I'm still playing the crap outta this one, too. It amazes me that folks thing the original LP was good enough and that the expanded material is just filler. That boggles my mind on many levels. FSM did an incredible job with this one!
I play this score a lot when I'm gaming. I have to admit I haven't popped in the second disc (already own the older album), but that first disc is bliss. Those source cues used in the film for the bar scene are a great addition as well.
Outside of the much hotter levels for the Boddicker cues which jump out on the first disc, the Steven's cue stuck out to me. I didn't read beforehand which cue he had a hand in, but it was pretty obvious on first listen. The change in recorded sound, what appears perhaps to be a smaller ensemble and different compositional construction of the cue, although using Goldsmith's thematic material, didn't match the level of the writing of the preceding cues. Still, I'm glad to have everything since it's coupled with the original, much beloved by me album presentation. There is room for both and I'm glad to have the choice and still enjoy listening to each. This is a super release from FSM for me!
what extra cues on disc one do you feel are a major addition to the score? Maybe, I missed something. Never happened before but there is always a first time bruce
Way late to this party, but for those who want to see OUTLAND on DVD -- the UK DVD is 16:9 enhanced and looks fabulous. The US DVD is, as has been stated, an old 4:3 widescreen disc that looks literally like the laserdisc on DVD.
Hopefully we'll get a Blu-Ray, but those with multi-region players would do well to pick up the UK DVD, which was released several years after the American disc and seems to have been sourced from a superior master. Certainly the image and sound quality are both superior to the US release.
Way late to this party, but for those who want to see OUTLAND on DVD -- the UK DVD is 16:9 enhanced and looks fabulous.
Given what the standards are today, I find that the Region 2 DVD looks merely acceptable, grainy, unstable, with jagged titles and washed-out colors. It’s better than nothing, but “Outland” is in desperate need of an adequate presentation.
At 5000 copies, it'll most likely still be around at the end of the month.
You might want to change that "month" to "year."
Anyway here is my take on score.
It does sound like ALIEN - and the theme is certainly taken from the origilan "out the door" cue from ALIEN and elements from "The Shaft" also turns up. I wonder if this film was temp tracked with ALIEN.
"The Message" is just pure beautiful - it stands out as being from a another film totally - that's how i feel about it.
I feel that Goldsmith had little inspiration with the score. It feels sluggish and lacking any direction as to what style or feel it should have. Even though Jerry's work has always been excellent and having immense power, Outland was a bit of a damp squib in my opinion.
I think his most symphonic acheivement above everything was The Final Conflict, utterly staggering and beautiful, simply oscar material as this was written at the same time as Outland. Strange eh !
The album version of Hot Water is better in some ways.... (it's partly an alternate take, if I'm correct). For the better listening, you must mix bits of the two versions !
The album version of Hot Water is better in some ways.... (it's partly an alternate take, if I'm correct). For the better listening, you must mix bits of the two versions !
Just giving this a spin and I am blown away how awesome this release is... not sure how many fans this particular effort has but for me it ranks as one of my top 10 fav Goldsmiths. So dark, aggressive and dissonant. For me works better as an "Alien" score... a much easier listening experience. I love ALIEN for it's melodic moments... but the action music seems a bit grating to listen too. OUTLAND, for me, has it all.The driving ostinato, pulse pounding action, Goldsmith nails this in spades. I applaud FSM for this grail of a release...
The album version of Hot Water is better in some ways.... (it's partly an alternate take, if I'm correct). For the better listening, you must mix bits of the two versions !
I happen to love the complete score presentation of this particular title because I love how restless the score is all the way through. I like the album versions, with the variations on O'Neill's theme, but the score has all of the prickly little moments that I love.
I've always thought of this score more along the lines of First Blood than I do Alien.
This was a very difficult title to produce...we had to license the album from WB Records, the unreleased music from WB Pictures...the Boddicker tracks from the artist...we got the Morton Stevens track from Doug Fake at Intrada (thanks Doug!)...we were fortunate to hire Bruce Botnick (Jerry's engineer, although he didn't record Outland which was done in the U.K.) to master it...Jeff Bond and I visited Peter Hyams for a very interesting interview which we published in two parts at FSM Online, about all his movies and composers. Glad people seem to like it!
This was a very difficult title to produce...we had to license the album from WB Records, the unreleased music from WB Pictures...the Boddicker tracks from the artist...we got the Morton Stevens track from Doug Fake at Intrada (thanks Doug!)...we were fortunate to hire Bruce Botnick (Jerry's engineer, although he didn't record Outland which was done in the U.K.) to master it...Jeff Bond and I visited Peter Hyams for a very interesting interview which we published in two parts at FSM Online, about all his movies and composers. Glad people seem to like it!
lk
Lukas, don't forget the Ladd's Compagny logo music, by John Williams ! Thx so much for this candy!