Is There Too Much of a Good Thing?

[artyjeffrey 20]

Lately I've been thinking back to when my love for film scores began, and the state I am in now. Back when I was a kid in the latter half of the 1980s, the only soundtracks I had were purchased by my parents. We weren't wiping our behinds with money, so I had only a few, and I would acquire new ones slowly.

I would, therefore, listen to each one thoroughly, repeatedly-- I would come to memorize every moment. I would absorb them, the music not being like a current pop song, but something that I would always carry with me. Memories of those pieces are inextricably tied with memories of my life at that time. In short, they had the chance to be special.

Fast forward, to the age of the internet, and a film score fan's dream-- if you want it, you can find it, whether through purchase or download. And as I realize just how much great stuff there is out there, I find that I'm not truly appreciating each score as it comes along. They no longer have a chance to become part of me, since the stress of work and family have taken over most of my time.

So, in short, it turned into a hobby. Collecting scores, because I cannot possibly give them the time they deserve, like I could when I was a kid/teen. Ten or fifteen years ago, if you'd told me about the Blue Box, I would've bought it, then listened to it intently numerous times. It would've been the soundtrack set of my year. Now, it's boom, here's the Indy set now!

Does anyone else out there feel the same way? Part of me wants, after the Indy box release, to stop buying any new scores, to just concentrate on what I have and enjoy it.

But of course, that would have to happen AFTER the Indy set!

[King Mark 3,631]

I remember the Pre SW anthology days. No expanded scores ,and you had to go from record shop to record shop to find the rare OST's manually by flipping through soundtrack sections,every week .You cold "expand" scores by taping sections of movies off VHS tapes to a cassette.

Then there was the mid 90's era. No internet but you had the print FSM magazine to get nuggets of info and you could obtain "promos" such as the Johnny Boy Records Poseidon Adventure by looking through classified adds . Of course expanded scores started to pop up .

The internet era has not given us much in terms of landmark Williams releases...this is our moment.

[A24 4,367]

You mustn't forget that, when you first delved into scores (or any kind of music, or any kind of exploration), it was new to you. You were on a journey of discovery. This is the reason why the experience was so much more intense.

[Bryant Burnette 655]

Yeah, I absolutely understand where you're coming from.

For me, it's a time-management issue. I've got numerous obsessions . . . well, no, "obsessions" is the wrong word; "obsession" implies single-minded focus, and I do not have that at all.

Let me say this instead: I've got numerous interests, artistically speaking. If all I cared about was film music, I'd have plenty of free time to listen to all the scores I have, as well as further investigate film music areas in which I'm not knowledgeable.

This is not the case. I also love movies, tv shows, books, and pop music; and I also enjoy writing, which I don't do nearly as often as I'd like to. Within each of those areas, I've got primary interests: for example, I am a huge fan of Stephen King (books and movies alike), Alfred Hitchock, Bob Dylan, and Star Trek, amongst others. As a devoted Stephen King fan, I enjoy not only reading his new books as they come out, but also rereading the books I've already read, and rewatching his movies. As you might imagine, this takes a lot of time.

Currently, I'm in the middle of doing that, as well as working my way through all of my John Williams CDs, all of my Beatles CDs, all of my favorite Halloween-themed music, and all of my Star Trek DVDs. Not to mention keeping up with various current tv shows, such as Mad Men, True Blood, House, Fringe, Dexter, Entourage, Californication, Chuck, Pushing Daisies, The Office, and The Clone Wars, most of which I watch with friends.

So yes, I too have begun to find it necessary to start restricting my hobbies to things that I already know and love. I pride myself on having fairly good taste, and part of that involves keeping current on what's going on in areas such as movies and music and tv, so I never cut myself off from discovering new artists in any of those fields; but I have stopped actively seeking them out as much as I used to. I rely on my friends, who have similar tastes as me but not necessarily the same active interests, to bring new things to my attention; and I do the same with them. Personally, I find that system to work pretty well.

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

Stop whinging. All of you.

[publicist 4,643]

The most interesting development for me is the iPod age.

I'm now relieved of many physical CD's, because i ebayed them. All the stuff i liked is there as computer files (a wav and a mp3 version)...and behold, i didn't need a lot of stuff i had in the first place. I actively had to select music i REALLY liked and so became much more aware of my preferences. The result is that i condensed both, scores and other albums, to roughly half their size (sometimes more, sometimes less).

So i now can, at least partially, understand people like Thor, who rail against all this dreaded 'completeness' of things. Things may be different with musical lighthouses like 'Indiana Jones', where the amount of filler isn't very high (and even there i could easily dispense with some of the mood'n'suspense stuff). Most of the time, though, we get too much. And people hoard these things like treasures in their caves and rarely ever listen (or even understand) what they have.

[King Mark 3,631]

If I wasn't chicken I'd live with .wav copies too...maybe only to keep my official JW c.d.'s , but since they haven't made crash proof hard drives yet...

But id NEVER delete tracks from a score in my collection, because by experience you want them back at some point. Preferences are not fixed in time and hard drive space isn't an issue in this day and age.

right now I have:

Physical c.d.'s of all JW albums and .wav copies of these c.d.'s

Some physical c.d.'s of other composers

MP3's only of the rest

cdr backup of all album in MP3's

8 GB thumb drive for back up of "rare files" that need to be updated ...exclusive JW recordings acquired at JWfan, Battlefront 2 files used to edit expanded RotS, the new indy 4 PreViz rips, ect..

[publicist 4,643]

Preferences are not fixed in time and hard drive space isn't an issue in this day and age.

I thought a lot about that in the beginning. And i was very generous with keeping stuff. But there was so much where i looked at myself and asked me 'is THIS the reason i became a film music fan?', ancient sounding archival stuff, hours and hours of droning suspense, meager rip-off stuff and what have you.

And of course, the bane of the collector, the complete collection. I don't need i. e. 'How to Steal a Million', 'Lost in Space', Poseidon Adventure' or 'Stepmom' (as far as Williams is concerned), it just doesn't engage me and i have so many composers of international cinema in my collection that i just accepted that no Goldsmith, Williams or, god forbid, Morricone needs a complete representation...and said gentlemen would (or would have) agree with me.

[King Mark 3,631]

I agree that Morricone and lots of other composers albums are often a 2-3 track affair...but I still don't partially delete them

[Olivier 5]

Completely agreed.

As artyjeffrey said, enjoying one's scores fully was much easier 10-5 years ago.

I could not afford much either at that time, but even then, the rate of release was quite different.

The problem nowadays is indeed that the paradise we had dreamed of is overloaded with good things. It's too much at the same time.

Even accounting for taste, discriminating between what to purchase or not (or later) is a hard task because the quantity of truly great things is astounding and the frequency is increasing very fast.

With less and less time and more and more great things, fully enjoying everything is getting difficult, indeed-- especially, as Bryant noted, when you have other interests, which cannot all be combined: listening to music while reading or drawing is feasible, but not while watching a movie.

Parenthesis: the exhaustiveness of the releases is precisely what allows you to pick yourself what you prefer, Publicist-- I suppose it's because of this you specified "partially" when stating you could now understand Thor.

[King Mark 3,631]

i also make these gigantic 1 GB playlists of random composers tracks.

sometimes you listen to your ipod and there a few really good tracks in a random score you don't plan to listen to again in complete form anytime soon (or ever again),so I just add those tracks on the playlist.

[publicist 4,643]

i also make these gigantic 1 GB playlists of random composers tracks.

sometimes you listen to your ipod and there a few really good tracks in a random score you don't plan to listen to again in complete form anytime soon (or ever again),so I just add those tracks on the playlist.

And itunes has this valuable tool called 'least-played' or something to this effect. I regularly use this feature to see if stuff i never played has gained some importance in the interim. Often i keep new albums in their entirety and 2 years after i come back to i. e. 'Ice Age 2' and think 'naaah, 2 tracks will do' and delete the rest.

On the other hand i keep variations of themes, even if they are very similar, in a different folder. Sometimes i'm tired of hearing my favourite version and then i switch to the alternate.

[crocodile 8,057]

Must try this as well. These big iPods don't help much. I might have most of my collection with me all the time, but I never really realize this when I browse the albums. I always choose the most recent album or something like that.

i also make these gigantic 1 GB playlists of random composers tracks.

I don't. But still there seems to much less time to listen to the whole albums these days. Not to mention complete things like LOTR. I believe the only one I listened to straight through several times was the first one. It's strange these things get less time than they deserve to. They're labour of love after all...

That said I still listen to SW and TESB a lot.

Karol

[Desplat13 1]

I like a full experience too much to turn movie-music into the pop-culture of singles that seems to be being described here. I do not have nearly the collection of some, so perhaps all I have are the good ones. But for me, a complete score (when written by a competent composer) is almost always better, BECAUSE it is not only highlights. There is a pace to movie music that should be considered. I remember the music for FotR making so much more sense when I listened to it on the CR, after hearing it for a while on the OST, just because it wasn't only highlights. And I am not even a big fan of those scores.

I do not think of scores as just a bunch of songs put together, I think of them as musical works that are great because of context, not because of tear-jerking moments, or cool percussion, or whatever.

Sometimes I can just take a track or two from scores which I do not on the whole care for. But if I like a score, I get a much more full experience liistening to the whole thing.

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

I agree with Colin. People are treating their film scores like disposable throwaway material - almost as though the hard drive storage phenomenon is causing a lack of appreciation of what they have, so they go trigger happy with the delete button. I like to think of my CD and LP collection like a library that's always there for future reference and enjoyment. If I want to listen to it, it's always there.

Has it come to the point where music collecting in the physical form is now "hoarding"? Absolute tosh. I (and many others, but I can't speak for them) buy the music I like, by the composers I like, and some are listened to more than others. I describe hoarding as those who buy up limited releases just because they're limited and they have no interest in the music, the composer or even the film, they just had to have it, which is a waste because someone else might have really wanted it but missed out.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

I agree that Morricone and lots of other composers albums are often a 2-3 track affair...but I still don't partially delete them

Although I disagree with the Morricone comment, I do agree about deleting tracks. I will never remove certain parts of a score from my iTunes library. There is no need, I have the space, and it's nice to have everything. Most of the time I'll just listen to favorite tracks, but every once and awhile I'll listen to the whole scores, and occasionally you stumble upon something you didn't notice before, and like it more than you did previously.

[BurgaFlippinMan 7]

If I wasn't chicken I'd live with .wav copies too...maybe only to keep my official JW c.d.'s , but since they haven't made crash proof hard drives yet...

But id NEVER delete tracks from a score in my collection, because by experience you want them back at some point. Preferences are not fixed in time and hard drive space isn't an issue in this day and age.

right now I have:

Physical c.d.'s of all JW albums and .wav copies of these c.d.'s

Some physical c.d.'s of other composers

MP3's only of the rest

cdr backup of all album in MP3's

8 GB thumb drive for back up of "rare files" that need to be updated ...exclusive JW recordings acquired at JWfan, Battlefront 2 files used to edit expanded RotS, the new indy 4 PreViz rips, ect..

Why use .wav instead of a lossless codec?

[Ollie 1,069]

While I can see the point of this thread for me personally it doesn't apply.

I'm buying the scores I want and enjoying every moment of it. I'm not buying for collectors sake, in fact I've passed on some limited editions that I might have wanted but felt it wasn't something I'd miss. I've cut down on some of my other hobbies or things I enjoy because I'd rather devote my time and finances to film music. Basically my dreams as a little kid are coming true with everything that's being released. I'm not suffering because of it, right now I can afford it so I see no problem with it.

Yeah I may have too many CDs but at least I always have something "new" to pick out. I can listen to samples and determine whether or not I want it before I make my purchase.

I've loaded amost all of my scores on to iTunes. The only tracks I don't add are sound effect/dialogue tracks and songs unless they were composed for the film. But I listen to my CDs and don't leave them on the shelf. As far as I'm concerned if one is only going to use files loaded on their computer then why even waste money on buying CDs. I'd just hang out in the trading board section and beg for files.

[King Mark 3,631]

Must try this as well. These big iPods don't help much. I might have most of my collection with me all the time, but I never really realize this when I browse the albums. I always choose the most recent album or something like that.

i also make these gigantic 1 GB playlists of random composers tracks.

I don't. But still there seems to much less time to listen to the whole albums these days. Not to mention complete things like LOTR. I believe the only one I listened to straight through several times was the first one. It's strange these things get less time than they deserve to. They're labour of love after all...

That said I still listen to SW and TESB a lot.

Karol

there is a problem with making a playlist in ipods .All the album info shows up in the scroll menus for only 1 track,and makes it a pain to look for full albums you put on the device.

That's why I still use the ipod shuffle for playlists.

Why use .wav instead of a lossless codec?

Because .wav is the true copy of the c.d. A psychological thing .

As far as I'm concerned if one is only going to use files loaded on their computer then I'd just hang out in the trading board section and beg for files.

there's Rapidshare/Megaupload folders of virtually everything out there for the stuff you "kinda" want to listen to and ways to find them .Up until 2 years ago I didn't know that .

[MrScratch 294]

I remember the Pre SW anthology days. No expanded scores ,and you had to go from record shop to record shop to find the rare OST's manually by flipping through soundtrack sections,every week.

As cool as it was to log on one day and find out about the Indy box set, my heart wasn't racing like it was when I first saw the Anthology box just sitting on a shelf at the mall calling my name. Even though I prefer todays environment, I miss that feeling of discovery without anticipation. Learning of a release and having it in your hands all in the same moment.

[Ollie 1,069]

Yes I do miss going into stores and being suprised or finding something you've been looking for.

[Wojo 2,453]

While walking into a music store or a used CD store and finding a rare gem is very exciting and fun, I daresay it's just as much fun to peruse a website, plunk down a large pile of dough at a time, and then play the waiting game with the mailman until the day your CDs arrive from wherever. By mid November, I think I'm going to be insufferable.

[Quintus 5,399]

Until the internet came along, I used to love jumping the train to HMV in Liverpool every so often and thumbing through their great soundtrack section. It was something I really looked forward to and I would always be excited at the prospect of getting home and playing the cd's I'd bought. I remember buying the Dances with Wolves album, just for two cues I liked (something I would never do now) - but as the OP says, I'd soon find myself making full use of the album, playing it from start to finish many times. Every little musical nuance would soon become familiar to me, because one's love for a score does indeed benefit from such devotion.

The internet for all it's brilliance (especially when it comes to the stupidly easy acquirement of music), wasn't just the death knell of the high street music store, but it also marked the end of many happy times spent in HMV. Now I mainly (and sadly) just download cues I like and only the VERY best ones are reserved a place for my further scrutiny.

Ten years ago and regardless of the movie, Indy IV's score would've been played to death in my cd player. I'd have made full use of the score, since I'd went completely out of my way to acquire it. Nowadays, well the truth is I haven't a clue what happens on the disc, other than say Irina's theme.

Blame the internet, not John Williams. <----Hey that would make a good banner!

[Jacob 0]

You know, nobody is forced to use the Internet...

[Quintus 5,399]

[Jacob 0]

Was it something I said?

[Ollie 1,069]

While walking into a music store or a used CD store and finding a rare gem is very exciting and fun, I daresay it's just as much fun to peruse a website, plunk down a large pile of dough at a time, and then play the waiting game with the mailman until the day your CDs arrive from wherever. By mid November, I think I'm going to be insufferable.

Only when Varese, FSM, LaLaLand or Intrada announce their club/limited releases.

[artyjeffrey 20]

Until the internet came along, I used to love jumping the train to HMV in Liverpool every so often and thumbing through their great soundtrack section. It was something I really looked forward to and I would always be excited at the prospect of getting home and playing the cd's I'd bought. I remember buying the Dances with Wolves album, just for two cues I liked (something I would never do now) - but as the OP says, I'd soon find myself making full use of the album, playing it from start to finish many times. Every little musical nuance would soon become familiar to me and one's love for a score does indeed benefit from such devotion.

The internet for all it's brilliance (especially when it comes to the stupidly easy acquirement of music), wasn't just the death knell of the high street music store, but it also marked the end of many happy times spent in HMV. Now I mainly (and sadly) just download cues I like and only the VERY best ones are reserved a place for my further scrutiny.

Ten years ago and regardless of the movie, Indy IV's score would've been played to death in my cd player. I'd have made full use of the score, since I'd went completely out of my way to acquire it. Nowadays, well the truth is I haven't a clue what happens on the disc, other than say Irina' theme.

Blame the internet, not John Williams. <----Hey that would make a good banner!

That would make a fine banner.

I agree with everything you just typed. I, too, believe that if we were in the "old days," I would know Indy IV by heart. But there was other things, and so it didn't get a shot. A lot like a movie theatre that shows a movie for only one afternoon, and if you see it, then you might like it, but by the evening it's another film to watch....

By the way, I'm gonna say it, your avatar is fantastic. I am mesmerized.

[Quintus 5,399]

Indeed, the freedom of choice the internet brings is astonishing, but a not-so-little nostalgic part of me yearns and misses the days of effort. For me, a train journey for music is a great thing - it breeds a greater enthusiasm for music than the net can ever hope to provide.

Oh and thanks for the kind comments on my AV, Lord knows I spent longer than expected making it and I'm still not happy with it!

[Trent B 337]

No there's no such thing as "too much of a good thing". It's great that we're getting a lot of these complete scores from labels such as Intrada, Varese, FSM and LaLa Land. I never would have though that I'd be seeing complete scores like we have been in the last few years. Simply put, we're being spoiled so love it while you can gents. Don't bitch about it just accept it.

[Quintus 5,399]

You are wrong, there is everything wrong with having too much of a good thing.

Complacency is the Devils work, I tell thee! Feel free to gorge yourself, I'll make do and be content with what I already have.

[Henry B 50]

Mmhm.

[Desplat13 1]

I hardly remember the days before the internet, yet I frequently go to the mall and browse the soundtrack section. Much more fun than amazon, and you get the score in your hands right away.

[Henry B 50]

The mall is still the most fun... but stores just don't care many soundtracks anymore.

[Richard Penna 3,767]

Did they ever?

Any time I go into a CD store (when the hell was that last?...) I see a small soundtrack section, ant at most one person rummaging through the song compilations, while I'm scanning row by row, occasionally sniggering at how much they are asking for some obscure title.

As much as we all constantly look for new material, I think it's only natural that we don't really pay attention to what we already have - I certainly don't, and I keep rediscovering old scores and finding some 'new' cue to get all obsessed over. It's like I'm hearing half my collection for the first time.

[Trent B 337]

Malls never carried a big section for soundtracks, at least that was the case when ever I went there. The only place I would find a good selection of soundtracks (until the last few years) was at Borders.

[Richard Penna 3,767]

I've bought maybe 4 or 5 (score) CDs ever in a real store. Even if I did see a new release I wanted, it would always be available cheaper online.

[Ollie 1,069]

At one times the malls did have music stores that had a good soundtrack section. Hastings, Camelot and even FYE all had good soundtrack sections.

They started to die out in the mid 90's. Once 2000 rolled around they went to crap or disappeared from malls. Now most malls consist of over priced clothes stores, over priced shoe stores and hat shops with a Macy's and JC Penney's on each end and a food court in the middle.

[Henry B 50]

At one times the malls did have music stores that had a good soundtrack section. Hastings, Camelot and even FYE all had good soundtrack sections.

They started to die out in the mid 90's. Once 2000 rolled around they went to crap or disappeared from malls. Now most malls consist of over priced clothes stores, over priced shoe stores and hat shops with a Macy's and JC Penney's on each end and a food court in the middle.

Damn kids and their shopping malls! Why, in my day...

[Ollie 1,069]

Actually in my days you could afford to shop at the mall and buy a CD for under $15.00.

I remember when Star Trek Insurrection was released on CD and the malls were charging $20.99, that was the signal it was time to go elsewhere.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

Even if I did see a new release I wanted, it would always be available cheaper online.

Exactly. Amazon or any other site that sells scores is the ultimate way to go for buying them. Always cheaper than the store, and if you guys can't wait a couple days to get the CD, you might be a little too obsessed. I do get excited when I order something though, as I'll check the mail box every day. But it's not like I'm crazy over not having it right then and there when I pay the money.

[artyjeffrey 20]

I can remember when I was a teenager (!), and a friend of mine came by my house on my birthday. He mentioned to me that he thought he saw something at the mall's music store (a mall AND a store now long gone)that I might like. Well, it was the soundtrack to Empire! Being a dopey kid, I didn't know you could order it; I thought it was too old. We raced back to that mall, and I'll never forget coming back home with that beautiful thing in my hands (the music, come on), and the magnificence of hearing it for the first time.

It was a great moment of sudden discovery that probably couldn't be matched by seeing it at a website...

[publicist 4,643]

I like a full experience too much to turn movie-music into the pop-culture of singles that seems to be being described here. I do not have nearly the collection of some, so perhaps all I have are the good ones. But for me, a complete score (when written by a competent composer) is almost always better, BECAUSE it is not only highlights. There is a pace to movie music that should be considered.

I'm sorry, but scores like 'FOTR' or 'El CId' are the absolute exception. Even most scores written by 'competent composers' often have disposable parts. That's the nature of the beast, it's music for films, it's there to serve films. If it's good away from it, great, but often, it's not.

But this is all a very broad discussion; let's be specific, then.

Do i need:

the 78-minute 'Braveheart' CD? A lot of it is the dirgelike love theme played without much variation, or rather nervewracking 6-minute cues called 'Revenge'.

the 32-minute 'Deep Rising' CD? 3 great Goldsmith action tracks, a lot of functional tension and suspense stuff obviously only there to ratch up the tension meter before the octopus monster attacks.

the 44-minute 'Accidental Tourist' (or 'Presumed Innocent') CD? One good theme in ca. three good variations, the rest nearly undistinguishable variations thereof?

I could go on with most Horner scores ('Four Feathers', 'The Missing' etc.), not so many Goldsmith scores (since most of them still have very short releases) and a good amount of Williams scores ('Munich', 'Minority Report').

And i'm in no way thrashing most of the scores as such, since i like parts from all of them. But the fact remains that just because someone puts music to a disc doesn't make it worthwile, per se.

[Olivier 5]

I agree with Colin. People are treating their film scores like disposable throwaway material - almost as though the hard drive storage phenomenon is causing a lack of appreciation of what they have, so they go trigger happy with the delete button. I like to think of my CD and LP collection like a library that's always there for future reference and enjoyment. If I want to listen to it, it's always there.

Has it come to the point where music collecting in the physical form is now "hoarding"? Absolute tosh. I (and many others, but I can't speak for them) buy the music I like, by the composers I like, and some are listened to more than others. I describe hoarding as those who buy up limited releases just because they're limited and they have no interest in the music, the composer or even the film, they just had to have it, which is a waste because someone else might have really wanted it but missed out.

Absolutely.

As cool as it was to log on one day and find out about the Indy box set, my heart wasn't racing like it was when I first saw the Anthology box just sitting on a shelf at the mall calling my name. Even though I prefer todays environment, I miss that feeling of discovery without anticipation. Learning of a release and having it in your hands all in the same moment.

Oh yes! Doug Fake addressed this on Intrada's board a month or two ago.

Discovering such a thing in the store was thrilling!

Reading the announcement on the net is a pleasant surprise, but actually finding such a set, holding it, turning it around, reading the blurb, ..., is something we have lost.

On the topic of "Too much of a good thing", you might also want to read what I wrote on FSM's board two weeks ago: "The Golden Age of releases-- and complaints"-- in short, I deplore the fact that there are more and more very negative comments upon each and every new release; not only are they more frequent, they get nastier, more condescending and even insulting each time, with people bashing the score, the composer, the label, heavily criticizing the release, the amount of music, the price, and saying clearly that only stupid collectors-for-collecting's-sake and indiscriminate morons are idiots enough to buy it.

[publicist 4,643]

In short, I deplore the fact that there are more and more very negative comments upon each and every new release; not only are they more frequent, they get nastier, more condescending and even insulting each time, with people bashing the score, the composer, the label, heavily criticizing the release, the amount of music, the price, and saying clearly that only stupid collectors-for-collecting's-sake and indiscriminate morons are idiots enough to buy it.

Which begs the question if no one should make his/her objections public only that you or others feel more comfy? You may not have intended to mean that, but very often, it's exactly what shines through those complaints. And let's not forget the sometimes shoddy research i. e. Intrada does on it's releases (claiming they'd release the first stereo edition of a Jay Chattaway score, which was plainly wrong, when someone took them to task for the erranous information they acted like he committed a crime, the same applies to the mastering issues some Intrada releases have since they are churning'em out).

The admitted crap on the FSM MB works both sides: unnecessary vitriolic malice vs. brainless appraisal.

My initial argument still stands: Just because soemeone puts a piece of music on a physical medium doesn't make it good or worthwile music, don't you agree?

[Maglorfin 196]

Lately I've been thinking back to when my love for film scores began, and the state I am in now. Back when I was a kid in the latter half of the 1980s, the only soundtracks I had were purchased by my parents. We weren't wiping our behinds with money, so I had only a few, and I would acquire new ones slowly.

I would, therefore, listen to each one thoroughly, repeatedly-- I would come to memorize every moment. I would absorb them, the music not being like a current pop song, but something that I would always carry with me. Memories of those pieces are inextricably tied with memories of my life at that time. In short, they had the chance to be special.

Fast forward, to the age of the internet, and a film score fan's dream-- if you want it, you can find it, whether through purchase or download. And as I realize just how much great stuff there is out there, I find that I'm not truly appreciating each score as it comes along. They no longer have a chance to become part of me, since the stress of work and family have taken over most of my time.

So, in short, it turned into a hobby. Collecting scores, because I cannot possibly give them the time they deserve, like I could when I was a kid/teen. Ten or fifteen years ago, if you'd told me about the Blue Box, I would've bought it, then listened to it intently numerous times. It would've been the soundtrack set of my year. Now, it's boom, here's the Indy set now!

That's amazing, because I could have written exactly the same story myself. In one way, it's a real kick to have literally the whole soundtrack world in our hands, there are expanded editions, collector's editions, wonderful boxsets, complete recordings, [insert colour] boxes, all of which combine to present every soundtrack junkie with his/her own version of heaven on Earth ... And we can have all of these fabulous scores and editions (or almost all, of course, based on everybody's financial circumstances). But on the other hand, there's a curse which you mentioned - there's so much material available today that it is almost becoming impossible to follow, manage or even to listen to it all thoroughly. If one is able to find a decent way between these two extremities, then great, but that is very hard to achieve. (And of course, there's also a vast ocean of everybody's favourite music other than soundtracks.)

Speaking personally, I often simply cannot dedicate to some score enough well-deserved attention and listening time, because I simply have too many others (and lots of other music) to listen to, and they also all need their own levels of dedication and analytical listening. Then there's another curse - that of being a musician and listening to music even more intently and on some othere level ... But well, that's a whole another story. So I guess I could conclude with stating that too much of a good thing can sometimes be a bad thing.

[Wojo 2,453]

I feel a similar problem with video games and computer games. There are so many of them that it's impossible to do a collection justice, and after several years, you take a step back and realize the collection's grown so big that you can't possibly play and master them all and still have a life, job, significant other, etc at the same time. I want to plunk down $1500 for a new upgraded computer, but for what? To play a bunch of new computer games that I won't have time for. I'm afraid I don't really understand myself some times.

[Maglorfin 196]

There are so many of them that it's impossible to do a collection justice, and after several years, you take a step back and realize the collection's grown so big that you can't possibly play and master them all and still have a life, job, significant other, etc at the same time.

Exactly. And "them" could mean video games, soundtracks, CDs in general, DVDs, books etc.

[MrScratch 294]

I can remember when I was a teenager (!), and a friend of mine came by my house on my birthday. He mentioned to me that he thought he saw something at the mall's music store (a mall AND a store now long gone)that I might like. Well, it was the soundtrack to Empire! Being a dopey kid, I didn't know you could order it; I thought it was too old. We raced back to that mall, and I'll never forget coming back home with that beautiful thing in my hands (the music, come on), and the magnificence of hearing it for the first time.

It was a great moment of sudden discovery that probably couldn't be matched by seeing it at a website...

I know what you mean. Way back when I got my first CD player and got my very first Star Wars CDs, I had the Polydor Star Wars and Empire soundtracks (purchased from mall music stores) but for some reason I could never find Jedi. In my mind, it had become rare. When I finally found it, it was damn exciting!

[Desplat13 1]

I like a full experience too much to turn movie-music into the pop-culture of singles that seems to be being described here. I do not have nearly the collection of some, so perhaps all I have are the good ones. But for me, a complete score (when written by a competent composer) is almost always better, BECAUSE it is not only highlights. There is a pace to movie music that should be considered.

I'm sorry, but scores like 'FOTR' or 'El CId' are the absolute exception. Even most scores written by 'competent composers' often have disposable parts. That's the nature of the beast, it's music for films, it's there to serve films. If it's good away from it, great, but often, it's not.

But this is all a very broad discussion; let's be specific, then.

Do i need:

the 78-minute 'Braveheart' CD? A lot of it is the dirgelike love theme played without much variation, or rather nervewracking 6-minute cues called 'Revenge'.

the 32-minute 'Deep Rising' CD? 3 great Goldsmith action tracks, a lot of functional tension and suspense stuff obviously only there to ratch up the tension meter before the octopus monster attacks.

the 44-minute 'Accidental Tourist' (or 'Presumed Innocent') CD? One good theme in ca. three good variations, the rest nearly undistinguishable variations thereof?

I could go on with most Horner scores ('Four Feathers', 'The Missing' etc.), not so many Goldsmith scores (since most of them still have very short releases) and a good amount of Williams scores ('Munich', 'Minority Report').

And i'm in no way thrashing most of the scores as such, since i like parts from all of them. But the fact remains that just because someone puts music to a disc doesn't make it worthwile, per se.

Maybe I have not been around the block enough with film scores, but if I like a film score, than I want the whole experience. Do buy a movie and then just watched selected scenes? If you do, this cheapens the experience greatly, and it is the same with scores.

I am not very familiar with the scores you mentioned. I rented "Braveheat" one time, but didn't think much of it, as I recall. But here are some examples for you of movies that are better as a complete experience.

All Star Wars (duh)

Mulan (Promo is SO much better than the little bit we got on the release)

Hook

Cars (I deplored the score originally, and while I still don't like it, I would rather listen to the complete promo of it. Makes more sense.)

LoTR

Those are scores that I only had the OST of, and then I got expanded versions and found them much better. As far as OST releases where I would not give up a single cue, well, that would take a lot longer.

I would never sacrifice the journey of a complete score for cheap, disjointed musical thrills.