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A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001) - 2015 3CD set from La-La Land Records


Jay

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So how is the sound?

The sound is good but like all of LLLs releases, its a bit more compressed than the original release. The first disc has a DR of 11. I listened to a lot of it last night through headphones (Grado 125is) and was quite pleased with the overall sound.

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So how is the sound?

There is a bit of a high pitched ring through many of the tracks, but it's pretty minimal, and I suspect most people won't notice it, as I have particularly sensitive hearing. I've noticed most 2000's Williams scores have this, so it's probably just a recording thing. The hiss is definitely much reduced from the original mastering, which was frankly embarrassing. I've also noticed 2 or 3 times where the bass slightly clips, such as at :31 in The Mecha World, in the left channel. Again, that's very minor. Overall, it's a humongous improvement.

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I love this score now. It is trying hard to break into my top 10 Williams scores and who knows, it might succeed with that in the end.

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Yeah, I don't really find it depressing, at least not when listening through to completion. I find it uplifting in a bittersweet way, like it's ok not to understand life's mysteries. I could get very pseudophilosophical about it, but it's definitely Williams' most ambitious and emotionally complex score.

His more accessible works just don't make me feel things as vividly as A.I. does.

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Yeah, I don't really find it depressing, at least not when listening through to completion.

I find the complete score listening experience rather meditative.

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There is nothing depressing about this musical experience. I would be hard pressed to find other scores that have this kind of almost spiritual effect on me. I find elation of a different kind in this music compared to the almost rough joy of listening to the kinds of Raiders of the Lost Ark or even Jurassic Park. They might be uplifting and rousing but this is entirely something else for me. If those mentioned examples are music to lift the spirits, this is music to lift the soul.

I'll stop waxing poetic now.

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Haa! With luck I might get it soon too depending on the speed of the postal service. I tracked the package and it landed in customs on Saturday which means it might be delivered today or tomorrow. Hopefully! :)

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Got today the Bluray and probably gonna watch it tonight!

The thing is I don't think I will enjoy now the film version of Search for Blue fairy since I know it's an edit and is missing a very good passage from the original version.

Anyway..

In the meantime, my order still pending at SAE!

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The sad thing is I now have to leave for work. So it won't be able to listen till late night. Oh the frustration! ;)

Karol

We and our first world problems! ;)

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Just a question:

What version of Cybertronics is with the 1mA extenstion?

The one on CD 1 or CD3?

edit: oh, never mind. I guess judging from the durations the one on CD1.

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The 1MA Extension was always recorded with the rest of the cue; There does not exist a recording without it.

 

The version on Disc 3 was recorded on Feb 13, and then they came back and recorded the whole cue all over again on Mar 6, and that's the version on Disc 1 (which is also the version used in the film, and appeared on the OST and promo)

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Yes, it sounds sublime from the sample I've heard.

I wonder why they didn't go with this version in the film..

Maybe it sounds more religious while the solo soprano version sounds more "motherly" and they wanted to go with that?

OK, i just finished the film and it seems I made an error.

They used the chorus version in the film indeed!

* * *

If anyone wants to keep the promo, it's not entirely obsolete.

A track at lalaland (2m1: cd track 7) has added the insert next to the original bars it was meant to replace.

But the promo cue (cd2track6), has the cue without the insert.

it's like this:

Promo CD2T6

0.00-2.52: 2m1 (bars 1-50)

2.55-end: 2m1 new ending (replaces bars 51-end of 2m1)

film version:

2m1 bars 1 -21 aprox.

2m1 insert (replaces bars appox. 22-50)

2m1 new ending

La-laland

0.00-2.49: 2m1 (bars 1-50)

2.50-4.49: 2m1 insert

4.49-end: 2m1 new ending

in summary we have:

Promo: original 2m1 + new ending

Film Version (unreleased): 2m1 + insert (replaces part of 2m1)+ new ending

La-laland: 2m1 (incl. bars that insert is meant to replace) + insert + new ending

So, the only cue missing is the new 2m1 with the proper placement of the insert.

The reason I believe the insert replaces content and it doesn't add content, is because if you play the original 2m1 cue to the scene, it matches perfectly.

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First of all its ridiculous to claim the film version of 2m1 is unreleased, since everything you hear in the film there is in the LLL track!

The film was massively re-edited after scoring. In fact there isn't a single cue that plays as intended in the film until the final reel! So it's just as possible the music in the track that isn't in the film was for deleted footage. Even if they did place the insert in the full track instead of putting one version in the main and one in the bonus area, that's hardly a reason to hold onto the promo. You can recreate the promo version from the LLL in much better quality.

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SAE is usually terrible late with their changes of order status. As I have said before I have gotten packages before their "Shipped" e-mail has appeared.


So there are problems with this release? They used wrong takes etc?

Maybe I should hold off from ordering it till there's news of a recall.

I assume they used the film takes on this set and everything else we have heard prior to this release use different ones for certain pieces I guess. I doubt anyone but the most ardently A.I. obsessed and sharp eared fan can hear the difference to be honest.

But then again we have a community that goes through the score manuscripts and compares them to the music to authenticate that the will of John Williams has indeed put into the recording. His will be done.

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First of all its ridiculous to claim the film version of 2m1 is unreleased, since everything you hear in the film there is in the LLL track!

Jay, I'm not criticizing the release.

I'm just saying what I noticed.

And no , I don't think it's ridiculous to claim that it is unreleased, since the insert is not meant to be heard in that spot it is in the La-laland track. (and it is not meant to be heard after a pause either. It mixes somewhere in there when you first hear those choir synths)

A cue when is composed has a certain continuation and structure.

Now, when you place that insert after the bars it's meant to replace, that structure is affected.

Imagine eg. the Raiders March concert version and Williams writing a new love theme meant to replace the love theme that is there.

How would be the track, if you add the new love theme and you have 2 love themes in a row?

I just picked a more extreme example with themes, so that you could understand my thinking..

So, if we ony have a Raiders march with the 2 love themes in a row, the true new version where the new love theme comes right after the raiders march where it was supposed to be, is still unreleased to me...

It doens't matter that all the music that was written is still there.

Having not heard the cd yet, I assume David's Arrival alternate in the 3rd cd, is with the original opening while the one in cd1 (as shown in your spreadsheet) is with the new opening.

Well, they could do the same here, and structure it like this:

new opening --> old opening--> rest of the cue.

But they didn't.

Because it wasn't meant to be heard like this,and it wasn't composed like this.

Of course the sense of repeat here, would be much more obvious that it is in 2m1.

Still there is 1% chance the insert is in its right placement, but having heard the original thing with the film as I said, it matches.

Anyone can check himself if he likes:

At 19.04'' in the video below play promo cd2 track 6 from 1.19'' -2.51'' (the rest match anyway). It matches perfectly! (you could use the la-laland track too but I don't have the timecodes in that)

https://youtu.be/AQVYmXDXwhw?t=19m

Notice the sync points when she touches his neck, when she starts reading the words and when she stops.

So, in reality the insert (which is used in the film) replaces 1.19-2.51 in the promo, and doesn't come after that, and the la-laland track just combines both old and new version in one track.

Again, I want to stress that I'm not criticizing the release.

This was just an observation that doesn't prevent me from enjoying the cds (when I get them)

Has anyone ordered from SAE and has it shipped ?

Mine still shows pending although ordered within 10 minutes of release.

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Mine arrived this morning :)

Great. So everyone's received their copy. Except me. Not even a shipping notice. This is just great. :mellow:

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Always order directly from the label releasing the score!

Yeah, this is probably the last time I've put my trust in SAE.....................

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Mine arrived this morning :)

Great. So everyone's received their copy. Except me. Not even a shipping notice. This is just great. :mellow:

Don't worry. I'm on the exact same situation. ;)

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Mine arrived this morning :)

 

Great. So everyone's received their copy. Except me. Not even a shipping notice. This is just great. :mellow:

 

Don't worry. I'm on the exact same situation. ;)
Me too. Last time for them.
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Mine arrived this morning :)

Great. So everyone's received their copy. Except me. Not even a shipping notice. This is just great. :mellow:

Don't worry. I'm on the exact same situation. ;)
Me too. Last time for them.

I think as it was mentioned earlier, maybe the cd shows up on your door, and your order still says "pending"!

I usually get my orders in 10 days from them.

3 more days to find out..

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In all the madness and grief of today I forgot to add that I've listened to this set this morning. Sadly, in a circumstances like this.

And it's mint! Was about to publish my review today... but we decided not to. For obvious reasons.

Karol

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I will read it tonight, it just didn't seem like the right time when I saw it this morning.

Although listening to A.I. for the first time brought me into a contemplative state that felt very in tune with today's events.

Karol

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Yeah, this is probably the last time I've put my trust in SAE.....................

Your "trust"? How have they broken your "trust"? Give me a break!

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Mine is sitting somewhere at customs in Melbourne. What are the chances it just misses arriving before the weekend by a matter of hours?

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Yeah, this is probably the last time I've put my trust in SAE.....................

Your "trust"? How have they broken your "trust"? Give me a break!

Uhm, 'trust' that I don't have to wait like 4 weeks to finally get the CD..? Wasn't that clear..?

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