How'd you get into John Williams, and film scores in general?

[Jay 37,373]

For my 1000th post, I'm curious to know... how did you get into John Williams? How'd you get into film scores in general?

 

For me, it was all because of Star Wars. I was born in 1979 so don't have any memories of seeing the films in theaters or playing with all the old Kenner toys, but I watched the movies over and over again on home video as a kid for sure. It was in the early 90s though, when I was in middle school, that was the golden era of Star Wars fandom for me. The Timothy Zahn books and Dark Empire were coming out and drawing people in again. I started posting to BBSes and then later to usenet groups (rec.arts.scifi.starwars I believe it was) with other people who loved the movies as much as I did. There were new books and comics and toys and other stuff coming out all the time. I just loved loved loved Star Wars then, and for many years following, pretty much right up until The midnight showing of The Phantom Menace I'd say...

 

Anyway, I believe around when Super Star Wars and Super Empire Strikes Back came out for the SNES, I started to really notice the score to the Star Wars films and found myself humming along to the various themes all the time after a while (in no part due to hearing them over and over again in the video games I'm sure!)

 

My first film score purchase ever was the 1993 Star Wars Anthology box set by Arista, which I learned of its existance by reading posts by Lukas Kendall on usenet. This was a huge purchase for a 14 year old kid, I must've had to save up many weeks of allowances for it. It's funny to think of now, but the first thing I played when I got it home was actually the Cantina Band / Lapti Nek / Cantina Bank #2 section of disc 4, heh.

 

From there my love of film scores grew, soon getting Raiders DCC, Jurassic Park, Hook, ET, the expanded Close Encounters, Indy3, Indy2 (with liner notes I couldn't even read!), etc. Eventually I branched out to other composers, I think my earliest non-Williams film scores were Batman, Back To The Future 2, Mars Attacks, ID4.

 

This also led to me discovering the beauty of letterboxing (the first letterboxed VHS I owned was actually a dub of the Star Wars laserdiscs a member of a BBS board I posted to made for me before they were officially released on VHS), and wanting everything released in its OAR (which thankfully is pretty much always done now with DVD).

 

The Star Wars Arista set is probably what also got me into wanting scores Complete and Chronological. I remember before the 1997 SW sets came out, I made myself cassette tapes of each Star Wars score with the music playing in the right order. I even used the full "Imperial Probe" from the gerhart recording and the Mynock Cave music from the Empire OST CD I had gotten by that point. Man, things are so much easier now with WAV editors and cd burners! Before that, I had even made myself cassette tapes of the soudntrack to the movies... literally the entire audio portion direct from the VHS, just to hear the additional music. That's probably a large part of why I can still quote entire sections of the movies...

 

As for this web site, I discovered it in 1999. Actually, it was discovered for me. Before the weight of how much the prequels sucked had fully hit me, I was super into The Phantom Menace score, and had been breaking down the OST and trying to figure out its chronological order, etc. A PC game came out just called "The Phantom Menace" and people starting saying they could hear music in the game that wasn't on the OST. I went out and bought it because I had a suspision I would know how to rip it out... and I was right. I was a huge fan of LucasArts adventure games at the time (Monkey Island, Day of the Tentacle, Indy4, etc). And I had this program called Scumm Revisited, which could be used to examine the contents of the files that came with some LucasArts games. So I used it on TPM and voila, I found all this music! I made a post to usenet about it, and somehow Ricard found it and put it on the main page - which, at the time was not a John Williams fan site, but was simply a site called "Star Wars - Episode I: The Music". I then started posting in the boards there, and the incarnations after it (groovy yak, etc), until we are where we are now.

 

My dedication to film scores has certainly vacillated over the years, mostly in college (I didn't even bring my film score CDs to school, I don't think), but I think it's always been my primary favorite music, even if I spend months listening to hard rock or hip hop or whatever. There have been huge passages of time when I didn't visit this site at all, but usually whenever JW had a new score coming out I'd find my way back. I think I spent the most time in 2004 when I wrote this HP3 analysis and this The Terminal analysis. That was a lot of work done in a short time! But I'll do it again, hopefully JW will have many more film scores to come!

 

What about you? How did you get into JW, into film scores, and how did you find this site?

[Williamsfan301 11]

Years ago, PBS used to broadcast Evening at Pops. That was my introduction to John Williams and his music.

[Wojo 2,453]

Probably from downloading the themes from Star Trek and Back to the Future from Napster back in the day...

Seriously, though, getting the 1993 Anthology in 1995 did it for me.

[DarkLord89 0]

I came to know John Williams mostly because of Star Wars, as well. It is the first film score that actually caught me. The cue I most wanted was "The Imperial March".

I asked my cousin if he had the Star Wars score (he is a fan as well), and he gave me a cassette containing what I think is Gerhardt's suite for the first film. Imagine how disappointed I was that "The Imperial March" wasn't there! But then my knowledge and my love for the music began to grow...

Meanwhile my parents bought me a SW videogame, "X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter: The Academy" and it was full of SW music, but I didn't knew it yet. I still wasn't able to spot it while watching the movies, and so I enjoyed those cues without knowing what they actually were (especially "Hyperspace"). Nonetheless, I DID begin to learn them by heart.

Then TPM came out. After I bought the DVD in late 2000 (my first DVD ever) I discovered the man who crafted these scores. I fell in love with the music used in trailers, tv spots, and most of all the "Duel of the Fates" video. I began to fully listening to the End Credits of TPM, and finally bought my first OST about early spring 2002 (but way before the release of "Attack of the Clones", which left me such a major disappointment when I immediately recognized all those cues from TPM; I didn't know about tracking yet). That summer, while I was camping, my father ordered the RCA Special Editions of the original three scores from Amazon (my first purchase on the web)... guess what track I played first? Jokes apart, I really understood for the first time how films were scored thanks to the complete presentation of the OT scores and of the liner notes which accompanied them. Probably growing up in film scores knowledge with these releases (including their flaws such as long, long tracks) as a reference is what made me obsess about complete and chronological order, and in-depth knowledge of the making process of these scores (remember the session log that was included in the SW booklet? That was a jewel, to say the least).

By 2004 I already knew many of the main scores Williams wrote (I remember being particularly struck by "Hedwig's Theme" when I first heard it at my local theatre in december 2001). During the New Year's Eve night before 2004, when I was celebrating, I *cough*downloaded*cough* the full AotC CD, and found out that there was actually MUCH new music in this films I didn't care about. Looking for this complete score led me to discovery this site (and its complete cue lists...). I followed the hype for PoA as a lurker, then I listened to several JW anthologies (mostly "John Williams Greatest Hits: 1969-1999") and finally, shortly before RotS was released, I joined this MB. In these past 4 years I've listened to many JW scores, but there's still a lot of work to do.

Matteo

P.S. - Jason, congratulations for your 1000th post!

[Hlao-roo 389]

Here's a thread from September on this topic: http://jwfan.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=16138

Other previous theads:

http://jwfan.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=15022

http://jwfan.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=14362

http://jwfan.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=13243

http://jwfan.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=8640

http://jwfan.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=572

Thor

[Jay 37,373]

Oh.

Poop.

[paleo 63]

Thanks for the interesting history of the website. I have known it for a couple of years now, and it helped me to get to know about JW concerts in my area, but I only discovered the message board when I desperately wanted to find out more about the Indy CD box.

As for my own history with soundtracks and John Williams, I didn't pay much attention to film music until I watched Jurassic Park at a theater. Although the music of some films and TV series had caught my attention before (e.g. for Star Trek and Land before Time), I was, up to that point, quite unaware of how sophisticated film music can be, involving huge orchestras and choirs and being as complex as the best classical pieces. I thought it would be a shame to ignore the music by itself, to only listen to it while watching the movie, and I asked at a local music store whether they had JP on audio cassette. They had to order it, but after a week or so I got it, and, boy, was I blown away! I tried to convince my older sister of the quality of that music, but she couldn't understand me at all. After I realized that most people considered my newly developed taste weird I started to usually not mention it any more and to mostly use headphones to listen to it (how stupid, actually), but that didn't stop me from buying soundtracks (and I really rarely purchased a CD of any other genre). When I was about to graduate from high school I discovered that some people in my year found certain Hans Zimmer and even John Williams CDs cool (especially after we had discussed film music in class), just as others became interested in classical music, and since then I didn't hide my hobby any more. And thanks to the internet I now know many other people who share my passion; how nice

From the beginning I always liked John Williams best among the film music composers; after Jurassic Park I discovered the music of Star Wars, Indiana Jones (Last Crusade was soon my favorite), and then most of his less "easy-listening" soundtracks (some like Munich and Presumed Innocent I never really managed to enjoy, though). But I also gave numerous other composers a chance, James Newton Howard, Jerry Goldsmith, and James Horner most consistenly offering very satisfying results.

[MissPadmé 17]

My dad was/is a soundtrack freak... has a rather huge collection, so there you go.

I grew up with the Star Wars 2LP..

[Jay 37,373]

Thanks for the interesting history of the website.

At one point Ricard put together a really nice page about the history of the MB, but I dunno where that is now

[John Crichton 4]

Post count thread! Summon the Dancing Lock of Death!

[JoeinAR 1,949]

I was playing in a dirty back alley when this guy in a cardboard box said Kid I got something that will make you feel awesome. I wasn't no dummy, and I was about to run when he put a record on his little battery operated turntable. It was the B side to the Jaws 45, End Title. Well it was like a drug, and I felt it course through my veins to my brain and I had my first Johnnygasm, I was essentially hooked at that point. I became a Johnny junkie, always needing a fix, oh sure there are days I can go without it. But lately the formula must have changed because it just doesn't give me the high like in the past. Oh every now and then you can get ahold of some of the old stuff, and WoW.

[Quintus 5,399]

Here's a thread from September on this topic: http://jwfan.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=16138

Other previous theads:

http://jwfan.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=15022

http://jwfan.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=14362

http://jwfan.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=13243

http://jwfan.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=8640

http://jwfan.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=572

Thor

Damn, I wish I knew how to use the Search function as effectively as that...

Oh and it was funny to see AI, tucked in there. Did he ever get unbanned?

[DarkLord89 0]

Post count thread! Summon the Dancing Lock of Death!

GHO-ram, GHO-ram, GHO-ram SUN-da-rum...

[Jay 37,373]

I was playing in a dirty back alley when this guy in a cardboard box said Kid I got something that will make you feel awesome. I wasn't no dummy, and I was about to run when he put a record on his little battery operated turntable. It was the B side to the Jaws 45, End Title. Well it was like a drug, and I felt it course through my veins to my brain and I had my first Johnnygasm, I was essentially hooked at that point. I became a Johnny junkie, always needing a fix, oh sure there are days I can go without it. But lately the formula must have changed because it just doesn't give me the high like in the past. Oh every now and then you can get ahold of some of the old stuff, and WoW.

[davros72 1]

John Williams and film scores in general, it was Star Wars. When the first SW came out in 1977, I was 4. I freakin' loved that film, and loved the music. When I was able to check records out of the library, that was one I would check out over and over again. 2 records, simple black cover with the SW logo, I played that thing over and over on my record player.

And when Empire came out, I was 7. And the beautiful near-perfection of the Empire score... wow. That score I managed to get my mom to buy for me, again a glorious 2 record album with a wonderful, large, full-color booklet inside. Played that album so much it scratched in several places. To this day, when I listen to those tracks on CD or on my iPod, I can hear those scratches in my mind's ear like it was yesterday.

Beyond those 2, Raiders of the Lost Ark was another biggie. I remember discovering the Return of the Jedi soundtrack had only 1 record in it was a big let down. Close Encounters, ET, Jaws, and another huge favorite Superman were all factors, as were Temple of Doom and Last Crusade.

Beyond JW, I branched out into mostly Jerry Goldsmith and the James Horner Star Trek scores, then more Goldsmith stuff like Gremlins (what a horrible original soundtrack release that was back in its day!), as well as James Bond soundtracks, especially John Barry. JW and JG are still the two biggies in my collection, but there are others sprinkled around here and there.

JWFan.com... a web search many years ago, don't remember the search engine or the specific date/year, but it was years ago.

[Demondm810 399]

For me it was Jurassic Park. All my friends and I probably saw the film over 10 times in the theatre. We were only about 9. I remember getting the cassette for christmas and it was the only present I gave a damn about. I was completely anti-social that whole day with my head stuck in the headphones. That started a chain reaction....and here I am. Sadly, Ive known about JWFAN.com for years....just only recently joined the boards.

[Taikomochi 1,136]

I'd been familiar with the most popular Williams scores(Star Wars, ET, etc.), but I absolutely loved the opening title to War Of The Worlds, prompting me to check the soundtrack out from the library. Up until that point, I didn't really listen to any music at all. I went from there to the HP soundtracks and so on.

[Nick Parker 3,040]

Many years ago, in 2003, my mother purchased a Disk called "Intergalactic Music" (or something like that) for two dollars at a convenience store. The disk contained ten tracks: five for "Star Wars", and five for Gustav Holst's "The Planets". I later learned they were re-recordings, but I fell in love with all ten tracks ( so I guess that was started my love of Classical music, as well). However, I did not buy any true soundtrack albums of anything, let alone John Wiliams, until January of this year, starting with the Star Wars Trilogy, until my collection of John Williams grew to its current state, 15.

[Hlao-roo 389]

I made a post to usenet about it, and somehow Ricard found it and put it on the main page - which, at the time was not a John Williams fan site, but was simply a site called "Star Wars - Episode I: The Music". I then started posting in the boards there, and the incarnations after it (groovy yak, etc), until we are where we are now.

The Groovy Yak's site preceded Ricard's.

[Jay 37,373]

Ah yes, I used the wrong name. But there were at least 2 or 3 incarnations of this board before this current version that started in May 02

[Hlao-roo 389]

Ah yes, I used the wrong name. But there were at least 2 or 3 incarnations of this board before this current version that started in May 02

Initially, there were 1 or 2 threaded-style message boards, followed by our first linear style board hosted by ezBoard.com. Then Ricard and Andreas began integrating the message boards into the site, starting with the Ikonboard. (For a while, the Ikonboard posts were archived, but they were apparently lost in some server upgrade, or something.) In 2002, we switched over to phpBB, I believe, and a few years later, we switched again to current IP.Board system while preserving the posts from phpBB.

I might be distorting a few things, but I think that's the basic history of this forum. Ricard's site, on the other hand, has gone through a zillion different incarnations and name changes (e.g., "JWFAN.NET," "John Williams Central," "JOHN WILLIAMS.COM[-US.COM]," JohnWilliams.cjb.Net," etc.)

[Jay 37,373]

That sounds about right

[Henry B 50]

Pretty much Star Wars Star Wars Star Wars...

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

I was more of a Jerry Goldsmith fan when I was a kid because of movies like Poltergeist, Gremlins, Supergirl, but his scores were hard to come by, so I became interested in his little cousin, Johnny.

[Trent B 337]

For film scores I got into it when I took band back in junior high and it was actually Star Trek that got me mostly into film scores.

For John Williams though it definitely was Star Wars that got me into his music, even though I vastly prefer Jerry Goldsmith.

[Red 75]

Hook and Star Wars were my first exposures to Williams, and subsequently my first favorite scores. Why I gravitated to film scores specifically I'll never completely know.

[indy4 155]

TPM OST was the first soundtrack I owned, but it was the By Request CD that really got me into John Williams.

I also give some credit to scores such as Shrek and Jurassic Park, as they were some of the first scores I bought.

I got TPM as a gift, and I liked it. I never really considered getting any other soundtracks, I believe I had the two tracks from Shrek on the "Music From and Inspired By" album. Then, I got By Request as a gift, and that really got me into it. Then I got ESB, Star Wars, Jurassic Park....But it wasn't until very recently that I started buying so many so often. That's why I almost always have something on my Recently Ordered CDs list--I haven't been collecting for long, and even now, I'm not a hardcore collector.

Got Phantom Menace as a gift when it came out. I wasn't even into soundtracks, but I liked SW, so I guess my relative figured I'd like the soundtrack. A couple months later a friend gave me By Request - The Best of John Williams and the Boston Pops. While it wasn't my first soundtrack-related album, I credit it for really getting me into soundtracks. I think I also had the Shrek music from and inspired by album, and the orchestral work on that CD blew me away (it still does). Then I started getting others--Spiderman, Empire Strikes Back, Jurassic Park, and many tracks on iTunes.

The Phantom Menace was the first soundtrack album I ever bought, though I credit By Request as the CD that got me interested in film scores.

[Incanus 5,715]

I am one of the Jurassic Park generation of JWFans. I was about 11 when I first saw the film and heard the music which made a lasting impression. As soon as I became aware that you could buy this music (my cousin bought the CD) and I got stereos I bought my first film scores. As JP was nowhere to be found I had to buy Schindler's List and the Lost World instead.

And even though JP got me into film music and JWs music in particular my earliest JW memory is Hook's March when I saw the film as a kid. "Hook, Hook! Give us the Hook!"

[scallenger 483]

There are three very specific films from my childhood that stick to my mind in regards to what movies and their scores got me into soundtracks.

The first obvious one for me was JURASSIC PARK by John Williams. I saw the movie when I was 6 when it came out, and even though my parents urged me not to have any desire to see it because it would be too scary, I was such a dinosaur fan already I HAD to. Especially one day I was at my town's local park which was right next to a Drive-In theater... that's right... a Drive-In theater... and I saw a glimpse of the movie on the screen. My parents eventually gave into my demands, and boy was I taken in right away by the music once the characters take their "Journey to the Island". And of course... being so young... my parents were right. The movie scared the me sh*tless! Especially the part when the Dilophosaurus (Spitter) attacks Dennis Nedry, with its frill shaking and spit landing on Nedry's shirt. And of course afterward when it's in the car right next to him... that did it for me! But as scared as I was it was always a treat to be in a car watching a movie projected on a big screen out in the open. It's an experience I wish I could re-live, however the Drive-In was closed long ago, and even the screen is demolished. Anyway, I had nightmares after I saw the movie... but for some incredibly strange reason I wanted to see it AGAIN. My parents were extremely puzzled, but they eventually let me see it at least one more time at a regular theater out of town. And after that... I was somehow magically hooked. It became my favorite movie, and it still is my personal favorite.

Now, as for the music... it wasn't until years later when my Aunt and Uncle gave me a cassette mix of soundtracks from various movies (they were apparently movie score buffs) that I got to hear Jurassic Park's score apart from the film. I always noticed it in the film, and always wanted to hear it alone, but never got a chance or any way to do so. Although the mix she made only had a few tracks from it, it was enough to get me hooked in obtaining the real thing. When I did... it gave me this magical feeling everytime. Like I wasn't in my house or in my backyard anymore... but some place else. Some place that felt even more like home, in some ways. It was comforting. Escapism. And the melodies were a delight. Even when things got "scary". Things have never been the same for me since.

I mentioned that there were two other films that got me into movie scores. Both I never saw in theaters and didn't obtain their scores (neither officially released) until about 5 years ago. But they had such a distinct impression on me just from watching their films. These would be Jerry Goldsmith's GREMLINS and James Horner's HONEY, I SHRUNK THE KIDS. GREMLINS took me every time when the end credits would roll and the "Gremlins Rag" would play. It was such an addicting and zany and strange musical piece, and for years I would never even get to hear the whole thing because whoever was watching it with me (mom or dad or sister) they would stop the film not long after the end credits just started! As for HONEY, I SHRUNK THE KIDS, right from the opening title cartoon sequence I was in love with Horner's jazzy number. Sure, its partly a stolen piece (like much of Horner's music, hehe) but I had no idea about that in my young age, and even if I did, his use of it is so frantic and crazy that it pretty much is original.

A factor I need to mention that all 3 had in common was the fact that at some point in each film, things would get intense and the music would reflect it. The climax of JURASSIC PARK with the raptors at the visitor center, the mom fighting the GREMLINS in the kitchen, and the lawn mower trying to suck the kids up in HONEY, I SHRUNK THE KIDS, for example. Each time I saw/heard these parts, I was utterly caught up in the moment of the intensity, and the music was totally ingrained in my mind. Like an adrenaline rush. And not all climax moments or intense moments in film scores work in this way for me (example: virtually any Media Ventures score). It has to be done in some intense, clever, and terrifying way, usually enhanced by doing a scary rendition of a previously heard theme. When a moment like THAT happens, I am hooked.

And that pretty much explains the types of soundtracks I like most: those that feature lush, romantic themes (JURASSIC PARK), strange moments (GREMLINS), frantic craziness (HONEY, I SHRUNK THE KIDS), and intense, scary moments (all 3). Suffice to say, this combination is hard to come by!

[Gurkensalat 340]

I saw Empire strikes Back as my first Star Wars movie in 1984 (Sunday matinee rerelease) and remember how I was faszinated by the end credits music and stayed in the theater till the end. I was 16 and already very much into classical music from Beethoven to Richard Strauss, but had not realized that Film music may also be worth exploring. Around the same time I saw Indy 2. When I found out that the same man wrote the music to both movies, I got interested. luckily a friend was already Williams fan and had a collection of LPs, amoung them the original Star wars double SP with the liner notes, so he lend them to me one after the other and I copied them to tape and listened to them over and over. After that I started buying my own LPs, among them Witches of Eastwick and Always. With Indy 3 I switched to CD, having bought a player shortly before. Since then I bought almost every new and several older releases.

[crocodile 8,018]

When my mom was pregnant (and I was to be born) and went to TESB screening (it was three o four years after its American release date, so a bit late). Many years later when I finally got to hear the score it almost made me cry. Maybe it has something to do with that. I don't know. I also remember liking music to Hook and Jurassic Park. I wasn't aware back then that they were composed by the same person.

Karol

[Wojo 2,453]

You don't get into John Williams. He gets into you. And never leaves. You carry him with you wherever you go. If there's been a day in the past three months when I haven't caught myself whistling The Raiders March, I can't remember it.

[SF1_freeze 131]

Interesting thread, like many of you Star Wars threw me into JW Music.

In my case the prequel trilogy. To be precise "Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace" was my first conscious Star Wars film and also my first Star Wars film in the cinema. I remember watching RotJ sometime earlier in TV but i was to young then and i only watched the first part of it. I enjoyed TPM cause i was the right age. So it absolutely fulfilled Lucas purpose: Get a lot young new Star Wars Fans

After the movie i realised that the music (much better than the film if not Star Wars would deserve from a more grown up point of view) was a big reason for me to become Star Wars Fan.

So i started to watch the other films and bought my first John Williams Soundtrack: "Star Wars Episode 1". I realized then (after having watched the original trilogy) that although the music was great missed most of the original Themes. So i started looking for the original Soundtracks and luckily my mother (she knew i was into Star Wars by then) buyed me the at this time out of print 1997 Special Edition ANH CD Box, liner booklett included, in an Austrian store. That was a great christmas present and of course i wanted the other ones with the liner booklett's too and i got them from amazon shortly before they were out.

I also love Steven Spielberg Films and as i realized that JW almost always does the music i started collecting, but only soundtrack's i really enjoyed in the movies. I only own a few CD's because most of the great Williams Soundtracks were not available as i became a soundtrack lover. I refuse buying too much on ebay, so i'm probably dependent on rereleases. What a lucky coincidence that with the Indiana Jones Box one of the greatest rereleases finally arrived (although i still will have to wait for my box, austria unfortunately isn't on the shipping priority list :/ )

That's a great post Wojo. I have to agree, it's probably JW's fault. His music is so good, if you let it through to your heart you get hooked

[Jay 37,373]

scallenger, thanks for your nice post. Gremlins was one of my earliest film scores I noticed too, always loved it. That's never been released officially, right? Just the hissy bootleg?

[Ollie 1,059]

The original Gremlins album only had 15 minutes of score and the rest were songs. As of now that's the only official release.

How did I get started?

King Kong 1976 & Star Wars 1977.

[pixie_twinkle 48]

When my mom was pregnant (and I was to be born) and went to TESB screening (it was three o four years after its American release date, so a bit late). Many years later when I finally got to hear the score it almost made me cry. Maybe it has something to do with that. I don't know. I also remember liking music to Hook and Jurassic Park. I wasn't aware back then that they were composed by the same person.

Karol

If she'd listened to Mozart instead you would be a genius now!

[scallenger 483]

scallenger, thanks for your nice post. Gremlins was one of my earliest film scores I noticed too, always loved it. That's never been released officially, right? Just the hissy bootleg?

As noted by Mark O, there was the official CD that had mostly songs and a few tracks of Goldsmith's score. And yes most of the bootlegs have a lot of hiss. There are two main different bootlegs of this score. One has most of the score and is in decent sounding quality. There is hiss, but it isn't overbearing and doesn't take away the listening experience. Especially for a score from the mid 80's. But there is another bootleg out there (and I don't think it is a DVD rip) that appears to be the complete score. However, this one is overbearing in hiss and is not enjoyable to listen to at all. I would say it is worse than the worst quality tracks of the Last Crusade bootlegs. I... *cough* may have one or both of those *cough* if you want to *cough* talk about them... *starts coughing uncontrollably*

GREMLINS needs to have a official CD release for the score. And judging by all of the releases of Goldsmith's old scores coming out recently (obviously due to his untimely death) I am hoping it is only a matter of time. It really was one of his best scores and definitely one of his most original.

As for Honey, I Shrunk The Kids, there is pretty good sounding bootleg of it's complete score. It uses a lot of tracks from what I am guessing was a limited edition CD that had tracks from Honey, I Shrunk The Kids and some other James Horner score. However, from some unknown source comes the rest of the cues from the movie, in varying quality. Some have more hiss than others, but even the ones with the most hiss don't sound that bad at all. I may *coughs again* also be able to talk to you *cough* about that one.

It's a shame that that score, however, probably will never get an official release due to all the copyright issues involved with James Horner "borrowing" the Amarcord theme...

[Richard Penna 3,694]

Probably subconsciously noticed and absorbed Jurassic Park, but there was one film that left me breathless in the cinema: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, and the score was a huge part of that. For the following 7 years I slowly began to notice film music more.

How'd I find this place? Not a damn clue, quite honestly, but I'm glad I did

[Charlie Brigden 7]

RETURN OF THE JEDI book and tape, Minehead, UK, 1984.

[Maglorfin 196]

My dad was/is a soundtrack freak... has a rather huge collection, so there you go.

I hope my own kid writes that about me someday.