Mick Giacchino's SKELETON CREW (2024)

[crumbs 15,853]

Mick confirms there's a big release coming at the end of the season.

 

 

[tomsmoviemadness 4,570]

2.5 hours of music!

 

https://music.apple.com/nz/album/star-wars-skeleton-crew-original-soundtrack/1790250122

 

Kids' Suite isn't included, but might be part of the suite at the end.

[crumbs 15,853]

Okay, so... I really, really hope the iTunes samples are just screwed up because the audio quality is... horrible?!?!

 

No bass, no midrange, sounds like someone jacked the treble up to the highest setting then added a dreadful artificial reverb over the whole thing? Everything except track 1 has a horrible processed, tinny sound.

 

Sounds nothing like the recording from the show!

[Holko 11,833]

Can confirm, what the fuck

[crumbs 15,853]

Good grief... this HAS to be a technical mistake

 

Nobody could possibly master this so poorly on purpose, right?!?

 

Finale end credits, show mix:

 

Finale end credits... OST:

[tomsmoviemadness 4,570]

https://www.qobuz.com/nz-en/album/star-wars-skeleton-crew-mick-giacchino/vb9gtoev37isa

 

Does it sound the same on Qobuz?

[Holko 11,833]

yep

[tomsmoviemadness 4,570]

Mmmm, that's strange

 

Because the Kid's Suite single doesn't sound so thin.

[crumbs 15,853]

What the hell! This is horrendous!

 

 

It sounds like a rear channel rip, like they haven't downmixed the 5.1 masters to stereo properly. All that hiss!

 

3 hours ago, tomsmoviemadness said:

Mmmm, that's strange

 

Because the Kid's Suite single doesn't sound so thin.

 

That was definitely prepared at a different time. Must have been mastered by someone else.

[Holko 11,833]

7 minutes ago, crumbs said:

Good grief... this HAS to be a technical mistake

 

Nobody could possibly master this so poorly on purpose, right?!?

 

Finale end credits, show mix:

 

Finale end credits... OST:

Back to back this almost sounds like it only has the rear channels with the reverb, but not the front with the actual music.

1 minute ago, tomsmoviemadness said:

Mmmm, that's strange

 

Because the Kid's Suite single doesn't sound so thin.

Yep, but it's awful on this album (included in the last track)

[Jurassic Shark 15,876]

They let Shawn Murphy the intern do it again. 

[Gabriel Bezerra 713]

It would be funny if there're people who don't think this sounds terrible and it just stays like this.

 

And by "funny" I mean "there's no more hope in the world"

[crumbs 15,853]

It's seriously concerning that music can be released commercially sounding like this. Way, WAY too bright.

 

Album mix:

 

TV mix:

 

Why can't they just leave orchestral recordings to sound like... orchestral recordings?!  It's been EQ'd so heavily it barely resembles an orchestra.

[tomsmoviemadness 4,570]

I'm secretely hoping that maybe the version on YouTube and/or Spotify are different and it's just that something went wrong with these uploads, but it's so strange to upload something like this.

 

His previous albums like The Penguin  Zootopia+ & Extinct never had this problem.

[crumbs 15,853]

16 minutes ago, tomsmoviemadness said:

I'm secretely hoping that maybe the version on YouTube and/or Spotify are different and it's just that something went wrong with these uploads, but it's so strange to upload something like this.

 

Unfortunately not, the YouTube version is the same as the OST. Tinny, distant, artificial, heavily processed.

 

 

Kudos to whoever mastered the version uploaded in December, because they obviously have functioning ears (unlike whoever mastered the OST). Exudes the warmth of the score and recording, wide stereo field, clear separation of instruments. Very pleasant indeed.

 

[Jurassic Shark 15,876]

The Giacchinos were never about quality. 

[Gabriel Bezerra 713]

I can't believe this was on purpose. But I doubt it will be corrected soon (if ever) unless someone up there notices it.

[enderdrag64 1,742]

Can someone try pinging the Giacchino on Twitter/Bluesky/whatever composers are using these days?

[Gabriel Bezerra 713]

By the look of it, this seems to be the one: https://x.com/mickgiacchino

But I'm not on Twitter anymore.

[Holko 11,833]

Someone already has.

[mstrox 7,292]

Wow, I haven’t watched the show yet so I’m not familiar with the material and am not an audiophile type, but this is really appalling sound.

[enderdrag64 1,742]

5 minutes ago, Holko said:

Someone already has.

Link?

[Toillion 403]

3 minutes ago, enderdrag64 said:

Link?

I see this one

https://x.com/solstice676/status/1879900759401316597

[The Score Cleaner 9,188]

As someone who is a bit of a treblehead and likes bright mixes, and some processed sounds, this sounds terrible.

[HunterTech 1,582]

Given Senior Giacchino is infamous for his rather dry mixes, I'm wondering if Mick lost some sort of bet and was made to do the polar opposite here.

[Tydirium 1,556]

Giacchino Sr. has demonstrated for years that he has a, er… “different” idea regarding what sounds good when it comes to mixes. Of all the composers for this to happen to, I am not surprised that it’s a Giacchino; maybe the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.

[The Score Cleaner 9,188]

4 hours ago, tomsmoviemadness said:

His previous albums like The Penguin, Zootopia+ & Extinct never had this problem.

 

49 minutes ago, Tydirium said:

Giacchino Sr. has demonstrated for years that he has a, er… “different” idea regarding what sounds good when it comes to mixes. Of all the composers for this to happen to, I am not surprised that it’s a Giacchino; maybe the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.

 

[Tydirium 1,556]

I saw that before I made my comment; I still stand by my statement, lol. (After all, there was once a time when Giacchino Sr.’s scores sounded good, too.)

[The Score Cleaner 9,188]

Just now, Tydirium said:

I saw that before I made my comment; I still stand by my statement, lol. (After all, there was once a time when Giacchino Sr.’s scores sounded good, too.)

When would that be for you?

[Manakin Skywalker 5,808]

There's no way this wasn't some sort of fuck up. It sounds comically bad.

 

Going to wait for them to fix it before I purchase it. If they don't, then I guess I just won't bother.

[Tydirium 1,556]

4 minutes ago, Doo_liss said:

When would that be for you?

 

I think a lot of his Medal of Honor stuff sounds significantly better.

[The Score Cleaner 9,188]

1 minute ago, Tydirium said:

 

I think a lot of his Medal of Honor stuff sounds significantly better.

That's what I figured you meant.

 

Just checking to make sure you didn't think the Wallin years were amazing or something

[Raiders of the SoundtrArk 2,627]

Just a thought but could it be simply temporary like the watermarked files Chewy talked about? (he asked in disbelief)

[The Score Cleaner 9,188]

1 minute ago, Raiders of the SoundtrArk said:

Just a thought but could it be simply temporary like the watermarked files Chewy talked about? (he asked in disbelief)

Stage 1: Denial.

[Raiders of the SoundtrArk 2,627]

1 minute ago, Doo_liss said:

Stage 1: Denial.

Wait who's in denial?

I'm not in denial. Get it!!!!

[The Score Cleaner 9,188]

Stage 2: Anger

[Raiders of the SoundtrArk 2,627]

I assure you it's true. I'm calling Mick and we'll figure it all out

[The Score Cleaner 9,188]

Stage 3: Bargaining

 

[Raiders of the SoundtrArk 2,627]

 

 

[The Score Cleaner 9,188]

Stage 4: Depression.

[Raiders of the SoundtrArk 2,627]

F**k stage 5

[Manakin Skywalker 5,808]

Here's a good metaphor for the sound quality:

 

It sounds like you're listening to the music on a walkie talkie that's hooked up to a giant subwoofer.

[Chewy 2,778]

1 hour ago, Raiders of the SoundtrArk said:

Just a thought but could it be simply temporary like the watermarked files Chewy talked about? (he asked in disbelief)

 

No watermark here, the problem comes from the master itself 

[Raiders of the SoundtrArk 2,627]

Yeah I figured it out. I was merely hopping for a bad mix release on Thursday and the corrected when it's Friday everywhere. Really hope they can fix this because it's one of my favourite score from last year and I would hate not to have a decent release.

 

There you go: acceptance

[The Score Cleaner 9,188]

Stage 5.

 

There I am done

[Edmilson 11,381]

Well, this is a show for kids and kids don't listen to all that boring orchestral stuff, they are more into electronic. So they made it sound like the whole score was synth!

[tomsmoviemadness 4,570]

Strange that Mick hasn't posted anything about the album yet. Not on Twitter or on Instagram.

[Jay 44,701]

its only 9am his time

[Knight of Ren 1,402]

Putting all those sound issues aside, I've listened to the score a couple of times now, and I really like it a lot. It's so much fun, and filled with great, memorable themes and many nice orchestral details here and there, that highlight Giacchino's talents! And it's quite a long album as well, and I think almost all of the important music is in here, which also makes it easier to appreciate in full.

 

I've done a review in my blog breaking apart all the different themes that comprise the score and talking about how they change and develop through the score, in case anyone wants to check it out!

[Gabriel Bezerra 713]

Considering he was very vocal about the release, his silence could be a sign he knows about the sound issue.