ZackR

Hook. They're both masterpieces but Hook has the edge both thematically and for me, nostalgically.

Good call, King Mark. I was actually thinking of starting a similar thread for all of Williams' various concert arrangements (not limited to SW) but just hadn't gotten around to it. This will make a nice start. Thanks!

This isn't directed at anyone. I'm just passionate about this subject lately... On top of what Jay said, it's likely not often feasible for LLL to print an entire run. Sure, some are likely going to sell out quickly like Jurassic Park, which hasn't had a proper release since the OST unless you count the digital expansion back in 2013 or whenever. Even a score like Superman, which is undoubtedly at the top of many fans' lists, is questionable to sell out its entire run quickly. My wife has a small business and inventory management is easily the MOST complex part of what she does. Easily. She doesn't have to deal with half the mess that the specialty labels do. They have to deal with the studios, union rules, finicky pressing plants, composers (even when not legally obligated to), etc. Even if they *could* get an entire run of 3-5,000 printed on Day 1, it would be financially insane in most circumstances. You could be a small label, spend THOUSANDS up front to produce a release and then sit on it for months or years due to factors completely out of your control. On top of that, they have to send out replacement discs because the wrong cue was included on a 4-disc set full of Star Trek music that I never would have imagined I would have ever been able to own. It's possible that a single disc replacement like that could end up eating up a release's profits. I honestly wish they could have just made the single track available for download or if not legally permitted, just said, "Hey guys, sorry about that. Honest mistake. We will throw it on the next "odds and ends" Trek disc if you're desperate for that one cue from a random Voyager episodes from 20 years ago..." or even, "Sorry all! Little error there but hope you enjoy the cue that's there in its place." But if they had done that, the message boards would have been on fire with people complaining that they paid for that cue or it was the one cue they wanted and wouldn't have bought it otherwise Oh my God! The dinosaur on JP doesn't have teeth... you get the idea. The profit margins on these sorts of releases (usually) are so razor thin, the smallest issue or delay can be the difference between profit and loss. As a lifelong lover of film/television music, I couldn't be more grateful for the labels. These folks put their hearts and souls into a passion and we are the beneficiaries of it, all the while being the most finicky, particular, unsatisfied group of customers any business could want. And that's fine. We are passionate too. Nobody is perfect, but I have to think it can be disheartening to put countless hours and thousands of dollars into a release and then hear complaints that someone can't hear the last 0.35 seconds of cello fade out like they could on a 30 year-old OST album or how the squeaky orchestra chair sound was removed and someone loved that or whatever. Sorry for the long rambling post. It isn't directed at anyone. Things are tough for a lot of people right now and these labels have brought me more wonderful music than I could ever imagine. I am fortunate that I'm still working right now and I've made it a point to try to spend a little extra lately on releases I had put off getting. If it takes a little longer for them to arrive or they arrive with a cracked case, I couldn't care less. If you would have told me 10 years ago that I would own deluxe editions of every Trek film, every bit of TOS music, TAS music, plus numerous hours of TNG and all the others, I never would have believed you. Don't even get me started on all MM's work on Williams' music. Are you kidding me? It's like having one of us having the keys to the kingdom. I truly don't think we film score fans realize how fortunate we are. I'll step off my soapbox now.

If MM had the opportunity to do Hook HIS way, I'd rebuy pre-order on Day 1 without question.

I actually don't think we are done with the magical/White Walker/3 Eyed Raven angle. There's only three episodes left to wrap everything up but I can't be certain that storyline is dead. Where was Bran warg-ing all that time during the battle? He obviously has some connection to the NK. There has to be more backstory. Also, I haven't been involved in this thread until now so this may have been covered, but I want some fleshing out of the NK/Bran/Stark relationship. This video touches on it - Additionally, the fact that he can ride a dragon (even though he "turned" it) becomes a little more interesting after last night and his ability to be completely unharmed by fire. I'm not saying he's got Targaryen blood in his lineage... I'm just saying it's interesting that he can ride a dragon and is immune to fire. It likely is meaningless, but with all the focus on the Walkers since literally the opening scene of the first episode, I hope we get something more. Overall, I really enjoyed last night's episode. The quality of the HBONow stream was absolute garbage. We stopped 30 minutes in and literally rewatched at like midnight and it was much better. I like that it was Arya that took him down, but like I said, I am not sure we are totally done with his story. The foreshadowing of Bran giving her the dagger in that same spot and that it is also the spot where Jon says to her, "How did you sneak up on me like that?" shows her fulfilling her destiny. Only three episodes left. We've got a lot of ground to cover. Drama/infighting between Sansa/the north and Dany, Jon and Dany needing to figure out their relationship post the revelation of his true lineage...plus Cersei. That's a lot to do in three episodes. I can't wait. This is why I still prefer watching shows like this live versus just binging. I love all the discussions, fan theories, etc. That's half the fun!

Quick first reaction - Overall, I thought it worked decently well, but it wasn't cohesive. I liked the callbacks to the Captain America theme, etc. Having said that, I think half the solemn/serious/sad moments were temped with Silvestri's previous work OR he HEAVILY relied on them. I heard strong echoes of Contact, Forrest Gump, and Cast Away throughout. Saw it last night in a sold out theater with my kids, so I honestly wasn't too intensely focused on analyzing the music, but Contact and Cast Away literally yanked my right out of it a couple times.

I'll just add that Mike HAS TO get his hands on Star Wars / Indy and give them releases like this.

I've only skimmed through so far, but it's never sounded better. I know this score better than I know any other and I've never heard it with this much presence and clarity. It's like you're in the room with the orchestra. This may be the most impressive of Mike's work yet, although I'm admittedly biased by my love for this score. The music has a warmth to it that I never knew it was lacking before this release. Don't get me wrong, the Blue Box is a stunning release and a crown jewel of my music library. I'll try to do an A/B comparison at some point, but to my ears, it's just no contest when it comes to audio quality. This is a worthy upgrade all the way. The new Fortress track is simply beautiful as well.

Absolutely loved this arrangement. I've heard this score countless times as it's the score that started it all for me. Well, actually, I saw Superman III on TV as a kid first, so technically Ken Thorne's adaptation of Williams' material started my love for film scores, but you get the idea. This is a lovely arrangement and I'm thrilled it exists. Simply beautiful.

I've been a space/NASA junkie since I was a kid. I can't believe I haven't seen that reunion photo until now. Thank you. As to Roger's responses over at FSM, they don't really make any sense and seem to be an overreaction. Having said that, I know a TON of work goes into these projects just based on what little I hear online and perhaps he was just caught at a bad moment after a particularly stressful day or project. We're all human and we all have bad days. At the end of the day, we're getting APOLLO 13 done by Mike Matessino! I was thrilled to learn this was coming at all, but OVERJOYED to hear Mike had done this. I never expected that! Can this man please do EVERY score that I love?

I will absolutely own this. The score and film are among my favorites!

I enjoyed it. I get the criticism about the villain, but (spoiler): Overall, I thought it was a worthy sequel.

You're right. That's so hard to believe! They're perfect as-is. I've played that set countless times.

This is at the very top of my holy grails list. Holy crap. Finally. I've loved movie scores since I was very young and first heard Williams' Superman in the movie on a TV airing. Over the years, as interest has peaked and waned, there are a handful of scores that have reinvigorated my passion for film music. Seeing this film and hearing Kamen's score so prominently was one such moment. I immediately begged my parents to take me to the nearest Musicland (remember those?) and purchased the OST with my hard-earned lawn mowing money. I still have that CD. I can't wait to get this new version in my hands. Of all the unbelievable releases we've gotten lately, the Superman films (The Blue Box), CE3K (LLL), The Goonies (VSD), and now Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves from Intrada. These were the scores that just did it for me at various times in my life. This is terrific!

That’s a good point. I can agree with that. I do hope IX takes place some years in the future. Given the state of everything, it almost seems like it would have to.