 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
Posted: |
Jun 1, 2003 - 11:19 AM
|
|
|
|
By: |
Spymaster
(Member)
|
Intrada has this to say about White Buffalo:
Good news and bad. The Good: Prometheus issues World Premiere Release of original soundtrack from J. Lee Thompson western drama starring Charles Bronson as Wild Bill Hickok. Barry's dark, dramatic score plays to moodiness of picture, captures images of massive, symbolic animal and Native American settings. Lean strings, expressive French horns, solid percussion riffs are highlights.
The Bad: Outer packaging somewhat deceptively mentions source material as "best available". Inner packaging notes "archival" status, unavailability of multi-track masters and mentions a pair of tracks having traces of faint dialog. In actuality, anomalies exist throughout, suggesting some tracks transfered from production tapes used by music editors, etc. Additional liability: pinched mono sound. WHITE BUFFALO is important John Barry music, foreshadowing more-celebrated work ahead. This limited edition album is - however - a disappointment.
I've placed an order because I'm a John Barry junkie, but my expectations are not exactly high....
John
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Yes, I've heard that sound quality is not great. A shame. But my philosophy is this. Better a compressed sounding mono dupe than nothing at all.
Monte Walsh is also mastered from a compressed sounding mono tape. Again, no multitrack masters were available. Does it sound great? No. But thank god there is something that survived for them to put out.
Cheers
|
|
|
|
|
|
Intrada has this to say about White Buffalo:
Good news and bad. The Good: Prometheus issues World Premiere Release of original soundtrack from J. Lee Thompson western drama starring Charles Bronson as Wild Bill Hickok. Barry's dark, dramatic score plays to moodiness of picture, captures images of massive, symbolic animal and Native American settings. Lean strings, expressive French horns, solid percussion riffs are highlights.
The Bad: Outer packaging somewhat deceptively mentions source material as "best available". Inner packaging notes "archival" status, unavailability of multi-track masters and mentions a pair of tracks having traces of faint dialog. In actuality, anomalies exist throughout, suggesting some tracks transfered from production tapes used by music editors, etc. Additional liability: pinched mono sound. WHITE BUFFALO is important John Barry music, foreshadowing more-celebrated work ahead. This limited edition album is - however - a disappointment.
I've placed an order because I'm a John Barry junkie, but my expectations are not exactly high....
John
Jon,
Can you explain to me two things:
1.) How can something be "Deceptive" when on the back of the CD it clearly states that the sources are the best available?
2.) How can you say it's a disappointment when you haven't by your own admission even HEARD the CD yet?
Ford A. Thaxton
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Mono sound I can handle. Loads of the scores we love are in mono. I just hope that doesn't mean 'pinched ' as in that horrible pinched compession heard on the Inchon disc or the additional track 'No Power' from First Blood.
You bring up an interesting point about INCHON. Since that CD was done in the late 80s, it would be interesting to see what could be done using the latest technology. Somethings can't be dealt with...like the fact that it was recorded in a church basement which lends to that special aural ambience. However, the Len Engel engineering could be fixed. And you think the CD is bad...you should check out the LP which didn't even mix in all the tracks. A whole array of percussion was simply missing.
Nonetheless, the question about redoing INCHON boils down to one thing: would there actually be enough interest in collectors to buy a new and improved version?
Roger
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
It must be understood that NO multitrack or stereo tape elements exist, and that the CD was made from the ONLY elements available. Intrada's review is a little heavy handed, labeling this release "a disappointment". It is the best that it could possibly be with the existing source material, and if the choice was between having this CD or nothing at all, I would choose the CD. I don't see how this release could be considered "disappointing".
Chris Neel
MGM Music
It is a shame that there were no multi-track masters, that's fair to say, but don't let anyone put you off Chris. I, for one, am with the notion that this is better than nothing. Thanks for doing it. It's a score that I certainly never expected to have. It's great that there are people out there willing to put the effort in to get a score like this out.
Cheers
|
|
|
|
|
|
I personally have no problems with Intrada's First Blood disc. The Inchon CD definitely has unique sound engineering, but I don't think I'd buy it a second time even if the sound was "tweaked." For the conditions it was recorded under, I think it sounds fine. I would buy a cleaned up Wind and the Lion, though...
Thanks to the person who wrote that capsule review at Intrada for saving me $20.
NP: Inchon (This score is better than I remembered.)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: |
Jun 2, 2003 - 6:41 PM
|
|
|
|
By: |
AHerrera83
(Member)
|
When a label like Prometheus, VS, FSM or Intrada, which have consistently brought us high-quality and rare recordings, release something with technical deficiencies, I automatically assume that they did their best possible effort, and it is either this or no release at all.
For me, Ford's and Luc's work speaks for itself and I will be buying WHITE BUFFALO anyway, but I appreciate Intrada's review because for someone who might not be a Barry fan and is doubtful about this disc, it saves him some money.
Incidentally, I would buy an improved INCHON if it ever came around, I enjoy this score immensely.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I am going to buy it anyway.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Some comments on his capsule from Doug Fake:
It's fun to see my capsule summary create a thread. Here's an elaboration.
I looked forward to the WHITE BUFFALO album. I was disappointed with what I got. I still am. My capsules aren't designed as reviews since I'm not unbiased. My generally enthusiastic approach makes me look easy to please. I probably am. But I've got my disappointments. WHITE BUFFALO is one of them.
Yes, the music is excellent. My trouble is with the album presentation, notably the packaging. Deceptive? In my humble opinion, yes. What you see isn't really what you get. The legend "best available" masters is virtually meaningless. It says nothing. It's appeared on everything from massive, legitimate, meticulous-to-a-fault reconstructions of rapidly deteriorating classics through outright "bootlegs" from tenth generation cassettes. Both presentations will usually claim "best available" materials. It's just a meaningless tagline to me. However, nowhere does the packaging of WHITE BUFFALO mention mono sound. Considering the relatively recent origins, it's reasonable to assume the CD will be in stereo. It's disappointing to find this isn't so. While brief mention of faint dialog is noted on two tracks inside the booklet, no mention of other traces of dialog or odd anomalies is mentioned. And none of this is identified on the outer packaging - the place it should be if prospective buyers want to know what they're getting. Upon reading, I knew the audio wouldn't be up to digital standards but was confident I'd still be hearing a stereo program from session masters, perhaps in less than sterling condition. Instead, sources appear not to be session tapes, rather elements further down the food chain. Whispers occur throughout, certain fades are extreme, so forth. From an authoritative production team of this caliber (Ford, Luc, Chris Neel) - this is disappointing. Perhaps the source material has been soft-peddled more than it should've been.
Yes, this album is certainly better than nothing. I bought it, too. But presenting and soft-peddling sub-standard source materials are things I expect from low quality outfits - not class acts.
For the record, I hope people do buy this. It's a no-brainer. Intrada distributes Prometheus in the U.S. I certainly hope they continue to prosper and produce wonderful albums. The people behind this disc have countless times proven themselves peerless in preserving and presenting top-drawer product. Hence my expectations. After all the hoopla, when you open the album up and play it, you'll probably be prepared for the worse and happily surprised to find the results better than you expected. Which should be more palatable than having it be the other way around - as when I first played the album.
This one just goes down in my book as a big disappointment. Most of my summaries are positive. Here's one that isn't. Even easy-to-please people have standards.
Doug Fake
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
OK, Doug had me up until "For the record, I hope people do buy this."
|
|
|
|
|
|
OK, Doug had me up until "For the record, I hope people do buy this."
Why does that surprise you...Intrada makes money selling other labels CDs as well. As a businessman of course he wants to SELL them. If anything, that should add more credibility to his comments, since if he dissuades anyone from buying it, he doesn't make money.
Roger
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
