27 replies to this topic

[Jason LeBlanc]

INTRADA Announces



MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE
Music Composed by BILL CONTI
INTRADA Special Collection Vol. 205

Back by popular demand is Bill Conti's large symphonic score to the 1987 live-action He-Man adventure Masters of the Universe. This marks the fourth appearance of Bill Conti's enduring score on CD, featuring the complete program of this large and thrilling work on a single disc. Bill Conti's epic score is a highlight of late '80s scoring. Yet more important than giving Masters Of The Universe the breathlessly energetic, theme-filled feeling of a major symphonic blockbuster, Conti provided an earnestly valiant heart to the characters with music that is full of emotional commitment. The composer’s power has sold out every past soundtrack release of Masters Of The Universe, and the fans’ fondness towards the movie has endured just as strongly.

The story has He-Man (Dolph Lundgren in his first starring role since playing the villainous Ivan Drago in Rocky IV) accidentally transported to Earth by a cosmic key, which Skeletor needs to complete his conquest of the universe. The race is on between He-Man and Skeletor to find this all-powerful key.

INTRADA Special Collection Vol. 205
Retail Price: $19.99
Available Now
For track listing and sound samples, please visit
http://store.intrada...it.A/id.7683/.f

MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE

Label: Intrada Special Collection Volume 205
Date: 1987
Tracks: 24
Time = 76:35

Back by popular demand, all on one CD! Bill Conti's rousing action score for energetic Cannon Group sci-fi fantasy featuring sword-wielding Mattel character He-Man, directed by Gary Goddard, starring Dolph Lundgren, Frank Langella, Courtney Cox. Conti anchors with requisite major key hero theme, then builds masterful score via inventive use of secondary theme, smaller ideas, note-packed action cues. Conti spotlights upper brass in high registers, also tips hat to propulsive rhythms throughout. A dynamic 1980's film score, made available again courtesy MGM. Music originally appeared in highlight form on Varese Sarabande, then saw expansion from Edel, arriving still later as 2-CD set on La-La Land with score split over two discs and rounded out with earlier highlight album. Intrada release includes identical presentation of complete score but fits it snugly on single CD. Colorful design work from Joe Sikoryak, informative notes from Dan Schweiger round out nice pacakge. Harry Rabinowitz conducts Graunke Orchestra of Munich. Available while quantity and interest remains!

01. Main Title 5:20
02. Quick Escape 2:50
03. Battle In Greyskull 2:36
04. To Earth 1:11
05. Where’s The Key? 0:46
06. The Cemetery 1:28
07. Getting A Bearing 1:03
08. The Mercenaries 1:23
09. Battle At The Gym 6:26
10. Skeletor’s Wrath 3:02
11. Evil-Lyn To Earth 1:04
12. Kevin’s Plight 3:37
13. Centurion Attack 4:28
14. Julie Takes The Key 2:40
15. Skeletor Arrives 7:31
16. He-Mans Last Battle 3:51
17. Julie’s Muzak 1:47
18. He-Man Gets Whipped 4:01
19. People Of Eternia 3:52
20. The Final Battle 6:57
21. Time To Go 2:43
22. Happy Ending 1:58
23. End Credits 5:12

The Extra
24. The Cosmic Key 0:17



Bill Conti

Price: $19.99

[Wojo]

I'll definitely be buying this one, but I may wait to bundle it with something limited down the road.

[Trent Bennett]

So did they use the same master from La-La Land or did they "remaster" it a bit more?

Edit: Other than the zero at the end of my post count...1138, hehe.

[Incanus]

Terrific news for those who missed out on the LLL release as I know at least one of my friends did and now he has a chance to get this.

[Maglorfin]

So the only difference in comparison to LLL release (which I already have) seems to be that "Intrada [...] fits it snugly on single CD". So it's a pass for me.

[Pieter_Boelen]

Different track titles, for whatever reason. No multi-part track titles with slashes inbetween looks quite nice though.

[Wojo]

I hate multi-part track titles with slashes. "Sally and Jane Go Walking/Sally Picks up Rock/Dog Chases Sally, Part 1/Dog Lies Down/Sally Is Safe/Bear Shows Up/Dog Chases Sally, Part II/Michael and Jane Buy Jane Drink/Water Interlude for Strings." 6:02

Come on, really?

[E.T. & Elliott]

LLL's is the definitive version since it contains the album. I must possess all or I possess nothing.

[Miles Prower]

LLL's is the definitive version since it contains the album. I must possess all or I possess nothing.

It is not definitive! The LLL doesn't put all the score on one disc, so when I have to get up and change it, I burn 8 calories. Fuck that!

I'll wait for LLL or Varese to do a PROPER COMPLETE release with the full score on disc one and the album on disc two.

Miles - who owns and loves the LLL

[Incanus]

I never listen to anything but the actual movie score from the LLL set and while it is an odd decision to have the finale of the score on disc 2 in this day and age it should the least of our invonveniences. Unless you really use something as antiquated as CDs to listen this music.

[ManofDestiny]

I have the LLL set. so I can pass this one. To those whose did not grab it, go get it. It's Conti's finest.

[Ricard]

I already had the original album and the Edel expansion when the LLL came out, so I wasn't sure about getting it since it only contained 7 extra minutes (and I never understood why the original album was so important in this case). It sold out before I made up my mind, so I will probably get this.

I must possess all or I possess nothing.

Then you should get the Edel expansion

[Miles Prower]

While I do like a lot of the editing choices, the album assembly isn't a priceless piece of history or anything (and in any event, it seems you already have it). Definitely get this CD; MoD's right, this is one of Conti's best.

[Pieter_Boelen]

I hate multi-part track titles with slashes. "Sally and Jane Go Walking/Sally Picks up Rock/Dog Chases Sally, Part 1/Dog Lies Down/Sally Is Safe/Bear Shows Up/Dog Chases Sally, Part II/Michael and Jane Buy Jane Drink/Water Interlude for Strings." 6:02

LOL! Is that an ACTUAL track title???
I never really cared about the album presentations exactly matching the written score with their original track titles and such.

[Quint]

I think I remember this having great music as a kid. But is it headphones material?

[Ricard]

this is one of Conti's best.

But is it headphones material?

Yes

[Miles Prower]

Well... it's "stereo speakers on high volume" material. You may piss off the neighbors, but it's worth it.

[Trent Bennett]

No one answered my question... is it the EXACT same master from the LLL version or they do a bit of "remastering" of their own?

[Miles Prower]

"identical presentation" pretty much sums it up.

[Jason LeBlanc]

No one answered my question... is it the EXACT same master from the LLL version or they do a bit of "remastering" of their own?

We don't know

"identical presentation" pretty much sums it up.

No it doesn't

[Miles Prower]

Why you're right. I'd totally mess around with the audio mix and not tell anybody. <_<

[Jason LeBlanc]

Identical presentation does not equal identical sound. They could have added reverb, used a different master, or done any number of different things. All we know is its the same cues, in the same order, without any edits in them or different segues.

That's how I interpreted it anyway.

Trent, why don't you listen to the samples on Intrada's website and decide if they sound the same or different to you?

[Miles Prower]

If they were going to put the extra effort into using a different master or some other audio alteration, that's something they'd probably want to advertise. This is a rerelease of a title that's already been out three times, it needs selling points (aside from "optimized for people too lazy to change discs").

[Jason LeBlanc]

Oh, I'm not expecting it to sound vastly different at all, I mean hell, the LLL release is only a few years old. All I was saying one they didn't say anything like "From the same 1/4" analog master LLL used" or anything like that. We don't know the technical details, is all I mean. I'm sure to the average person's ears, they certainly will sound identical. But there is a new and improved cover and liner notes, and you don't have to change discs!

[Miles Prower]

Ok, granted. I'm going by how they handled Star Trek V, that has the same "identical" description and it seems to be agreed upon that it sounds the same.

[Jason LeBlanc]

Star Trek V was different - that was literally the same CD Master. On that one they said "All musical content [is] identical to earlier 2-CD release". "musical content" doesn't quite mean the same thing as "presentation. Plus in STV's case they literally asked by Paramount to issue the same CD that LLL did. This seems to be a case of them seeking out the license, obtaining it, getting the masters, making their own program... and then letting us know that it doesn't feature anything you couldn't hear on the LLL CD. That's how I interpret it anyway.

I can't believe we're still talking about this.

[E.T. & Elliott]

Well... it's "stereo speakers on high volume" material. You may piss off the neighbors, but it's worth it.

Battle at the Gym is an ultimate Saturday morning track to play while you get ready or do housework. It certainly may piss off your neighbors. Not if I was your neighbor, however.

[king mark]

Hmm, a 1 c.d. version of this is nice\

To be considered