and paying attention to edits, it's very hard to listen to that presentation of the score... A LOT of the edits, especially on Disc 2 stick out like a sore thumb.

Hopefully when the Prequel rights revert back to Disney which includes the score rights, they let La-La Land or Intrada release the intended versions for the Prequels.

BTW I for one am down with cues that were meant to flow into each other to be joined that way on a CD release. IE: "Main Title" all the way to the end of "The Elevator Scene" from ROTS. It seems weird to have them listening on their own...

[Not Mr. Big 4,639]

I don't hate the Ultimate Edition. Even with the bad editing, it's still a better representation of the score than the commercial album.

[Arpy 4,145]

I don't think it's punishment. There just isn't enough demand for it atm. As others have said I believe once the rights revert back to Disney they'll probably slap something together.

I don't personally have any problem with the UE as it did include more music and it sounds great. Saying that, it's hard to listen to the score from start to finish.

If any of the prequel scores deserve a complete release, it has to be ROTS.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

I don't hate the Ultimate Edition. Even with the bad editing, it's still a better representation of the score than the commercial album.

I vastly prefer the OST

[Wojo 2,453]

The OST makes no attempt to be more grandiose than it actually is. In that sense, it's superior to the UE.

[Jay 37,266]

But the UE is almost exactly how it is in the movie. Aside from Orgy's Great Maniacal Band at the end, which is identical to the album version.

There's more differences from the exact film version than just the finale piece.