John Powell's HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON: THE HIDDEN WORLD (2019) - 2024 Varese Deluxe Edition

[Faleel 5,355]

39 minutes ago, Taikomochi said:

Mine came but the first track has skipping all over it 😔. There’s no visible scratches on the CD, so not sure what happened. Check ya discs, folks

Check your drive too, sometimes my newer LG BD drive skips, while my older DVD drive (which I bought for backing up GameCube game ROMs) doesn't.

[Jay 37,369]

5 minutes ago, HunterTech said:

Think you might've not had the page update in time there, Jay.

 

What?

[filip 53]

Eeee... that's not how my DE of the first one looks...

[Richard Penna 3,694]

Nor mine, I have the nice see thru spine with 'deluxe edition' like the second. Having a normal black spine for a DE... that's just wrong 

 

And a lack of consistency between the three would be cute if this were some indie thing, but for a major film series, all done by the same composer, studio and label, doesn't quite gel. I do sort of like how the Hiccup/Toothless imagery sets #2 and 3 apart from the OSTs though.

 

The first two sound awesome though, so hopefully the third sounds as vibrant, and of course there's some extra music I've never heard before. Not many score series where I have a definitive edition of all three on CD.

 

[Andy 4,138]

46 minutes ago, Jay said:

 

Did you happen to order Hellboy II as well?

I did not. Sorry. 

[Jay 37,369]

S'all good!

[Jay 37,369]

Here finally are the track lengths

 

[scallenger 483]

Wow I didn't realize it's only 2,000 copies. Seems kind of low considering.

[Richard Penna 3,694]

At least it will live on digitally, but yes, that's quite low.

 

My tracking has moved nowhere for a day and a half now so I'm probably looking at either tomorrow or Mon. Slight hope that Evri's just useless at updating their system and it'll suddenly pop through the door later on. They've certainly had enough time.

[Jay 37,369]

Here's some more pics!
 

Spoiler

 

 

 

[ThePenitentMan1 744]

Quote

The second film was a chance to revisit Cressida Cowell's wonderful world again.

 

Can you really still call it Cressida Cowell's world when the setting of the films has hardly any resemblance to the books?

[JTN 2,030]

Did the CD arrive with the scratched front cover, or was it you?

21 minutes ago, Jay said:

Here's some more pics!
 

  Reveal hidden contents

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2 minutes ago, ThePenitentMan1 said:

 

Can you really still call it Cressida Cowell's world when the setting of the films has hardly any resemblance to the books?

He must've meant that the characters and story was created by Cowell, hence it's her world. 

[Jay 37,369]

9 minutes ago, JTN said:

Did the CD arrive with the scratched front cover, or was it you?

 

It came scratched.  They just put my 4 CDs in a thinnish bubble envelope, not a box like LLL and Intrada do.  Bummer.

[JTN 2,030]

Sorry...

[Jay 37,369]

It's all good

[JNHFan2000 2,966]

So Powell is not only only a fantastic composer but also a beautiful writer.

That little bit was really heartfelt and made me a little emotional.

 

3 incredible scores and it's so great that we can explore and adore them in full now!

[Raiders of the SoundtrArk 2,433]

Has anynone who ordered it from the International shop received a shipping notice?

[Jay 37,369]

2 hours ago, JNHFan2000 said:

So Powell is not only only a fantastic composer but also a beautiful writer.

That little bit was really heartfelt and made me a little emotional.

 

This is the same note that was in the OST album from 2019.

 

The thanks are all the same too, and the music credits (only dropping Patricia Sullivan's mastering credit)

[HunterTech 994]

So that's actually something I wanted to talk about when you posted the back of the case yesterday, since I wanted to see if there were any changes in the crew of each of these releases based on some of the previous key talking points.

 

While Cary E. Mansfield is consistently credited as the executive producer of the reissues across all 3, @BryonDavis is only on the first one alongside him, so I wonder what that's about. Mark Shoolery did both the artwork for 2 and 3's DEs, making me more curious in the very different approaches for each.

 

However, the biggest surprise for me is that after John Traunwieser did every prior remaster job for 5 Cat Studios, it's Chas Ferry and Melinda Hurley this time. I really have no idea if I've ever seen two people on a mastering job for one project until now, so I'm quite keen to know if that'll make it feel noticeably different from the previous two DEs.

[Jay 37,369]

3 minutes ago, HunterTech said:

While Cary E. Mansfield is consistently credited as the executive producer of the reissues across all 3, @BryonDavis is only on the first one alongside him, so I wonder what that's about.

 

Bryon left Varese a few years ago now

[HunterTech 994]

Ah, I must've missed that then

[Richard Penna 3,694]

1 hour ago, HunterTech said:

However, the biggest surprise for me is that after John Traunwieser did every prior remaster job for 5 Cat Studios, it's Chas Ferry and Melinda Hurley this time.

 

This raises a question from me - what is it about the score as recorded and mixed for the film that makes it require additional work for a score release?

 

Is it just mixing down multiple channels into stereo or is there something else? There are some scores where I listen to what's in the film and it sounds completely identical. Do some composers just feel that when heard standalone, they want to change some stuff?

[Jay 37,369]

1 hour ago, Richard Penna said:

This raises a question from me - what is it about the score as recorded and mixed for the film that makes it require additional work for a score release?

 

 

All music (more or less) is mastered for album release. It's super rare for anything to be sold completely unmastered that isn't like, bonus tracks.  Here's a guide that what mastering is:

 

https://www.landr.com/what-is-mastering/

 

1 hour ago, Richard Penna said:

Is it just mixing down multiple channels into stereo or is there something else?

 

That's mixing, not mastering.

 

1 hour ago, Richard Penna said:

There are some scores where I listen to what's in the film and it sounds completely identical.

 

Mastering can be a very light touch, indeed! It also might be different in ways that are subtle and you'd need to choose to dive deep and figure it out to be aware of it.

 

1 hour ago, Richard Penna said:

Do some composers just feel that when heard standalone, they want to change some stuff?

 

Mastering shouldn't "change" things in a noticeable way, really, just make it all sound good and consistent.

[A. A. Ron 1,742]

Playing this for the first time now and there's a lot more new stuff here than I expected!

 

Highlights so far:

 

The DreamWorks logo with How to Train Your Dragon themes is NOT included.

 

Setting Up Camp is a new cue with fun orchestrations of several new themes.

 

New Berk Feast is an awesome little source cue!

 

Grimmel's Surprise is a really awesome unreleased cue too! It's like a more fleshed out version of the waterfall cue.

[filip 53]

5 hours ago, Raiders of the SoundtrArk said:

Has anynone who ordered it from the International shop received a shipping notice?

Nothing beyond the initial order confirmation.

And with my luck I expect it won't get shipped before April...

[Faleel 5,355]

1 hour ago, A. A. Ron said:

Playing this for the first time now and there's a lot more new stuff here than I expected!

 

Highlights so far:

 

The DreamWorks logo with How to Train Your Dragon themes is NOT included.

That's a highlight?

 

[HunterTech 994]

I'm near positive that's a track that doesn't exist for this score in the same way it does for the first two, since the logos for 3 just use the regular Universal and DWA themes. The latter definitely seems to be a unique rendition at least, but I can still hear the core HGW Shrek theme in it, and I imagine Powell would've included it if he was the one who arranged it.

[A. A. Ron 1,742]

1 hour ago, Faleel said:

That's a highlight?

 

 

Well it's noteworthy.

 

I did end up adding the DreamWorks logo, shortening the intro of Exodus, separating Rescue Mission from Busy Busy Berk and re-editing the joins between The Hiccup I Know / Armada, Part 1 / Part 2, but the rest of this album flows wonderfully.

[bored 309]

1 hour ago, A. A. Ron said:

I did end up adding the DreamWorks logo, shortening the intro of Exodus, separating Rescue Mission from Busy Busy Berk and re-editing the joins between The Hiccup I Know / Armada, Part 1 / Part 2

 

I don't even know what you guys are talking about, I listen to the complete uncut scores of any film music I love.

[Faleel 5,355]

31 minutes ago, bored said:

 

I don't even know what you guys are talking about, I listen to the complete uncut scores of any film music I love.

Aside from the shortened Exodus, none of those really negates what you just said.

[A. A. Ron 1,742]

Exactly. I actually made the album a little longer by changing the edit points in the Armada battle and adding the clean ending/opening to the first couple cues, nevermind adding the logos.

[Frank Vincent 234]

11 hours ago, Raiders of the SoundtrArk said:

Has anynone who ordered it from the International shop received a shipping notice?

 

According to the international store How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World and Hellboy II: The Golden Army will ship on or before March 22.

[Raiders of the SoundtrArk 2,433]

Yeah but I was wondering if they did the same mistake as the US store which was corrected

[Smaug The Iron 516]

On 23/02/2024 at 7:41 PM, Smaug The Iron said:

Setting Up Camp

 Valka’s Warning

New Berk Feast

Stronger Together (was on the promo but not OST)

Grimmel’s Surprise

I think is all new to this set.

I want to add Near Miss Valka and New Island as completely new to this Album. And so is the last three minutes of Busy Busy Berk. 

[A. A. Ron 1,742]

Near Miss Valka was on the FYC, but not the OST.

[Smaug The Iron 516]

20 minutes ago, A. A. Ron said:

Near Miss Valka was on the FYC, but not the OST.

Thanks I must have missed that 

[A. A. Ron 1,742]

Some other bits of info:

 

Looking at Rescue Mission / Busy Busy Berk, the OST either has different edit points or a couple of quick microedits at 0:33 and 1:15 (timestamps from the deluxe). Busy Busy Berk comes in about 1 second sooner on the deluxe, has an unreleased cue/section from 5:26-7:08, then ends with a 13 second-ish stinger that was on the OST.

 

The 10 second stinger at the end of Grimmel's Terms on the OST is edited differently from the one on the Deluxe/FYC.

 

The OST omits the last 11 seconds or so of Legend Has It.

 

There's a 10 second string sustain in the middle of Dart Trap that's shortened on the OST.

 

The FYC has clean openings for Busy Busy Berk, Grimmel's Terms (a later part of it anyway), Cage Fight, both parts of Armada Battle, Freedom, and Boat Epilogue.

 

The FYC has clean endings for Busy Busy Berk (the first part), Marry Her, Ambush Part 1, The Hiccup I Know, Armada Battle Part 1, Ultimate Sacrifice, Viking Wedding, and Boat Epilogue.

[Faleel 5,355]

It's kinda interesting how concertlike this one sounds in comparison the the first.

[A. A. Ron 1,742]

Yeah I think a lot of Powell's work started sounding a bit more classical after he took that brief break from scoring to write his oratorio. Cues like Exodus and Armada Battle stand out for me as examples of this. On the other hand, I always felt Third Date/Forbidden Courtship had something of a pop influence.

[Faleel 5,355]

29 minutes ago, A. A. Ron said:

Yeah I think a lot of Powell's work started sounding a bit more classical after he took that brief break from scoring to write his oratorio. Cues like Exodus and Armada Battle stand out for me as examples of this. On the other hand, I always felt Third Date/Forbidden Courtship had something of a pop influence.

The opening of The Hidden World felt like that too (0:40), almost like old school Genesis/Peter Gabriel.

 

And 5:40 of this:

 

 

[Tallguy 3,398]

Ordered!

 

I think it's got a kind of Michael Kamen / Moody Blues feel or 80's Trevor Jones. It sounds HUGE. Parts of the choir are nearly overwhelming. And not in a modern "Everyone is singing the same note at the same time" feel. There's THAT many people singing THAT many different parts.

[JTN 2,030]

Yes, that’s what I always say, that JP can sometimes be overwhelming to the point where it almost feels cacophonic. The HTTYD scores are some of the major examples where Powell can almost be “too much” at times. Solo is another one. These scores are great nonetheless.

[A. A. Ron 1,742]

I only feel that way with a few specific cues. Battle of the Bewilderbeast and Into the Maw come to mind. And maybe the whole extended action sequence in Tangiers in The Bourne Ultimatum. I love that last one to pieces, but it is relentless.

[Faleel 5,355]

Just now, A. A. Ron said:

I only feel that way with a few specific cues. Battle of the Bewilderbeast and Into the Maw come to mind.

I can understand ItM.

 

I love BewilderBeast/Hiccup Confronts Drago, it's what made me want to become a composer.

[A. A. Ron 1,742]

Oh I don’t dislike any of those pieces. I just can understand how someone might consider them too much for their respective films or perhaps somewhat exhausting to listen to on their own, especially when in the wrong mood/frame of mind.

[Richard Penna 3,694]

I initially pondered whether I'd want Busy Busy Berk as a separate cue but I actually rather like how 3:30 onwards in Rescue Mission builds you into the wonderful beginning of the latter with the strings just lingering. I'm also happy they kept the repeated bit in Busy at 4:19 as I'd gotten used to it without the OST's edit.

 

For now I'm delaying listening to the unreleased cues as we can only hear them for the first time once. More fun for now to hear bits restored to the OST tracks, the first of which is immediately evident as the first track.

 

After the superb Where No One Goes it was always disappointing that Together From Afar has no thematic link, nor really any link at all to Powell's score (that I can tell, anyway) but it goes in the 'it's okay' box so I'm going to keep it in my playlist, hence my playlists for #2 and #3 will be untouched from the CDs. Thankfully, having never seen the film and very little motivation to do so, it's a concept album and for all our foibles about cover art and distribution woes, the whole thing musically seems great.

 

Edit: oohh, crossfade gone at 2:34 in Legend Has It, nice 

[Faleel 5,355]

I also really noticed that it's also a lot quieter/melancholy than the other two IMO.

 

And some Horton vibes.

[bored 309]

On 02/03/2024 at 11:18 AM, JTN said:

Yes, that’s what I always say, that JP can sometimes be overwhelming to the point where it almost feels cacophonic. The HTTYD scores are some of the major examples where Powell can almost be “too much” at times. Solo is another one. These scores are great nonetheless.

 

I personally always enjoy when an orchestra is pushed to its limits. Overwhelming action is definitely my favorite, as long as it's actual crafted chaos with every part of the orchestra being represented, and not just say... loud, overworked strings, brass, and percussion with ugly, loud synths. 

 

*cough*

[Faleel 5,355]

Working on a suite of the theme in Legend Has It/Viking Wedding.

[bored 309]

Such a beautiful theme. I love that it's an evolution of the original berk theme as shown in "Stronger Together" by playing them both at the same time.