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This one appears to be the original albums of each combined onto one CD. Is there anything I should know before getting it? Does it have any advantages or disadvantages over owning the individual CDs (Ex: Any sound flaws/improvements)? Thank you!
Buy the two complete editions of LOGAN'S RUN by FSM and COMA also by FSM instead, they're the best you can get concerning those two scores.
And you'll get Fred Karlin's complete WESTWORLD and THE CAREY TREATMENT by Roy Budd as a bonus! How cool is that?
And the sound is also much better with the FSM editions, if I remember correctly.
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Posted: |
Oct 11, 2008 - 5:47 AM
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By: |
Thor
(Member)
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I don't know. I had COMA on the Bay Cities release and found it to be an excruciating bore. Sold it off. I had the FSM LOGAN as well, but never liked it much. Too direction-less, textures without interest, annoying "effects", but of course, the occasional highlight. Before that again, I had the LP presentation, which was much better.
So what am I saying? Probably that this type of release would make my appreciation of these two scores better, as it presented just enough of the music - in a well-arranged order - to make it worthwhile.
So if you're a bigger Goldsmith fan than I am, but prefer album arrangements over C&C like I do, then I would think this would be something for you.
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The Coma score is mixed significantly different on the FSM than it was on either the Chapter III or Bay Cities albums.
From Jeff Bond and Lukas Kendalls liner notes:
"We recommend that listeners keep their copies of the existing Coma album for its own aesthetic value, and enjoy this CD for its alternate presentation of the complete score"
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The Coma score is mixed significantly different on the FSM than it was on either the Chapter III or Bay Cities albums.
From Jeff Bond and Lukas Kendalls liner notes:
"We recommend that listeners keep their copies of the existing Coma album for its own aesthetic value, and enjoy this CD for its alternate presentation of the complete score"
Being that these two particular scores, along with Papillon are my all time favorite Goldsmith scores... I think the rereleases were well worth the wait.
The presentation of COMA as a complete score was very well done. I like the subtle nuances of background instruments being brought out and I think the work done really made the score somuch better the second time around. The Bonus material really sweetened the deal.
If you like Goldsmith, you'll like these FSM releases.
Mick
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I had the FSM LOGAN as well, but never liked it much. Too direction-less, textures without interest, annoying "effects", but of course, the occasional highlight. Before that again, I had the LP presentation, which was much better.
Logan's Run is a challenging listen, but "directionless" is about the last word I'd use for it. I have no idea how the lp presentation sounds, but the complete score is one of most Goldsmith's most tightly structured and organic works - tiny electronic motifs gradually develop into slightly bigger acoustic motifs, and then gradually develop further into full-fledged orchestral themes. It's one of those scores that truly takes you on a journey, starting you in a difficult place than carefully moving you step by step into someplace beautiful. And while I again have never heard the lp presentation, I can't imagine the listening experience could possibly be as powerful if you remove 30 minutes of those little pieces that make the score evolve so organically. But that said, the score has more intellectual appeal than emotional appeal to me, and I'd be lying if I said I listened to it frequently.
Pedestrian Wolf
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Posted: |
Oct 11, 2008 - 10:46 AM
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By: |
Thor
(Member)
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Logan's Run is a challenging listen, but "directionless" is about the last word I'd use for it. I have no idea how the lp presentation sounds, but the complete score is one of most Goldsmith's most tightly structured and organic works - tiny electronic motifs gradually develop into slightly bigger acoustic motifs, and then gradually develop further into full-fledged orchestral themes. It's one of those scores that truly takes you on a journey, starting you in a difficult place than carefully moving you step by step into someplace beautiful. And while I again have never heard the lp presentation, I can't imagine the listening experience could possibly be as powerful if you remove 30 minutes of those little pieces that make the score evolve so organically. But that said, the score has more intellectual appeal than emotional appeal to me, and I'd be lying if I said I listened to it frequently.
I have no problem with intellectual or challenging music. Quite the contrary. But there HAS TO be a musical FLOW to the proceedings. Also, these experimental textures have to be interesting to explore. I feel that the FSM version fails on both of these - it presents a score that isn't that hot in the first place in a way that makes its flaws appear all the more visibly. The old LP program, on the other hand, picked out the musical highlights that CAN be found in this score and sprinkled it with some of the less autonomous "plink-plonk" film effects (not to mention that cute source cue "muzak" inbetween). It's still not a Goldsmith favourite of mine, but it WORKS as an album.
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The main advantage of the Chapter III cd is that you get the lp presentations of both scores on 1 disc... and I guess it's a 'collectible' now that Chapter III is R.I.P.
As to the merits of the scores... I do like the expanded versions of both. How they work as albums is an examination best left to those who have enough time on their hands to consider aesthetic judgments.
If you like one or both scores, you'll like the expanded versions. If you're not a big fan of atonality and/or electronic music, you'll have issues with COMA and LOGAN, but they'll be the same issues you'd have with the lp versions.
That pretty much says it. I got rid of the CH.III issue, it was redundant with the FSM LOGAN. I still have the superior BAY CITIES release of COMA, because it's the exact album art from the lp, and the mix mentioned earlier.
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Posted: |
Oct 12, 2008 - 3:29 AM
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By: |
Thor
(Member)
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Pedestrian Wolf just explained, eloquently, that Logan's Run has just this. The score, like the film, has a visualisable shape to it.
Maybe, but I don't care diddly-squat how it works in the film. It may flow like the Niagara waterfall in there for all I care. Actually, I DO think it works OK in the film (which is an entertaining, albeit hokey/cheesy affair), but that's not relevant for any kind of album evaluation.
On CD, the plink-plonk "film effects" become distracting, Goldsmith's poor grasp of electronics is sent to the fore and the few fine setpieces there are are drowned in poor cue arrangement.
Define "interesting". Your concept of it must be different from mine because I do find the electronic music in Logan's Run interesting.
I've never found textures that are more or less "film-specific" very interesting (if not exactly mickey-mousing, then at least not based on its own musical logic). The electronic swishes and swooshes are just annoying, it does not "stick" in a mood long enough to grasp me.
But as I said, much of this was/can be weeded out with an album redux version, like that Chapter III CD that David considers purchasing (ha, finally back on-topic!  ).
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I've always found those pure electronic tracks in LOGAN'S RUN to be unlistenable, and "Love Shop" always gets skipped. I've nothing against Goldsmith electronica in general - I really like CRIMINAL LAW and RUNAWAY, and I'm perfectly happy with a lot of his synth-orchestral combination - but those are just noise. (I feel the same, partly, about the all-electronic tracks in THE ILLUSTRATED MAN, which is probably why I don't play it very often.) Whatever they achieve in the film is beside the point - at home or in the car they're hell to listen to.
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Posted: |
Oct 12, 2008 - 3:44 AM
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By: |
Francis
(Member)
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This one appears to be the original albums of each combined onto one CD. Is there anything I should know before getting it? Does it have any advantages or disadvantages over owning the individual CDs (Ex: Any sound flaws/improvements)? Thank you!
Owning the bay cities & Chapter III of Coma, which are the same as well as the FSM release, I would have to go for the FSM release because it is mixed better. If you are not a fan of atonal or creepy piano/orchestra outings, I suggest you skip this score and head for the Logan's Run solo FSM release.
Now, I don't like Logan's Run and regret buying the Chapter III cd. Yes, it has a nice main title and there are some fun moments, but alltogether this score fails as an album presentation. It sounds too cheesy and like others have mentioned, it seems to lack a cohesion which makes it even more challenging to appreciate.
Let me put it this way:
If you want to get a coma buy Logan's Run, if you want to run scared to Logan, buy Coma 
P.S. if you are a serious collector, you will just buy the FSM releases anyway
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