Hello everyone,
I'm so glad that this site exists, and that there are others who feel the way I do about the O-OT and film preservation. I've been lurking and making a few replys here the past few months, but this is my first real post of substance.
It may seem rather off topic, and I apologize for the length, but I actually think it's a subject very relevant to Star Wars and our cause. It concerns the recorded output of the Beatles, and how their recordings have been treated in the digital age...
Whether or not you care for their music, The Beatles are undeniably one of the most influential and creative bands ever. They changed the course of popular music in much the same way that George Lucas and the OT had a profound influence on cinema. What non-fans or casual listeners don't often realize, is that the Beatles were particulary innovative and forward thinking in the use of studio technology. They were the first band to sit behind the mixing console, and after a few years of recording they gained complete creative control over the engineering of their albums, and proceeded to break practically every rule.
Just as the experience of the OT is about much more than just the story and dialouge, the music of the Beatles is about much more than the songwriting and lyrics. Instrumentation, recording techniques, effects processing, editing, and especially mixing were all creative elements to which the band paid close attention during most of their recording career, and which factor in significantly to the artistry and emotional effect of thier music.
So where am I going with all this? Well, I'm drawing a parallel between the original master tapes of the Beatles and the original theatrical cuts of the OT. They are absolutely equivalent. Sure, the O-OT has multiple "authentic" versions (70mm, 35mm, pre-ANH, etc), but likewise the Beatles made at least two different "official" mixes (mono and stereo) of each of their songs. Each set of works also exists in a tangible analog form which has probably already been backed up digitally, but which remains largely inaccesible. And both have been seriousley f**ked with in recent years.
The saga of the Beatles catalogue in recent years is remarkably similar to the special edition/2004 dvd fiasco....
--the respective hardcore fans and amateur historians know that the OT theatrical cuts/Beatles original mixes are the truest and best representation of the artists original vision, and have great cultural/historical significance.
--these original versions are available to most people in vastly inferior formats. OT fans can find VHS copies fairly easily, and Beatles fans can hear a good deal (but hardly all) of the original mixes on CDs that haven't been upgraded since 1987(seriousley, the last time they properly remastered the albums for CD was 1987!) More dedicated fans own higher quality, but less practical media: laserdiscs of the OT, and mint condition Beatles vinyl.
--the O-OT and the Beatles original albums are being replaced with revisionist products in the name of "upgrading", and most buyers haven't a clue. We all know about the 1997 SEs and the abhorrent 2004 DVDs. WEll, as far as Beatles releases, the initial CD issues in the 80s left many things to be desired, although they at least released the original stereo mixes of about half the catalogue.
But the last 5 years have been gloomy for purists: a completely remixed Yellow Submarine soundtrack (sounds punchy and "new", but takes creative liberties), The Beatles "1" collection (excessive use of noise reduction and sloppy remixing to the point of incoherency at times), Let It Be Naked (more stifling use of noise reduction, use of different takes and new edits being passed off as "the beatles original vision"), and new 5.1 surround mixes for the Anthology DVDs (interesting, but it's kind of like adapting ANH to a circle-vision theatre). Meanwhile, the original mixes, and for that matter the original catalogue, that is the 13 albums recorded by the Beatles, have recieved no attention. EMI, the record label that owns the Beatles recordings, has a horrible track record which would indicate that any future remastering of the original mixes will be botched.
and...
--George Lucas has gone nuts and has lost his creative edge. He's surrounded by yes-men. Two of the Beatles are dead, their original producer has lost most of his hearing, and Paul and Ringo are in no condition to make artistic decisions about music they helped to record 30-40 years ago. The Beatles recordings are largely in the hands of young EMI staff now. Enter the fans...
This is where it gets interesting and even more relevant to originaltrilogy.com. I frequent a site called bootlegzone.com. Although members there discuss unreleased and rare recordings, a large part of the forum is dedicated to the aquisition and preservation of the original Beatles mixes. There are several "bootlegers" who have obtained mint condition, high-grade vinyl copies of the entire catalogue, and then made meticulous transfers to the digital medium using high-end equipment. For the cost of postage and blank CDs you can easlily obtain these transfers. The sound quality blows away anything that EMI has officialy issued on CD, and more importantly the original mixes are preserved in a medium that's easy and inexpensive to copy and distribute. Sound familiar, O-OT DVD owners?
Sorry for such a long post, but I guess if you read the whole thing, you find it interesting. I'm terribly sorry to all the OT-ers who aren't Beatles fans, but I think the paralells here are revealing. I find it very interesting, and encouraging, that when the "big guys" fail to preserve or make available an important work of art, there are average Joe fans ready to step in. Technology has made this a lot easier and more effective of course. It's just sad that such important cultural milestones get treated like sh*t. Does anyone know of any other "grass roots" preservation projects like this, or important artists/works that have gotten seriousley stiffed in a similar manner?