Sonically Superb Scores

[Yoda Longbottom 0]

What are yours? Feel free to name more than one for the variety.

[Homer 0]

Huummmm...what do you mean exactly by "sonically superb", please ?

[stewdog1 50]

Roman,

Do you mean sonically pleasing to the ears rather than based on technical merits?

[Yoda Longbottom 0]

A little bit of both. Why do I always have equivocal topics?

A sound quality that best fits your tastes. A recording during listening to which you can forget you're actually listening to a "recording" because you feel like sitting in front of the orchestra. A true sound, but it gets down to everyone's imagination of "true sound". I admit it's more a matter of attitudinal perception, so you can pick, like you say, Dave, a sound pleasing to ears.

My topics are way boundless! And pointless!

[stewdog1 50]

A sound quality that best fits my tastes? Well, a good driving, throbing beat is a good way to start. For example Goldsmith scores, the escape from Cloud City, the raptor chase in JP.

Music that can be listened to outside of the context of the film. Also, music that doesn't try to hard to be good. If you know what I mean. Something that seems so natural to the film, JW is excellent at this.

[Marian Schedenig 8,177]

Lots of Goldsmith scores (thank you, Botnick ). Starship Troopers by Poledouris. Hook (Murphy ) and the Rosewood HDCD. Oh, and many Goldenthal scores.

Marian - who probably forgot many.

Let it Bleed (The Rolling Stones) - co-mixed by Botnick

[Trumpeteer 302]

I always feel like I'm in the recording studio when listening to all the "Star Wars" scores from 1977-1983.

The same goes for "The Omen." It feels organic. I'm wondering if the studio was pretty dark (except for lamps on the music stands). It would have really set the mood.

Another one that I have been listening to today: "Aliens." You hear the air around the microphone in those quiet atmospheric moments.

Mostly, it depends on the sound mix. If the horns are coming out of different speakers or the violins dominate the left side, then it feels very real.

[scissorhands 16]

In my opinion, if you think you are in the recording studio while listening to the music, the score fails.

When I listen to SPR, I think I'm at the WWII, not at the Symphony Hall.

[Erik Woods 555]

E.T., Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and The Last Starfighter are three scores that I think have the best sound quality. Lyle Burbidge was the engineer for those three recordings and IMHO are by far the best recorded scores ever!

-Erik-

P.S. -- Some of the Marco Polo recordings are "superb!"

[hitman20 0]

-I'll go old school and go with Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands (Great Elfman scores!), Back to the Future, Close Encounters of the Third Kind and Star Wars. I also like Harry Potter, more specifically, the Sorcerer's Stone Soundtrack. The track, Visit to the zoo/Letters to Hogwarts is one of my favorite interpretations of Hedwig's theme. It's probably one of the best tracks on the soundtrack.

-I also liked the way JW created the percussion effects in the track, The Chess Game. It's very ingenius. But that's JW for ya! Always on top of his game.

[Yoda Longbottom 0]

I forgot to add mine. I love listening to original E.T. recording, it's what I call "warm sound".

And RCA's Star Wars Episode IV. On my previous stereo I had troubles withering the brass section but now that I went all-out DENON it's like hearing totally new score. Again, very warm-sounding. And those violas in it!

"Far and Away" is probably one of Williams' beetter recorded and mixed scores as well.

On the other bank of the river, there is "Conan", so dry but extremely beautiful that I don't care it sounds flat.

Then there is the first LOTR. Extremely thunderous but it sound really "big" and it's quite riveting about it. It actually makes up for least interesting parts where I can't enjoy the thematic meanderings.

I think I like "Night and Day Celebrate Sinatra" is very good-sounding too.

I agree about "Aliens" and "The Omen" score with Trumpeteer.

But most of all I like to listen to the Phantom Menace vinyl. I bought this 2-disc record off Sony Classical only to listen to it at my friend's who has pretty damn good, vinyl-friendly gramophone. Although my stereo is much cheaper than his, the CD I have lags behind the vinyl in warmness and depth, almost as if they were two different recordings.

Listening to Hymn to the Fallne I don't find myself in the war field. Rather, it feels like I was in the church listening to a requiem mass. Always makes me cry.

By other composers, I like the sound of Goldsmith's "Russia House", Horner's "Willow" above all.

Simply put, when strings and brass manage to make my hair stand up, it means I got entranced by the sound.

[Marian Schedenig 8,177]

Re The Omen, the Deluxe Edition sounds quite a bit better still than the older CD. (Though of course the biggest improvement in that series was the sound on Final Conflict).

Marian - who might listen to The Omen today (thunderstorms are expected here )

[A24 4,326]

Here are some sonic milestones that I know of.

The Natural . From the times when Randy Newman was an absolute must buy.

The Phantom Menace. But only the Ultimate Edition, mind you.

Cape Fear. The remake soundtrack originally by Bernard Hermann and adapted, arranged and conducted by Elmer Berstein. And it's Shawn Murphy who did the recording, ladies and gents.

Alex North's Who's afraid of Virginia Woolf? Produced and conducted by Jerry Goldsmith.

The Star Wars Trilogy. Performed by The Skywalker Symphony Orchestra.

Alex North's 2001. Produced and conducted by Goldsmith.

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Alex Cremers

[King Mark 3,626]

The track, Visit to the zoo/Letters to Hogwarts is one of my favorite interpretations of Hedwig's theme.  

-.

yes,very similar to the last part of the Teaser Trailer..."there's no such thing as magic...",which is even better.

K.M.who keeps that trailer music on a Williams compilation MD.

[SkyMaker 0]

E.T., Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and The Last Starfighter are three scores that I think have the best sound quality.  Lyle Burbidge was the engineer for those three recordings and IMHO are by far the best recorded scores ever!

-Erik-

I have listened to E.T. for more than 20 years, and still is my favorite score of all time and are very familiar with it. The engineer for it is Bruce Botnick. The sound is unique to E.T., as I've never heard engineering that sounds like it elsewhere.

Also, about recording techniques that sounds like you're in front of an orchestra is not really the ideal way of listening. Many recordings in the pop medium that doesn't at all sounds like listening to a live orchestra are infinitely better, because they are able to overcome the limitations of a live performance, by individually manipulating the various elements of stereo field placement, reverb, and balance, where a live sounding recording are only limited to one balance, one reverb, and one stereo placement. Shawn Murphy, would often combine both techniques, E.G. when a harp would move from left to right, something that's impossible in a live sounding recording.

[Yoda Longbottom 0]

Shawn Murphy, would often combine both techniques, E.G. when a harp would move from left to right, something that's impossible in a live sounding recording.

Yes, this is exactly what disturbs me about his recording of Horner's Willow. He managed to present the harp as a left-to-right trekking colossus, which totally damages the natural feel to the recording.

Plus, where did Murphy dig up the "Willow's Theme" from? Compared to the excellently sounding rest of the album, it sounds as if recorded via microphone from TV set.

[Morn 8]

Alex North's Who's afraid of Virginia Woolf? Produced and conducted by Jerry Goldsmith.  

Speaking of this, Yoda Longbottom, did you get it? What do you think of it?

[Jeshopk 8]

Some people prefer tight sound like Lost World while others like an open sound like Scorcerer's Stone. I like the open sound. Its more grand and epic. I don't like in scores like Nixon when the distance and placement of instruments keeps changing. I like concert hall sound, even if you can't hear every fiber on the violinist's bow passing the string. It just makes it more classic and emotional. I know many disagree.

[Yoda Longbottom 0]

Alex North's Who's afraid of Virginia Woolf? Produced and conducted by Jerry Goldsmith.  

Speaking of this, Yoda Longbottom, did you get it? What do you think of it?

Hi Morn,

look, they were off-price overstocks, they said they had five of them and I placed my order the minute I got their email with the list of the CDs including Virginia, but the other day they emailed me this "sorry we're out of this title already" so tell me what BS lies beneath? I cannot understand one thing. Never before was this title available thru their site and suddenly they had them in the special-priced bin. Oddly enough I wasn't obviously fast enough with placing my order, so no Virginia. It maddened me. It happens here all the time. Like that Somersby in France. I would have paid whatever their demand and they have it only in France as it seems but nowehere on the net so that I could order it. Why do you have to struggle to get what you want? Tell me. It's like getting a good job. Plodding futility.

[Yoda Longbottom 0]

I like concert hall sound, even if you can't hear every fiber on the violinist's bow passing the string.

That's what I like about LotR:FotR.

[A24 4,326]

Yes! Disagree I must. At this moment I'm listening to The Omen which is fairly closed miked. I always had the feeling Jerry loves an upfront sound. Sometimes it's the details that can add to the emotion of a performance. But I'm glad not every recording sounds the same. I also like the Potter distance. As long as it doesn't sound too blurry.

BTW, track 7 on the Omen, The Piper Dreams, is one hell of a skipper. A real party breaker. What a shame.

----------------

Alex Cremers

[Yoda Longbottom 0]

BTW, track 7 on the Omen, The Piper Dreams, is one hell of a skipper. A real party breaker. What a shame.

I agree. And exactly the same would apply upon the Willow's Theme track. Sounds as if tacked-on at the very last minute and recorded with a bunch of distracted musicians in the depression.

I also have certain reservations about Back to Titanic sound. While original Titanic sounds okay, the Back-To suites are muffled and a lot more distant. The Horner's solo piano cue also sounds weirdly shoddy, as though taken right off VHS with eradicated background noises.

[Marian Schedenig 8,177]

BTW, track 7 on the Omen, The Piper Dreams, is one hell of a skipper. A real party breaker. What a shame.

If it's track 7, then you are listening to the old release...the expanded "Deluxe Edition" has nicely improved sound. :spiny:

Marian - who thinks close-miked is fine when it fits the score and there's still audible air "behind" the instruments (if that makes sense).

The Mummy (Jerry Goldsmith)

[Erik Woods 555]

The engineer for it is Bruce Botnick. The sound is unique to E.T., as I've never heard engineering that sounds like it elsewhere.  

That's right... Botnick was the engineer on E.T. as well.

-Erik-

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

BTW, track 7 on the Omen, The Piper Dreams, is one hell of a skipper. A real party breaker. What a shame.

I agree. And exactly the same would apply upon the Willow's Theme track. Sounds as if tacked-on at the very last minute and recorded with a bunch of distracted musicians in the depression.

Utter nonsense, Horner made no seperate recodring of Willow's theme fot the CD, it has been created editorially, every note of it was taken from the last track of the CD (the End Credits part)

If you cannot even hear that them i cannot believe you are taking part in a discussion about soundquality.

Stefancos- who feels Willow's Theme is a totally redundant track, much like the last track on the Jurassic Park CD.

[King Mark 3,626]

Missouri Breaks sounds like the intruments are playing all around you and you can hear every detail.

K.M.

[Yoda Longbottom 0]

BTW, track 7 on the Omen, The Piper Dreams, is one hell of a skipper. A real party breaker. What a shame.

I agree. And exactly the same would apply upon the Willow's Theme track. Sounds as if tacked-on at the very last minute and recorded with a bunch of distracted musicians in the depression.

Utter nonsense, Horner made no seperate recodring of Willow's theme fot the CD, it has been created editorially, every note of it was taken from the last track of the CD (the End Credits part)

If you cannot even hear that them i cannot believe you are taking part in a discussion about soundquality.

Stefancos- who feels Willow's Theme is a totally redundant track, much like the last track on the Jurassic Park CD.

Utter nonsense? That's a good giggle. Gentleman, I don't care where it was cut off of, I am complaining about its NOTICEABLY flatter and muffled sound. Listen for the brass and strings sections. There's an obvious slump in clarity of the sound. I HAVE the original pressed copy of the CD (to save you trouble inquiring off me what miserable copy I'm listening to it on).

A final word: I take a privilege of taking part in this discussion which is held to learn what others think and like to hear. Snappish lampoon don't belong in here. Or else...?

[A24 4,326]

"Missouri Breaks sounds like the intruments are playing all around you and you can hear every detail. "

That's right. Several years ago, I've bought the "boot" thinking how much I'm going to regret this if the sound quality isn't up to par. When I got home my jaw dropped as I listened to a first rate, superb sounding recording. This has got to be proof that some bootlegs are made from the original masters.

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Alex Cremers

[King Mark 3,626]

the boot sounds better than the re-mastered Rykodisk c.d.

K.M.

[A24 4,326]

Great! Nice to hear that.

----------------

Alex Cremers

[H2OProof 2]

WYATT EARP - James Newton Howard (sound quality in the demonstration class!)

[Morn 8]

look, they were off-price overstocks, they said they had five of them and I placed my order the minute I got their email with the list of the CDs including Virginia, but the other day they emailed me this "sorry we're out of this title already" so tell me what BS lies beneath? I cannot understand one thing. Never before was this title available thru their site and suddenly they had them in the special-priced bin. Oddly enough I wasn't obviously fast enough with placing my order, so no Virginia. It maddened me. It happens here all the time. Like that Somersby in France. I would have paid whatever their demand and they have it only in France as it seems but nowehere on the net so that I could order it. Why do you have to struggle to get what you want? Tell me. It's like getting a good job. Plodding futility.  

You should have got it as soon as you saw it, is it North after all.

[HPFAN 1]

Thomas Newman's Road to Perdition and Catch Me is YOu can.

[Elmo Lewis 6]

You mean not all scores sound the same?

The only quality I care about is the music quality.

[A24 4,326]

You mean not all scores sound the same?

The only quality I care about is the music quality.

It's nice to have them both, sonically and musically.

----------------

Alex Cremers

[Marian Schedenig 8,177]

The only quality I care about is the music quality.

Please listen to a 32kbit mono MP3 of Star Wars recorded by the Philharmonic Rock Orchestra and mixed by Shawn Murphy, then come back and repeate that sentence.

Marian -

[Morn 8]

The only quality I care about is the music quality.

The better the sound quality, the more effective the musical quality is.