NEW | "John Williams: Conductor" 20 CD box coming from Sony on January 2018

[Bespin Copilot 10,060]

Sony announce the boxset for 19 january 2018.

 

I don't think there will be any remastering. But it's great for new collector who didn't already own these superb albums.

 

For now, we can assume of this content:

 

1 Music of the Night (BPO)
2 Star Wars Trilogy (Skywalker Symphony)
3 The Spielberg/Williams Collaboration (BPO)
4 I Love a Parade (BPO)
5 The Green Album (BPO)
6 Joy to the World (BPO)
7 Night and Day (BPO)
8 Unforgettable (BPO)
9 Music for Stage and Screen (BPO)
10 It Don't Mean a Thing if it Ain't Got That Swing (BPO)
11 Williams on Williams (BPO)
12 Summon the Heroes (BPO)
13 The Five Sacred Trees album (London SO)
14 The Hollywood Sound (London SO)
15 Cinema Serenade (Itzhak Perlman, Pittsburgh SO)
16 Gershwin Fantasy (Joshua Bell, London SO)
17 Cinema Serenade 2 (Itzhak Perlman, BPO)
18 American Journey (Utah SO/ LA orchestra)
19 Yo-Yo Ma Plays The Music Of John Williams (LA orchestra)
20 The Spielberg/Williams Collaboration Part III (LA orchestra)

 

A little bonus, like the 2006 "Memoirs of a Geisha - Live Sessions" EP would be welcome... we don't know...

 

source: https://www.imusic.dk/cd/0889854177928/john-williams-2018-john-williams-conductor-compact-disc

[Disco Stu 15,514]

Hasn't Sony actually not announced anything?  Isn't this based on a barebones listing from an obscure online retailer?

[Bryant Burnette 771]

What is "It Don't Mean a Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing"?  I have all the others but have never heard of that one.

[Bespin Copilot 10,060]

2 minutes ago, Bryant Burnette said:

What is "It Don't Mean a Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing"?  I have all the others but have never heard of that one.

 

It Don't Mean A Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing! (1994, Sony Classical, SK 66294; Wilson, Boston Pops O/Williams) Don't Be That Way; Cherokee; I Can't Get Started (With You); One O'Clock Jump; Marie; Sing, Sing, Sing ("With a Swing"); Frenesi; Imagination; Little Brown Jug; Back Bay Shuffle; Trumpet Blues and Cantabile; Green Eyes; Chattanooga Choo Choo; Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy (From Company B); It Don't Mean A Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing).

[Disco Stu 15,514]

2 minutes ago, Bryant Burnette said:

What is "It Don't Mean a Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing"?  I have all the others but have never heard of that one.

 

I got it in a giant shopping spree of BPO albums on Amazon once

 

http://www.grandorchestras.com/bostonpops/albums/williams_it_dont_mean_a_thing.html

[Lady Dimitrescu 10,260]

Great! I might buy it.

[Thor 9,323]

I've never really "collected" Williams' pianist/arranger/conductor albums, although several have dropped into my collection over the years -- mostly out of curiousity value or because generous fans have given some to me.

 

Of the albums listed above, I own these in physical CD format:

 

2 Star Wars Trilogy (Skywalker Symphony)
3 The Spielberg/Williams Collaboration (BPO)
11 Williams on Williams (BPO)
12 Summon the Heroes (BPO)
13 The Five Sacred Trees album (London SO)
18 American Journey (Utah SO/ LA orchestra)
19 Yo-Yo Ma Plays The Music Of John Williams (LA orchestra)
 

A couple of the others, I have in digital format only -- like Spielberg/Williams III. But I've been aware of all them since the 90s, and have always said "if I'll find one of them for cheap, I'll pick it up". But it's never happened, and I find it hard to justify putting down the dough for this given that I'll end up with 8 duplicates.

[Disco Stu 15,514]

Easier for me to list the ones I don't already own on CD from buying used:

 

1 Music of the Night (BPO)
13 The Five Sacred Trees album (London SO)
14 The Hollywood Sound (London SO)
15 Cinema Serenade (Itzhak Perlman, Pittsburgh SO)
16 Gershwin Fantasy (Joshua Bell, London SO)
17 Cinema Serenade 2 (Itzhak Perlman, BPO)
19 Yo-Yo Ma Plays The Music Of John Williams (LA orchestra)

 

I do however have all of the above digitally (and not legally wink wink).

[Marian Schedenig 10,833]

These are the ones I don't have:

 

4 I Love a Parade (BPO)
5 The Green Album (BPO)
6 Joy to the World (BPO)
7 Night and Day (BPO)
8 Unforgettable (BPO)
10 It Don't Mean a Thing if it Ain't Got That Swing (BPO)
16 Gershwin Fantasy (Joshua Bell, London SO)
 

Although I think one of my Cinema Serenades is only a CDR so far... I'd have to check.

 

I picked up Music of the Night a while ago for next to nothing on Amazon, but I haven't actually listened to it yet.
 

[Bespin Copilot 10,060]

Just to give an idea of the price this boxset could be, the 25 CD Sony boxset "Leonard Bernstein: The composer", is actually sold 98,75$ on Amazon.com.

 

If the JW boxset is set under 100 $, I'll buy it without asking any question.

[bollemanneke 4,137]

I shall investigate Cinema Serenade 2 but politely refuse to buy the box set.

[Bespin Copilot 10,060]

It's obvious that the majority of these CD, contains material for, let's say, another "age", for they also contains some John Williams re-recordings worth of mention (if we put apart the albums where Williams's compositions are the center of interest) :

 

• I love a Parade --> Midway March
• Joy to the World --> Somewhere In My Memory (Home Alone); Holiday Flight (Home Alone); Star Of Bethlehem (Home Alone)
• Music For Stage And Screen --> Suite From "Born On The Fourth Of July",  The Reivers (Narrator – Burgess Meredith)
• Summon The Heroes --> Summon The Heroes; Olympic Fanfare And Theme (new recording); The Olympic Spirit (new recording).
• The Five Sacred Trees --> The Five Sacred Trees (Concerto For Bassoon And Orchestra)
• The Hollywood Sound --> Flying Theme (From "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial"), Theme from "Jaws", Main Title from Star Wars
• Cinema Serenade --> Far And Away: Theme, Sabrina: Theme, Schindler's List: Theme
• American Journey --> Call Of The Champions (The Official Theme Of The 2002 Olympic Winter Games); American Journey; Song For World Peace; Jubilee 350; For New York (Variations On Themes Of Leonard Bernstein); Sound The Bells!; Hymn To New England; Celebrate Discovery; Summon The Heroes (Written For The Centennial Celebration Of The Modern Olympic Games, Atlanta, Georgia, July 19, 1996)

 

Buy this Decca Compilation, and you pretty much have all the "Best" of John Williams re-recordings from the Philips Era:

 

John Williams - The Best Selection (2015, Decca, 4824032, Compilation; Boston Pops O/Williams) Star Wars: Main Title; Princess Leia; The Empire Strikes Back: The Asteroid Field; Yoda's Theme; The Imperial March; Return Of The Jedi: Parade Of The Ewoks; Luke & Leia Theme; Jabba The Hutt; The Forest Battle; Superman: March; Love Theme; Jaws: Theme; Close Encounters Of The Third Kind - Suite; Raiders Of The Lost Ark: March; Olympic Fanfare And Theme; E.T.: Flying Theme; Adventures On Earth.

 

[Disco Stu 15,514]

The traditional Pops albums from the Phillips era were better.

 

And of course Williams conducted himself with more, ahem, dignity than his predecessor...

 

 

And here's one for @Bilbo Skywalker!!

 

[crumbs 15,768]

I hope this includes brand-new, digitally remastered prequel OSTs!

[Bespin Copilot 10,060]

The Sony collection is nevertheless a great collection where all the major "hits" from Williams have been re-recorded. Just think about Star Wars, Jaws, CE3K, E.T., Schindler's List, and of course all the three Spielberg/Williams collaborations albums, but also music from Home Alone, Far and Away, Sabrina, etc.

[Matt S. 709]

16 minutes ago, crumbs said:

I hope this includes brand-new, digitally remastered prequel OSTs!

 

Aren’t those owned by Disney now?

[Bespin Copilot 10,060]

Let's be serious, the boxset is 20 CD, we have counted the 20 CD, that's them for sure.

[Bilbo 4,047]

28 minutes ago, Disco Stu said:

The traditional Pops albums from the Phillips era were better.

 

And of course Williams conducted himself with more, ahem, dignity than his predecessor...

 

 

And here's one for @Bilbo Skywalker!!

 

 

I suggest fire. And lots of it. 

[mstrox 7,281]

My wallet and I panicked when I saw this title, but thankfully I already own all the discs.

[Incanus 5,882]

Well I can skip this as I own most of these. My wallet thanks.

[Disco Stu 15,514]

Yeah it'd be much cheaper for me to buy the ones I don't already own dirt cheap used.

[Pawel P. 880]

I have them all so I'll not be buying this box. But for someone who doesn't have any of these CD's or has just a few, it might be a great deal. Lots of fantastic CD's here.

[Josh500 1,620]

I actually have every single one of these.

 

Only 2 I own digitally rather than the CD.

13 The Five Sacred Trees album (London SO)
19 Yo-Yo Ma Plays The Music Of John Williams (LA orchestra)

 

[Bespin Copilot 10,060]

I'm currently listening "Music of the night", during the day, despite it's title, and it's great!

[Disco Stu 15,514]

Just now, Bespin said:

I'm currently listening "Music for the night", during the day, despite it's title, and it's great!

 

The arranegment of "Send in the Clowns" is good, although I prefer the version he did on the Phillips album "That's Entertainment" a decade earlier.

[Josh500 1,620]

I absolutely love Night & Day!

 

This is probably the best JW & BPO album, which doesn't include JW's own compositions. 

 

[Thor 9,323]

On 20/10/2017 at 12:36 PM, Josh500 said:

I actually have every single one of these.

 

Only 2 I own digitally rather than the CD.

13 The Five Sacred Trees album (London SO)
19 Yo-Yo Ma Plays The Music Of John Williams (LA orchestra)

 

 

Those are the two best albums.

[Josh500 1,620]

35 minutes ago, Thor said:

 

Those are the two best albums.

 

I know these albums. I just don't have the CDs.

 

These are not the best, imo. The best are Night & Day and It Don't Mean A Thing.

5 hours ago, Bryant Burnette said:

What is "It Don't Mean a Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing"?  I have all the others but have never heard of that one.

 

That album's very good! One of the best. Try to get a hold of it! 

[Bryant Burnette 771]

Oh, count on that.  I can't believe I somehow missed one all these years!

[Marian Schedenig 10,833]

8 hours ago, Bespin said:

they also contains some John Williams re-recordings worth of mention (if we put apart the albums where Williams's compositions are the center of interest) :

 

Summon the Heroes and American Journey are essential John Williams albums.

 

[Josh500 1,620]

15 minutes ago, Bryant Burnette said:

Oh, count on that.  I can't believe I somehow missed one all these years!

 

Especially the version of Sing, Sing, Sing found on this album is mind-blowingly spectacular. Cherokee is also wonderful! Just makes you feel happy listening to it....

 

The whole album is on YouTube.

 

 

[Xander Harris 8,494]

I'm more interested in the Spielberg/Williams set monotonously spread across 6 LPs...

 

Just kidding.

[Josh500 1,620]

As a serious JW completist, I have made the effort to get every single one of the John Williams & The Boston Pops Orchestra albums....

 

I probably have every one issued from Sony Classical and around 80% of those issues by Philips. 

[filmmusic 2,763]

80 euros!

Not very bad for 20 albums!

 

i only have 2 and 3.

[Thor 9,323]

1 hour ago, Marian Schedenig said:

 

Summon the Heroes and American Journey are essential John Williams albums.

 

 

I'd say the Yo Yo Ma album is also essential, as it captures that whole Yo Yo Ma/cello fetish that John Williams had throughout much of the 2000s.

 

And FIVE SACRED TREES, since it contains Williams' best concerto to date.

[Tom 6,042]

1 hour ago, Thor said:

 

And FIVE SACRED TREES, since it contains Williams' best concerto to date.

That sounds like the beginning of an excellent poll question. 

[Disco Stu 15,514]

39 minutes ago, Tom said:

That sounds like the beginning of an excellent poll question. 

 

[Jilal 655]

18 hours ago, Marian Schedenig said:

 

Summon the Heroes and American Journey are essential John Williams albums.

 

 

American Journey might even be the quintessential JW album!

[King Mark 3,862]

I'm sure they will add ONE completely unreleased track at the end of Disk 20 just to annoy us

[Josh500 1,620]

6 hours ago, king mark said:

I'm sure they will add ONE completely unreleased track at the end of Disk 20 just to annoy us

 

😂

 

If they do that, I'll buy the set too!

[Tom 6,042]

22 hours ago, Disco Stu said:

 

I don't understand.  

[Disco Stu 15,514]

Ha, just a joke about how many polls there have been lately!

[Tom 6,042]

12 minutes ago, Disco Stu said:

Ha, just a joke about how many polls there have been lately!

Ah, a joke: a story with a humorous climax. 

[Disco Stu 15,514]

25 minutes ago, Tom said:

Ah, a joke: a story with a humorous climax. 

 

[Xander Harris 8,494]

That was a Spock line.

[Disco Stu 15,514]

I thought a creepy Data smile would be more appropriate.

[Bespin Copilot 10,060]

If someone has contacts at Sony and have more infos about this upcoming boxset, contact me in pv. Thanks.

[rough cut 1,783]

I have most of these, so without anything new, I’ll not be buying the box set. But it’s definitely a good purchase for those unfamiliar with JW’s output as a conductor, especially - as mentioned- the jazzy stuff. I like “Unforgettable” and “Digital Jukebox”.

 

Hmmm, seems “DJ” is not on the set. Shame, it’s fun.

[Josh500 1,620]

7 minutes ago, rough cut said:

I like “Unforgettable” and “Digital Jukebox”.

 

Which tracks in particular do you like?

[rough cut 1,783]

In the order of most listened to:

 

Unforgettable

1. My Funny Valentine

2. Evergreen

3. Lover

4. The Way We Were

5. Sophisticated Lady

 

Digital Jukebox

1. Never On Sunday

2. Theme from “The Pink Panther”

3. Tijuana Taxi

4. A Summer Place

5. Love Is A Many Splendored Thing