Buffy The Vampire Slayer Collection 4 cd set Limited Edition of 3000 units Retail Price: $59.98
CD One
WHEN SHE WAS BAD (Christophe Beck) 1. Opening (1:09) 2. Buffy the Vampire Slayer Theme (1:04) 3. Buffy Saves Friends (4:19) 4. Smashing the Bones (1:20)
INCA MUMMY GIRL (Christophe Beck) 5. Ampata’s Kiss (1:32)
THE DARK AGE (Christophe Beck) 6. Philip Asks for Giles (1:21)
TED (Christophe Beck) 7. She’ll Come Around (2:40) 8. I Hit Him (2:27) 9. Ted Attacks Buffy (2:21)
BAD EGGS (Shawn Clement and Sean Murray) 10. Cordelia’s Bear (1:41)
SURPRISE (Christophe Beck) 11. This Is Nice (1:36) 12. Buffy Meets Judge (2:51)
INNOCENCE (Christophe Beck) 13. Yesterday on Buffy (0:43) 14. Spike My Boy (2:43) 15. Get Out (2:32)
PHASES (Shawn Clement and Sean Murray) 16. Meeting Cain (0:40) 17. Werewolf Crashes Party (1:33) 18. Cain Prepares (1:13) 19. The Chase (4:09)
BEWITCHED, BOTHERED AND BEWILDERED (Christophe Beck) 20. You’re So Sweet (0:47)
PASSION (Christophe Beck) 21. Angel Waits (1:41) 22. Remembering Jenny (1:49) Performed by Anthony Stewart Head
I ONLY HAVE EYES FOR YOU (Christophe Beck) 23. Love Is Forever (1:15)
BECOMING, PART 1 (Christophe Beck) 24. Show Me Your World (2:32) 25. Devil Child (1:16) 26. Cursed (1:26) 27. As Angel Becomes (1:55) 28. Massacre (3:55)
BECOMING, PART 2 (Christophe Beck) 29. Waking Willow (2:04) 30. Vision of Jenny (2:40) 31. Close Your Eyes (2:50)
ANNE (Christophe Beck) 32. Deliverance (2:44)
BAND CANDY (Christophe Beck) 33. Tai Chi (1:09) 34. Sugar High (1:40)
LOVERS WALK (Christophe Beck) 35. Loneliness of Six (1:50)
CHOICES (Christophe Beck) 5. Into the Mayor’s Lair (3:18)
THE PROM (Christophe Beck) 6. Dearly Beloved / Beginning of the End / Class Protector (5:33)
GRADUATION DAY, Part 1 (Christophe Beck) 7. Poison Arrow / Faith’s End (5:29)
GRADUATION DAY, Part 2 (Christophe Beck) 8. Aftermath / Drink Me / Little Miss Muffet / War / One Last Moment (8:31)
FEAR ITSELF (Christophe Beck) 9. Haunted (1:14)
HUSH (Christophe Beck) 10. Demon Got Your Tongue (2:35) 11. Golf Claps (1:17) 12. Silent Night / First Kiss / Enter the Gentlemen / Schism (6:52) 13. The Princess Screams (3:59)
A NEW MAN (Christophe Beck) 14. Fyarl in the Morning (1:51)
THIS YEAR’S GIRL (Christophe Beck) 15. From the Grave (1:51)
WHO ARE YOU (Christophe Beck) 16. Spellbound (2:34)
RESTLESS (Christophe Beck) 17. Body Paint (1:37) 18. A Really Big Sandbox (1:16) 19. Spaghetti (1:15) 20. Willow’s Nightmare / First Rage / Chain of Ancients (5:02) 21. Xander’s Nightmare (1:48)
Total Time CD Two: 77:16
CD Three
BUFFY VS. DRACULA (Thomas Wander) 1. Dracula’s Power / Opening / Buffy Fights Dracula / Dracula Bites Buffy (4:35)
FOOL FOR LOVE (Thomas Wander) 2. The Chinese Slayer (2:07)
SHADOW (Thomas Wander) 3. Love Montage (2:10)
INTO THE WOODS (Thomas Wander) 4. Riley’s Departure (2:26)
FOREVER (Thomas Wander) 5. The Funeral (2:53)
TOUGH LOVE (Thomas Wander) 6. Previously (0:47) 7. Tara and Willow Argue (2:06) 8. They’ll Take Dawn Away (2:07) 9. Glory Brainsucks Tara (1:18) 10. Spike Talks to Dawn (2:52) 11. Darkest Magick (0:45) 12. Willow Attacks Glory (6:57)
THE WEIGHT OF THE WORLD (Thomas Wander) 13. Previously (1:14) 14. Willow Takes Control (1:29) 15. Willow Helps Buffy (1:30) 16. Spike at Glory’s (3:12) 17. Buffy Holds Baby Dawn (1:21)
THE GIFT (Christophe Beck) 18. Previously (1:22) 19. Oh God, My Leg (1:06) 20. The Construction (2:23) 21. Xander’s Proposal (1:25) 22. Spike’s Love (1:44) 23. Buffy Confronts Glory (2:13) 24. Buffy Fights Glory (2:41) 25. More Fighting (3:15) 26. Buffy Dies (9:04)
GRAVE (Thomas Wander) 27. Xander Saves the World (3:18)
DIRTY GIRLS (Robert Duncan) 28. Recap (1:39) 29. The War Begins (2:45) 30. A Bloody Battle (4:06) Total Time CD Three: 78:15
CD Four END OF DAYS (Robert Duncan) 1. Recap / The Scythe (1:32) 2. Escape the Wreckage (3:33) 3. Buffy Saves the Girls (1:43) 4. The Wounded (1:26) 5. Xander Grabs Dawn (2:09) 6. Faith the Loner (1:04) 7. Spike and Buffy (2:15) 8. Angel Arrives (3:47)
CHOSEN (Robert Duncan) 9. Recap / Angel and Buffy Kiss (1:38) 10. Finishing Off Caleb (0:52) 11. Angel Leaves (2:17) 12. The Necklace (1:18) 13. The First Visits Buffy (2:57) 14. Buffy’s Plan (0:32) 15. The Chosen (1:17) 16. Willow and Kennedy (1:11) 17. The Night Before / Off to War Part 1 / The Old Gang / Off to War Part 2 (4:58) 18. The Last Battle (4:37) 19. The War Against Evil (10:03)
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER 1992 Feature Film Score (Carter Burwell)
20. The Dark Ages (0:48) 21. Merrick Is Revealed (0:27) 22. Dark Ages Reprised (1:09) 23. Lothos’ Chambers (0:37) 24. Buffy Believes Merrick (1:12) 25. Graveyard Attack (1:14) 26. Buffy’s Dream (1:05) 27. Cassandra in Lothos’ Chamber (0:38) 28. Pike Leaves Town / The Alley (1:02) 29. Buffy and Merrick Bonding (2:25) 30. Vampire’s Return (0:44) 31. Buffy and Pike / Lothos (1:46) 32. Vampire Basketball Player (2:37) 33. Pasadena Floats / Lothos at Floatyard (3:50) 34. Friends Leave Buffy (0:23) 35. Lothos’ Death (2:01)
EXTRAS 36. Sacrifice (2:03) 37. Buffy the Vampire Slayer End Credits (0:20) 38. Grr Arrgh / Fox Logo (0:06) Total Time CD Four: 75:14
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So, rumor has it that there might be a release of some sort from La La Land from this great tv show with it´s amazing score! This is something I have been dreaming about happening ever since I first started to get interested in score music. Which was during season 2 of this show back in 1998. And Christophe Beck! So I sure hope this is true!
Any other fellow Buffy score fans in here? What would you like to be included in the potential release?
Love Christophe Beck's work. Sought the season two and season three score promos, and love them. In fact, I consider the season two score promo to be one of the best sequenced CD's I've heard (not that sequencing is necessary to me, mind you).
I also seem to be in a minority over the appreciation of Thomas Wanker's work. Many cues still stick with me, from Buffy racing to stop Reilly from leaving on a helicopter, to Willow being alone and having no shoulder to cry on so she inflates an empty dress with magic, to Buffy chasing down and fighting the giant snake, to Willow hunting down and killing Warren, to Anya's wedding where Xander is missing (though those last two were uncredited additional cues by Tony Morales).
And of course Robert Duncan's did some fine work, including one of the best action cues to come from television, "Chosen". One of the song CD's included an edit of it. For shame!
Not so much into Walter Murphy's work, though I enjoyed the hyena episode score. I'd like to hear his rejected score to the season two premiere, having said that.
I was excited many years ago when Rounder Records -- who did the Buffy musical CD (which included some scoring) -- announced and released a CD of scoring by Beck. Sadly, I found out when looking it over and sampling it, it has edited cues down, including the butchering of "Magic Snow Music", so I skipped it.
By the way, the quote -- posted on February 20 this year -- was (for those curious):
A 4 disc box set of Buffy Music that covers all 7 seasons (sans the musical) ala The X-Files Volume One? Why, that sounds like a great idea to coincide with the show's 20th anniversary in 2017!
I also seem to be in a minority over the appreciation of Thomas Wanker's work. Many cues still stick with me, from Buffy racing to stop Reilly from leaving on a helicopter, to Willow being alone and having no shoulder to cry on so she inflates an empty dress with magic, to Buffy chasing down and fighting the giant snake, to Willow hunting down and killing Warren, to Anya's wedding where Xander is missing (though those last two were uncredited additional cues by Tony Morales).
And of course Robert Duncan's did some fine work, including one of the best action cues to come from television, "Chosen". One of the song CD's included an edit of it. For shame!
Not so much into Walter Murphy's work, though I enjoyed the hyena episode score. I'd like to hear his rejected score to the season two premiere, having said that.
I'm with you on your assessment of the music. The hyena episode had some interesting stuff that I'd be happy to get 5-6 minutes of on a compilation set, but mostly I wasn't crazy about the first season scoring by Murphy (I'd be interested to hear some of his rejected season 2 work as well, as a curiousity.) Robert Duncan did some great work in the last season, as did Douglas Romayne for a couple episodes (wasn't he the guy who wrote an alternate Buffy/Spike theme that was pretty good, that he then re-used later when he wrote some music for the later seasons of Angel?)
Wanker wasn't as good as Beck, of course, but in general I am very surprised and how many people seem to think he did a bad job. There were a good handful of highlights among his output, many of which you listed above. I really hope he gets some decent representation on the set since he did score almost two seasons of the show. (It was a lot better work on his part than he did later for film under the name Thomas Wander!)
Also, a composer named Adam Fields is credited on IMDb for writing the second score of the second season (Some Assembly Required) -- I'll have to rewatch that episode and see if his guest effort is any good.
Yes, Beck is also credited. I assumed he was being given a chance as a replacement composer but it didn't work out and Beck came in and replaced score. I asked Fields about it, but he didn't really recall.
Interestingly enough, Beck had suggested Danny Lux as a replacement. They went with Wanker.
Thomas Wanker was no Christophe Beck, but he did make some great cues that I really hope will be released. My favorites from his work is:
- Shadow (when Joyce and Buffy finds out about her tumor from the doctors) - The scene from Buffy vs Dracula when Buffy tells Giles she needs him to be her watcher again. (this also appears in other scenes. Like "Fool For Love" whit Buffy and Spike outside her house on the stairs). - Scene from Into The Woods when Buffy run to reach Riley (and Xander telling Anya he loves her) - Buffy/Spike sex scene in Smashed - Scene from Tough Love after Willow and Tara had a fight - Joyce´s funeral - Last scene from Forever when Buffy and Dawn fights - In Bargaining, part 1 at the airport as the gang says goodbye to Giles. - And of course from Grave. When Xander stops Willow
Robert Duncan made amazing music for the last episode! I sort hoped they´d bring in Beck for that one (like they did with The Gift), but Duncan did a bang up job anyway!
The only thing I found interesting from Walter Murphy and season 1 was the Buffy theme piano version from the season finale after she´d beat down The Master. Would love this!
But mostly, I want Christophe Beck music. There´s too much to list, but my top list (without everything that has already been released or leaked) is:
- From Lovers Walk (before Loneliness of Six starts), the scene where Buffy ends it with Angel (Buffy/Angel love theme, piano version). So beautiful! - From Faith, Hope and Trick, the scene where Buffy tell them that Angel was cured before she killed him (again, the Buffy/Angel love theme. I´m such a sucker for this melody! haha) - From Passion, when Giles calls Buffy and Willow to let them know that Jenny is dead (the Jenny theme) - The theme that appears in Anne (probably Anne theme?). When she comes home to Joyce. - From The Gift when Buffy talks to Giles and wish her mum was here (mashup of Buffy/Angel theme and Sacrifice theme) - When She Was Bad, the REAL Sledgehammer version (not the one that leaked. This was never used) - Surprise/Innocence, there´s so many beautiful versions of the Buffy/Angel love theme in these ones! - I Only Have Eyes For You, the climax with Buffy and Angel. Powerful stuff! - There´s a nice theme from Bad Girls/Consequences. Faith scenes. - From Choices, end scene. A simpler version of Class Protector. Very nice! - This Year´s Girl. Some great Faith stuff in her dream scenes. - New Moon Rising, end scene with Oz leaving and then Willow visits Tara (Willow/Oz love theme mashed with Willow/Tara love theme!) - The Yoko Factor, when Buffy and Angel speak in the hallway (slightly hint of the Buffy/Angel love theme)
Etc etc etc!
Yes, I´m obsessed with the Buffy/Angel love theme and I wish they could release a whole album with ALL the different versions! hehe!
Imo, I hope La La Land wont "waste" too much space on this/these cd(s) with stuff that´s already been released or leaked. I´d rather get my hands on music that´s never been available. But that´s just my opinion. I´ll take whatever I can get!
Btw, in case you never noticed. Christophe Beck himself uploaded "Willow and Oz" from Wild At Heart after I harassed him on Twitter!
Count me in as one of the people who enjoys Thomas Wanker's S5 and S6 music. I really hope he is well represented on the boxset as none of his cues have ever been put out. The aforementioned Buffy/Riley helicopter cue that ends "Into The Woods" is one of my favorites in the entire show. I also adore the music in "Fool For Love" and "Forever" from the same season. Gosh I'm so excited for the boxset!
I know I didn't mention them, so I'll say a little about the other BtVS composers:
About half of season two was scored by Sean Murray & Shawn K. Clement. I cant' say I hated their work when I watched the episodes, but I can I cant' recall a lick of it and nothing every stood out.
Two or three episodes in the final season were scored by Douglas Romayne Steves -- the original choice to score the season (which didn't work out for some unknown reason). I remember enjoying it, though I can't recall any of it. But then again, I really didn't like season seven very much and most episodes never received a re-watch from me.
The composer line up, for anybody curious who isn't familiar, was:
Season 1:
All by Walter Murphy.
Season 2:
About half by Christophe Beck.
The other approximate half was by Sean Murray & Shawn K. Clement.
And that one episode with unknown amounts of contributions by Adam Fields (Beck, credited with additional).
Season 3:
All Christophe Beck.
Season 4:
All Christophe Beck.
Season 5:
All, except one episode, by Thomas Wanker.
the finale episode (the show was cancelled) was by Christophe Beck.
Season 6:
All, except one episode, by Thomas Wanker.
The musical episode, "Once More, With Feeling!" was scored by Beck (what little scoring there was); the musical had been longer in production and even though Beck had moved away from television, he was contractually obligated.
About half of season two was scored by Sean Murray & Shawn K. Clement. I cant' say I hated their work when I watched the episodes, but I can I cant' recall a lick of it and nothing every stood out.
The only thing of theirs I remember well, was the song they wrote, titled "Anything". It was used in the teaser for 'Surprise'. Really sensual song. I'd like a better-sounding version of it, but only poorly-compressed mp3s of it exist.
I m so excited that we ll finally have a Buffy release!!
I just hope it will be announced soon.
With 144 episodes, it s not the X-Files, but it will be quite difficult to get everything we want i guess, even with 4 CDs. But who knows, if it really sells we could have a volume 2 Day one for me of course!
Like most of you, i don't really care about music from season 1, and not a big fan of the music in season 5 and 6, which was sometimes quite bland (with some highlights anyway).
IMO, the heart of the show is in Beck's work, of course. And there are some episodes where the music is so good I d love to hear at least 15 minutes of it... Just to name a few "What's my line", "Passion", "Innocence", "Becoming", "Dead Man's Party", "The Wish", "Graduation Day", "Fear Itself" and what i think would be really worthy of complete scores: "Hush" and "Restless" (his masterpieces for me ^^)
Excellent post, acathla! I agree with many of your picks, though I don't know if I need to overdose on the Buffy/Angel love theme as much as you...it's good but I imagine I'd get tired of it if it were repeated over and over too much. I think the Buffy/Spike theme later (who wrote that, again?) might wear out its welcome a little slower with me.
Too bad there's no Spike/Angel love theme; they were by far the most interesting romance in the series, haha!
I´m not sure if I´ve dreamed this (or something), but was Slayer´s Elegy (Christophe Beck) reused for a scene in season 6? I just feel like it was but I dont remember which episode or scene (if it ever was), lol!
I am quite pleased with the news of a box set of Buffy music — obviously I love Christophe Beck's work, but I also would be interested in some of those highlights of the Thomas Wanker and Douglas Romayne Stevens (whose work I liked). And I really, really liked Rob Duncan's work on season 7 in general.
I know some of Becks work, but buffy, no, not familiar with it, i'll do some research on the quality of music, by the way, Beck, is he 48 or 49, on wiki its vague to his exact birth date.
This boxset will be a dream come true for me as well. A holy grail for sure. I love the show and I've loved (a lot of) the music. I own virtually everything that's been commercially released (and a bit more than that) and treasure most of it. Christophe Beck is the clear winner for me with the series, but I'll echo a few out there who have said that Wanker's music is underrated. His contributions were extremely valuable to the show. I wasn't a huge fan of Romayne Stevens' work but it was decent, and Robert Duncan did some really good stuff. Walter Murphy? No thanks.
I'm very excited for the release and I'm sure I'll be happy with whatever comes, as long as they don't rehash too much of what was already released of Beck's work.
A few random thoughts...
I personally think the "Final Fight" cue by Duncan is good -- but not nearly as epic and brilliant as everyone makes it out to be. Yes it works great in the final battle between the potentials and the Turok-Han and it's rousing, but I don't think it's as priceless as some would lead you to believe.
I really hope that Wanker's cue from Season 5 ep. 5 ("No Place Like Home") from the scene where Buffy performs the spell in her home makes the box set. She performs the spell to find out if there are other spells or magicks at work and in doing so stumbles upon the hidden truth about Dawn. It's a really atmospheric and dreamy cue and works brilliantly at evoking that otherwordly, dazed, almost druglike state that Buffy's in as she meanders through her home. There are slight female vocals in the cue that make it even more enchanting and I've always found it absolutely mesmerizing. The entire scene is absolutely brilliant the way it flashes the hidden truth and uses colors and saturation. Really amazing work by the art and visual department there! Tried to find a youtube clip but could not.
Definitely hoping for lots of "love theme" love -- but not just Angel/Buffy. I definitely want more Riley/Buffy, which I prefer over Angel/Buffy (love theme-wise), but that could just be because I've heard the Angel/Buffy theme a bazillion times. The Riley/Buffy theme feels more timeless and classic, more grand and beautiful. Comparatively, Angel/Buffy feels simplistic to me now. I really want more Oz/Willow love theme stuff but also the Willow/Kennedy love theme by Duncan which is actually remarkably lovely.
Also, re: Chris Beck ... anything like "Willow's Nightmare/First Rage/Chain of Ancients?" YES PLEASE! MORE PLEASE!
I could go on and on but I'll end those thoughts for now. Very, very excited!
Since I ve heard about the rumors of this boxset i ve rewatched seasons 2-3-4 (until now) and what i really liked is that the score is never too much present.
Of course there are pop songs (and not bad ones for most of the time i have to say), but what i like is that silence is very well used too!
We are now so used to have almost wall-to-wall music during movies or tvshows, that it really is refreshing to hear that score is only used when it s needed.
Sometimes i think there s only 15 minutes of score in an episode... and maximum 25 minutes maybe (especially during the "serious" episodes) ? Which makes the choice of tracks for a boxset easier i guess ^^
I don't know if it s still the same in the following seasons, i ll see. But i enjoy it a lot!
The score is (unfortunately) A LOT more reused/recycled for the next seasons (season 5 and 6) with Thomas Wanker´s work. Some of it is good, but most of it is, imo, nothing special. It´s almost as if he spent one or two days creating A LOT of music for different occasion (sad theme, fight theme, funny theme) and sent it all in one package to the creators, like, "here you have a bunch of themes for all occasions". Some of the themes (specially the "sad" theme) is used probably 15 times throughout the seasons. And it´s exactly the same version.
Yes, this also happened to Beck´s work for season 2 - 4 but at least he had themes for the different people/couples and he made different versions of them every time. And you can just hear that he made if with much more passion. Specially during the sad scenes where there was just a piano playing, you can actually hear that he tried his best to fit the piano notes in between the actors´lines so that it became much more listenable.
