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One thing I really noticed was that Phaser filter effect that was applied to "electronify" the music, and it's the same effect used throughout DIE HARD, which got me thinking about how much Kamen was experimenting with electronics even then.
I know he moved to more orchestral works later on, but I'm reminded that he was no stranger to electronic music.
The booklet makes this point as well that this score helped pave the way for other superhero films to take a similar approach, but I think that can still be understated. Listening to the music is like listening to the live transition from orchestral to electronic sounds.
You can really hear how much work went into trying to figure out what the right balance was between orchestral and electronic. Unlike "Blade" just two years earlier which strayed more into the TV-level of synth drama sounds, you can hear a very thoughtful debate across the multiple versions in this X-Men release that shed some light onto how important it was to actually figure out what a mixed orchestra and electronic sound would be.
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Posted: |
May 16, 2021 - 5:47 PM
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By: |
CinderTech
(Member)
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I received my copy a few days ago, and I am quite happy with the set. The best part being all the unaltered versions of cues that were significantly changed in the film. It gives a better idea for what Kamen wanted out of the score, as well as further cementing some of the ideas that would've been lost in the edits. Can't say it's the significantly different experience I was expecting, but I can say that it helps me understand just how much of it truly was the vision MK had in mind.
Jumping back to my earlier comment about the film constructs tracks, I do now want to ask if there are cues that couldn't be included because they weren't in a finished enough state to warrant being on the set. Because not too long ago, I found an old website promo of Klaus Badelt's work on X-Men. And while the first couple of tracks are likely the demos he'd submitted to Fox prior to working on Kamen's score, the rest seem to be work in progress versions of MK score cues, down to parts being MIDI mock ups instead of proper recordings. And one of the cues on it is Inside The Statue, which on the set is relegated to a "film construct" track. Given the presence of unique moments within it, was there an unaltered version that was too incomplete to form a proper assembly out of, or was there simply nothing in the sources besides the film edit?
Also, is that statement of the X-Men theme at the start of Logan And Rogue In Train written to be there? I'm so used to it being at the end that it threw me for a loop the first time. It would answer the question as to what the Motor Bike cue from the sheets was.
Lastly, love the alternate artwork at the back of the booklet. Is that present on other LLL sets?
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Posted: |
May 16, 2021 - 9:07 PM
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By: |
CinderTech
(Member)
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Yes, I believe this is mentioned in Jeff Bond's liner notes. That statement of the theme was originally meant for that scene, dropped, but then used instead for the end of the movie.
Ah. Given the prior reactions over how much the booklet doesn't go into track by track specifics, I wouldn't have expected that aspect to have been cleared up. Reading it now, it was actually a pretty solid overview of the film's production, plus breaking down the main character of the score. Given the current conclusion that I'm forming about how the music came together, I doubt there's actually much more to the story that they could've told (I'll get into that below).
I had a similar question, I guess I assumed film construct meant edited out of other cues, but that would be fascinating to know whether they were edited out of unfinished snippets!
Ya. The main titles are an interesting example, as in addition to using Cerebro as the base, the start also incorporates an ambient sound sample that was pulled out of a Badelt demo. Little details like those make me more curious as to the assembly of those key tracks.
As for whether or not I think KB had any significant involvement in the post production work of the score: based on the only real evidence at hand (the aforementioned website promo), I'm going to say no. A lot of the elements that are on prominent display there is, well, the electronic percussion. There's nothing to really suggest that he had any particular input on some of the more out there editing choices, especially with the cues that are included. Plus, given the prior mentioned fact of there being MIDI synth parts that would be recorded with an orchestra in the final score, I'm further inclined to believe that he was personally brought on by Kamen early on. It's just hard to say without a contemporary comment by Badelt himself, but I think this is the best answer we'll get for the time being. He simply did the job we was assigned to do.
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Posted: |
May 18, 2021 - 4:01 PM
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By: |
JGouse0498
(Member)
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It's an interesting release to be sure. Honestly, it really is kind of a mess. I'm amazed the team behind this release was able to put it together, so major kudos to them! Also, the sound quality is absolutely stunning! It's so much clearer and nuanced than I'd expected! It's never sounded better!
I have to admit that the "original" score (Disc 1) isn't what I was expecting. I guess I'd always assumed Kamen's original version was more orchestral with the electronics mostly added in with the revisions. They were always there though. At times, Disc 1 feels more like sketches rather than a full-fledged score. A couple times, I thought my Bluetooth connection failed, but then I realized that the abrupt stops were part of the music. The "End Credits" construct clashes quite a bit too toward the last third.
I'm curious as to what Kamen's thinking was in some areas too. For example, the opening of "Logan and Rogue in Train", which was repurposed for the dramatic final shots of Magneto toppling his king and the pull-back to reveal the plastic cell. It's been a long time since I watched the movie, but I can't fathom what footage at the beginning of that Logan/Rogue train scene would've warranted such bombastic music.
I'm very grateful for Jurassic T. Park's suggested "As Heard in the Film" playlist from a few pages back because that really does have the most coherent flow. I ended up creating three different versions with the MP3 files: "Expanded Film Version" (based on Jurassic's list), "Gold Team Version" (Disc 1 with the original versions), and "Blue Team Version" (Disc 2 with all the revisions and constructs). Yeah, I went with the '90s X-Men teams. The "Blue Team" had a lot of the hard-headed wild cards, and that seemed a good analogy for the cues born from studio interference. LOL
I know it might not sound like it, but I am still very thankful that this score finally saw the light of day. There are so many cues that I've been wanting for years like "Jean Uses Cerebro", "Land of Tolerance", and "Why Ask Questions/Finale". Hearing all the variations and editorial alterations makes for a very interesting experience too.
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You're right. I guess we should have called it "Alternate Mix". Those responsible have been sacked.
Are there any other tracks on this new album that are labeled "Film Version" but should have been labeled "Alternate Mix"?
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Just giving you guys a heads up...we have about 100 left in stock from the first batch. If you want it now I would grab it, otherwise wait until another batch arrives sometime in July/Aug.
MV
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Congrats on the rapid sales, MV!
Yavar
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Great news!
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