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Hans Zimmer Appreciation Thread


Koray Savas

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It's a decent score, but it needs to be whittled down. Curiously, I can find neither the album nor the playlist I made in my collection. Probably one the casualties of my harddisk crash a couple of years ago.

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I hate when I lose a whittled playlist.

Many of my CD programs were stored in the memory of a player that died on me😰

Fortunately, some of  programs were written down also!

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I gotta be real and say the Electro Suite is the most enjoyable piece from Zimmer that I know of, I get a real kick out of it and the deft way that it incorporates all these disparate sound elements cohesively.

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BBC radio did a show on why/how sad songs and music affect us emotionally.

The host had to point out that this is from a perspective of " Western Music". 😒

Anyway, one piece they played , uncredited ,was from THIN RED LINE!

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I like the TASM2 score as well.  It came in a middle of a long stretch of me not really liking almost anything Zimmer did, but this one I somehow took an immediate liking to.  This is a good reminder that I need to listen to it again, it's been a long time

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I like some parts of it, and I think his theme is better than Horner's.

 

But the harsher electronic parts for Foxx's character just annoy me unfortunately. Which is weird, because I rather enjoy the Dark Phoenix OST.

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11 hours ago, Nick Parker said:

I gotta be real and say the Electro Suite is the most enjoyable piece from Zimmer that I know of, I get a real kick out of it and the deft way that it incorporates all these disparate sound elements cohesively.

 

While I always have never minded that side of the score, it can be easy for me to sometimes think a bit less of it with how much it heavily overshadows the rest of the music. It only makes like 1/5th of the whole thing, yet it's all people can point to when they describe TASM2 as a particularly appalling effort (that, or the "news cast" sounding main theme). Can't say I particularly fault them for it, with it even now being quite the odd choice, but it does color my perception of it a bit.

 

15 minutes ago, Richard Penna said:

I like some parts of it, and I think his theme is better than Horner's.

 

But the harsher electronic parts for Foxx's character just annoy me unfortunately. Which is weird, because I rather enjoy the Dark Phoenix OST.

 

Comparing the Horner and Zimmer themes always seemed amusing, given how much they practically are cut from the same cloth. Enough to where me and a friend speculated it likely was Marc Webb's choice for them to produce themes that were that close in composition, with how much he emphasized wanting a simple and recognizable theme in BTS stuff.

 

I like Dark Phoenix more as well, and that one works on the basis of making it more of its general sound (plus the more serious nature behind it). I will say that the Electro theme probably is a lot less ear fatiguing than anything Junkie puts on his solo work.

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20 minutes ago, Richard Penna said:

I like some parts of it, and I think his theme is better than Horner's.

 

But the harsher electronic parts for Foxx's character just annoy me unfortunately. Which is weird, because I rather enjoy the Dark Phoenix OST.

My opinion as well. I like a few cues, like the You're That Spider Guy which ends the movie, but I've never been a fan of Electro's theme, which I also find just annoying.

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10 hours ago, Edmilson said:

My opinion as well. I like a few cues, like the You're That Spider Guy which ends the movie, but I've never been a fan of Electro's theme, which I also find just annoying.

 

Same. I think the Electro theme is ok...not annoying, but very gimmicky. 

 

"You're That Spider Guy" and "Saving New York" are the two best themes in the series. Even better than anything Danny Elfman wrote except the main titles (which is my favorite superhero theme of all time maybe). 

 

And yes, I think Giacchino's theme is very pedestrian in comparison and his Spider-Mans scores are workman like.  

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I don't often listen to other people's podcasts, but I thought this was interesting - a new conversation between Alec Baldwin and Hans Zimmer. Among the interesting things coming out of it is that Zimmer wrote a rejected score for FULL METAL JACKET: 

 

https://www.iheart.com/podcast/heres-the-thing-23562128/episode/hans-zimmer-scores-81956152/

 

Although the "18 years old" thing seems like a joke. Zimmer was 30 in 1987.

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Really enjoyed the interview.

Wish there would have been more detail about his early days.

There's a gap in.his bio about working with THE BANGLES to getting involved in world music on A WORLD APART.

 

I love the bit about seeing OUTIW and, beeing  so excited by the music, he decided he  wanted to be a film composer.

Same thing happened to me after seeing GIU, LA TESTA!

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I'm attempting to put together a Zimmer playlist. Here's what I have so far. What else can you recommend?

 

End Titles from Driving Miss Daisy
Fighting 17th from Backdraft
This Land from The Lion King
Roll Tide from Crimson Tide
Hummell Gets The Rockets from The Rock

Journey To The Line from The Thin Red Line
The Might Of Rome / The Battle / Honor Him from Gladiator (Prague Philharmonic Re-recording)
Injection from Mission: Impossible 2
Leave No Man Behind from Black Hawk Down
Zoosters Breakout from Madagascar
Chevaliers De Sangreal from The Da Vinci Code
Jack Sparrow from Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
Drink Up Me Hearties Yo Ho from Pirates Of The Caribbean: At World's End
Maestro from The Holiday
Oogway Ascends from Kung Fu Panda
Like A Dog Chasing Cars from The Dark Knight
Watergate from Frost/Nixon
160 BPM from Angels And Demons
Discombobulate from Sherlock Holmes
Dream Is Collapsing from Inception
Mombasa from Inception
Time from Inception
What Are You Going To Do When You Are Not Saving The World? from Man Of Steel
Ride from The Lone Ranger
Lost But Won from Rush
Murph from Interstellar
No Time For Caution from Interstellar
Quantifiable Connection from Interstellar
Planet Earth II Suite
The Blue Planet from Blue Planet II
Seven Worlds One Planet Suite
Themyscira from Wonder Woman 1984
Games from Wonder Woman 1984

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It's a good playlist, Anthony, but you're missing something from his best score -- and IMO one the best scores of all time: BEYOND RANGOON. Try "I Dreamt I Woke Up", for example, for a track.

 

Otherwise, I would need some more parameters. What type of Zimmer are you looking for, exactly? Your list is heavy on the action stuff, but has a few calmer tracks interspersed.

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Thanks, guys.

 

Thor, I'm going for a playlist that's as entertaining as possible. Some of the more "dramatic" stuff may go - the The Thin Red Line and Black Hawk Down really slow the pace down (they're just too long and repetitive).

 

As you say, I've got a lot of the action/well known stuff, but I've only got what I already know. I'll happily consider anything that's considered a Zimmer essential or best-of!

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12 hours ago, Anthony said:

I'm attempting to put together a Zimmer playlist. Here's what I have so far. What else can you recommend?

 

End Titles from Driving Miss Daisy
Fighting 17th from Backdraft
This Land from The Lion King
Roll Tide from Crimson Tide
Hummell Gets The Rockets from The Rock

Journey To The Line from The Thin Red Line
The Might Of Rome / The Battle / Honor Him from Gladiator (Prague Philharmonic Re-recording)
Injection from Mission: Impossible 2
Leave No Man Behind from Black Hawk Down
Zoosters Breakout from Madagascar
Chevaliers De Sangreal from The Da Vinci Code
Jack Sparrow from Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
Drink Up Me Hearties Yo Ho from Pirates Of The Caribbean: At World's End
Maestro from The Holiday
Oogway Ascends from Kung Fu Panda
Like A Dog Chasing Cars from The Dark Knight
Watergate from Frost/Nixon
160 BPM from Angels And Demons
Discombobulate from Sherlock Holmes
Dream Is Collapsing from Inception
Mombasa from Inception
Time from Inception
What Are You Going To Do When You Are Not Saving The World? from Man Of Steel
Ride from The Lone Ranger
Lost But Won from Rush
Murph from Interstellar
No Time For Caution from Interstellar
Quantifiable Connection from Interstellar
Planet Earth II Suite
The Blue Planet from Blue Planet II
Seven Worlds One Planet Suite
Themyscira from Wonder Woman 1984
Games from Wonder Woman 1984

 

My Top 100 list. I felt like there is a lot I haven't listened to so the rankings changes often (along with recency bias). I would love for some recommendations. 

 

1.        “Time” – Inception

2.        “Chevalier de Sangreal” – The Da Vinci Code

3.        “Now We Are Free” – Gladiator

4.        “The Rightful King” – The Lion King

5.        “Show Me Your Firetruck” – Backdraft

6.        “Lost but Won” – Rush

7.        “Barbarian Horde” – Gladiator

8.        “Light” – The Thin Red Line

9.        “I Don't Think Now Is the Best Time” – Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End

10.       “Science and Religion” – Angels and Demons

11.       “Drink Me Up Hearties” – Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End

12.       “Themyscira” – Wonder Woman 1984

13.       “Stampede” – The Lion King (2019)

14.       “Roll Tide” – Crimson Tide

15.       “No Time For Caution” – Interstellar

16.       “We Are All Connected” – The Lion King

17.       “Games” – Wonder Woman 1984

18.       “Hummell Gets the Rockets” – The Rock

19.       “You're That Spider Guy” – The Amazing Spider-Man 2

20.       “Rockets Away” – The Rock

21.       “Like Dog Chasing Cars” – The Dark Knight  

22.       “1984” – Wonder Woman 1984

23.       “Mountains” – Interstellar

24.       “Day One’ – Interstellar

25.       “Under the Stars” – The Lion King

26.       “Run Free” – Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron

27.       “The Chase” – The Rock

28.       “Truth” – Wonder Woman 1984

29.       “One Day” - Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End

30.       “The Blue Planet” – Blue Planet II

31.       “Hidden Figures” – Hidden Figures

32.       “Beyond Rangoon” – Beyond Rangoon

33.       “160 bpm” – Angels and Demons

34.       “Oogway’s Ascend” – Kung Fu Panda  

35.       “What Are You Going to Do When You Are Not Saving The World” – Man of Steel

36.       “Flight” – Man of Steel

37.       “End Titles” – Driving Miss Daisy

38.       “A Watchful Guardian” – The Dark Knight

39.       “A Way of Life” – The Last Samurai

40.       “Life Goes On” – A League of Their Own

41.       “The Burning Bush” – The Prince of Egypt

42.       “Leave No Man Behind” – Black Hawk Down

43.       "Maestro" – The Holiday

44.       “Honor” – The Pacific

45.       “Old Souls” – Inception

46.       “Journey to the Line” – The Thin Red Line

47.       “Waters of Irrawaddy” – Beyond Rangoon

48.       “Red Warrior” – The Last Samuarai

49.       “Race to Feed” – Blue Planet II

50.       “Air” – Angels and Demons

51.        “A Hard Teacher” – The Last Samurai

52.       “Already Gone” – Wonder Woman 1984

53.       “Homeland” – Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron

54.       “Woad to Ruin” – King Arthur

55.       “Thunderbird” – Thelma & Louise

56.       “Steel in Our Veins” – Hillbilly Elegy

57.       “Tennessee” – Pearl Harbor

58.       “Earth” - Gladiator

59.       “Planet Earth II Suite” – Planet Earth II

60.       “Open Road” – Wonder Woman 1984

61.       “Jaded” – Kung Fu Panda 3

62.       “...And Then I Kissed Him” – Pearl Harbor

63.       “Wheel of Fortune” – Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest

64.       “Beautiful Lie” – Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice

65.       “Hold the Ice” – King Arthur

66.       “The Might of Rome” - Gladiator

67.       “Is She With You? – Wonder Woman Theme” – Batman v Superman

68.       “Gap” – Dark Phoenix

69.       “You’re So Cool” – True Romance

70.       “Cornfield Chase” – Interstellar

71.       “Cold War” – The Amazing Spider-Man 2

72.       “Ride” – The Lone Ranger

73.       “The Battle” – Gladiator

74.       “Injection” – Mission: Impossible 2

75.       “Best Friends” – Madagascar

76.       “Surfing Dolphins” – Blue Planet II

77.       “X-SS” – Dark Phoenix: Xperiments

78.       “For God and for Country” – The Lone Ranger

79.       “Broken Arrow” – Broken Arrow

80.       “The Kraken” – Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest

81.       “If You Love These People” – Man of Steel

82.       “The Outside is Temporary” – Chappie

83.       “Main Title” – Days of Thunder

84.       “Up is Down” – Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End

85.       “Rise” – The Dark Knight Rises

86.       “Bare Island” – Mission Impossible 2

87.       “Blade Runner” – Blade Runner 2049

88.       “Leaving Wallbrook/On the Road” – Rain Man

89.       “We Own The Sky” – Chappie

90.       “Simba Is Alive” – The Lion King (2019)

91.       “Zoosters Breakout” - Madagascar

92.       “Surfing Dolphins” – Planet Earth: A Celebration

93.       “Sons of Liberty Main Title Theme” – Sons of Liberty

94.       “I Chose You” – The Amazing Spider Man 2

95.       “Genius” - Genius

96.       “The Crown Main Title” – The Crown

97.       “Home” – The Lone Ranger

98.       “The Journey/Kopano Part III” – Tears of the Sun

99.       “Chase” – The Peacemaker

100.     “Mission Accomplished” – Mission Impossible 2

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12 hours ago, Anthony said:

Thanks, guys.

 

Thor, I'm going for a playlist that's as entertaining as possible. Some of the more "dramatic" stuff may go - the The Thin Red Line and Black Hawk Down really slow the pace down (they're just too long and repetitive).

 

I see. The INTERSTELLAR stuff needs to go too, then, I suppose, and things like "Time" from INCEPTION?

 

For 'entertaining' cues (however one defines that - in your case it seems to be more upbeat cues) that you're missing, you might also consider "Nick & Masa" from BLACK RAIN, "Main Theme" from DAYS OF THUNDER, "Main Title" from THELMA & LOUISE, "Hate" from POINT OF NO RETURN, "Wonders of the New World" from THE ROAD TO EL DORADO, "Canyon Chase" from SPIRIT: STALLION OF THE CIMARRON, "We Own the Sky" from CHAPPIE. 

 

Because I'm presumably older than you, my Zimmer taste veers towards his 80s and 90 stuff (Ok, early 2000s too), and the broader and slower more than the action.

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Thor and Mephariel - thank you! :music:

 

3 hours ago, Thor said:

 

The INTERSTELLAR stuff needs to go too, then, I suppose, and things like "Time" from INCEPTION?

 

No way - these are far more interesting. :D

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  • 2 weeks later...

This is what I ended up with. Didn't realise there would be this much Zimmer I'd actually enjoy. :music:

 

01. End Titles from Driving Miss Daisy (4:57) Prague Philharmonic Re-recording
02. Fighting 17th from Backdraft (4:37) Prague Philharmonic Re-recording
03. You’re So Cool (Main Title) from True Romance (2:32)
04. This Land from The Lion King (2:58) Prague Philharmonic Re-recording
05. Roll Tide from Crimson Tide (4:08) Prague Philharmonic Re-recording
06. Waters Of Irrawaddy from Beyond Rangoon (3:49)
07. Hummell Gets The Rockets from The Rock (5:08) Prague Philharmonic Re-recording
08. Journey To The Line from The Thin Red Line (8:03)
09. The Might Of Rome / The Battle / Honor Him from Gladiator (7:18) Prague Philharmonic Re-recording
10. Tennessee from Pearl Harbor (3:41)
11. Injection from Mission: Impossible 2 (4:53) Prague Philharmonic Re-recording
12. Safe Passage from The Last Samurai (2:26)
13. Prologue from King Arthur (5:37)
14. Woad To Ruin from King Arthur (2:10)
15. Spanglish (2:48)
16. Zoosters Breakout from Madagascar (1:42)
17. Chevaliers De Sangreal from The Da Vinci Code (4:09)
18. Jack Sparrow from Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chese (6:07)
19. Drink Up Me Hearties from Pirates Of The Caribbean: At World’s End (4:33)
20. Maestro from The Holiday (3:55)
21. Oogway Ascends from Kung Fu Panda (2:04)
22. Like A Dog Chasing Cars from The Dark Knight (5:03)
23. No Stone Unturned from The Dark Knight Rises (1:55)
24. Watergate from Frost/Nixon (4:27)
25. 160BPM from Angels And Demons (6:44)
26. Discombobulate from Sherlock Holmes (2:29)
27. Honor (Main Title Theme) from The Pacific (2:59)
28. Half Remembered Dream from Inception (:47)
29. Mombasa from Inception (4:57)
30. Time from Inception (4:37)
31. Dream Is Collapsing from Inception (2:27)
32. What Are You Going To Do When You Are Not Saving The World? from Man Of Steel (5:27)
33. Ride from The Lone Ranger (4:20)
34. Lost But Won from Rush (6:18)
35. Day One from Interstellar (3:20)
36. Murph from Interstellar (6:02)
37. Quantifiable Connection from Interstellar (5:45)
38. Sons Of Liberty Main Title Theme (3:53)
39. The Crown Main Title (1:26)
40. Planet Earth II Suite (4:31)
41. The Blue Planet from Blue Planet II (3:20)
42. Seven Worlds One Planet Suite (5:04)
43. Surfing Dolphins from Planet Earth: A Celebration (2:25)
44. Steel In Our Veins from Hillbilly Elegy (4:37)
45. Themyscira from Wonder Woman 1984 (3:51)
46. Games from Wonder Woman 1984 (5:20)

3:09:12

 

Thank you very much for your suggestions. :)

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Been revisiting this one lately. I have a soft spot for it. Not Zimmers best work. But it’s earnest “2001 Zimmer” He apparently labored over the main theme for quite some time. 
 

I love this action variation on the brothers theme here in “Fighting Back”I remember being disappointed it wasn’t on the (very short) OST back in the day. 

 

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4 hours ago, WampaRat said:

Been revisiting this one lately. I have a soft spot for it. Not Zimmers best work. But it’s earnest “2001 Zimmer” He apparently labored over the main theme for quite some time. 

 

It works fine on album, but I've never liked it in the film. Often too overwrought and rhetorical, trying to enhance a vapid love story that isn't really there. Zimmer is no big fan of it either. But good to know it has its fans.

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Yeah I’m not sure what it is. The love/main theme as heard in “Tennessee” and elsewhere in the score always seems to stick out (in a bad way) from the surrounding dramatic/action material. Like the love story in the film itself. 
 

Perhaps it’s the instrumentation? It’s just a bit too light if that makes any sense. It’s a pretty piece of music. But probably not the right one for this story. I do really love the film version of the opening titles btw. 
 

 

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10 hours ago, Mephariel said:

Pearl Harbor is a great score. And I am not sure that Zimmer hates it. He included it in his World of Hans Zimmer concert which he curated.

 

"Hate" is perhaps a strong word, but he's gone on record in interviews about his misgivings about it.

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  • 1 month later...
4 hours ago, Edmilson said:

The finale of The Dark Knight is one of the best scored scenes by Zimmer. 

 

 

It's a great example of a typical RC/Zimmer score that works really well with the movie (and it's great to hear it as well).

 

One of the all time greatest endings. We can debate Nolan's techniques and his filmmaking prowess, but there is no doubt he has some of the best endings. Here are Inception's and Interstellar's endings. Along with The Dark Knight, the 3 most memorable endings in recent history and 3 of the best scored ones as well. 

 

 

 

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  • 2 months later...

Coming soon on Blu-ray:

 

world-of-hans-zimmer-a-symphonic-celebra

 

Quote

Sony Music will release on Blu-ray The World of Hans Zimmer: Live at Hollywood in Vienna. The release will be available for purchase on October 29.

Description: Thrillers such as THE DA VINCI CODE, science fiction films (INCEPTION), sandal and pirate movies ranging from "Gladiator" to "Pirates of the Caribbean", historical epics about the likes of KING ARTHUR, animation films à la KUNG FU PANDA, romantic comedies (THE HOLIDAY), and war movies (PEARL HARBOR)… When one lists the different film genres represented 2018, they're all there.

The musical ingenuity of one of the most accomplished film score composers is equally comprehensive. We are, of course, talking about Oscar, Golden Globe, and Grammy winner Hans Zimmer. While some describe him as "the rock star of film music", others believe he has been the dream factory's most innovative symphonist for the last 20 years or more.

On the occasion of the presentation of the 10th Max Steiner Film Music Achievement Award to this exceptional artist on behalf of the City of Vienna, his orchestral film compositions - some of them newly arranged by Hans Zimmer himself - are performed for the first time in a concert hall. They are brought to life musically by illustrious companions and fellow musicians, as well as by the impressive ORF Radio Symphony Orchestra Vienna.

 

Source: Blu-ray.com
 

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  • 6 months later...

Can anyone tell me what the best presentation of Interstellar is? Sounds like there were a lot of really cool things that were tried and recorded in the sessions, but so little of it seemed to have made it to the OST.

 

Things like these minimalist oboe figures:

 

 

Clearly this work was an ambitious undertaking. I just wish the whole score leaned more into those Reich/Glass-esque ideas and embraced its natural acoustic properties more. The clips in the video above sound lovely, but I think some of that material ended up sounding over-produced on the OST itself.

 

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Just now, KK said:

Can anyone tell me what the best presentation of Interstellar is? Sounds like there were a lot of really cool things that were tried and recorded in the sessions, but so little of it seemed to have made it to the OST.

 

The first OST released at the time of the movie did indeed omit a lot of the very nice things recorded for the project; However, the current "Expanded" OST available on all digital / streaming platforms (and a physical 2-CD set) contains everything you are looking for (it only misses some some specific film cues only found on the FYC album, but don't worry about those).  Each "Disc" essentially operates as its own separate album, with the first disc (the original OST) leaning more towards specific film cues, and the second "disc" leaning more towards his idea pieces that aren't written to picture

 

https://music.apple.com/us/album/interstellar-original-motion-picture-soundtrack-expanded/1533983552

https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_ksMcoC36wmr-fyFQfcpM_TjVqo3pBA1H4

https://open.spotify.com/album/3B61kSKTxlY36cYgzvf3cP?si=tNEBvyudR4Swl2kaZMVTpQ

https://www.qobuz.com/us-en/album/interstellar-original-motion-picture-soundtrack-hans-zimmer/previ0q8mktub

https://www.hdtracks.com/#/album/5faaac97e84a0e12979e3470

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08JLXYJMB

 

If you really want to examine how the various albums were assembled, you can look at this:

 

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1yDVlbkzOW6Ytmts4aUQ43pOOVdaLFqBg1KyJUjl4Dd8

 

But I'd recommend just listening to the Deluxe OST as-is and letting the music wash over you instead of examining it's makeup.

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Best version is the OST. It's fairly repetitive music, so at 72 minutes it's already stretching patience. In fact, there might be an even better, shorter version hiding in there.

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There's never been a session leak for Interstellar. People just took the FYC album and pretended t was the sessions

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I've had a long playlist based on the FYC but never really listened to it. I think Thor's on the right track with this one - there are a handful of ideas, and if, like me, you're not familiar with the film (saw it precicely once) and aren't that bothered about specific cues heard in the film, then I'd suggest there's maybe 30 mins or so of concepts to be found.

 

It's still a bit annoying for the wider good that they didn't put the rest of the FYC-only cues on the newest album - that was a nice opportunity to release the whole score for those who want it.

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