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The Empire Strikes Back IMPERIAL "AUDIOPHILE" EDITION - Restored & Remastered Score - J. Williams & LSO (Released) — Page 3

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For the moment I'm fighting with details, as always. ' Have to redo all the backcovers, redo the remixing details, I have splitted the original booklet in two and still have to shrink the editing/reminx details to the essential (no more photos btw), reread for spelling mistakes, etc...

So the only real news I can announce are that the booklets are this time tiped black on white background (let's save our ink cartridges). The other thing is that I just burnt for myself the definitive sets these past days and made a couple of minor changes: what I've listen so far makes me feel I won't listen very often Set 1, then I abandonned the film cut of "Loosing A Hand" on set 2. Another change only concerns a move on the Set 3 Album reconstructed: "Yoda's theme" deserved a better place than the end where it felt like a bonus track, and it's so much better when the CD ends on the last End Credits note (see tracklists).

 

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As always, I am very interested in hearing any improvements that can be brought to these scores.  ABC, you continue to amaze me with your dedication to presenting them at their absolute best.  :)

I haven't been able to see the black and white music dvd yet, but I would really like to.

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I'm definitely looking forward to downloading the new audiophile version once it's completed and ready. I thought the previous version was great, but anything that improves it further is worth the wait and effort. 

Now I don't feel as bad that I haven't had a chance to print the liner notes and covers from the original audiophile version.

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hairy_hen said:

I haven't been able to see the black and white music dvd yet, but I would really like to.

 

Allow me to say it's the key piece of the whole restoration project, what I really didn't think it would turn into. I've recently had the chance to rediscover it to a friend's who has a better equipment that mine for video (+audio from video) and next to the sound I know I can be proud of, I was amazed wich D_J's picture again... And it marries so well with the overall analog feel of the sound.

 

 

...

While I'm typing this I've just updated the definitive covers in the tracklists posts. Here they are again:

 

 

 

 

...

 

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Looks great.  I'm sure the high resolution versions will be available with the music, correct?

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...Sorry but I've already been working so hard on those 72 dpi covers...!

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Well, no offense intended, but these images are very small, that's why I asked if better ones were going to be included.

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I've just read up through these 3 pages, (just mentioning, because few people do), and I too would like to hereby announce my delight and impatience for this set! :)

OT Forum_; FanEdit.org:_ Radi0n FanEdit Forum: Kal-El
tehPARADOX**Galen_Marek_True_Jedi **(I know… <span style=“padding: 0px; margin: 0px; text-decoration: underline;”>don’t ask</span>)
My Man of Tomorrow (Superman Returns) Fan Edit (FanEdit forum link)

THE ICE CREAM WARS

_
_

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Awesome I didn't think this score would get much better, I'm looking forward to this keep up your good work ABC its much appreciated!

 

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This score is always worth another shot at improvement.

And has there ever been a film score as crazy perfect and beautifull as the Empire Strikes Back?  It's almost unreal when you listen to it.

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flynn2000 said:

And has there ever been a film score as crazy perfect and beautifull as the Empire Strikes Back?  It's almost unreal when you listen to it.

I agree. I like to call it the masterpiece of the 20th century film industry commercial era.

Now I'd say the real masterpiece music from a film for the 20th century is *imho* "Conan The Barbarian". But it's different, cause it's composed like a whole epic & classical piece of music, not especially as a film score/underscore, and then can fit apart from the film industry "label", mostly commercial.

So for sure (to me), ESB remains the most perfect of the kind.

;)

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The Conan score is strait up awesome.  I really wish there was a complete version.  You get the 'Kitchen' and 'Orgy' tracks but then it cuts out before the big finally as Conan fights Rexor and the other guy.   This is my favorite part and all I have is a flat sounding track someone extracted from the DVD's soundtrack.

If you love Conan, how do you like Poledouris' RoboCop score?  It's my favorite of all his music.

 

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Yep. This one is very good indeed. I'm not a big film score fan but I liked this one since I heard it in theatre... And it indeed has something "Conanesque".

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The whole set should be up in the week. I'll answer pm's in/during a week or two and then will surely vanish...

 

Btw, I used Foobar2000 to convert the files to flac. It seems that software makes my computer crashing (remember my computer problems ?)... It's just a miracle I could retrieve the project this time cause the Winlogon.exe file on my PC was not recognized + a couple Dll files looked to have been f*cked up. Fortunately someone good enough fixed it. I also used EAC to prepare the cue sheets before it crashed but I can't imagine the problem to come from it. I thought it could be link to my poor soundcard or something with Foobar.

Any clue ?

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Great news, really looking forward to it!

The amount of work that has gone into it has not gone unnoticed and is very much appreciated.

Sorry to hear about the computer problems!

 

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steb74 said:

The amount of work that has gone into it has not gone unnoticed and is very much appreciated.

Thanks. I don't know how far you'll make the difference... Seems that no one has been able to spot any between the samples I posted  here (or even the IE DVD) and the AE.

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Although I haven't finished listening to the entire set yet, I just thought I'd share some intials thoughts regarding ABC's newest release.

I'm from the generation that first witnessed these movies when they were originally released and since then they have played such an imoprtant role in my life and I guess, my happiness.
I've lived with and loved this music deeply for over 30 years, so when the '97 SE scores were released, it was a great joy to finally have the complete scores, good times indeed ....well kind of.

In my naivety and a certain amount a happy ignorance, I've lived with the appalling sound of TESB simply because it was the easiest and most convenient way to experience this score as a whole.
Previous CD releases did sound better but the fact that they were far from complete was the reason I found myself going back to the 'SE', even though there was always a sense of drinking fine wine from a tramp's shoe.

So what does this new release offer and why is it better than the previous 'AUDIOPHILE EDITION'?
Well, when I first listened to the 'AE' I was completely blown away by the sense of warmth that was present and the details that had been obliterated by the 'SE'.
Something like 'Snowspeeders (Luke's Rescue)' is a perfect example.

Overall, I feel this new release improves on those details even more. The strings, especially the lower strings have so much warmth and depth.
The brass and percussion still retain their power but never offend the ears by distorting. The music now sounds like a genuine, although a more operatic companion to the original SW score.
Something I feel the 'SE' denied us of.

To be honest, when a piece of work touches you so deeply, I feel no amount of words can do justice to the actual experience itself and that's kind of how I feel now.
I do however feel a responsibility to acknowledge my satisfaction and gratitude towards this release.

I realise that a huge percentage of SW fans are not necessarily fans of the music outside of the films so perhaps all of this is no big deal and obviously that's completely fine.
However, if this score 'in' and 'out' of the film is something that you cherish, I've never heard it sound better and at the risk of sounding even more stupid, this presentation has ignited genuine physical sensations that I first experienced 30 years ago.
Something that only a beautiful sonic resonance can achieve.

This new 'IMPERIAL AUDIOPHILE EDITION' along with 'Dark_Jedi & ABC's - ESB: IMPERIAL EDITION' DVD is to me such an incredible and fitting tribute to the 30th Anniversary of The Empire Strikes Back.
Once again, this is the type of work which is testament to the love that these movies and just as importantly, the music have inspired over the years.

I cannot praise this work enough and feel incredibly fortunate to have accidentally stumbled upon ABC's original AUDIOPHILE EDITION, which since then has had me following his recent endeavours with great interest.

Anyway, enough time has been spent typing ......back to the music!!
Thanks for all your hard work ABC, it is sincerely appreciated.

Cheers.

Impressive, most impressive


 

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Excellent and eloquent post steb74 - I think you've summed up the way a lot of the posters in this thread feel about the quality of the work ABC has put into this edition of the soundtrack.

 

Pardon my ignorance here, but is the take 2 definitive version completed? I thought there were still some compression/uploading issues to be squared away and it has yet to be uploaded. If I'm wrong, please let me know - I'm looking forward to the revisions.

 

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It's up. I'll let my pm box grow for a week or two. So, go ahead...

Thanks steb74. Without the sensitivity you shared through pm's I wouldn't have uploaded the whole 3 sets ! ;)