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Expansion fans: Do you listen 'from start to finish' or 'piecemeal'?


Thor

Do you listen to expanded releases piecemeal or from start-to-finish?  

47 members have voted

  1. 1. Do you listen to expanded releases piecemeal or from start-to-finish?

    • Always piecemeal
      2
    • Always start-to-finish
      6
    • It varies, but most often piecemeal
      15
    • It varies, but most often start-to-finish
      24


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I've always been curious about this.

 

To those of you (well, that would be most of you) who like and prefer expanded releases, how do you listen to them? In a piecemeal fashion - meaning bits and pieces now and then? Or from start to finish, meaning you press play and let it play out untill its end, barring no external interference?

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I listen to the main program, from start to finish.


The bonus tracks are bonuses.  I listen to them once in a blue moon

 

I don't think any of your poll options really reflect this.

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All the way, taking in the narrative and the composer's intents as is! Or sometimes when I don't have the time, listening to a natural stopping point and picking up from there later (maybe even another day), I wouldn't consider that piecemeal. I mostly listen not to the expansion as is, but to my adjusted edits where I've joined some tracks that I wanted, maybe included an alternate that I prefer, made a little "Suite" from the more interesting alternates that's placed after the score body.

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47 minutes ago, mstrox said:

I don’t know if I’d call myself an expansion fan because I often end up preferring the shorter presentation, but for me it depends on the nature of the score and my affection for it.  I could listen to the complete LLL ET because I really appreciate the way that score builds - a very different experience than the OST.  But do I get a particular rise out of sitting down for a few hours and listening to the complete Minority Report?  Not particularly, and certainly not over the summary album.

 

I'll add that even when I listen straight through, I rarely or never include the alternates afterwards.

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It depends, I used to listen to LotR religiously from start to finish, but more often I'll just go piece by piece based on mood. Also, expansions will have some of my favourite cues, so I'll head straight to those. 

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I tend to do a disc at a time if I ever do listen to an expansion. Most of the time I prefer the OST presentation. I put in a disc and spin it, so I don't want to stop a CD partway through to get the ending track to be what I desire. I will spend extra to have an original release if it was re-released with bonus tracks. That is why my favorite releases are ones that have the main program fit on one disc and then the second disc is original OST plus alternates. I will still buy the original OST release so that presentation is available to me, ending the way it is intended.

 

So far as expansions go, the E.T. release is about as perfect as it gets. But as per my usual routine, I bought the blu-ray disc on ebay that was made from the remastered album presentation that is on there so I could have all my needs met.

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My first listen is always straight through, though I may save the bonus tracks and/or OST presentation for a separate listen.

 

Next, if it's a score I'm deeply interested in, I'll often end up putting together my own edit to get the sequencing how I want it, and that becomes my primary way of listening to the score. There are plenty of expanded releases I leave as-is, though.

 

In either case, subsequent listens vary depending on circumstances, my mood, and the nature of the score. I'm likely to listen straight through more often if the score isn't super long and doesn't have any stretches that drag or get monotonous. It's not uncommon for me to listen to maybe half of the score straight through before getting interrupted or experiencing a change of heart. I do sometimes get in the mood for shuffle mode, too, most often while driving, and I occasionally might want to hear a specific track. I also have a few playlists I've created for specific alternate listening experiences - like one for music that reminds me of visiting Universal Studios, for instance.

 

I'll vote for "most often start-to-finish."

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Most often, from start to finish, but not all in one sitting. For example, listen to tracks 1-4 one night before bed, then 5-8 the next night, etc. Or I'll listen to something like LotR every night while I'm making dinner, for however many days it takes until I get to the end.

 

If I'm listening while working, then I'll go start to finish, but sometimes take short breaks here and there.

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I don't really think of myself as an 'Expansion fan', more so I prefer to have the ALL the music that is in the film on a CD (or 2)

 

Similar to how some believe the OSTs are the best listening experience, it could easily be said that ALL the music in the film equates to the best listening experience.  I'm not saying that an OST can't have a better listening experience than a C&C, I'm saying it always depends.  Listening experience is purely subjective, and should not be a reason why C&C's are frowned upon.

 

Take the Temple of Doom OST, you're really going to tell me thats your preferred listening experience over the Concord version (technical issues aside?). If so, then I don't think you can ever be convinced.

 

Let's face it, if CD's could hold 200+ minutes of music, and musician fees, ect. were not an issue, people like Thor probably would have never shunned Expansions, because the only thing we would be accustomed to is ALL of the music in the film.  The C&C would be the OST.

 

I'm obviously disregarding the people that want alternates and edited versions of cues, upset with wanting all of those on an expansion is another thing altogether.

 

Where do we draw the line with what cues should and should not be left off these cds?  Simple rule that gets best of both worlds is to produce cds that contain all of the film music.

 

In regards to the poll, I chose 'It varies, but most often start to finish'

 

If it's a score I'm well aware of, and really interested in the missing cues, I'll go straight to those cues.   If it's a score I'm not too familiar with, I let it rip from start to finish.

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8 minutes ago, Bellosh said:

Take the Temple of Doom OST, you're really going to tell me thats your preferred listening experience over the Concord version (technical issues aside?). If so, then I don't think you can ever be convinced.

 

So as someone who likes the OST of Temple, I think anyone would agree it got short-changed. While it is not definitive, I really like the sequencing on that presentation. I frequently pull it out. I will also listen to the Concorde releases on occasion as well. I feel the same way about the OST of Jedi and the Anthology release. Both are a good time.

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13 minutes ago, blondheim said:

 

So as someone who likes the OST of Temple, I think anyone would agree it got short-changed. While it is not definitive, I really like the sequencing on that presentation. I frequently pull it out. I will also listen to the Concorde releases on occasion as well. I feel the same way about the OST of Jedi and the Anthology release. Both are a good time.

 

Does it have the highlights?  Sure!

 

I'm not saying they are bad, listening experience is subjective.

 

'Listening experience' is elitist rubbish jargon.  Sure, are there concepts albums that work better from start to finish, OF course!  And I don't doubt composers that feel they have crafted what they believe is a proper listening experience, but it's up to the listener ultimately.  Film music in general is music for someone else's vision and ultimately an extremely collaborative experience, so the argument of wanting LESS music that is in the FILM, seems contradictory to the idea of a conceptual listening experience.

 

13 minutes ago, Jurassic Shark said:

It's usually optimal to play it backwards!

 

lol, if you listen to Jurassic Park backwards it's actually the people jumping into the dinosaurs mouths!  

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15 minutes ago, Bellosh said:

 

 

'Listening experience' is elitist rubbish jargon.  Sure, are there concepts albums that work better from start to finish, OF course!  And I don't doubt composers that feel they have crafted what they believe is a proper listening experience, but it's up the listener ultimately.  Film music in general is music for someone else's vision and ultimately an extremely collaborative experience, so the argument of wanting LESS music that is in the FILM, seems contradictory to the idea of a conceptual listening experience.

 

 

Are you calling ME an " elitist"?!

 

If you define a c and c presentation for what it actually is - the complete recording  sessions.- then you are requesting something that is antithetical to the pleasure of listening to great film music.

For me,at least.

 

Btw I just listened to the entire TOD.

But , if it were two CDs there is no way-

 

 

 

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4 minutes ago, bruce marshall said:

Are you calling ME an " elitist"?!

 

If you define a c and c presentation for what it actually is - the complete recording  sessions.- then you are requesting something that is antithetical to the pleasure of listening to great film music.

For me,at least.

 

No, I'm calling someone who says what the preferred listening experience of something (especially film music) is elitist.

 

And no, I don't mean C&C as complete recording sessions, I strictly mean ALL the music heard in the film.

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1 minute ago, Bellosh said:

 

No, I'm calling someone who says what the preferred listening experience of something (especially film music) is elitist.

 

And no, I don't mean C&C as complete recording sessions, I strictly mean ALL the music heard in the film.

You really want twenty second long cues?😳

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6 minutes ago, bruce marshall said:

You really want twenty second long cues?😳

 

If it's a cue I like and want, yes.

 

'Journey to Austria' from The Last Crusade and 'The Kiss' from E.T. say hi, by the way.

 

It's not a crazy concept to be able to want the music in the film on an album.

 

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7 minutes ago, bruce marshall said:

It is if you can't be satisfied with anything less than EVERY NOTE!

 

I can be satisfied without every note, of course.  I'm not a C&C zealot.

 

But let's be realistic here, one of the MAIN reasons every cue heard in the film is not on cds is because of time restraints for the actual cds, cost to produce multiple CD albums, all sorts of fees (licensing, musicians, ect ect), a limited demographic.  And I'm not naive to believe that the actual composers have a say in what can and should be released.

 

If all of those weren't an issue, this wouldn't be a discussion, and both worlds would be happy, because OST fans wouldn't know the difference.

 

But I will always disagree with the notion that there is a preferred listening experience, ESPECIALLY with film scores.

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Man, I wish I had the time to even listen to an album presentation straight through these days.  

 

I just like having the choice with expansions.  It's always fun to visit the salad bar.  Doesn't have to be the same every time.

 

I got tired of hearing the 1941 March or the Main Titles starting off the experience, so I threw the overlooked 1941 Trailer Music to the first track as sort of an alternate overture.

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There are definitely expansions I am waiting for. The Final Conflict by Goldsmith is one. I used to want the old Varese Deluxe until I saw they re-released Omen with everything. So I figured I would just wait. I don't have the funds to double-dip. In the meanwhile, the OST will do fine.

 

 

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1 minute ago, bruce marshall said:

Why does an expansion have to be c and c?

 

 

Because C&C is presumed to have everything that's in the film.

 

Why wouldn't someone want the music that's in the film to be on the album when they purchase it?

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I guess a question that needs to be addressed is, do you listen directly to the disc, or rip it and make a playlist?

 

I could almost understand, for some scores, being satisfied with expanded instead of C&C, if I were confined to only playing the physical disc, in its order.

But I rip everything.  If the C&C has something that isn't placed well, I have the freedom to move or delete it from the "listening experience."

 

But yeah, why not have everything?  It's preservation.  

 

Plus the labels do a really good job of placing alternates or bonus tracks after the main presentation.

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Just now, Hedji said:

I could almost understand, for some scores, being satisfied with expanded instead of C&C, if I were confined to only playing the physical disc, in its order.

 

This must ultimately be the reason for the 1 CD OST love.

 

Does getting up off the couch to change the cd really destroy the experience for some? Who knows. :lol:

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When pop stars , like Paul McCartney, put out ' deluxe' editions of old Lps, they include unreleased tracks.

The BEST of them, not ALL.

3 minutes ago, Bellosh said:

 

This must ultimately be the reason for the 1 CD OST love.

 

Does getting up off the couch to change the cd really destroy the experience for some? Who knows. :lol:

Very, , very, very, few scores have more than 80 minutes of essential music.

That's ONE HOUR AND TWENTY MINUTES ferrevinsakes!

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16 minutes ago, bruce marshall said:

Very, , very, very, few scores have more than 80 minutes of essential music.

That's ONE HOUR AND TWENTY MINUTES ferrevinsakes!

 

Who decides what's essential for the album if it's in the film? (obviously rhetorical)

 

What if someone's favorite cue they heard in the movie isn't on the album?

 

Do composers and producers do a good job of making sure the highlights are most likely always there?  Of course!  But it still doesn't change the fact that if all music in the film should be available on the album(s) you would have the best of both worlds.

 

Unless I'm being very very naive to the fact that there truly are people who only want a 1 cd listening experience from start to finish, uninterrupted.  But those people would be rare, and should not be upset that C&C fans are getting expanded scores.

 

My idea has everyone in mind, keeps both parties happy.  The OST mind is just a tad elitist and obsolete.

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