Close Encounters of the Third Kind - La-La Land MUSIC Discussion

[Jay 40,305]

Hello!

Just like we did with Jurassic Park (1 2) and ET (1 2), here is a thread to discuss the actual contents of the new release, leaving the existing thread to be where you can post your shipping updates type stuff, so actual discussion is separated from that stuff.

 

I'll re-post here some comments from OneBuckFilms since I forgot to make this thread before he posted them there!

 

18 hours ago, OneBuckFilms said:

Listening to Close Encounters.

 

This is such an awesome release all round.

 

17 hours ago, OneBuckFilms said:

Excellent, the extended main title / the vision is a great start.

 

Ive not listened to the whole thing yet.

 

might take a time to gather my thoughts.

 

 

5 hours ago, OneBuckFilms said:

 

I've listened to CD 1 on this set, and I have to say, I love this arrangement of the score.

 

Not 100% sure I could pinpoint all the changes (you're far better than I at that), but it seems largely chronological, with some changes related to the first half.

 

The sound quality is excellent, surpassing the previous Anniversary Edition.

 

Since I only had that edition, it is certainly interesting to hear the End Credits isolated from the finale.

 

I usually prefer my C & C arrangements, but this is certainly a great listening experience, IMHO.

 

Kudos all around.

[OneBuckFilms 406]

I made an attempt using some information from various sources, and think I've come up with a sort of C & C arrangement of the score:

 

D2T1 - Main Title
D1T2 - Navy Planes
D1T3 - Lost Squadron
D2T25 - Eleventh Commandment
D1T4 - Trucking
D2T2 - Roy's First Encounter
D1T6 - Crescendo Summit
D2T4 - Chasing UFOs
D2T5 - Watch The Skies
D2T6 - Vision Takes Shape
D2T7 - Another Vision
D2T8 - False Alarm
D1T8 - Barry's Kidnapping
D2T26 - TV Western
D2T28 - The Five Tones
D2T10 - The Cover-Up
D2T15 - Stars and Trucks
D1T9 - Forming The Mountain
D2T27 - Lava Flow
D2T11 - TV Reveals
D2T12 - Roy and Jillian on the Road
D2T14 - Across the Fields
D1T11 - The Mountain
D2T16 - Who Are You People?
D1T13 - The Escape
D1T14 - Climbing the Mountain
D1T15 - Outstretched Hands
D1T16 - The Light Show
D2T19 - Dark Side of the Moon
D2T20 - The Approach
D1T17 - Barnstorming
D2T29 - Advance Scout Greeting
D1T18 - The Mothership
D1T19 - The Dialog
D2T20 - The Returnees
D1T21 - The Appearance of the Visitors
D2T23 - Inside
D1T22 - Contact
D1T23 - End Titles
 

I probably messed it up completely, but it looks roughly right.

 

I'll be listening to CD 2 tonight, which may completely change my thinking.

 

But the arrangement on CD 1 is great.

[Jay 40,305]

Not right, but I'll post the official one soon

 

I'm glad you like disc 1's program!

[OneBuckFilms 406]

Got to head disc 2. Definitely not right.

 

But it’s an excellent listening experience.

 

I love that this release encourages experimenting to taste while providing a great album.

 

Consider this a successful experiment.

[Jay 40,305]

What'd you think of Mike's liner notes and Jim's art direction?

[OneBuckFilms 406]

Skimmed the notes briefly, very good, but will have a better read soon.

 

Artwork is Jim Titus. I think that says all that needs to be said.

 

I think he’s my favorite designer for CDs.

[Jay 40,305]

He's the best in the business!

[Demondm810 414]

A couple thoughts:  

 

1)  I am not as fond of this score as I am a lot of other Williams, for whatever reason.  That has changed.  

 

2)  The sound on this release is absolutely mind blowing.  I felt like ET was a nice step up, but for some reason this feels monumental, like we were previously listening to it underwater.  ESPECIALLY when the chorus is in with the orchestra.  The clarity and separation are stun-ning.  

 

3)  Not to deliberately drink the kool-aid here, and I don't think I would like this method for most releases, but this expanded album listening experience from disc one knocks it out of the park.  The mix of "noisy" cues and melodic cues are perfect, I stayed engaged and never got bored. I can say i've never been as satisfied with this score as I am tonight.  This made the score "click" for me, which has not happened previously.  I feel as if I've wasted time not appreciating this score more fully in the past.  By the time the finale came, it was tears in my eyes satisfaction.  

 

Needless to say, I honestly feel this may be objectively, THE best Williams release we've gotten.  

[Brundlefly 2,399]

Stunning - the first release where nobody has complained about the sound quality! This was the case with JP and ET.

[Meredith McKay 7,071]

Finishing listening to the Album!

 

Definitely going to make a C&C arrangement.

 

Surprised the chant wasn't in the "The Five Tones" track.

[bespinGPT 8,911]

C&C... C&C... C&C... it's the only thing that matters now.

 

[Ricard 2,275]

Yes. That's the best way to appreciate Williams' scores. And CE3K is no exception.

[bespinGPT 8,911]

And it's how Master Matessino became a pariah, passed down from King to prince.

 

[Meredith McKay 7,071]

I need my car horn cue in the main program dangit!

[Muad'Dib 1,882]

Not really related to the thread title per se, but I was thinking if anyone knows where the Hans Zimmer quote of "Close Encounters is as good as anything written in the XXth century" comes from?

[A. A. Ron 2,091]

On 12/1/2017 at 7:13 PM, Jay said:

Not right, but I'll post the official one soon

 

People are just gonna keep trying until you do.

[Meredith McKay 7,071]

On 12/1/2017 at 9:13 PM, Jay said:

Not right, but I'll post the official one soon

 

I'm glad you like disc 1's program!

How about this?:

D2T1 - Main Title
D1T2 - Navy Planes
D1T3 - Lost Squadron
D2T25 - Eleventh Commandment
D1T4 - Trucking
D2T2 - Roy's First Encounter
D1T6 - Crescendo Summit
D2T4 - Chasing UFOs
D2T5 - Watch The Skies
D2T6 - Vision Takes Shape
D2T7 - Another Vision (Revised/alt of previous track?)
D2T19 - Dark Side of the Moon
D2T8 - False Alarm
D2T28 - The Five Tones (Part 1)
D2T26 - TV Western
D1T8 - Barry's Kidnapping
D2T10 - The Cover-Up
D2T15 - Stars and Trucks
D1T9 - Forming The Mountain
D2T27 - Lava Flow
D2T11 - TV Reveals
D2T12 - Roy and Jillian on the Road
D2T14 - Across the Fields (Revised/Alt version of previous track?)
D1T11 - The Mountain
D2T16 - Who Are You People?
D1T13 - The Escape
D1T14 - Climbing the Mountain
D1T15 - Outstretched Hands
D1T16 - The Light Show
D2T29 - Advance Scout Greeting
D2T20 - The Approach (Early version of next cue)
D1T17 - Barnstorming
D1T18 - The Mothership
D1T19 - The Dialog
D2T20 - The Returnees
D1T21 - The Appearance of the Visitors
D2T23 - Inside
D1T22 - Contact
D1T23 - End Titles

[Lady Dimitrescu 9,117]

I'll just listen to it the way MM arranged it. Obviously he saw that the score doesn't work as well in C&C form, and the main program needed some rearrangement. Some tracks were wisely banished to Disc 2.

[Brundlefly 2,399]

I think this decision was initially made to prevent a main program split up à la ST:TMP. The C&C shouldn't be worse than JP for example, but this time it was perfect to do it this way.

[filmmusic 2,351]

I listened to the 2 cds.

 

First of all, the sound is exceptional! Perhaps the best I have heard of an old Williams score.

 

Secondly, I may be in the minority, but the programming is a disappointment for me personally.

I'm generally not fond of album presentations which ignore the filmic narrative, and since we already had one, i expected this to have all the cues in chronological order.

This mixed order results in exact duplicates in the 2 discs (maybe alternate performances?) and edited versions (?) in disc 1 of complete cues in disc 2.

I understand that some cues are very static musically and they didn't forward the music so they went to disc 2.

 

Anyway, I hope this is not the way future Williams scores are presented.

[Jay 40,305]

There are no edited cues on this release, apart from the recreation of tracks from the released '77 OST Album LP on disc 2. Every cue otherwise is presented complete with no internal edits.

[Lady Dimitrescu 9,117]

Not sure why people don't trust MM's judgement and demand chronological for the sake of it. Why not just accept what he's accomplished?

[Ricard 2,275]

Not sure why BJH doesn't accept that people may have different opinions.

[Meredith McKay 7,071]

Maybe they feel that the rearrangement is unnecessary and/or doesn't really go far enough to accomplish anything amazing? 

[Jay 40,305]

OK, here's how to create a Complete & Chronological playlist from this set, either with source music integrated or without.

 

I do encourage all who haven't received their copies to listen to disc 1 and disc 2 as-is before trying this out.

 

Chronological Order - Score Only

1. 2-01 Main Title (1:16)
2. 1-02 Navy Planes (2:13)
3. 1-03 Lost Squadron (2:33)
4. 1-04 Trucking (2:08)
5. 2-02 Roy's First Encounter (2:43)
6. 2-03 Encounter at Crescendo Summit (1:24)
7. 2-04 Chasing UFOs (1:21)
8. 2-05 Watching The Skies (1:20)
9. 2-07 Another Vision (0:42)
10. 2-06 Vision Takes Shape (0:41)
11. 2-08 False Alarm (1:44)
12. 1-08 Barry's Kidnapping (6:23)
13. 2-10 The Cover-Up (2:31)
14. 2-15 Stars And Trucks (0:49)
15. 1-09 Forming The Mountain (1:56)
16. 2-11 TV Reveals (1:52)
17. 2-12 Roy And Jillian On The Road (1:20)
18. 1-11 The Mountain (3:37)
19. 2-16 Who Are You People (1:38)
20. 1-13 The Escape (2:19)
21. 1-14 Climbing The Mountain (2:35)
22. 1-15 Outstretched Hands (2:51)
23. 2-19 Dark Side Of The Moon (1:34)
24. 1-16 The Light Show (3:46)
25. 1-17 Barnstorming (4:31)
26. 1-18 The Mothership (4:36)
27. 1-19 The Dialogue (4:28)
28. 1-20 The Returnees (3:56)
29. 1-21 The Appearance Of The Visitors (4:55)
30. 1-22 Contact (3:21)
31. 1-23 End Titles (4:26)

TOTAL TIME - 1:21:29

 

 

Chronological Order - with Source Music

1. 2-01 Main Title (1:16)
2. 1-02 Navy Planes (2:13)
3. 1-03 Lost Squadron (2:33)
4. 2-25 Eleventh Commandment (1:58)
5. 1-04 Trucking (2:08)
6. 2-02 Roy's First Encounter (2:43)
7. 2-03 Encounter at Crescendo Summit (1:24)
8. 2-04 Chasing UFOs (1:21)
9. 2-05 Watching The Skies (1:20)
10. 2-07 Another Vision (0:42)
11. 2-06 Vision Takes Shape (0:41)
12. 2-08 False Alarm (1:44)
13. 2-28 The Five Tones (2:24)
14. 1-08 Barry's Kidnapping (6:23)
15. 2-26 TV Western (1:06)
16. 2-10 The Cover-Up (2:31)
17. 2-15 Stars And Trucks (0:49)
18. 1-09 Forming The Mountain (1:56)
19. 2-27 Lava Flow (1:48)
20. 2-11 TV Reveals (1:52)
21. 2-12 Roy And Jillian On The Road (1:20)
22. 1-11 The Mountain (3:37)
23. 2-16 Who Are You People (1:38)
24. 1-13 The Escape (2:19)
25. 1-14 Climbing The Mountain (2:35)
26. 1-15 Outstretched Hands (2:51)
27. 2-19 Dark Side Of The Moon (1:34)
28. 1-16 The Light Show (3:46)
29. 2-29 Advance Scout Greeting (2:58)
30. 1-17 Barnstorming (4:31)
31. 1-18 The Mothership (4:36)
32. 1-19 The Dialogue (4:28)
33. 1-20 The Returnees (3:56)
34. 1-21 The Appearance Of The Visitors (4:55)
35. 1-22 Contact (3:21)
36. 1-23 End Titles (4:26)

TOTAL TIME - 1:31:43

 

 

The only remaining music not covered in the above lists is:

 

• 1-01A [0:45-end] The Vision (0:43) {Wild recording of the vision motif, unused in the film}
• 2-14 Across The Fields (1:20) {Earlier version of "Roy and Jillian On The Road"}
• 2-17 The Escape (Alternate) (2:41) {Earlier version of "The Escape"}
• 2-20 The Approach (4:31) {Earlier version of "Barnstorming"}
• 2-30 The Dialogue (Early Version) (3:10) {Early version of "The Dialogue"}
• 2-24 Contact (Alternate) (2:52) {Shorter version of "Contact"}
• 2-23 Inside (2:34) {1980 Special Edition cue, inserted into "Contact" in the 1980 cut of the film}

 

 

For those wondering about just what is on the second disc, well, the second disc is made up of 6 kinds of tracks:

 

Cues from the complete score that didn't fit on disc 1

• 2-05 Watching The Skies (1:20)
• 2-06 Vision Takes Shape (0:41)
• 2-07 Another Vision (0:42)
• 2-15 Stars And Trucks (0:49)
• 2-19 Dark Side Of The Moon (1:34)

 

Cues in their own track that are combined with something else on disc 1

• 2-01 Main Title (1:16)
• 2-02 Roy's First Encounter (2:43)
• 2-03 Encounter at Crescendo Summit (1:24)
• 2-04 Chasing UFOs (1:21)
• 2-08 False Alarm (1:44)
• 2-10 The Cover-Up (2:31)
• 2-11 TV Reveals (1:52)
• 2-12 Roy And Jillian On The Road (1:20)
• 2-16 Who Are You People (1:38)

 

Alternate versions of cues on disc 1

• 2-14 Across The Fields (1:20) {Early version of "Roy and Jillian On The Road"}
• 2-17 The Escape (Alternate) (2:41)
• 2-20 The Approach (4:31) {Early version of "Barnstorming"}
• 2-24 Contact (Alternate) (2:52)
• 2-30 The Dialogue (Early Version) (3:10)

 

Recorded in 1980 for the Special Edition

• 2-23 Inside (2:34)

 

Source music

• 2-25 Eleventh Commandment (1:58)
• 2-26 TV Western (1:06)
• 2-27 Lava Flow (1:48)
• 2-28 The Five Tones (2:24)
• 2-29 Advance Scout Greeting (2:58)

 

Tracks from the 1977 OST album

• 2-09 The Abduction Of Barry (4:36)
• 2-13 I Can't Believe It's Real (3:24)
• 2-18 Climbing Devils Tower (2:11)
• 2-21 Night Siege (6:26)
• 2-22 The Conversation (2:23)
• 2-31 Resolution and End Title (6:54)

[Meredith McKay 7,071]

I didn't notice a difference between the two versions of Crescendo Summit? 

[Jay 40,305]

Listen for the flute at 0:45

[filmmusic 2,351]

Thank you for the list.

[Jay 40,305]

No problem.

[filmmusic 2,351]

56 minutes ago, Jay said:

There are no edited cues on this release, apart from the recreation of tracks from the LP on disc 2. Every cue otherwise is presented complete with no internal edits.

well, i meant this.

Cd1track10 = Cd2track11 + 12

Right?

but those 2 tracks make a complete track of 20 seconds longer than cd1track10.

From a very quick comparison I see that in that track  of disc 1 the last 20 seconds of TV Reveals are edited out.

 

Now, I don't remember if Cd1track10 is how the music is presented in the film or if it was made for the cd.

[Jay 40,305]

6 hours ago, filmmusic said:

well, i meant this.

Cd1track10 = Cd2track11 + 12

Right?

 

Of course

 

Quote

but those 2 tracks make a complete track of 20 seconds longer than cd1track10.

From a very quick comparison I see that in that track  of disc 1 the last 20 seconds of TV Reveals are edited out.

 

It's a recreation the segue JW put in  "Main Title and Mountain Visions", the opening track of both the intended 2LP and the final released 1LP, just without the Main Title part.

 

Quote

Now, I don't remember if Cd1track10 is how the music is presented in the film or if it was made for the cd.

 

They are certainly not combined in the film, the entire scene of Roy at the train station takes place in between those two scenes.

[filmmusic 2,351]

9 minutes ago, Jay said:

It's a recreation the segue he put in  "Main Title and Mountain Visions", the opening track of both the intended 2LP and the final released 1LP, just without the Main Title part.

 

Sorry? i didn't understand. i wasn't talking about the  main title track(s)

[Jay 40,305]

I know you weren't.

 

Grab your 1977 OST album CD.  Track #1 is called "Main Title and Mountain Visions".  Listen to it.  It's the "Main Title" cue, followed by the "TV Reveals" cue, which segues to the "Roy and Jilian on the Road" cue, just like it does here.

 

On this release, each of those 3 cues are available complete and unedited, in their own tracks, on disc 2 (tracks 1, 11, and 12).

 

Disc 1 track 10 on this set is "TV Reveals" seguing to "Roy and Jillian on the Road" as this is how he wanted those cues segued on his intended 2LP; the "Main Title" is not here because it already appeared in track 1.  Disc 1 is full of tracks containing 2 cues seguing together per how he wanted the music represented originally.  The "Main Title and Mountain Visions" combo he concocted for the 2LP is one of the tracks that made it unchanged to the final released LP.

[Lady Dimitrescu 9,117]

50 minutes ago, Fal said:

Maybe they feel that the rearrangement is unnecessary and/or doesn't really go far enough to accomplish anything amazing? 

 

Admiral Matessino disagrees.

[Meredith McKay 7,071]

3 hours ago, Baby Jane Hudson said:

 

Admiral Matessino disagrees.

Matessino made sure C&C was an option

[Meredith McKay 7,071]

5 hours ago, Jay said:

Listen for the flute at 0:45

OK, where is the flute sourced from?

[Jay 40,305]

TV Reveals

[Meredith McKay 7,071]

So if I wanted to replicate the 77' OST, what would be the equivalents to:

1. Main Title and Mountain Visions
2. Nocturnal Pursuit
6. The Arrival of Sky Harbor

[Brundlefly 2,399]

If I wanted to include "Inside" where would it fit better, before or after "Contact"?

[filmmusic 2,351]

10 minutes ago, Brundlefly said:

If I wanted to include "Inside" where would it fit better, before or after "Contact"?

before

 

actually, it's just before 0.46'' of Contact (in cd1)

[bespinGPT 8,911]

Cd1track10 = Cd2track11 + 12

 

Geez, my order is still pending, and I feel anxiety just to see those algebraic functions.

 

 

 

I'm a Québécois, is it okay to use  "geez"? I know it is related to jewish people, it's maybe not correct. In Québécois I would say "calvaire" or "câlice".

 

The truth is I don't know how to properly swear in english.

 

Another subject of anxiety.

 

 

 

[OneBuckFilms 406]

Thanks @Jay,

 

I’ll likely go film order with source in my playlist.

 

But listening to disk 1 is a real pleasure.

[Disco Stu 15,504]

I always thought it was a shortened version of people saying "Jesus" as a swear.  And a way for people who care about such things to not "take the lord's name in vain".

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,488]

There's nothing offensive about "geez".

[BloodBoal 7,541]

I thought that was how they pronounce "cheese" in Texas.

[bespinGPT 8,911]

Guyz, I've started a thread, plz teach me how to swear in english.

 

[Jay 40,305]

1 hour ago, Fal said:

So if I wanted to replicate the 77' OST, what would be the equivalents to:

1. Main Title and Mountain Visions
2. Nocturnal Pursuit
6. The Arrival of Sky Harbor

 

I already talked about "Main Title and Mountain Visions" a few posts up.  It's "Main Title" segued to "TV Reveals" segued to "Roy and Jillian on the Road".

 

"Nocturnal Pursuit" is "Across The Fields", then "Stars and Trucks", then back to some more "Across The Fields".

 

"The Arrival of Sky Harbor" is just "The Mothership".

 

 

1 hour ago, Brundlefly said:

If I wanted to include "Inside" where would it fit better, before or after "Contact"?

 

Personal choice if you'd rather hear it before or after.  The scene is actually inserted into the MIDDLE of that cue.

 

I'd say before is better, since the the End Credits follows so elegantly from the ending of Contact.

[Brundlefly 2,399]

33 minutes ago, Jay said:

I already talked about "Main Title and Mountain Visions" a few posts up.  It's "Main Title" segued to "TV Reveals" segued to "Roy and Jillian on the Road".

Why is it marked as "partly unreleased".

[Jay 40,305]

You're confusing "Main Title and Mountain Visions", the 1977 LP track Faleel asked me about, with "Main Title and The Vision", disc 1 track 1 on this set.  THAT track contains previously unreleased music because its a combination of the "Main Title" cue and a wild "vision motif" recording (basically a variant of "Another Vision") that was, well, previously unreleased.

[Brundlefly 2,399]

And what purpose served The Vision? Was it recorded just for the 2LP album or was it supposed to accompany any scene in the movie?