On the FSM website, it says that "a vinyl source has been used for a handful of tracks, due to missing masters" and while it doesn't indicate specifically which cues come from a vinyl source, the rest of the paragraph implies that it's most/all of the music that didn't appear on the original LP. Which further implies that the LP masters (or a portion of them) exist. But it isn't 100% clear. "The Killer" was on the LP, so there's a good chance that's one of the cues sourced from a higher quality. I haven't heard this CD in ages so I don't remember how it all sounded (I did like the score, though).
It does look like Universal Music Group has MGM Records now, which in terms of licensing possibilities puts it in a much better situation than if 20th Century Fox(/Disney) had it, but then the question remains if it "The Liquidator" materials were destroyed in the fire.
It does look like Universal Music Group has MGM Records now, which in terms of licensing possibilities puts it in a much better situation than if 20th Century Fox(/Disney) had it, but then the question remains if it "The Liquidator" materials were destroyed in the fire.
My guess is that they were destroyed, although the LP may have been released in other countries, meaning that tapes may exist outside of the US.
When you listen to "The Liquidator" CD, can you tell the difference between the two sources used for it? Does "The Killer" sound better on that Rhino "Crime Jazz" CD than the FSM CD?
When you listen to "The Liquidator" CD, can you tell the difference between the two sources used for it? Does "The Killer" sound better on that Rhino "Crime Jazz" CD than the FSM CD?
Interesting. The FSM listing for the CD does imply that a partial LP master exists by specifying that some of the LP tracks on the CD weren't sourced from vinyl. Maybe a portion of the LP masters were damaged and unusable years ago, maybe they can be restored now with today's technology. But that's speculation. Perhaps somebody knows more and can chime in.
It does look like Universal Music Group has MGM Records now, which in terms of licensing possibilities puts it in a much better situation than if 20th Century Fox(/Disney) had it, but then the question remains if it "The Liquidator" materials were destroyed in the fire.
Universal Music Group owns the non-soundtrack catalog of MGM Records. The Warner Music Group owns the soundtrack catalog,.