A LIFE IN MUSIC - NEW 2018 London Symphony Orchestra album of John Williams material

[Miguel Andrade 1,644]

 

[Jurassic Shark 15,876]

WOW! Sounds great, but that's hardly a surprise.

 

Track listing from Amazon.co.uk is given below, but it seems a tad short since the lady in the teaser said they "packed it full":

Disc: 1

  1. Main Title - From "Star Wars"

  2. Theme - From "Jurassic Park"

  3. Hedwig's Theme - From "Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone"

  4. The Raiders March - From "Raiders Of The Lost Ark"

  5. Flying Theme - From "E.T"

  6. Theme - From "Schindler's List"

  7. The Flight To Neverland - From "Hook"

  8. Hymn To The Fallen - From "Saving Private Ryan"

  9. Shark Theme - From "Jaws"

  10. Williams: Superman March - From "Superman"

 

Product Description

John Williams: A Life In Music – a brand new album of iconic movie scores by the world’s most successful film composer – including Star Wars, Jurassic Park, E.T. and many more. The album, which will be released on May the 4th (International Star Wars Day) features brand new recordings with the London Symphony Orchestra, who recorded many of the original versions, and includes a world premiere recording of Schindler’s List for cello - which has never been heard before.
Recorded by an 86-piece orchestra, this epic collection of music was conducted by Gavin Greenaway and recorded at London’s Air Studios. The 10-track album features Hedwig’s Theme from Harry Potter, performed by the LSO for the very first time. The premiere of Schindler’s List is the first time Williams’ official arrangement for cello has ever been recorded. 
The LSO’s close connection with Williams dates back nearly 40 years, and the standard is there to be heard in these new recordings. From writing the world’s best-loved soundtracks – including Jaws, ET and the Home Alone films – to conducting some of the worlds most accomplished orchestras, Williams truly is one of the greatest living composers of our generation. 
Following this year’s Oscar nominations, Williams broke his own record with more Oscar nominations than any other living person – a title he first earned in 2016. Williams has also won five Academy Awards, seven BAFTAs, 24 Grammy’s, four Golden Globes, five Emmys and numerous gold and platinum records. 
This year, the Hollywood legend celebrates sixty years in movies. Alongside the release of this once-in-a-lifetime album, Williams will also conduct the LSO in an extremely rare performance at London’s Royal Albert Hall, making it the 86-year-old composer's first performance in the UK for 22 years.
Over the span of his extraordinary career, Williams has graced the TV screens and touched the hearts of people across the world with his music, and this new album promises to do the same.

 

[Jay 44,698]

So 7 out of 10 tracks from Spielberg films

 

Overall it looks like a list of the music JW has written that has already been recorded the most number of times

[Jurassic Shark 15,876]

I think they should have chosen a program that was just a bit less "mainstream" Williams. For example the new arrangements of Face of Pan and Han Solo and the Princess, and Harry's Wondrous World from Azkaban, a good oldie like Fitzwilly, +++

[Bespin Copilot 10,285]

Not a very inventive set list... 

[Jurassic Shark 15,876]

6 minutes ago, Jay said:

Overall it looks like a list of the music JW has written that has already been recorded the most number of times

 

Indeed. And half of it has already been recorded by TSO conducted by JW, either as the score recording or on the compilation The Hollywood Sound.

[Bespin Copilot 10,285]

I wonder how many times the Star Wars Theme can be re-recorded... 

[Jurassic Shark 15,876]

There's no upper limit.

[Maurizio 6,700]

It’s nice we’re getting the Schindler’s List theme version for cello and orchestra.

[The Score Cleaner 9,187]

Oh it's that version?

[Bespin Copilot 10,285]

I never saw a much uglier CD cover... oh wait...

 

[Naïve Old Fart 12,479]

Oh fuck, it's Classic F.M. Trust them to screw things up. This is the bullshiteist cover I've seen.

[aj_vader 712]

No Imperial March! 

 

The Main Titles sound incredible! 

[Tom 6,260]

Anybody else wonder why a huge turtle was walking the globe?  Also, why the hurricane?  

[gkgyver 1,647]

Another re-recording of music played to death, back again, down into Hades, back again, and played to death again.

 

Cover looks like Super Mario Galaxy.

[King Mark 3,907]

hmm, disappointing track titles. Especially when there's stuff that was never recorded before

 

revised Han solo and the Princess on top of my list

[The Score Cleaner 9,187]

1 minute ago, King Mark said:

hmm, disappointing track titles. Especially when there's stuff that was never recorded before

Quote

includes a world premiere recording of Schindler’s List for cello - which has never been heard before.

 

5 minutes ago, Tom said:

Anybody else wonder why a huge turtle was walking the globe?  Also, why the hurricane?  

No, I pretty much knew it was a soldier's helmet.

[thx99 2,074]

Poor E.T. fell out of the friggin’ basket!!

[Bespin Copilot 10,285]

Photoshop in the hands of millennials...

 

 

 

 

 

[Not Mr. Big 4,915]

Finally, a chance to listen to the concert suites for E.T, Star Wars, and Harry Potter!  A truly rare opportunity!

[Xander Harris 8,875]

That cover posted above is alright. There are so many JW compilations that just show planets on the cover. At least that one is populated by JW-ish things. I mean, it has the little girl's red coat! That's so charming!

[The Illustrious Jerry 3,361]

Perhaps there's a spinoff of all JW-scored movies in the works...

[Cerebral Cortex 3,365]

4 hours ago, Jurassic Shark said:

I think they should have chosen a program that was just a bit less "mainstream" Williams. For example the new arrangements of Face of Pan and Han Solo and the Princess...

 

Damn. I was okay with this release until you went and said that. 

[Xander Harris 8,875]

It's the same old shit repackaged. Pass-o-rama.

[Matt S. 710]

The ship on the cover looks more like Spaceball One than a Star Destroyer.

5 hours ago, Bespin said:

Not a very inventive set list... 

 

The selections are the old standards, but I’m more concerned about the album length. My own quick estimate puts it at roughly 50 minutes, if that is indeed the final track list. PLENTY of space for more music!

[Xander Harris 8,875]

The ship is too big! If I walk, the movie'll be over!

[That_Bloke 179]

3 hours ago, thx99 said:

Poor E.T. fell out of the friggin’ basket!!

... and into the jaws of a T-Rex.

 

 

Going by the track list I'm guessing we're not the target audience.

[SteveMc 2,682]

I hate the cover.  

Makes Williams into some sort of cheesy kids music composer, really.

They could have done something classier, while still expressing Williams's cultural importance.

[Drew 596]

This totally should have had some pieces from the Star Wars sequels. Just to hear what it might have sounded like with the LSO...

[SteveMc 2,682]

1 minute ago, Drew said:

This totally should have had some pieces from the Star Wars sequels. Just to hear what it might have sounded like with the LSO...

 

Absolutely.  Quite a blunder.

[rough cut 1,784]

...and give me the Oscars arrangement of The Book Thief already!

 

Or a LSO recording of The Jedi Steps, that would be cool.

 

 I’m guessing that the schedule was a bit tight for them to squeeze in the new Han Solo & The Princess, so I’m not really upset about that being on the album. They probably didn’t know it excisted when the track list was made.

 

But there so much other fun stuff to choose from!

[SteveMc 2,682]

5 minutes ago, rough cut said:

Or a LSO recording of The Jedi Steps, that would be cool.

 Yes!

[dtw42 63]

3 hours ago, That_Bloke said:

Going by the track list I'm guessing we're not the target audience.

Quite.

They couldn't have negotiated to get Dear Basketball on the end, at least? That would have been a coup, and a draw for folks who've already got copies by the dozen of all the usual stuff. I really don't need another recording of the SW main title.

[Jurassic Shark 15,876]

Did anybody say missed opportunity?

 

9 hours ago, Jay said:

So 7 out of 10 tracks from Spielberg films

 

Overall it looks like a list of the music JW has written that has already been recorded the most number of times

 

Don't change a winning formula?

[Incanus 5,884]

Obviously a main stream crowd pleasing compilation with the usual greatest hits. Shame really as it would have been fantastic to hear LSO performing something a bit different from Williams' ouvre alongside these expected classics.

[Jurassic Shark 15,876]

8 hours ago, thx99 said:

Poor E.T. fell out of the friggin’ basket!!

 

He's hiding under the helmet.

[bollemanneke 4,226]

I'm getting this anyway, regardless of the predictaable tracklist.

[Jurassic Shark 15,876]

7 hours ago, Philippe Roaché said:

That cover posted above is alright. There are so many JW compilations that just show planets on the cover. At least that one is populated by JW-ish things. I mean, it has the little girl's red coat! That's so charming!

 

...and the compulsory planet.

 

[rough cut 1,784]

Haha, that cover is the worst! Text book example of how not to do things...

[Jurassic Shark 15,876]

6 hours ago, Matt S. said:

The selections are the old standards, but I’m more concerned about the album length. My own quick estimate puts it at roughly 50 minutes, if that is indeed the final track list. PLENTY of space for more music!

 

Maybe the lady in the video meant they filled an LP...

[Maurizio 6,700]

FYI, Gavin Greenaway is John Powell's usual conductor. He's conducting for the Han Solo film too.

[tmarps 218]

I mean.. it’s nice that the LSO are rekindling their relationship with John Williams, what with the concert in October and all - but what a pointless album! I hope it’ll be on Apple Music because I won’t be forking out to buy it otherwise 

[rpvee 997]

No one else thinks it’s neat to get a new Star Wars Main Title recording from the LSO? I’m not sure if they’ve ever recorded it outside of the film sessions until now, but either way, it’s cool to hear what the beginnings of TFA and TLJ may have sounded like if Williams had gone over there.  Especially since we didn’t get a new (released) recording of it with TLJ, so this almost makes up for that in a way.

 

(Also, I’m sure we’ll hear clips of the LSO doing sequel trilogy music when they inevitably do the films live to picture, like they’re doing with the original Star Wars this year.)

[Jurassic Shark 15,876]

20 minutes ago, rpvee said:

No one else thinks it’s neat to get a new Star Wars Main Title recording from the LSO? I’m not sure if they’ve ever recorded it outside of the film sessions until now

 

They have indeed, conducted by the man himself:

 

 

[bollemanneke 4,226]

Is there any chance this is NOT the final tracklist?

[Jurassic Shark 15,876]

At least the product info clearly states there's only ten tracks.

[bollemanneke 4,226]

I hav mixed feelings about this one. Obviously, the recordings will be top-notch, but if only they'd give us more things we didn't have already, or things the City of Prague Philharmonic "recorded" in the past... Can't wait for the Hook track though and an LSO versin of Superman that doesn't sound like crap is very welcome too.

[Bryant Burnette 779]

11 hours ago, Tom said:

Anybody else wonder why a huge turtle was walking the globe?

 

That's not a turtle, it's a fedora.

[1977 1,977]

20 minutes ago, bollemanneke said:

an LSO versin of Superman that doesn't sound like crap is very welcome too.

 

Wot?

[Jurassic Shark 15,876]

15 minutes ago, Bryant Burnette said:

 

That's not a turtle, it's a fedora.

 

It's a turtle to symbolize JW's turtleneck.