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iTunes has track 15 misspelled, it should be "Taunting the Cat" not "Car"
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Posted: |
Nov 27, 2014 - 5:31 AM
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By: |
DeputyRiley
(Member)
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I have to get this out of the way, but wow, I really don't like how some tracks flow into each other on this album! Difficult to listen to some single tracks and enjoy them on their own, due to the tracks bleeding into each other, because some tracks will start suddenly in mid-note or mid-sound and likewise will end abruptly mid-note or mid-sound. Great if you listen to the album all at once in a single flow, but if I want to enjoy a single piece many of them don't start naturally but are connected to previous or following tracks. Thankfully this only happens about four times (from tracks 2-3, 3-4, 7-8, and 12-13).
I've never enjoyed this practice of tracks bleeding into each other on CD, it makes it harder to enjoy the tracks individually. Either edit the tracks in such a way so that they can all be enjoyed as single pieces in an album, or combine the tracks that flow into each other into one longer cue. My opinion.
Just starting to listen to the score finally, and I'm sure that will be the only negative thing that I post about the score in this thread!
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Aye Joan, your suggestion makes the most sense for Rue's Farewell inclusion during the Drill sequence. It worked for me though. I liked hearing a familiar refrain during that scene of suspense and tension.
Dep Riley said =
"I have to get this out of the way, but wow, I really don't like how some tracks flow into each other on this album! Difficult to listen to some single tracks and enjoy them on their own, due to the tracks bleeding into each other"
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I hear ya my friend!
This silly trend has ruined so many CD's for me.
BIRTH by Desplat REALLY annoys me, as the producers ignore many natural pauses in the music sequences and always pick the transition when the strings are still stringing or the synth is still synthing!
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Dep Riley said =
"I have to get this out of the way, but wow, I really don't like how some tracks flow into each other on this album! Difficult to listen to some single tracks and enjoy them on their own, due to the tracks bleeding into each other"
-------------------------------
I hear ya my friend!
This silly trend has ruined so many CD's for me.
BIRTH by Desplat REALLY annoys me, as the producers ignore many natural pauses in the music sequences and always pick the transition when the strings are still stringing or the synth is still synthing!
Exactly!!! Sometimes when two tracks blend together in this way, the second of the two tracks starts like 3 seconds before or after the natural pauses in the music. I'm like, if you're going to have these two separate tracks bleed into each other, at least edit more precisely, in such a way that the second of the two tracks starts at a natural, sensible moment -- don't have it start at the precise moment that the previous track is in its last moments of wrapping up its string line/synth/whatever! Again, just make it one long track, it's way more awkward to split them up at unnatural times.
Otherwise, I'm glad it doesn't happen too often on this CD at least, and I love this score!
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Well, I've had a few listens and was not disappointed. JNH does it again!  The excruciating wait for this JNH treasure was worth it. I will say that I am in the minority in that I still do prefer the first two scores over this one -- which is not to say I don't love Mockingjay Pt. 1. It's just that I feel like the other two were stratospherically amazing, while this one is only tropospherically amazing, to put it in musically scientific terms.  However, I have a feeling that Mockingjay Pt. 2 might just blow them all out of the water...
The interweaving of themes and motifs from the first two films into Mockingjay Pt. 1 is simply brilliant:
* the "Rue's Farewell" theme used in action/adventure/heroic mode for "Air Raid Drill"
* the return of the two Katniss/Peeta themes in "Katniss' Nightmare" and "They're Back"
* the return of the ethereal Catching Fire Katniss theme in "Mockingjay" and "Remind Her Who the Enemy Is"
* the return of the adventurous Hunger Games Katniss theme in "Victory" (now augmented by spectacular choir!  )
* the return of the Catching Fire vocal Katniss theme in "District 12" and "District 8 Hospital" (and its powerful orchestral rendition first heard in "Katniss is Chosen" and "Arena Crumbles" from Catching Fire now heard in "District 8 Hospital")
* the return of the sinister Snow theme in "Snow's Speech" and "Put Me on the Air"
* the mournful and powerful loss-of-life-at-the-Capitol's-hands motif from Catching Fire's "Monkey Mutts" in the new "Incoming Bombers" and "Mockingjay"
* the tense snare-led mysterious martial rhythm motif from Catching Fire's "Mockingjay Graffiti" now heard in "The Arsenal"
* the excellent dread-filled choral motif from Hunger Games' "Entering the Capitol" and Catching Fire's "Good Morning Sweetheart" now heard in "Victory"
There are other smaller motifs that reappear as well, but those are the highlights. Genius thematic continuity in these films, tying everything together, which is one of the biggest aspects of making this such a satisfying series of film scores for me, not to mention the sheer emotional power, wonderful writing and instrumentation, and pulse-racing exciting action and suspense tunes.
While the rustic and rural instrumentation that distinguished the first score's representation of Katniss' home District 12 doesn't reprise in an obvious way in Mockingjay Pt. 1, that spirit does in fact appear in a new way, as heard in "District 12" and "District 12 Ruins", continuing to evoke the Appalachian indigenous vibe. This time, however, the sprightly and light-hearted tone of a track like "Katniss Afoot" from The Hunger Games gives way to a mournful, contemplative, and haunting version of that material in expressive pastoral, provincial string performance. For me, this new take on the original sound for District 12 is a highlight of the score.
Of course the much-talked about "Hanging Tree" theme is a welcome addition to the series and is just as powerful as the other major themes (if not more so). In addition to the show-stopping track "Hanging Tree" (with its sublime choral contribution and mesmerizingly paced slow buildup to crescendo) this theme makes another quick cameo on woodwind in "Taunting the Cat". Mockingjay Pt. 1 also introduces some new inspirational action/adventure string writing (3:12-3:55 of "The Arsenal") and 1:26-1:56 of "Remind Her Who the Enemy Is" that ties in with the previously heard orchestral version of the vocal Catching Fire Katniss theme.
By the way, does anyone know the correct film order of the tracks on this CD? I just saw the movie yesterday and know that "District 8 Hospital" is out of sequence based on the film order. Most of the other tracks seem to be in correct chronological film order, but aside from "District 8 Hospital" I could be mistaken; if one track was placed out of order than it makes sense that another few might be. Anyone know?
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Awesome analysis, Deputy. When I get my copy, I'll use your notes to fine-tune my listening.
Thank you, Joan! I'm so glad you wrote, just yesterday I was wondering to myself whether I wrote all of that for people reading it who are interested in such topics -- or in reality did I just write that for myself...I was starting to think that it was just for myself because only a few people have shown any interest in discussing the score and it didn't generate any conversation ("does anybody else care about this stuff, or is it just me?"). So glad that someone found it useful and/or interesting! I'm very interested to hear your opinion of the score once you've heard it, please post back!
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There are some of us who do like to read a breakdown of scores. Hang in there, DR. It takes time to get into see the movie and time to get the CD. I won't get mine until Christmas; if Santa doesn't bring it, I'm sending a drone full of coal to the North Pole and then buy my own. As others see this movie and buy the score, I think more people will chime in. Mike West did a great analysis of Interstellar. I've done a few "revisiting" topics, and others have analyzed scores. Those topics are not very prevalent.
James and Jon did a nice analysis of the score, so do read their critiques.
Again, I think there are quite a few of us who will appreciate your details after seeing the movie and buying the CD.
Thank you. It's actually always my longest posts and the posts that I put the most thought and time and passion into that get barely a response, it happens often (I suppose the stuff I'm passionate about doesn't reflect a significant percentage of readers/posters on this board) and then I wonder why I even posted it. I don't take it personally or anything, I just have a silly way of getting frustrated. It's my problem, really. So I appreciate what you said! I need to remember that someone reading my stuff is the main thing, getting a response isn't a measure of its value on the board, I just eagerly anticipate discussion about the things I'm passionate about.
It reminds me of a recent Big Bang Theory episode where Sheldon decides to finally and ceremoniously end his 232-episode run of his 'edu-tainment' web series "Fun With Flags" and after he's done recording and posting his final episode, he stays up all night waiting for a post about his show on a message board, and he's upset that not one person posts...then finally one person posts and he becomes jubilant and declares "Fun With Flags is back!" and decides not to end its run.
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I enjoyed your breakdown too Dep. Like Joan, I only wish I had the CD to play while feasting on
your points and info (although unlike Joan I didn't wait for Santa and took matters into my own
hands and hope it arrives from Americee very soon).
I will enjoy spotting your highlighted themes as I spin it.
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