Morgan Freeman's voice on WOTW soundtrack???

[Sandor 459]

Check this site

http://www.iclassics.com/productDetail?contentId=64092

As you can see Morgan Freeman is credited as a "performer" on the opening and closing tracks.

Old news?

[MAG-SI 10]

Hoping that this will be only in the US version.

[Unlucky Bastard 7,765]

Bad news.

[King Mark 2,924]

oh no...

and it's from Decca,the ones that DIDN'T put narration on Angela's Ashes.

K.M.Who remembers enduring that horrible voice over the beautiful opening clarinet solo of Back to America before getting the narration free version.

[nightscape94 965]

But wouldn't this mark the first Spielberg/Williams collaboration containing narration?

Maybe they just had Freeman narrate an intro from the book (w/o music) and the end of the book (also w/o music), so that JW's music is just bookended and isn't actually affected.

Tim

[Antineutrino 0]

Hmm, I always wondered what the * means at the Amazon track listing. Now we know what... :?

[King Mark 2,924]

Maybe they just had Freeman narrate an intro from the book (w/o music) and the end of the book (also w/o music), so that JW's music is just bookended and isn't actually affected.

Tim

Don't count on it.I can safely predict it will cover up the best part of the cue.

K.M.

[Mr. Breathmask 480]

Didn't Decca also release More Music from Braveheart?

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,251]

If this is like the CD's of Star Trek II or Conan The Barbarian i don't really mind.

And Freeman would be a good choice for narrator.

Of course it's also possible that there's a far bigger mistake and John Williams did not score this film at all, it's done by Morgan Freeman trying out a new career as film composer.

Right Roald?

[Unlucky Bastard 7,765]

Music and words... together?!

[Bowie 45]

At least it's just the opening and closing tracks, and it seems as though the music will be written subtly, inconsequentially, with the dialogue in mind, as I'm sure Freeman isn't just lending his superior vocal talent to a film score soundtrack and will appear in the same format in the film.

[Luke Skywalker 1,285]

NOOOOO!

It says vocalist.

Could those be songs?

8O

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,251]

Morgan Freeman crooning to John Williams new themes?

[Greg1138 2]

If this is like the CD's of Star Trek II or Conan The Barbarian i don't really mind.

And Freeman would be a good choice for narrator.

Good call - Freeman has one of the most dramatic voices in the buisiness....it would be good to hear him do the "No-one would believe...." stuff...

[Marian Schedenig 5,520]

If this is like the CD's of Star Trek II or Conan The Barbarian i don't really mind.

And Freeman would be a good choice for narrator.

Agreed.

Marian - who dislikes unnecessary narration, but appreciaties fitting narration.

8O Drake 400 (Ron Goodwin)

[JMan 0]

This will be very interesting to hear. Im thinking narrations will set us up for the score and if Williams does a concert version or suite of music, narration would be appropriate knowing that its based off of a book. Looking forward to it. Decca has good sound quality so Im not to worried about that.

[John Crichton 4]

As long as he's not talking over music I'm fine with it. But he probably will be.

[Ray Barnsbury 8]

Same here. Hopefully there will be an international version w/o narration.

Ray Barnsbury

[H2OProof 2]

THE AMERICAN JOURNEY was composed with narration intended wasn't it? We are so fortunate that the recording released by Sony was narration free!!! 8O At least Sony got something right .

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,251]

Same here.  Hopefully there will be an international version w/o narration.

Ray Barnsbury

Please, we haven't even heard it yet.

Stefancos- who hates the fact Varese released Conan The Barbarian without the opening narration.

[King Mark 2,924]

THE AMERICAN JOURNEY was composed with narration intended wasn't it?  We are so fortunate that the recording released by Sony was narration free!!! 8O  At least Sony got something right .

No that was probably another Sony screw up.They probably planned to put narration.We just got lucky.

K.M.

[H2OProof 2]

THE AMERICAN JOURNEY was composed with narration intended wasn't it?  We are so fortunate that the recording released by Sony was narration free!!! 8O  At least Sony got something right .

No that was probably another Sony screw up.They probably planned to put narration.We just got lucky.

K.M.

LOL

[Henry B 49]

Hopefully "Epilogue" is the end credits, so we'll be able to do a DVD rip eventually to remove the narration, if it's there.

[Jeshopk 8]

:cry: :cry: :cry: :? :roll: 8O :cry: :cry: :cry:

A dark day is this

[orrakul 0]

I guess this is a way for the record company to sell more copies of the "boring" score...

8O

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,251]

So much negativity, over a score no one has heard yet, and MAY not have any narration at all.

[Morlock 9]

Precisely.

Morlock- who anyway doesn't mind properly placed narration at all

Morlock 2- who's wondering why no one else seems to have mentioned the fact that Morgan Freeman is not credited as having any role what so ever in the film (though it's possible he was brought in as narrator and is simply doing it uncredited)

[Kendal_Ozzel 32]

I'll reserve judgement until I hear it.

C'mon, at least he isn't Irish.

[JoeinAR 1,759]

oh well this just ruins it completely,

I sure as hell won't be buying this now.

[JMan 0]

If you have the recording with Burgess Meredith doing a narration for the REIVERS then you'll know what i mean when I say the dialogue sometimes is a useful partner with the music. This might not be bad.

[Miz 114]

oh well this just ruins it completely,  

I sure as hell won't be buying this now.

I hope you're being sarcastic.

[Marian Schedenig 5,520]

THE AMERICAN JOURNEY was composed with narration intended wasn't it?  We are so fortunate that the recording released by Sony was narration free!!!  At least Sony got something right .

Actually, I'd like to hear what it was like with narration. But then, it also was a film score in a way, so I don't know how much the relation has to the actual music.

And it probably didn't have anything to do with Sony, but was Williams' own decision...

Marian - who finds all this Sony bashing rather ridiculous.

[King Mark 2,924]

If you have the recording with Burgess Meredith doing a narration for the REIVERS then you'll know what i mean when I say the dialogue sometimes is a useful partner with the music.  .

Your kidding,right? I have never gotten over that one.

K.M.who thinks the Reivers Suite is UTTERLY ruined.

[JoeinAR 1,759]

oh well this just ruins it completely,  

I sure as hell won't be buying this now.

I hope you're being sarcastic.

yes I am.

this whole thing is the Harry Potter, Harry's and Ron's hair is too long argument, repackaged. People need to relax until they get the finished product, then if they don't like it feel free to unload, but right now, we just don't have enough info to really complain. What happens if the Morgan Freeman stuff is so utterly brilliant, but no one thought of that.

[JMan 0]

AMEN AMEN AMEN!

[Justin 2]

What happens if the Morgan Freeman stuff is so utterly brilliant, but no one thought of that.

Well what are some scores with good naration?

Justin - Who can't think of any (Then again I haven't really heard many.)

[Ray Barnsbury 8]

No matter how great the narration is, it's nice to actually be able to listen to all the music on the CD without someone talking over it. I guess I don't see the point of having it; we buy the soundtrack for the music. Not for some Wild Bill Kelso nonsense or the like.

Ray Barnsbury

[Lurker 5]

...we buy the soundtrack for the music. Not for some Wild Bill Kelso nonsense or the like.

And don't you forget it!

Neil

[Unlucky Bastard 7,765]

The whole point of a score soundtrack is to listen to the music on its own without the annoying film interfering. This is why I hate the Conan the Barbarian and Hannibal soundtracks!

[fommes 126]

Well what are some scores with good naration?

I prefer to have my CDs with no narration, but since you asked the question, there's the Nightmare before Christmas that popped up in my mind (the Patrick Stewart tracks). But I'd very much like to have those without Stewart too.

[Unlucky Bastard 7,765]

Make it so...

[Adam 1]

If you have the recording with Burgess Meredith doing a narration for the REIVERS then you'll know what i mean when I say the dialogue sometimes is a useful partner with the music.  .

Your kidding,right? I have never gotten over that one.

K.M.who thinks the Reivers Suite is UTTERLY ruined.

In the case of The Reviers suite, JW wrote the music specifically for the dialog so at least the two

things try to work together and we’re hearing the music how it was intended to be heard. I don’t

mind that example so much, though I listen to it less than I do his non-dialog suites. I wouldn' want him to make a habit of that kind of thing, but as a one-time experiment I think that is a good example of how dialog can be used.

With Angela’s Ashes, the dialog is added after the fact and gets in the way, especially for the finale (Back to America or whatever its called) so that’s a much worse example for me.

- Adam

[H2OProof 2]

This is the crux of the matter:

No matter how great the narration is, it's nice to actually be able to listen to all the music on the CD without someone talking over it.  I guess I don't see the point of having it; we buy the soundtrack for the music.

We can wait for the DVD if we want to listen to it with the narration included.

[JMan 0]

I agree with what Adam said. Meredith's narration from the Reivers is a PARTNER in the music, it does not take over. I can see what many people are saying that the narration will not fit, but I would listen first and then express whatever. One very likely possibiliy is that Freeman's narration will be over sustained dissonant chords, not a lyrical melody.

Joe

[Mooz0r 23]

humnmmmmmmmm.... =

And as for Harry and Ron's Hair, I think they've took a path down the emo route o_O

[King Mark 2,924]

The Potter whining is in the other thread.

K.M.

[Romão 1,931]

The narration works great on Hannibal (specially in Make My Own Home be my gallows...Hopkin's is like another instrument in the orchestra), Conan and the prologue in Dune.

[HPFAN_2 0]

The Potter whining is in the other thread.

K.M.

Never mind the fact that Star Wars seems to transcend to every other thread.

[Jeshopk 8]

What happens if the Morgan Freeman stuff is so utterly brilliant, but no one thought of that.

It is impossible for me to like JW music plus narration as much as JW music alone. Absolutely impossible.

[JMan 0]

Jeshopk, The Burbs is my absolute fav movie in the world!!!!

Give the WOTW a chance.

Joe