Jerry Goldsmith - City Hall (2023 Varese Deluxe Edition)

[Faleel 5,359]

https://varesesarabande.com/collections/cd-club/products/city-hall-deluxe-edition-cd

 

Expected to ship the week of July 7, 2023.

 

City Hall was a well-regarded 1996 suspense drama exploring crime and corruption in New York City. After a child is killed by a stray bullet, the city’s idealistic deputy mayor (John Cusack) is determined to find out how the criminal involved was still on the streets. But his investigation unearths a web of sleaze and payoffs that leaves no part of the city untouched—including his boss, the mayor (Al Pacino).

 

Features:

 

Varèse Sarabande’s long-awaited Deluxe Edition debuts a 16-track, 34-minute program of the score as heard in the film itself; a 6-track, 10-minute selection of previously unreleased alternates; and the 12-track, 30-minute sequence of the original 1996 Varèse Sarabande CD.

 

Tracklist:

 

SCORE PRESENTATION:

1 The Bridge (Film Version)
2 The Meet (Film Version)
3 The Hospital
4 Find Vinnie
5 The Funeral
6 When I Was A Kid (Film Version)
7 The Cabin
8 The King Maker (Film Version)
9 Call Me / Dead In The Water
10 Schwartz Is Dead (Film Version)
11 Old Friends (Film Version)
12 Think About It
13 The Report
14 About The Mayor
15 Take A Vacation (Film Version)
16 Count On It / End Credits Suite


ADDITIONAL MUSIC:

17 The Hospital (Alternate)
18 The Funeral (Alternate)
19 The Cabin (Alternate)
20 The King Maker (Alternate)
21 Take A Vacation (Alternate)
22 Count On It (Alternate)
 

ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK ALBUM:

23 The Bridge
24 The Meet
25 The Hospital
26 When I Was A Kid
27 The Cabin
28 The King Maker
29 Old Friends
30 Swartz Is Dead
31 Think About It
32 The Report
33 Take A Vacation
34 Count On It

[Bespin 8,484]

Instant buy!

[Jay 37,371]

I just learned from the FSM forum that many people (maybe everyone?) who ordered this right away received a defective copy that has digital skips throughout the first 7 tracks, and a visible "stain" on the disc itself.  Did any JWFanners order this and receive a defective copy?

[Raiders of the SoundtrArk 2,433]

I've already ordered it but didn't receive it yet. I'll keep you inform though

[crocodile 8,017]

I can see the stain on my disc but didn't notice any playback issues.

 

Karol

[Yavar Moradi 2,599]

It's not a stain; I think it's some kind of issue with the glue/adhesive which connects the plastic to the information layer:

http://i.imgur.com/24ht1a9.jpg

 

It seems like everyone who received a copy has this issue, visually (at least no one has posted about NOT having the issue), but the majority of people's copies actually play fine.

 

I haven't gotten my copy yet, but among my three Goldsmith Odyssey colleagues, two of them had no issues at all ripping/playing the discs. The third ripped his disc and (eventually) noticed an issue on one track. He re-ripped the disc using the same program (iTunes) and had no issues that time.

 

We did record a Soundtrack Spotlight podcast with liner notes author Tim Greiving on the release, but we are editing some other episodes first in the hopes that Varese will address the defect publicly (even if for the majority of folks it's only cosmetic).

 

4 hours ago, Jay said:

I just learned from the FSM forum that many people (maybe everyone?) who ordered this right away received a defective copy that has digital skips throughout the first 7 tracks, and a visible "stain" on the disc itself.  Did any JWFanners order this and receive a defective copy?

 

You should read the thread a bit more thoroughly. I'm pretty sure only 2-3 people expressed having issues with that many tracks (one of them actually said it affected a dozen tracks, not 7). A few other people reported having an issue playing/ripping one track. The vast majority of folks who posted there had no playback issues, even though they noted the physical defect.

 

It's possible that the defect is consistent but some people's players are better able to deal with it. Here's a link to the FSM thread for anyone who wants to follow the whole saga, and hear what people have done re: customer service to address the issue:

https://filmscoremonthly.com/board/posts.cfm?threadID=151517&forumID=1&archive=0

 

Yavar

[Ollie 1,059]

My copy has the stain and the first 2 tracks are the ones with issues that I've noticed. I'm getting mixed results with playback on various CD players and cannot rip the first 2 cues to iTunes at without clicks.

 

 

So I went ahead and filed a claim and sent pictures and an audio file to Misty at Concord. 

[1977 1,743]

Has anyone tried ripping with Exact Audio Copy?

[Yavar Moradi 2,599]

1 hour ago, JTWfan77 said:

Has anyone tried ripping with Exact Audio Copy?

Yeah, at FSM (with success). Although some folks rip just fine with iTunes or whatever.

 

Yavar

[Ollie 1,059]

Exact Audio doesn’t work with Macs, correct?

 

I quit using Windows / Microsoft years ago.

 

But to update, I received a response from Concord and they are sending me a replacement. Now what batch they are getting it from, as it appears most people have that “spit” on the cd, begs a question. 

[Yavar Moradi 2,599]

It’s frustrating that Varese still hasn’t acknowledged the defect publicly, with their plans to address it. But Concord (Varese’s parent company, which matters more because I think Varese constitutes very few if any actual employees at this point) customer service does seem to be addressing it.

 

But there have been some further reports from the FSM forum… first up, John Takis (aka “Wedge”) wrote:

 

Quote

Does anyone have any news about how Varèse Sarabande is going to handle this?

After my order was refunded rather than replaced, I placed a new order. That was a week ago, on July 12, and the order is still showing a status of "Unfulfilled." I'm choosing to take this as a potential positive ... a sign that Varese is perhaps not shipping more copies until they sort things out. But if another week goes by without clarification or a change to the order status, I may write to see what's up. In the meantime, I'd be curious to know if anyone else placed an order within the past week that HAS shipped.

 

Graham and jwb1 then replied that their replacement copies had not shipped yet, indicating that they probably aren’t just sending out more copies from the bad batch, but are waiting on a new pressing. jwb1 wrote:

Quote

Anyone heard back from customer service regarding replacements?

I was told I would be sent a tracking number when it ships. I haven't got it yet. I suspect they don't have the replacements yet.

 

Most recent post in the FSM thread is from Marko:

Quote

The copy I received has the same spot on it and only plays on one of my CD players but I cannot rip the first 2 tracks without the loud clicking. It appears those are the only two tracks with issues.

I filled out the form provided and received an immediate response. Misty at Concord requested a picture and sound clip. I then again received an immediate response. She emailed me back and said a replacement would be sent asap. So we’ll see what happens.

Hopefully Misty is communicating to her bosses about this issue so it can be solved in a systematic rather than individual way soon, going forward.

 

Yavar

[Marian Schedenig 8,207]

To be frank, I'd appreciate companies offering FLAC downloads as compensation for faulty CD pressings in situations like that. I'm only getting the CD for the collector aspect anyway, I *listen* to the music from ripped FLACs on my computer. Obviously, they can't please all customers with such a solution (and understandably so), but it would probably make things much easier for a lot of them (and the label, too).

 

(I haven't ordered the new City Hall yet myself, but I will with my next batch)

[Yavar Moradi 2,599]

I totally agree with you.

 

Yavar

[Ollie 1,059]

I like when Amazon and BSX offer a digital version as well when you purchase a physical CD.

[FunnyML 82]

On 22/07/2023 at 10:25 PM, Marian Schedenig said:

To be frank, I'd appreciate companies offering FLAC downloads as compensation for faulty CD pressings in situations like that.

Maybe they can't offer digital replacements for legal reasons?

[Bespin 8,484]

Okay, so it's another release where my "wait one month before buying" rule will be worth it.

 

BTW, welcome to the millennials' generation in the record business! 

[Marian Schedenig 8,207]

9 hours ago, FunnyML said:

Maybe they can't offer digital replacements for legal reasons?

 

I don't see how a complimentary digital copy would be a legal problem, and if a customer is satisfied with that and doesn't require a replacement of the physical CD, I don't see where the harm could be.

 

Generally I'm with @Ollie anyway: We should always get a DRM-free lossless digital copy along with the CD (or maybe optionally for a very small extra charge). It's not like I'm going to buy the digital version as well unless it offers extra quality - and even then, they're already producing a CD (which I'm paying for) and a digital version (which most other customers are paying for), so there's almost no extra production effort, and everything else is literally expecting me to pay twice for the same content and no extra work. And the same goes for books (I'm not a fan of e-books, but oh how I'd love a searchable digital copy for each of my books).

[Yavar Moradi 2,599]

5 hours ago, Marian Schedenig said:

I don't see how a complimentary digital copy would be a legal problem, and if a customer is satisfied with that and doesn't require a replacement of the physical CD, I don't see where the harm could be.

 

Bolding mine -- I think this is the key phrase here. I agree with you that it would be nice and appreciated, but just because you don't see a reason why something isn't possible, doesn't mean it's possible. I strongly suspect that this depends on the particular wording of Varese's original perpetuity rights agreements. Look at last year's Silvestri expansion batch from them: Tomb Raider 2 DE debuted simultaneously on CD as well as at digital download sites and all the streaming services. Death Becomes Her DE was released that same day on CD but has *never* been made available for download or streaming anywhere. Why not? Well, the only explanation that makes sense to me is that Varese had perpetuity *CD format* album rights to Death Becomes Her, but general perpetuity album rights to Tomb Raider 2, without any specifying of format.

 

It probably has to do with what studios were involved, what era the original legal licensing agreement was made, etc. And City Hall and Mouse Hunt have not had a digital release so far, just like Death Becomes Her... so it seems likely that Varese only had rights to expand City Hall on CD specifically. And that would preclude them from offering downloads, even if just to people who purchased the physical CD.

 

By the way, as much as I appreciate BuySoundtrax/Dragon's Domain offering lossless downloads along with CD purchases, it's worth noting that many of their releases are unlicensed (probably because this stuff is so obscure they figure the rights holders don't care or wouldn't go to the trouble of going after them). So expecting corporate-owned Varese to do the same with high profile titles by high profile composers being licensed from big Hollywood studios... it's apples and oranges.

 

Yavar

 

 

[Marian Schedenig 8,207]

20 minutes ago, Yavar Moradi said:

Bolding mine -- I think this is the key phrase here. I agree with you that it would be nice and appreciated, but just because you don't see a reason why something isn't possible, doesn't mean it's possible. I strongly suspect that this depends on the particular wording of Varese's original perpetuity rights agreements.

 

Ah yes, I was thinking from a point where there was a digital release anyway. Even then of course there might be legal issues I'm unaware of, but I figure *if* a digital release is available and customers who request a fixed CD are happy to receive just lossless audio files instead, that wouldn't be a legal problem. (They still might consider it even more complicated to distinguish between physical and digital replacements though and decide to treat all customers the same)

[Yavar Moradi 2,599]

Seems to me like Varese pressed a new batch — two folks at FSM now claim to have received copies without any visual blemish:

 

 

[Bespin 8,484]

"Bundle" ordered!

Varese CD Club - Jerry Goldsmith "City Hall" & Alan Silvestri "Mouse Hunt" - CD Bundle

[John Takis 206]

My replacement copy includes the blemish and still will not play or rip properly. I will file a new customer service ticket this weekend and see what they say.

 

It's been reported that some copies play OK in certain players even with the blemish. The blemish can also be difficult to identify to the untrained eye, and is difficult to notice under some lighting conditions unless you position the disc at just the right angle. I initially thought my replacement copy was blemish-free until I got it upstairs and checked again. So while I obviously can't rule out the existence of blemish-free copies, it would not surprise me if some of the people who believe that their copy is blemish-free do in fact have the blemish, and simply aren't noticing any playback or ripping issues with their particular device.

[Jay 37,371]

I guess I'm glad I didn't order this right away.  Will order it only after I read about being getting blemish-free copies, which hopefully happens before How To Train Your Dragon 3 Deluxe drops in 7 months

[crocodile 8,017]

It's such a shame all this is kicking off because it is overshadowing a genuinely great Jerry score. Not sure if this expansion is necessary per se but I like what Neil and Mike did with this.

 

Karol

[Yavar Moradi 2,599]

It certainly wasn't as essential an expansion as other in-perpetuity Goldsmith titles Varese has done over the past couple decades... that's why it's getting done now, after them, I guess. But I've always thought highly of this score and now that I have a good 40 minute program of only unique cues I'm enjoying it more than ever before (alternates with similar sections are relegated to a 22 minute bonus section at the end, which also plays well).

 

Varese's silence on addressing this manufacturing defect publicly is inexcusable, though.

 

Yavar

[crocodile 8,017]

I am particularly happy about the film version of The Meet. Both versions are terrific.

 

I actually blind bought the old album years ago when I was in my teens. One of those lucky random purchases.

 

Karol

[Marian Schedenig 8,207]

34 minutes ago, crocodile said:

I actually blind bought the old album years ago when I was in my teens. One of those lucky random purchases.

 

That goes for a lot of major Goldsmith scores for me.  This one has always been dear to me though, and I've never understood its obscurity.

[Eplicon 53]

My copy arrived this afternoon, and unfortunately, it has the aforementioned defect and sound anomalies.  As @John Takis said, this blemish is not very easy to spot, and even harder to get a picture without getting reflections from everything else.  

 

EAC did me no favors, either.  Rather than rip the disc right away, I decided to do the "test selected tracks" first, just to get an idea of what might happen.  And it wasn't very encouraging. The "Est. remaining" number for the entire disc kept on increasing and increasing to the point where it probably would still be stuck on track 1.  Like I'm going to spend over two weeks to rip a CD.

 

Still waiting like most for Varese to address this issue and correct it since the so-called replacement copies have the same problem.  Right now I'm not too eager to deal with their customer support (aka Misty) since I had a really difficult time with her over a lost shipment last year before it was finally resolved.

[1977 1,743]

On 22/07/2023 at 10:25 PM, Marian Schedenig said:

To be frank, I'd appreciate companies offering FLAC downloads as compensation for faulty CD pressings in situations like that.

 

Honestly I wish all labels would provide lossless downloads with purchases of the physical product - the way that BSX/DD does. 

 

I'm hoping that this title will eventually receive a digital release.

[Incanus 5,715]

I got my copy today and it doesn't have such a visible defect but rather a very small one on the very outer edge of the disc. The opening of the first track skipped when I tried to rip it at first but when I tried Exact Audio Copy I was able to rip the track just fine. And the whole CD played fine on a regular CD player.

 

Unfortunate that Varese hasn't reacted to this publicly in any way. 

 

It is a fine Goldsmith drama score though, one of my favourites and forms a nice pairing with the 1997 L.A. Confidential.

[1977 1,743]

It's a bit of a lose/lose isn't it?

 

If people buy this, they likely get stuck with a defective pressing that the supplier does not seem to recognise/care about.

 

If people don't buy this, the supplier will likely decide there is no demand for these expansions and stop producing them.

[JTN 2,036]

Listening to it right now on a CD player, no playback issue whatsoever, and the disc has the aforementioned blemish. 

As for the score itself, I think I even like it a little bit more than L.A. CONFIDENTIAL. Great score. 

[Yavar Moradi 2,599]

Glad you’re able to play your copy with no issues, and cool to see yet another person agree that this more overlooked score is superior to LA Confidential!

 

Yavar

[Jurassic Shark 12,080]

I've overlooked both.

[Yavar Moradi 2,599]

17 minutes ago, Jurassic Shark said:

I've overlooked both.

With L.A. Confidential I’d recommend seeking out the film first, which is awesome. And if you like the music you hear in the film, then pick up the Varese expansion.

 

I’d recommend a blind buy for City Hall on album… if only it wasn’t plagued with this manufacturing issue.

 

Yavar

[Jurassic Shark 12,080]

Just now, Yavar Moradi said:

With L.A. Confidential I’d recommend seeking out the film first, which is awesome.

 

I've got it on blu.

[Ollie 1,059]

Well my replace disc arrived according to the Mrs so we’ll see when I get home. I tried using different software, other than iTunes, to rip the original that was sent but no luck. 
 

 

Oh and Varese is apparently announcing 2 new titles this Friday too.

 

 

[Yavar Moradi 2,599]

8 minutes ago, Jurassic Shark said:

I've got it on blu.

Let us know what you think after watching!

 

Yavar

[Jurassic Shark 12,080]

4 minutes ago, Yavar Moradi said:

Let us know what you think after watching!

 

Yavar

 

Not planning to watch it! 

[Incanus 5,715]

1 hour ago, Yavar Moradi said:

Glad you’re able to play your copy with no issues, and cool to see yet another person agree that this more overlooked score is superior to LA Confidential!

 

Yavar

The liner notes of City Hall mention the stylistic comparison to On the Waterfront by Leonard Bernstein which I do hear in there but interestingly this facet was not mentioned in the L.A. Confidential liner notes, when the Goldsmith's own main theme is basically a variation/homage on the main theme of On the Waterfront. 

 

I really can't decide which do I like more though. Both of these have such great Americana/Noir quality to them. The new City Hall album, much like the L.A. Confidential Deluxe Edition, made me appreciate this score even more. Both expansions, despite the typically economic running time of the actual film score, seem more rounded on these expanded releases even though there is relatively little added material on them.

 

Also got to love Malcolm McNab's trumpet solos in both of these scores. 

[Yavar Moradi 2,599]

I think I prefer City Hall because it feels more warm/emotional/orchestral, and less cold/synthy than LA Confidential, overall.

 

But yeah, lots of commonality in both scores including great trumpet solos and a debt to Bernstein's On the Waterfront.

 

Yavar

[Ollie 1,059]

Well I wish I had good news but the the same problem arose, except now its the first 3 tracks that are problems.

 

Oh and same spot on the CD.

[Yavar Moradi 2,599]

Yeah three people at FSM who got replacements have posted similarly.  

 

Yavar

[Ollie 1,059]

I’ve tried quite a few different ripping softwares and nothing works.

 

I use Apple so no EAC. 

[Ollie 1,059]

So Varese has finally acknowledged the issue on Twitter. scroll down to the responses to the next cd club batch announcement…
 

 
 

[Jay 37,371]

There's two different ways you can link (or in this case embed) their reply instead of linking (embedding) a different tweet and telling people to find the reply under it

 

One is you can click the timestamp on the reply and get that URL

 

The other way is to go to Varese's main twitter page and click "Replies"

 

Here it is:

 

 

[Yavar Moradi 2,599]

Great news! Thank goodness.

 

Yavar

[JTN 2,036]

39 minutes ago, Yavar Moradi said:

Great news! Thank goodness.

 

Yavar

Yeah, for US customers. It'll be a nightmare getting them for people living in the EU. I thank the Maker that my copy has no problem.

[Yavar Moradi 2,599]

You think they’ll refuse to replace defective international copies?

 

(I’m very glad indeed that your copy played without problems though.)

 

Yavar

[JTN 2,036]

12 minutes ago, Yavar Moradi said:

You think they’ll refuse to replace defective international copies?

 

(I’m very glad indeed that your copy played without problems though.)

 

Yavar

Thanks! No, I'm sure they will replace them, just getting them will be an ordeal with the horrible customs fee.