Howard Shore's An Unexpected Journey (Hobbit Part 1)

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[Incanus 5,714]

True!

[Wojo 2,453]

Where does "The Greatest Adventure" fit into the score order?

[gkgyver 1,645]

I mean, it is cute to speculate about additional music, but it is unrealistic.

Even though I wouldn't rule out the possibility that there will be an extra cue, like on the TTT special edition.

God, I hope the credits song will be in touch with Shore's score and not some generic pop crap.

I feel so stupid.

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[Jay 37,358]

Doug, any idea why only 2 of the 6 "Special Edition-only" tracks were inserted into the flow of the main score, with 4 appearing at the end after the main presentation? Did Shore prefer it that way for a specific reason? Or was it a Water Tower Records decision?

It's presented this way for a specific musical reason. It will all make perfectly logical sense.

Aha! Thanks Doug

[Luke Skywalker 1,795]

i hope for concert versions of themes, since i think the only fail of the trilogy was a beautiful standalone presentation of the main themes.

And i also hope that the score is complete, at least the threatrical version

Maybe those tracks are deleted scenes (that will be on the EE) so the theatrical version is presented chronologically and the deleted scenes afterwards.

[Faleel 5,347]

Have I said that I want this yet?

[Jay 37,358]

Just had a thought: What if the 4 Bonus Tracks are cues written for scenes that were once a part of Film 1, but got moved into Film 2?

Or scenes cut from the Theatrical Edition, but will appear in the Extended Edition? Therefore not put into the flow of the score in case PJ moves their placement around or something?

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[Doug Adams 494]

I am tempted to ask: "what it's like as compared to the trilogy?". But, I guess, that's not the kind of thing you would say at this stage.

So I won't ask.

Oh I just did.

Karol

If I say anything about either the score or the film, they get my firstborn!

[Jay 37,358]

The thing is, Doug said they were put at the end for a specific musical reason. So, them being concert versions of themes or demos seems more likely.

But why would Erebor and the Dwarf Lords get their own concert arrangements and not Bilbo or Gandalf or the Dwarf Party or Rivendell or Radagast or Beorn or etc? And why would Shore write concert arrangements for The Hobbit when he never wrote any for LOTR? Nah, they are film cues, I'd bet on it.

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[Incanus 5,714]

If the Hobbit continues to be as densely thematic as LotR I would not wonder about that, music for Erebor and Dwarf Lords as separate entities.

And we have more than a month to speculate on these mysteries. Fun times!

I am tempted to ask: "what it's like as compared to the trilogy?". But, I guess, that's not the kind of thing you would say at this stage.

So I won't ask.

Oh I just did.

Karol

If I say anything about either the score or the film, they get my firstborn!

They should stop putting that clause in the contracts! It's barbaric and Medieval!

[Jay 37,358]

I think the "musical reason" is that starting off the first CD with "My Dear Frodo" is simply how Shore felt it was best to open the presentation, and so the prologue music was moved to the SE only, and to the end of the SE at at that. Also, adding all the prologue music back in might have made CD1 too long when compared to CD2, and they wanted to maintain the same split point between CDs.

Though, that doesn't explain The Edge Of The Wild

[OneBuckFilms 319]

I disagree Faleel, they were great for a listening experience.

I absolutely prefer the Complete Recordings to showcase the work, but as a hilights album, the OSTs for the LOTR trilogy were very good.

Cards and other gimmicks they did at the time: meh.

[Incanus 5,714]

I think the "musical reason" is that starting off the first CD with "My Dear Frodo" is simply how Shore felt it was best to open the presentation, and so the prologue music was moved to the SE only, and to the end of the SE at at that. Also, adding all the prologue music back in might have made CD1 too long when compared to CD2, and they wanted to maintain the same split point between CDs.

Though, that doesn't explain The Edge Of The Wild

Might be that the prologue is just Bilbo telling Frodo the story of the Hobbit, a kind of frame story that bookends the entire 3 film tale.

But a prologue would also be a great place for some Dwarven history.

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[Faleel 5,347]

Anyway... I want my concert versions of themes!!!

Go track Shore down.

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[crocodile 8,012]

I just dispatched a hit team. You'll get your suites by the end of the week.

Karol

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[Jay 37,358]

Another possibility is that the CDs are constructed so that the cues flow into each other and overlap, so they had to move those 4 bonus track cues to the end, or otherwise they would have to undo some overlaps that were created for the standard OST

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[Incanus 5,714]

I think we will have deduced and theorized ourselves into a tight knot by the end of the month.

[Jay 37,358]

Well I didn't mean that EVERY track flowed into each other, but the ones that the bonus track section cues would go between did. OR, they go INSIDE an existing track, and Shore wanted to have them as their own pieces at the end rather than create some SUPER long tracks

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[alicebrallice 134]

you guys are funny.

[Incanus 5,714]

Wait and see, wait and see. The Deluxe liner notes will explain everything.

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[Faleel 5,347]

I think your a jerkhead for posting that Bloodboal.

[Jay 37,358]

I wish Water Tower Records had included the track times in their press release

[gkgyver 1,645]

Yeah.

You will see, it is all a Marketing ploy to squeeze out two more bucks per OST. Each track is two minutes long, so 35 minutes per CD, and it comes down to regular soundtrack length.

[OneBuckFilms 319]

I personally wonder what the chronological order of the music is for the special edition (pre-ordered, of course).

If possible, I would organize everything to film order, and as one album in the digital realm.

But I trust Howard Shore and companie's judgement, especially after the Complete Recordings.

[Jay 37,358]

Doug said this on FSM:

As for the bonus tracks, I figured people would assume they weren't just tossed in haphazardly, but yes, much thought was put into every aspect of the album(s). This is simply an amazing group of people to work with. Thoroughly inspiring.

Doug

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[Jay 37,358]

I think that is also the first confirmation that "Song Of the Lonely Mountain" is exclusively composed by Neil Finn, and not co-composed by Shore.

BTW here is the link since BB didn't include it

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009O07NDY/jwfancom-20

[KK 3,307]

Holy crap!!! This is crazy stuff. A 2 CD release for the standard version?! Amazing! Looks like it might be the best soundtrack release of the year.

So it looks like we're not going to have the Reprise Records fiasco again...

And with all those extended versions and bonus cues, it's clear I need to buy both products. I wonder if it'll have some of skewed editing issues from the LotR OSTs, but judging by Adam's comments, I don't expect any.

2 more CDs to buy....I'm going broke this year!!!

I can't believe KK still hasn't seen this. The guy's gonna have a heart attack.

It's ridiculous. Everything big seems to happen when I'm away. I show up, and there's like 4 pages of Hobbit-related material I have to read through! The same thing happened when news of the Bunnies of Doom hit the streets...

I'm listening to the samples the second they are available, and listening to the OST the second I can as well. By the time I see the film I'll probably be crazily familiar with all the music

I'm really debating whether I should listen to the samples when they come out. I mean samples can be so misleading and I want to listen to the thing as a whole. But I'll probably be too tempted to ignore them....can't believe I still have to wait a month for this!

The PR says it has been recorded at Abbey Road. A deviation from the series (except for some choral work, I take it?)

Karol

LotR choral work was recorded at Abbey Road, the orchestral work was largely recorded at Watford. I guess they're doing it all at Abbey Road, is cool.

Well the actual song could be considerably longer in the film itself and that is what is heard on the album. I doubt the Over the Misty Mountains Cold trailer version made it to the album in that original form.

It likely didn't. Much like the RotK trailer music, what we heard in the trailer was Shore's "trailer-ized" version of the theme. We probably won't hear such renditions in the film but it'll probably crop up in The Hobbit: Rarities Archive.

I too hope Shore used that theme in the score itself as it is another great and evocative and not to mention hummable idea.

If the Hobbit continues to be as densely thematic as LotR...

What's with the doubt? The Hobbit well continue the dense thematic tradition of LotR...no question about it. And I'm 100% sure that the theme we heard in the trailer will be one of the major thematic ideas of the score. It's Shore, I would expect nothing less of him.

I'm excited to read Doug Adams' extensive notes as well. Too bad we have to wait so long...

As for the bonus tracks, I assume that Erebor will go at the beginning as the prologue music. And I think A Very Respectable Hobbit comes after Old Friends. The Dwarf Lords track might come somewhere around the Rivendell cues where we might see some flashbacks.

And no need to worry about concert versions BloodBoal, I'm sure the fabled Bunnies of Doom Concert Suite will pop up in the Rarities Archive.

[Jay 37,358]

I can't imagine the OST contains every note of music heard in the film. I expect these CDs were locked before the recording sessions were finished. Probably around 2 weeks ago.

Heck, PJ could ask for a rewrite of a cue tomorrow, it could be recorded Monday, and put into the film mix on Tuesday. There's still plenty of time to go before the NZ premiere on Nov 28th.

[Richard Penna 3,687]

Although if the film is 2 hours, 40 mins long, then 2 CDs is more than enough to hold everything.

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[Jay 37,358]

Although if the film is 2 hours, 40 mins long, then 2 CDs is more than enough to hold everything.

Well, obviously. And its possible it could contain A VERSION of every cue. But unless they stopped recording significantly earlier in the process than any of the original movies, I don't see how it can contain the FINAL version of every cue

Well, maybe it will contain all that was recorded and ended up in the film until today. For the stuff that will be recorded between today and the release of the film, plus the EE material, CRs will be the way to go!

Up until 2-3 weeks ago you mean, yea. And yea, I'm sure the CRs will contain PLENTY of great things to be a worthwhile purchase even with a lengthy OST now. It really is win win win all around here

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[Jay 37,358]

I feel like since they made the effort to announce when the recording sessions started (August 20th), that we would have heard when they ended to... which makes me think they may not have had their final session yet.

Of course, i could be completely wrong, and The Hobbit Film 1 could be nothing like the final days of the ROTK post-production, with Shore frantically scoring new scenes as they came in. Maybe the recording sessions have been over since September. Who knows.

[KK 3,307]

I don't think they'll be releasing the complete score, and certainly not for that price. It would be a rather big marketing screw-up if you ask me. I'm sure we'll get lots of great stuff, but not the whole thing. They'll make money off these original versions first, then offer the complete versions later.

[Jay 37,358]

Yup. Though I am fully confident Shore picked all the best bits to appear on the OSTs, especially with 2 CDs to fill up.

I wonder if the 2CD process will be the same for Film 2 and Film 3, or if they will go back to 1 disc if this one doesn't meet some sales requirement they have.

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[Jay 37,358]

Doesn't mean they don't have a crazy unrealistic sales requirement set to ensure the process continues. They are definitely taking a risk doing it this way. They've had been guaranteed to make more money if they only released a 1CD OST now, and hold off on the 2CD version until either the EE hit home video, or just wait for the CRs. Doing it this way is basically doing a HUGE service to the fans. It's completely awesome and I really hope it sells amazingly for them so it can continue to be done for the next two films.

[KK 3,307]

Ya, I'm a bit surprised that they didn't just follow Reprise Records' footsteps. They would have made a lot more money that way.

Having said that, I have no doubt this will make a great deal of cash. The CRs are still getting sold out every now and then!

[Henry B 50]

Perhaps expanded albums will be released for all three films, followed by a Doug Adams book with a disc or two of the remaining material.