Empire Of The Sun - La-La Land 2CD

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,949]

Jason has a tendency to become a bit goddy too fast. It can be annoying, but it's basically harmless.

[Uni 307]

Whatever. I can't wait for this. The last great Golden Age score to get full treatment (when it should've been one of the first).

Here's what my eagle eyes can pick up from the track list in the picture:

Disc One

1) Suo Gan

2) Home and Hearth

3) [???] Through the Crowd

4) Imaginary Air Battle

5) Japanese Infantry*

6) Lost in the Crowd

7) Alone at Home*

8) The Empty Swimming Pool*

9) The Streets of Shanghai

10) The [Plane?]

11) Jim's New Life

12) The Pheasant Hunt

13) The British Grendiers [???]

14) Cadillac of the Skies

15) Ms. Victor and James*

16) The Return to the City

17) Seeing the Bomb*

18) Bringing Them Back*

19) Liberation: Exultate Justi

20) Suo Gan [Reprise performed by Tangerine Dream]

21) Exultate Justi

Disc Two

1) [some classical piece] Op. 17 [or maybe 12]

2) Imaginary Air Battle (alternate)*

3) Alone at Home (alternate)*

4) The Streets of Shanghai ([???])*

5) The Streets of Shanghai (alternate [???])*

6) [???]* (Second word looks like "Again")

7) The Plane (alternate)*

8) Cadillac of the Skies (alternate)*

9) The Return to the City (alternate)*

10) Exultate Justi

That's the best I can do. #6 on Disc Two is a real puzzler.

[Little Ghost 7,876]

Disc 2 Number 6 is Chopin Again (op 17 is Mazurkas no 4) I think.

DIsc 1 #3 looks like Trip through the Crowd.

[Jay 42,491]

20) Suo Gan [Reprise performed by Tangerine Dream]

[Uni 307]

Yeah, well . . . those really tiny notes are pretty hard to read, so the accuracy might not be 100%. . . .

Disc 2 Number 6 is Chopin Again (op 17 is Mazurkas no 4) I think.

DIsc 1 #3 looks like Trip through the Crowd.

That makes sense. (I thought the first word in #3 might be "Trip." It also looked like "Jap," which made things really interesting. . . .)

[Marian Schedenig 10,165]

In all fairness it is the central set piece and JW probably wanted to open with a bang. He set e.g. Mecha World to open A.I. OST in similar way, whether or not a good choice but I can understand the composer's "musical programme" logic at work.

It's my biggest criticism of albums like AOTC and the original TPM. The remastered Jaws, too. Putting the big highlight right after the main title (usually also a major highlight) so that all thematic development and musical narrative is screwed up and the full programme lacks a proper climax.

[Jay 42,491]

Williams didn't push the climax of AOTC up to track #2 - track #2 is the concert arrangement of the love theme. The climactic pieces of the score "Love Pledge and Arena" and "Finale" are the final 2 tracks.

[indy4 159]

In all fairness it is the central set piece and JW probably wanted to open with a bang. He set e.g. Mecha World to open A.I. OST in similar way, whether or not a good choice but I can understand the composer's "musical programme" logic at work.

It's my biggest criticism of albums like AOTC and the original TPM. The remastered Jaws, too. Putting the big highlight right after the main title (usually also a major highlight) so that all thematic development and musical narrative is screwed up and the full programme lacks a proper climax.

I generally view those as being entirely separate listens. I don't think I would listen to both DotF (concert version) AND the complete TPM score. But it depends on the score.

Anyways, this set looks great!

[Marian Schedenig 10,165]

Williams didn't push the climax of AOTC up to track #2 - track #2 is the concert arrangement of the love theme. The climactic pieces of the score "Love Pledge and Arena" and "Finale" are the final 2 tracks.

It's the full development of the score's major theme though. Narratively and organically, it belongs in a later place.

[Mr. Brown 91]

Buying it because it's fucking Williams.

[King Mark 3,834]

ok, so I had to read all the post to get to the picture of the set

I was right, there was a bunch of alternates. I bet the "early score" is much more like Williams style in E.T. or Raiders

Since my predictions are coming true, I can't wait for the SW Prequels announcement
(countdown clock)

[Foundling 12]

On ones you're unsure on:

Disc One:

3. Trip Through The Crowd (looks it to me)

Disc Two:

1. Chopin Mazurka Opus 17, No. 4

6. (almost looks like Chopin Again)

We'll find out in due course obviously...

[Ricard 2,318]

Since my predictions are coming true, I can't wait for the SW Prequels announcement

(countdown clock)

[Balahkay 629]

Since my predictions are coming true, I can't wait for the SW Prequels announcement

(countdown clock)

Well, it's nice to have a dream.

[nightscape94 967]

Williams didn't push the climax of AOTC up to track #2 - track #2 is the concert arrangement of the love theme. The climactic pieces of the score "Love Pledge and Arena" and "Finale" are the final 2 tracks.

It's the full development of the score's major theme though. Narratively and organically, it belongs in a later place.

Williams hasn't struck me as someone who sculpts his OSTs with the score fan in mind, but rather the general consumer.

[Jay 42,491]

Hmm, that's a very interesting thought.

[Wojo 2,458]

I thought he made them for Thor.

[filmmusic 2,638]

Williams didn't push the climax of AOTC up to track #2 - track #2 is the concert arrangement of the love theme. The climactic pieces of the score "Love Pledge and Arena" and "Finale" are the final 2 tracks.

It's the full development of the score's major theme though. Narratively and organically, it belongs in a later place.

Williams hasn't struck me as someone who sculpts his OSTs with the score fan in mind, but rather the general consumer.

I agree!

But i always thought the track lists/order were the studios' decision.

[Incanus 5,858]

Williams didn't push the climax of AOTC up to track #2 - track #2 is the concert arrangement of the love theme. The climactic pieces of the score "Love Pledge and Arena" and "Finale" are the final 2 tracks.

It's the full development of the score's major theme though. Narratively and organically, it belongs in a later place.

Williams hasn't struck me as someone who sculpts his OSTs with the score fan in mind, but rather the general consumer.

I agree!

But i always thought the track lists/order were the studios' decision.

The album programmes are Williams' decision all the way through. I remember how JW mentioned in an interview back in 1999 concerning The Phantom Menace album that he prefers to construct a concert type programme with maximum constrasts and a musical flow that tries to keep the aural interest of the listener by variety.

Williams tends to put concert suites at the beginning of the album perhaps as a kind of "road map" to the themes of the score so that you have some indication to what to look for in the rest of the music. He is also one of the few who even does concert suites anymore. But I think having the major highlight of the score to open the album follows a purely general album producing or concert setting type of philosophy or where you want to grab the attention right away with an overture of sorts and when the audience is attentive offer them a varied programme.

[Incanus 5,858]

ok, so I had to read all the post to get to the picture of the set

I was right, there was a bunch of alternates. I bet the "early score" is much more like Williams style in E.T. or Raiders

Since my predictions are coming true, I can't wait for the SW Prequels announcement

(countdown clock)

Oh KM, always the fanfare-hungry optimist.

[A24 4,814]

KM really should check out John Philip Sousa!

[Jay 42,491]

I'm happy this is limited to 4,000 copies as well. Everyone who wants one will be able to get a copy.

[Incanus 5,858]

I'm happy this is limited to 4,000 copies as well. Everyone who wants one will be able to get a copy.

Yeap!

[filmmusic 2,638]

So that means that I don't have to rush and buy it on the first day or 2, right?

(although I remember Spacecamp was OOP in a day or 2?)

[Jay 42,491]

SpaceCamp was limited to 3,000 copies. It wasn't expanded though, so who the hell knows.

Hook was limited to 5,000 and still hasn't sold out 2 years later.

[mstrox 7,221]

SpaceCamp was super rare, though, even in the OST presentation.

Hook and Empire of the Sun OSTs are available - and for cheap! - for those who just want the highlights. I'd anticipate that you'll have enough time to pick this up.

[Jay 42,491]

Oh right good point, the only time SpaceCamp had been on (legal) CD before was a Japanese pressing, and that itself was a limited pressing as well.

I think EOTS will sell it's first 3,000 copies in the first month or so, but will remain in print overall for probably 5 years.

[Wojo 2,458]

Sounds like we need a new contest. I vote derp derp derp.

[A24 4,814]

"Highlights" usually are limited to 3 or 4 tracks. The OST is more than merely "highlights".

[Jay 42,491]

Well the OST was 55 minutes long and the new LLL CD is double that length, so there will certainly be many new highlights to be found in the previously unreleased material.

[Wojo 2,458]

The "Highlights from the Motion Picture Soundtrack" album for the 2012 Les Miserables film was twenty tracks, 65:20. The 2013 Deluxe album was 42 tracks, 114:59.

You'll find similar treatments of the recent film versions of The Phantom of the Opera and Sweeney Todd. "Highlights" doesn't always mean super sampler, but its use in marketing usually applies to musicals. But you did lead off with usually.

[A24 4,814]

We're talking scores here. To most listeners the OST is already 90% filler. They want the hits of a Morricone score, not the whole OST (even though they are not 55 minutes either).

[Wojo 2,458]

I know. I just can't find a score marketed as a "Highlights" album with that word in its title. Score albums use buzz acronyms like OMPS and OST which aren't standardized from a quantity perspective.

As for your 90% statistic, you led it off with "most," so the true demographic is much smaller because this niche of obsessive compulsive full score collectors don't fall into that. The filler crowd is the people who want the 3-4 tracks from each movie they like, but I don't know what percentage of the rest is filler, ie not those 3-4 tracks. It's difficult to say because 42.7% of all statistics are made up on the spot.

[A24 4,814]

And how much of those 55 minutes is all new music?

[Uni 307]

T-minus 29 hours to other big news item coming up (hopefully something sufficient to tide us over for the next six days + shipping time. . . .)

[Marian Schedenig 10,165]

Williams hasn't struck me as someone who sculpts his OSTs with the score fan in mind, but rather the general consumer.

Clearly. But these days, the "general consumer" often seems to be someone who buys three individual tracks from iTunes rather than listening to a full album. Putting most of the highlights at the beginning of the album is a similar concept, to me. It rarely serves the musical narrative well (and that narrative is as much an inherent part of the *music* as it is a part of the film; it doesn't require any kind of connection to the film to still be present in the score).

[Ricard 2,318]

Official track list!

[Jay 42,491]

Woohoo!

[King Mark 3,834]

whhat? that was the countdown?

Wait the clock is still going

[Jay 42,491]

The track list was supposed to go up Friday, but because everyone could figure out the track list from the high-res image posted on Facebook, it was decided to just post it now.

[King Mark 3,834]

Damn, no Star Wars Prequel expanded scores

[Balahkay 629]

I don't think the prequel scores will happen for quite a while.

[Jay 42,491]

There's still an exclusive being posted on Friday.

And did nobody read the exciting paragraph before the track list?

[King Mark 3,834]

John Williams to sign King Mark's copy of EtoS

[Balahkay 629]

I did! Although, it seemed like it was all (the exclusive information on Friday) related to this set. In any case, still looking forward to the big reveal.

[Jay 42,491]

Anyway, I was blown away when I first saw the track list. Who had any idea JW had revised so many of the cues in this film? This is gonna be awesome!

[filmmusic 2,638]

I haven't understood yet.

The countdown is for the article on how the set was prepared or another non-Empire related thing?

edit: well, we don't know how "big" are these revisions. It could be just a bar or two..

[King Mark 3,834]

I figured it was the case

It was the first JW with "dark and murky" underscore. I think Williams went with his usual approach and scored it Raiders/E.T. style, only to have to revise many cues to sound more "serious" because Spielberg wanted a shot at the Oscars

edit: well, we don't know how "big" are these revisions. It could be just a bar or two..

I bet they sound totally different

[Uni 307]

Simply awesome.

And I'm kinda pleased with how much I managed to get right on the track list, given the quality of the image. (Though I guess I was a little off on identifying the performer of the second "Suo Gan" track. . . .)

[King Mark 3,834]

I figured you could read most of it if you squint hard enough