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Tom Sawyer (1973) - 2015 2-CD Quartet Records expansion


filmmusic

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Yes, we've established its a production plant problem, and shipments to any vendors could be affected.

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You asked if you should check your case, originally assuming it wouldn't be a problem with direct orders. Mike suggested a production plant problem, you agreed that that seemed likely. I provided details to confirm. Now where exactly is the problem?

 

If our roles were reversed, you'd be starting to get really pissed that this point. (I'm not, I just don't see the problem)

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  • 4 weeks later...

Hey so now that all the hubbub of all the other big releases from last year has died down a bit, had anybody dug into this release yet?

Any comments on the music, or the liner notes?

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I found it surprisingly entertaining given that I am not a huge fan of musicals. Willliams's colorful orchestrations do help a lot. John Takis' liner notes are once again both entertaining and informative and cover the songs and the Williamsian underscore very well with nice excerpts from Sherman interviews interspersed. I have been listening to the better sounding disc 1 with the original soundtrack album more but intend to delve into the disc 2 with more of John Williams's original music further. From the couple of listens I can say it is pretty much in line with his music from the likes of The Reivers in tone and style coloured of course with the melodies of the Sherman songs but there are shades of later greats just like Mr. Takis mentions in the liners. Actually I thought there were also passages reminiscent of Williams's television work here as well with those urgent woodwind figures in Injun Joe and McDougal's Cave evoking memories of the suspense of Lost in Space to my mind.

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11 hours ago, Jay said:

Hey so now that all the hubbub of all the other big releases from last year has died down a bit, had anybody dug into this release yet?

Any comments on the music, or the liner notes?

 

I haven't listened to it yet, since I'm still waiting for my second disc.

 

Does anyone have any news regarding that?

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  • 6 months later...

So I finally got this (due to unforeseen postal issues, I had to pay $20 instead of $14, but that's still well below what I would have paid from a vendor, given the exorbitant shippings costs these days).

 

It's great to have the score bits, but the album as a whole is a bit overkill to me. I think an ideal playlist for me would be the original album (OK, it's slightly expanded here, but not enough to ruin the listening flow), followed by all the score bits. The rest, I can leave out.

 

Excellent liner notes and research by John Takis, as always.

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Edit: I just realized I can't weed out the songs on Disc 2, since the tracks are combined with lengthy score bits. Dammit! Oh well, I did it anyway.

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On 12/11/2015 at 9:23 AM, Jay said:

I think it will sell out fast!

Wow, what a surprise release!

 

It is still very much not sold out...

 

Thankfully because I'm finally getting around to buying it!

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The score bit now amounts to a 20-minute "weird Americana horror score" tagged on at the end (since most of the original Williams music is for the suspense bits), LOL! :) 

 

I deleted the song/score combo tracks from Disc 2, as well as the instrumental versions of the songs on Disc 1 (which just have curiousity value). Now I have an OK TOM SAWYER album I can live with. By deleted, I obviously mean that I'm keeping the files, but removing them from my iTunes.

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Thanks for the kind words, Thor! Glad you've been able to customize a playlist you're happy with!

 

As someone who grew up immersed in his music, interviewing Richard Sherman for this release was pure magic. He's one of the only songwriters whose music can consistently bring a tear to my eye, even today!

 

BTW, Quartet Records is having a 30% off Summer Sale right now (with free worldwide shipping if you buy at least 7 CDs), so now is a great time to pick up this album if you haven't already!

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 5 months later...

It looks like screenarchives is trying to clear out a lot of their old Quartet albums and this one is now just $7.95!

 

Shipping for just the one album was ridiculous at well over $6, but it still sounds like a deal some of you might appreciate. According to the FSM thread, quantities are very limited, so if you're interested in one of these titles, I'd act sooner rather than later!

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4 hours ago, Muldoon said:

It looks like screenarchives is trying to clear out a lot of their old Quartet albums and this one is now just $7.95!

 

Shipping for just the one album was ridiculous at well over $6, but it still sounds like a deal some of you might appreciate. According to the FSM thread, quantities are very limited, so if you're interested in one of these titles, I'd act sooner rather than later!

 

That's an excellent deal, even when you add the insane international shipping costs (isn't it like $15, almost?). Fortunately, I managed to secure the TOM SAWYER expansion in a trade awhile back; otherwise this would have been very interesting. If they'd only had FSM's GOODBYE MR. CHIPS....I'm even contemplating getting the HEIDI 2CD set, even if I have the old Label X. But it needs to be deals like that first.

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11 minutes ago, Thor said:

 

That's an excellent deal, even when you add the insane international shipping costs (isn't it like $15, almost?). Fortunately, I managed to secure the TOM SAWYER expansion in a trade awhile back; otherwise this would have been very interesting. If they'd only had FSM's GOODBYE MR. CHIPS....I'm even contemplating getting the HEIDI 2CD set, even if I have the old Label X. But it needs to be deals like that first.

Heidi is a single CD with two programmes, first the more chronological one made of the OST and then the original LP programme with narration.

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I see. 


I had forgotten that the original LP had narration. Then my Label X is superior. I don't know that I would necessarily be interested in more music; it's more if the sound quality is dramatically improved.

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54 minutes ago, Thor said:

I see. 


I had forgotten that the original LP had narration. Then my Label X is superior. I don't know that I would necessarily be interested in more music; it's more if the sound quality is dramatically improved.

 

This is what the Quartet Records pages says about the programme:

Quote

 

As Heidi was a joint production with Studio Hamburg, Williams recorded his score in Germany with members of the Hamburg Opera. He later recorded supplemental album tracks at CTS Studios in London (including the song “A Place of My Own,” with lyrics by Rod McKuen). Music from both sessions was combined with narration and released on LP in 1968 by Capitol Records. Until now, none of this material has been authorized for re-release by Capitol or rights-holder EMI. Quartet Records is proud to present the first fully licensed CD of Heidi, presenting all of the material from the original film tracks that is known to survive, adding bonus tracks from the London session, and finishing with the complete narrated album program. The original score has been newly remastered for improved sound, carefully sequenced for ideal listening, and several cues have been restored to their original length (with looped material removed). With a 16-page full-color booklet that includes an essay and detailed cue analysis by film music writer John Takis, this important early John Williams score can now be appreciated and enjoyed like never before.

 

.

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Yes, it's important to note that the Heidi Label X CD (which was not licensed by Capitol/EMI) was not a fully thought-out album presentation of the score. They simply released the score audio as it had been prepared for the narrated LP -- including passages that had been looped to accommodate the length of the dialogue. The Quartet CD factored the absence of narration into account, undoing edits that were now unnecessary, and sequencing the tracks purely with score listening in mind. The complete original narrated LP program was then provided as a bonus. The Label X CD is in no sense superior.

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Actually, I think what John describes sounds reasonable. I'm just weighing pros and cons for shelling out that much money for it when I'm already pleased with the Label X. Probably won't be for a while yet.

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  • 4 years later...

I've never heard this.... is there much of Williams' score on this release? Anything noteworthy? Well, usually I find everything by Williams worthy of note. Anyway, what tracks are his? 

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4 minutes ago, pete said:

I've never heard this.... is there much of Williams' score on this release? Anything noteworthy? Well, usually I find everything by Williams worthy of note. Anyway, what tracks are his? 

 

On 12/11/2015 at 11:40 AM, John Takis said:

Including the interstitial bits surrounding the songs, there are around 20 minutes of underscore in Tom Sawyer, most of it previously unreleased. From my new interview with Richard Sherman, Williams was given a very free hand with the material. They would discuss when to use music, the overall sound, and where certain themes might be appropriate, but by and large he had carte blanche. What may be a revelation to first-time listeners is the darker material on the second disc -- score cues like "Injun Joe," "The Killing of Doc Robinson," "Sworn in Blood" and "McDougal's Cave" -- which is vintage Williams adventure/suspense material. (As I mention in the liners, "Sworn in Blood" even prefigures Hook!) Even in mono form, it's a real treat to hear. And, of course, the album program sounds better than ever in its expanded and corrected form. Overall, this new set is a real treat for both Sherman Brothers fans and Williams devotees! I highly recommend it.

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Yes. Most of Williams' material is suspense material, but there's a fairly sizable portion of original score that doesn't really have anything to do with the songs, so I'd say it's well worth owning. I've created my own iTunes program (LP program first, then a curated playlist of the score material on "disc 2").

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