Incanus

Well I have now finished my second full listen of the whole set and it is staggeringly glorious! While Jurassic Park was my introduction to John Williams' music and basically turned me into a fan back in 1993, Hook isn't far behind (Presenting the Hook sequence might be one of my earliest musical memories from movies in general) and the complete score has been my holy grail ever since I figured out that the OST was missing so much of the beautiful music.

I won't reiterate too many of the thoughts so many others have already expressed in this thread about this beautfiul release. But I can't lie. I did shed a tear or two listening to this new presentation all the while grinning from ear-to-ear with delight. It is such a long time wish and now it has been delivered beyond my wildest expectations.

The score most certainly holds a nostalgic place in my heart and aptly this score is so strongly about childhood and nostalgia. But at the same time seems to have it all: The winning thematic melodicism, the athletic (or should I say in this case acrobatic) colourful orchestral writing, the absolutely pitch perfect way Williams captures both the subtext and the straightforward narrative needs of the film while writing superbly engaging and intricate music that in itself paints such vivid pictures and stands on its own as well as functions likea  musical mirror to the movie. In fact the music feels so very much in tune with the movie that it seems to capture the very mood and even lighting of the scenes in its notes. To me it is one of those perfect scores that seems like a world unto itself.
 
The complete score on discs 1 and 2 is such a powerhouse of a fantasy score, now all the more satisfying in its truly complete form, inserts and all. Too many highlights to mention. The 3rd disc was a small revelation as it presents all the songs written for the production that were ultimately dropped. But their history detailed in the excellent liner notes goes a long way explaining the reason for the long lined melodies many of the themes in this score have. In a way the songs on disc 3 do enchance the listening experience of the full score as you really can chart the thematic development through them even better than before. Not all of the songs are winners but pieces like The Low Below  - Pirate Sequence, Stick With Me and Childhood are just as catchy and delightful in their song guise as in the final underscore. The diegetic bonus material is equally wonderful in its piraty feel and makes you once again appreciate how much of Williams' musical effort for this movie went behind-the-scenes, unknown until now. Part and parcel of the film composer's craft but it is wonderful to finally hear all this existing recorded material.
 
This is just about as Ultimate as a film music release can get (we even have  stuff like Take Me Out to the Ball Game!) and a perfect Christmas present! My humble thanks to Mike Matessino, @Jay and @John Takis and everybody at La-La Land Records for producing this.
 
P.S. I couldn't help but chuckle when I thought of the other John Williams "Ultimate edition" having a blue cover, a polar opposite of this one. 

Well I have now finished my second full listen of the whole set and it is staggeringly glorious! While Jurassic Park was my introduction to John Williams' music and basically turned me into a fan back in 1993, Hook isn't far behind (Presenting the Hook sequence might be one of my earliest musical memories from movies in general) and the complete score has been my holy grail ever since I figured out that the OST was missing so much of the beautiful music.

I won't reiterate too many of the thoughts so many others have already expressed in this thread about this beautfiul release. But I can't lie. I did shed a tear or two listening to this new presentation all the while grinning from ear-to-ear with delight. It is such a long time wish and now it has been delivered beyond my wildest expectations.

The score most certainly holds a nostalgic place in my heart and aptly this score is so strongly about childhood and nostalgia. But at the same time seems to have it all: The winning thematic melodicism, the athletic (or should I say in this case acrobatic) colourful orchestral writing, the absolutely pitch perfect way Williams captures both the subtext and the straightforward narrative needs of the film while writing superbly engaging and intricate music that in itself paints such vivid pictures and stands on its own as well as functions likea  musical mirror to the movie. In fact the music feels so very much in tune with the movie that it seems to capture the very mood and even lighting of the scenes in its notes. To me it is one of those perfect scores that seems like a world unto itself.
 
The complete score on discs 1 and 2 is such a powerhouse of a fantasy score, now all the more satisfying in its truly complete form, inserts and all. Too many highlights to mention. The 3rd disc was a small revelation as it presents all the songs written for the production that were ultimately dropped. But their history detailed in the excellent liner notes goes a long way explaining the reason for the long lined melodies many of the themes in this score have. In a way the songs on disc 3 do enchance the listening experience of the full score as you really can chart the thematic development through them even better than before. Not all of the songs are winners but pieces like The Low Below  - Pirate Sequence, Stick With Me and Childhood are just as catchy and delightful in their song guise as in the final underscore. The diegetic bonus material is equally wonderful in its piraty feel and makes you once again appreciate how much of Williams' musical effort for this movie went behind-the-scenes, unknown until now. Part and parcel of the film composer's craft but it is wonderful to finally hear all this existing recorded material.
 
This is just about as Ultimate as a film music release can get (we even have  stuff like Take Me Out to the Ball Game!) and a perfect Christmas present! My humble thanks to Mike Matessino, @Jay and @John Takis and everybody at La-La Land Records for producing this.
 
P.S. I couldn't help but chuckle when I thought of the other John Williams "Ultimate edition" having a blue cover, a polar opposite of this one. 

Maybe it was notated that way in the score?
 
"Synth Cimbalom" ala "Synth boo-bams" from SW.

Well after finally listening through this once and reading what others have said and summarised perfectly in this thread I really don't know what more I can add. 
 
Perhaps I'll start with the very minor gripes, which are just personal preferences and not meant as suggesting that the wrong decisions were made on this release in any way. 
 
The cover, overall the design is near perfect, except I would have liked the Hook title to be the iconic red, just to make it really leap out against the deep blue of the background, with it being black it kinda gets lost. And I'd preferred the vocal version of Presenting The Hook in the main program. But I'm guessing that the final assembly was based off feedback from Williams and ultimately that's his decision to make. 
 
And now for the good. To quote the liner notes this is "An Awfully Big Soundtrack" indeed. Starting with the music, it's great to finally have everything including the film versions, each disc is just jam packed, disc 3 is especially enlighting including those early songs that add a new meaning to the themes used throughout the score. For the music itself, I don't know how much of a difference there is sonically between this and the 2012 expansion, but it all sounds crystal clear, even the demos featured on disc 3. With the first booklet as the track list and credits it leaves plenty of room for the second, which is the perfect example of how liner notes should be. The first chapter covering the genesis and production of the film, chapter two covering each track and highlighting the themes used along with what the orchestra is doing technically then chapter three starting off with what Williams was up to circa 91 to add some more context before breaking down the contents of disc 3. These liner notes couldn't be more perfect. 
 
As for those unused musical numbers, they are just a fantastic insight into what this film could have been, but I think ultimately the best decision was made to drop them. Not to say they are bad or anything, but it feels like most of them would have killed the momentum of the film, which already has a lengthy runtime. 
 
Seeing the poster on page nine of the booklet instantly transported me back to 91 and seeing it in our TV guide and carefully cutting it out along the "burnt" edges and putting it up on my wall for many years. 
 
And something maybe a little personal, but I lost my mum last year, so seeing there was a song called "Mothers" wasn't sure what to expect and while the lyrics were very cheesey I'm not ashamed to say that a few tears were shed as it very much evoked what makes a mother so special and what there is to be missed. 
 
Overall this truly is the Ultimate Edition, I really can't remember the last time I was this excited for a score expansion release. This being my favourite Williams score it's great to have a definitive release and do away with the makeshift version that was a combination of various sources and of varying quality.
 
So thank you @Jay, @John Takis, Mike Matessino and the good folks at LaLaLand for giving this the release it absolutely deserved. 
 

Another great talk @TownerFan and @mahler3! As I have said before I could listen to you guys talk shop about John WIlliams all day. And since Heidi and Jane Eyre are personal favourites, it was especially interesting to hear the discussion on development of Williams' style and how and why these two scores were an important step in his career. Many of these points are also mentioned in the excellent liner notes for this release by John Takis but it was nice to hear snippets about the behind-the-scenes details on the production of this set like the hunting for the materials and how the new additional tracks for Jane Eyre were found.
 
Looking forward to the extensive chat on Hook in the near future!  

Another great talk @TownerFan and @mahler3! As I have said before I could listen to you guys talk shop about John WIlliams all day. And since Heidi and Jane Eyre are personal favourites, it was especially interesting to hear the discussion on development of Williams' style and how and why these two scores were an important step in his career. Many of these points are also mentioned in the excellent liner notes for this release by John Takis but it was nice to hear snippets about the behind-the-scenes details on the production of this set like the hunting for the materials and how the new additional tracks for Jane Eyre were found.
 
Looking forward to the extensive chat on Hook in the near future!  

Another great talk @TownerFan and @mahler3! As I have said before I could listen to you guys talk shop about John WIlliams all day. And since Heidi and Jane Eyre are personal favourites, it was especially interesting to hear the discussion on development of Williams' style and how and why these two scores were an important step in his career. Many of these points are also mentioned in the excellent liner notes for this release by John Takis but it was nice to hear snippets about the behind-the-scenes details on the production of this set like the hunting for the materials and how the new additional tracks for Jane Eyre were found.
 
Looking forward to the extensive chat on Hook in the near future!  

Another great talk @TownerFan and @mahler3! As I have said before I could listen to you guys talk shop about John WIlliams all day. And since Heidi and Jane Eyre are personal favourites, it was especially interesting to hear the discussion on development of Williams' style and how and why these two scores were an important step in his career. Many of these points are also mentioned in the excellent liner notes for this release by John Takis but it was nice to hear snippets about the behind-the-scenes details on the production of this set like the hunting for the materials and how the new additional tracks for Jane Eyre were found.
 
Looking forward to the extensive chat on Hook in the near future!  

The Legacy of John Williams podcast episode with Mike Matessino and @John Takis is up!
 
https://thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com/2023/12/21/heidi-and-jane-eyre-podcast/

Listened to the 2 discs until 3am last night. 3rd disc today.
 
Simply amazing ! The new stuff I was completely oblivious about, paired with an unprecedented sound quality took me totally by surprise. So much so I shed a few tears. An Ultimate Edition worth of its name, without a doubt. The booklet was very informative and really generous in that regard.
Third CD is an amazing discovery. One of which you can't even dream of, given you'd have to know it even exists. I didn't.
 
Can't thank Mike Matessino, LLL and everybody involved enough for this long awaited grail. So happy to own it and to be able to support this kind of release.
Now I just wish I could forget it so I could experience again the roller coaster of emotions I went through when listening to it for the first time. Because that's what it was for me : A completely and unexpected rediscovery of a beloved score I though I knew so well.

Well my package finally arrived! Christmas came a few days early this year! 

Well my package finally arrived! Christmas came a few days early this year! 

Big shop from Quartet:
 

 
Karol

I got a notification today that marks left by Hook have been spotted in the UK and I should have it tomorrow:
 

 
Karol

I listened to this track a lot when first discovering scores in the early 00s and completely agree. When the strings come in at 3:08 it's like you've been transported into some alternate universe where you're forever going to be a kid but you can almost see a glimpse into the darkness of the world's troubles.
 
Also, the ending - I wasn't aware until recently that Williams hadn't intended it to go at the end of the credits because it works so damn well as the final sendoff for the score.

Same, but due for the 18th but based on every single previous package it'll be here tomorrow!

Arrival in Dörfli...

Shipped! Due for 19/12! Good form, Peter. The stars are all my friends.

Ditto!  

This particular choral passage has always been one of my favourite moments in Hook. Simply magical.

My god. 
 
Have you ever listened to a piece of music where it makes you feel as if, for just a moment, all the universes answers are within reach and the meaning of life itself is about it be revealed to you? But then the moment ends and it all slips away?
 
I’m not a spiritual man. I’m not religious. But when I listen to JW’s Hook score, specifically “Farewell Neverland” when the hauntingly beautiful choral 2:19 come in? It’s as if I can step outside of myself and see the big picture. It’s hard to describe.
 
What a piece of music! It makes my soul ache, makes me yearn for memories long gone. I can feel it in every fibre of my being. This isn’t simply “music”. No. It’s so much more. It’s memory, nostalgia, love, hurt and sorrow all distilled in one profoundly ethereal piece. It’s the human soul given music form. 
 
I feel like the kid from “American Beauty” who watches a bag blow in the wind & sees all the beauty of the world represented in that single moment.