JWFan Exclusive - Interview with producer Mike Matessino about 1941!!

[Jay 43,025]

Hey everyone - check out my exclusive interview with MV Gerhard and MIke Matessino about the new 1941 - Expanded set right here on JWFan!

http://www.jwfan.com/?p=929

[King Mark 3,848]

you do interviews now?

Please don't turn to the dark side

[Little Ghost 7,987]

"There’s one I worked on that I expect will be announced before the ink completely dries on this interview."

I am excited now!

[indy4 159]

Nice interview, Jason! The question is, would Hook be announced so soon? It seems like it would be a holiday title. Although they could just be announcing it several months in advance, like they did for some titles (like 1941).

[Koray Savas 2,256]

Hey Jay, do you actually have a copy of the score? You say you read the liner notes and that the sound is fantastic. How'd you wiggle your way into the business?

[Demondm810 437]

Great interview Jay!

[Jay 43,025]

Thanks Indy4 and Demondm810!

Koray yep - looking at it right here in front of me! I will be posting a full review tomorrow, but it's essentially an absolutely PERFECT release of the score. The sound quality, artwork, liner notes, and packaging are all completely top notch. Matessino really knocked it out of the park (which is no surprise).

Between the liner notes and the interview, there should be no questions left about the score at all - every detail is covered!

Oh, and of course the score itself! I have a new found appreciation for it with this release. It's a terrific film score that has been poorly presented on the OST, the film itself, and the laserdisc/DVD isolated score track that is finally getting the treatment it deserves. Every Williams score deserves this treatment.

[Trent B 348]

Awesome interview Jay. It was cool to read that Universal takes pride in keeping their master session tapes for scores in pristine condition, or at least tries to. Lucasfilm should take a page from their book on this matter.

[Jay 43,025]

Thanks Trent!

It was immediately apparent upon listening how well Universal kept the master tapes. The sound quality is stunning, especially for a score 32 years old! It almost makes no sense why the laserdisc/DVD isolated score had such poor sound quality in comparison.

[Trent B 348]

Maybe the mastering technique and technology wasn't as good back then as they are today.

Here's a good example... Predator. We all know how not so great sound Varèse D.E. release was but Intrada's was pristine because the remastering technique and tools of today compared to back then are a lot more sophisticated and better.

[Demondm810 437]

I'm salivating for this release. I've been listening to the Varese for days so I can fully appreciate the upgrade. Watching the film again tomorrow, as it's been a few years.

[ST-321 5]

Thanks for the great interview!

[King Mark 3,848]

I've been listening to the Varese for days so I can fully appreciate the upgrade.

I'm definitely not doing that

[Koray Savas 2,256]

Exactly, that doesn't make sense to me. I deleted all my Pink Floyd in anticipation of the remasters that come out on Tuesday.

[indy4 159]

Yeah, last time I listened to 1941 was July 2011, which was around the time when it was announced by LLL.

[Incanus 5,858]

Great interview Jason! Excellent questions. Could not have made better ones myself.

[fommes 161]

Great interview indeed - thanks for the interesting read!

(Btw: spelling error - it's 'were' instead of 'where')

[Incanus 5,858]

Great interview indeed - thanks for the interesting read!

(Btw: spelling error - it's 'were' instead of 'where')

Could you say more specifically where?

[fommes 161]

It's in one of the questions; if all materials were located or something.

[Maurizio 6,044]

Great interview Jay! I've enjoyed it a lot.

[Incanus 5,858]

Waiting for tomorrow to get to order and then waiting for the CDs to arrive feels like an eternity after this interview.

[SF1_freeze 136]

Fantastic and very informative interview. You ask all the right questions and Mike Matessino gladly took his time to cover every aspect extensively.

[Jay 43,025]

Thanks Incanus, fommes, Maurizio, and SF1_freeze!

I tried to ask questions about anything that wasn't covered in the liner notes. The problem was, the release was handled so perfectly, with every last bit of music included, and the liner notes covered so many of the questions I would have had, it was somewhat hard to come up with good questions! Luckily Mr. Takis suggested some good ones that led to great responses.

[fommes 161]

Colour me 0,25% disappointed that they kept the cannon thing in the concert version of the march - I would have done it otherwise. And we already had the OST for that. (The rest, including sequencing, sounds absolutely perfect though!)

[Jay 43,025]

Well, he had to keep the cannons in to duplicate the original 1979 LP.

I'm sure had their been room, he would have also included the March without cannons... but both CDs are currently maxed out. What would you have dropped to fit it in?

You can always re-create the March, without cannons, by editing the final track of Disc 1 yourself.

[fommes 161]

I know, I know; but I would have dropped the March with cannons. The Varèse sounds good enough for those that would want it with cannons.

[Jay 43,025]

Nah, they had to duplicate the original 1979 LP presentation down to a T, including cannons. Besides the fact that they were probably obligated to do so, it's just smart business to do so.

[Admiral Holdo 16]

Very informative interview, good work! :-) One teensy question since you've listened to the CD, how are Capture of Hollis / Kelso Lost combined? Like, say for the sake of argument I wanted to isolate the latter for when I put it on my iPod, is that possible?

[Jay 43,025]

Yea, that would sound fine. Kelso Lost just comes in as Capture Of Hollis is fading out, but it was just edited at the right musical moment to sound like it could have been a long single cue if you didn't know any better.

For the most part all the tracks that contain 2 or more cues can be separated out easily enough, especially since the liner notes point out where the second (or third) cue starts. The only ones that would sound REALLY jarring if you don't have gapless playback would be like how Sub Commander goes into Wild Bill Kelso, which is the same transition as heard on the OST (The Invasion at 4:51)

[crocodile 9,230]

Great job, Jay! You do better than most interviewers from all these major papers.

Karol

[Jay 43,025]

Ha! Thanks Karol!

[ZackR 184]

Nice. Good interview. I also like his Captain Hook reference. Hopefully there was a little something to that reference.

[TJH132 49]

Any truth to the rumor I heard years ago that Spielberg was not at all happy with the score? He felt it added yet another layer of chaos to the film. When he discusses it now, he always re-tells the story of going home, grabbing his clarinet and joining the ensemble to mess it up just a little. Maybe he DID play with the orchestra as a form of sabotage...

TJH

[nightscape94 967]

Any truth to the rumor I heard years ago that Spielberg was not at all happy with the score?

Yes, it didn't quite work out between the two of them after that. After some early success with Jaw and Close Encounters, they never worked together again after 1941. Shame, really. So much potential down the drain....Egos man.

[Little Ghost 7,987]

Any truth to the rumor I heard years ago that Spielberg was not at all happy with the score?

Yes, it didn't quite work out between the two of them after that. After some early success with Jaw and Close Encounters, they never worked together again after 1941. Shame, really. So much potential down the drain....Egos man.

WITW?

[Admiral Holdo 16]

I ducked out of my physics class to order it at one sharp - and I got my shipping notice just a little over two hours later, so it was more than worth it!

Great job again on the interview Jason (and thanks for answering my question from earlier) - care to explain how you got to hear it before the rest of us?

[Jay 43,025]

Any truth to the rumor I heard years ago that Spielberg was not at all happy with the score? He felt it added yet another layer of chaos to the film. When he discusses it now, he always re-tells the story of going home, grabbing his clarinet and joining the ensemble to mess it up just a little. Maybe he DID play with the orchestra as a form of sabotage...

TJH

The liner notes do recount the story of Spielberg playing clarinet in the sessions, but nowhere do they mention Spielberg being unhappy with the score. I wish I had known about that, I would have asked Mike about it. Oh well, next time

Great job again on the interview Jason (and thanks for answering my question from earlier) - care to explain how you got to hear it before the rest of us?

I was sent a copy so that I could conduct an informed interview.

[Admiral Holdo 16]

Great job again on the interview Jason (and thanks for answering my question from earlier) - care to explain how you got to hear it before the rest of us?

I was sent a copy so that I could conduct an informed interview.

Well, look at you with your perks and your ability to listen to the CD while we all wait impatiently. Serious tho, nice. Hope you get to do things like that more often, I love reading in-depth interviews about our favorite subject like this.

[Delorean90 47]

Good work, Jason! It sounds like this is a finely packaged and comprehensive release!

[Jay 43,025]

It sure is!

[Josh500 1,620]

Wow, I finally got around to reading this, and I am amazed at your knowledge. Hats off to you, Jason.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 11,075]

What knowledge? It was an interview.

[Josh500 1,620]

Yes. And he was a knowledgable interviewer.

I would have gently pressed MM regarding the last answer, though.

"And can you give us any hints as to what we can expect? You know the jwfan members will kill me if I at least don't try." Something like that.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 11,075]

Mike is a professional who knows full well what he can and cannot reveal.

[Josh500 1,620]

Still, if someone gives a teasing answer like that, he expects to be asked what he is talking about... if only in a joking manner.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 11,075]

Next time Jason should take a Glock to an interview.

[Incanus 5,858]

Next time Jason should take a Glock to an interview.

Especially if conducted by phone or by e-mail.