Issues with sound quality do depend on so many aspects. The main problems might stem from these three:
1) the equipment (if you do have a complex high end system, you will notice problems that a more simple system will not show)
2) the listener´s age (yes, I´m 46, and that makes it unlikely that I´m still able to hear what a twentysomething can still register - that´s just the sad truth any doctor will confirm)
3) the expectations one brings to any experience of art (one´s personal idea of perfection in sound differs considerably from others; also, a trained musician will hear things completely differenty from the average listener, making it very difficult for him to enjoy things the way the general public will)
All great points. I am 36; I have pretty good hearing, with mild tinnitus but I still have very good ears and can hear great detail. However, I only listen to my music two ways: through my cheap speakers hooked up to my laptop or through my earbuds hooked up to my iPhone (often not while in a quiet place). I don't have the money or, truthfully, the inclination to invest in high-end or immaculate (or even semi-high-end or semi-immaculate) speakers for my laptop. Maybe one day I'll get some nice headphones. Point being, I'm not terribly interested in crisp detail of my tunes but the overall picture they paint. When yonythemoony points out the bass detail at 1:27 of "Rebels Attack" I don't notice it at all at first glance. I'm sure if I turned the volume way up and went to a quiet place and focused intently I could, but I basically don't notice those things, so the issues that others are having with this score don't bother me.
I did take this score out with me hiking, where I can hear it best -- no outside noises and no distractions and I would be able to hear it in best detail, utilizing my earbuds connected to my iPhone. This is where I would be able to hear it in best detail, with volume high enough (but not too high -- I'm not that young anymore), pumping right into my ears in an extremely quiet environment and not once did I think to myself a negative thought about the recording. Just the opposite: I thought to myself, my that's a nice crisp woodwind solo, or my those voices sound great in "Sewers Attack," or my the orchestra plays well together in fast-paced detail in that same track, or wow those soaring strings sound so smooth and lush.
*by the way, none of this of course is a slam on audiophiles who are dissatisfied by the recording and sound of the score via iTunes, and I do hope that the CD goes some way to satisfying their concerns so that they may enjoy the music more.
That's the thing, you don't need super expensive systems to get solid sound to be able to notice the difference. But you do need something better than cheap speakers and/or cheap headphones. So having discussions with people here who don't recognize the deficiencies of modern recordings is no surprise because it takes some time to be able to learn to distinguish that. You can get some solid headphones for about $100 that would make all the difference so I think with some research you could find something that would make a huge difference.
That's the thing, you don't need super expensive systems to get solid sound to be able to notice the difference. But you do need something better than cheap speakers and/or cheap headphones. So having discussions with people here who don't recognize the deficiencies of modern recordings is no surprise because it takes some time to be able to learn to distinguish that. You can get some solid headphones for about $100 that would make all the difference so I think with some research you could find something that would make a huge difference.
Not interested in any of that, I'm fine listening to and enjoying the music the way I currently do, I don't care if I "don't recognize the deficiencies of modern recordings" and you're incorrect, I don't need something better than cheap speakers and/or cheap headphones. I get extraordinary daily happiness out of listening to the music as I currently do, but thanks anyway for the suggestions.
I agree. If there is a deficiency of modern recordings then it probably has to do with the way music is accessed these days: via computer and simple ear buds.
So why should I invest in an expensive tool just to be able to recognize that the sound is not good?
It certainly won´t change the way music is recorded and presented. It will only make me miserable.
CD releases today, as I'm sure most already know (iTunes release has been available already).
Hope those that have been disappointed with the iTunes sound quality will find some improvement in the CD quality. Hopefully no one's distaste for the digital release will color their perception of the CD quality and they will keep an open mind and judge the CD objectively. Some people write these things off summarily and their minds won't be changed, but the music is great and it would be a shame if less people enjoyed it than more.
Joan Hue, have you seen the film yet? Have you heard the score or were you waiting for the CD? I'm curious how you enjoyed both film and score and any impressions you might have, if you feel like sharing. I have not seen the film yet; I'm a huge fan of the movies themselves, but believe it or not, I may wait until the movie comes out on DVD because I kind of would like to watch it in the comfort of my own home and marathon all four movies. I think I can wait three/four months or however long.
DR, haven't seem the movie yet. We are so busy during the holidays. Hope to get to it soon. Won't buy the CD until I hear the music in the movie, and then I'll decide.
My CD arrived for this and I’ve just given it a first listen (I saw the film the other week). Much like the film, while I’m enjoying it, I’m also glad it’s all finally over. I thought they made one film too many and elicited a kind of overkill/fatigue feeling in me. I would have happily sat through one 3 hour (plus) Mockingjay film instead of it being in two parts, but I get the whole ‘let’s milk this cash cow’ fever that possesses Hollywood with these popular novels. I doubt this CD will suddenly convert anyone who hasn’t enjoyed the previous scores. To the converted, it ups the ante and plays out some nice developments of themes and ideas already established in the first three, but it is still more of the same from a sound and feeling POV. That subtle, low-key, almost minimal mood still permeates many of the tracks. However, in cues like Sewer Attack and Rebels Attack, JNH really lets fly with some brassy and exciting action riffs – with choir - that are bloody great. The last few tracks are also pretty sweet and melancholy, capped by the truly wonderful Finale, which ends everything on a perfect note.
Goodbye Katniss and JNH, it’s been a fun and emotional ride.
Here's my recommended 'classic Varese-style' programme..(runs about 35 minutes but it's pretty killer)
Send Me To District 2 (track 2) Your Favourite Colour Is Green (5) Sewer Attack (9) Rebels Attack (12) Snow's Execution (15) Plutarch's Letter (16) Primrose (18) There Are Worse Games..HG Suite (19)
Got the CD in the mail today. I think it sounds great. I uploaded it into my iTunes library and tossed my iTunes version before I remembered to compare the two versions so I can't comment on a close comparison but the CD sounds fantastic to me -- granted, I never had any problem with the sound of the score to begin with. Loving the score as much as ever! Howard is a genius!
CD is mislabeled on the back cover, however...
1. Prim Visits Peeta 2. Send Me to District 2 3. Go Ahead, Shoot Me 4. Stowaway 5. Your Favorite Color Is 6. Green 7. Transfer Command 8. Your Next Step
...
17. Plutarch's Letter 18. Buttercup 19. There Are Worse Games to Play/Deep In the Meadow/HG Suite
Thus, not identifying the real track #19, "Primrose" on the back cover. It is correctly labeled on the inside.
That's weird Dep. My copy - Made in the EU (Netherlands) - is labelled correctly.
That really is weird...because even the product page on Amazon U.S. (where I ordered from) has it listed correctly so I wonder why if it came from that source the actual product is different and incorrect.
I was just flicking TV channels and the ending of this film was on. My God, I'd forgotten how brilliant that last track is. Absolutely gorgeous stuff. Hello tomorrow's play list
Weird. Not far off a year to the day I last caught the end of this film and thought 'wow, those last few cues are gorgeous' it happened on telly again this weekend. Even J-Law's awful singing - at the 1'40 mark - can't ruin its beauty. In fact, maybe it adds a unique, rustic charm to it?
I like her singing in this; it's not like she has a terrible voice; she's just untrained. It sounds like her character singing rather than a professional, which is absolutely perfect and "rustic" if you like.
None of the Hunger Games scores blew me away cumulatively, but each of them has some really great parts it is true. All effective in the film. My favorite melody though apparently wasn't written (but was expertly adapted) by James Newton Howard, and here again we have a perfectly fine voice in context:
You're right, Yavar, I was probably being quite harsh in describing her voice as awful. Untrained is more descriptive and in keeping with the character delivery of it, perfect under the circumstances. And yes, The Hanging Tree is another good song, with a great build up and sequence within the film. I played all four CDs this week and while they do meander and lose traction at times (as a standalone listen), their highlights are many and at their peak, some of JNH's most powerful, emotional and effective music.
