I have been eyeing these for sometime. I grew up watching these specials on TV and actually recall how lovely the music was, if it was only "background" music to my much younger ears. Is there a particular one that folks prefer?
I love every one I own, but my favorite isn't from any of the TV specials. It's the Parc Oceanique disc, which I believe was written for a theme park. The CD is sublime from start to finish.
As a Scott fanatic, I love this - The fully orchestral ones anyway, not so much the pop/rhythm-section infused ones which haven't aged well. At their best though, these are quintessential Scott. Don't go in expecting ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA or KING KONG LIVES - These are not cut from a more conventional film scoring idiom. They're more impressionistic tone poems describing the natural world, and in this regard, they're wonderful, detailed and sophisticated works.
As a Scott fanatic, I love this - The fully orchestral ones anyway, not so much the pop/rhythm-section infused ones which haven't aged well. At their best though, these are quintessential Scott. Don't go in expecting ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA or KING KONG LIVES - These are not cut from a more conventional film scoring idiom. They're more impressionistic tone poems describing the natural world, and in this regard, they're wonderful, detailed and sophisticated works.
This is exactly what I want to hear. I am becoming a Scott fanatic, having purchased L'expedition Jules Verne recently. I don't have Antony and Cleopatra and King Kong Lives but am in the process of getting Greystoke. I definitely prefer these tone poems, not to say the film scores are equally magnificent.
Although the music for the Cousteau specials is wonderful, I just wanted to give you a word of warning. The two CDs I had on Scott's own label gave way to CD rot and would no longer play. I believe they were pressed by the same company that did some of the Unicorn Kanchata and Cloud Nine releases that also disintegrated (PDO?).
Jim Dorhety is correct about the CD rot of some of the Scott COUSTEAU soundtracks. In fact, I'd say that nearly all of the first generation JOS soundtracks (Scott's own label) suffer from irreparable deterioration that makes the CDs an unpleasant listening experience. At some point he repressed them (and, for a short time, even offered FREE replacement discs to those who wanted them), but they are somewhat hard to find or identify from the originals. Best advice; contact Scott directly and inquire about any specific CDs and if he may know of a place to get them (it doesn't appear that he sells them from his site, but maybe I missed the link)? Go to the following link to make an inquiry - http://www.josrecords.com/contact.html
Jim Dorhety is correct about the CD rot of some of the Scott COUSTEAU soundtracks. In fact, I'd say that nearly all of the first generation JOS soundtracks (Scott's own label) suffer from irreparable deterioration that makes the CDs an unpleasant listening experience. At some point he repressed them (and, for a short time, even offered FREE replacement discs to those who wanted them), but they are somewhat heard to find or identify from the originals. Best advice to to contact Scott directly and inquire about any specific CDs and if he may know of a place to get them (it doesn't appear that he sells them from his site, but maybe I missed the link.) Go to the following link to make an inquiry - http://www.josrecords.com/contact.html
Best,
Oz
Screen Archives appears to stock all of these. Would these be the repressed ones?
EDIT: I've emailed the address that Oz mentioned and I'll report back if I hear something. I too am interested in picking these up!
As a Scott fanatic, I love this - The fully orchestral ones anyway, not so much the pop/rhythm-section infused ones which haven't aged well. At their best though, these are quintessential Scott. Don't go in expecting ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA or KING KONG LIVES - These are not cut from a more conventional film scoring idiom. They're more impressionistic tone poems describing the natural world, and in this regard, they're wonderful, detailed and sophisticated works.
This is exactly what I want to hear. I am becoming a Scott fanatic, having purchased L'expedition Jules Verne recently. I don't have Antony and Cleopatra and King Kong Lives but am in the process of getting Greystoke. I definitely prefer these tone poems, not to say the film scores are equally magnificent.
Thanks for the info.
If you like his Jules Verne music, you'll dig these. I'm especially fond of AUSTRALIA, CAPE HORN, CHANNEL ISLAND,LEGACY OF CORTEZ, STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN and of course PARC OCEANIQUE. Wondrous musical depictions of our natural world abound.
GREYSTOKE is a score that Scott himself has been ready to release as a 2-CD complete score for a while. A lot of music was either dropped or shuffled around or edited in the finished film, as the pic itself was constantly being re-cut up until the last minute. Last time I visited John, he played me a few cues no one's ever heard unless you were at the sessions or in the editing room. It's a marvelous score:
What's funny, too, is that even in a film as dire as KING KONG LIVES you can hear Scott interjecting some of this impressionistic grandeur. Listen to that end title - one of my favorites ever! - Oddly edited down/shorter on album than in the film:
Jim Dorhety is correct about the CD rot of some of the Scott COUSTEAU soundtracks. In fact, I'd say that nearly all of the first generation JOS soundtracks (Scott's own label) suffer from irreparable deterioration that makes the CDs an unpleasant listening experience. At some point he repressed them (and, for a short time, even offered FREE replacement discs to those who wanted them), but they are somewhat hard to find or identify from the originals. Best advice; contact Scott directly and inquire about any specific CDs and if he may know of a place to get them (it doesn't appear that he sells them from his site, but maybe I missed the link)? Go to the following link to make an inquiry - http://www.josrecords.com/contact.html
Best,
Oz
So I emailed JOSrecords at the email at the link and got an error message. That said most of the releases are available vie Screen Archives (the only place online I can find them). I emailed screen archives and they told me those they have in stock are from a more recent pressing and unaffected by bronzing. I've just ordered a few of the Cousteau scores via them. I'll report in when they arrive, but I've never had a problem with Screen Archives.
bobbengan: GREYSTOKE is a score that Scott himself has been ready to release as a 2-CD complete score for a while. A lot of music was either dropped or shuffled around or edited in the finished film, as the pic itself was constantly being re-cut up until the last minute. Last time I visited John, he played me a few cues no one's ever heard unless you were at the sessions or in the editing room. It's a marvelous score:
That linked cue was a good example of why I've said before if I were choosing a composer for a Star Wars film, I'd hire Scott in a heart beat.
Scott said in an interview, by the way, the film already had two scores tossed. One a score and another which was arrangements of classical music. The first composer I've not discovered yet, but the classical music was arranged by Norman Del Mar, who is credited with beign a conductor of "additional music" on IMDb, suggesting some of it must still be in the film. I know Scott would only want to do scores that he did on his own label, but a set of all three would be terrific.
Perhaps fitting here: a few days ago the Filmmusic Foundation has published a wonderful interview with Scott from February this year. Over two hours long, hosted by Jon Burlingame. Many anecdotes about his career, also Cousteau (a cooperation which ended bad after Cousteau's death).
Jim Dorhety is correct about the CD rot of some of the Scott COUSTEAU soundtracks. In fact, I'd say that nearly all of the first generation JOS soundtracks (Scott's own label) suffer from irreparable deterioration that makes the CDs an unpleasant listening experience. At some point he repressed them (and, for a short time, even offered FREE replacement discs to those who wanted them), but they are somewhat heard to find or identify from the originals. Best advice to to contact Scott directly and inquire about any specific CDs and if he may know of a place to get them (it doesn't appear that he sells them from his site, but maybe I missed the link.) Go to the following link to make an inquiry - http://www.josrecords.com/contact.html
Best,
Oz
Screen Archives appears to stock all of these. Would these be the repressed ones?
EDIT: I've emailed the address that Oz mentioned and I'll report back if I hear something. I too am interested in picking these up!
Jim Dorhety is correct about the CD rot of some of the Scott COUSTEAU soundtracks. In fact, I'd say that nearly all of the first generation JOS soundtracks (Scott's own label) suffer from irreparable deterioration that makes the CDs an unpleasant listening experience. At some point he repressed them (and, for a short time, even offered FREE replacement discs to those who wanted them), but they are somewhat hard to find or identify from the originals. Best advice; contact Scott directly and inquire about any specific CDs and if he may know of a place to get them (it doesn't appear that he sells them from his site, but maybe I missed the link)? Go to the following link to make an inquiry - http://www.josrecords.com/contact.html
Best,
Oz
So I emailed JOSrecords at the email at the link and got an error message. That said most of the releases are available vie Screen Archives (the only place online I can find them). I emailed screen archives and they told me those they have in stock are from a more recent pressing and unaffected by bronzing. I've just ordered a few of the Cousteau scores via them. I'll report in when they arrive, but I've never had a problem with Screen Archives.
Chris.
Great news - I will take my chances as well. Again, thanks Chris
I have been eyeing these for sometime. I grew up watching these specials on TV and actually recall how lovely the music was, if it was only "background" music to my much younger ears. Is there a particular one that folks prefer?
Thank you everyone for the info. I honestly had not heard about the problem with the cds previously released. This is why I come here to get the feedback I need.
Scott said in an interview, by the way, the film already had two scores tossed. One a score and another which was arrangements of classical music. The first composer I've not discovered yet, but the classical music was arranged by Norman Del Mar, who is credited with beign a conductor of "additional music" on IMDb, suggesting some of it must still be in the film.
Norman Del Mar got screen credit because it was in his contract, but none of his recordings were ultimately retained in the picture. The classical selections heard in the film were all conducted by John Scott. (Del Mar did not know how to conduct to picture, but Scott was able to better synchronize the Elgar excerpts to the film.)
John Corigliano was actually asked to score Greystoke, and was interested, but too tied-up in writing "The Ghosts of Versailles" for the Met. (He promised Hugh Hudson he would score his next film, which of course turned out to be Revolution.)
I was told by a reliable source the unused score for Greystoke was actually by Vangelis, but the score was never fully realized.
Perhaps fitting here: a few days ago the Filmmusic Foundation has published a wonderful interview with Scott from February this year. Over two hours long, hosted by Jon Burlingame. Many anecdotes about his career, also Cousteau (a cooperation which ended bad after Cousteau's death).
This is a wonderful interview. Ironically, I was at John's house the day before they shot this, and got to meet Mr. Burlingame as he was scouting out John's place. That out-of-focus harp in the background, to John's right, is utterly ANCIENT by the way. John's home is just lovely for anyone who's curious.
