guess it's my turn.

SO, well I find it quite a heavy work, powerful, dark, but with plenty of good bursts of action, as John mentions. There's a plodding amplified bass or guitar in there too, similar, if I remember rightly, to a recurring motif in The Satan Bug. Also chopping Stravinsky-like strings and Cassandra Crossing-type harpsichord. The zither presence might be the least attractive aspect for some people.

It would be ironic if you could get into trouble for quoting from boots' liner notes. I'll do it anyway, it might help give a better idea of the score than I have done:

"Few of this composer's other scores have such a mournful and wrathful timbre. The main theme, it is true, is closely linked to Kurt Weill's characteristic melodic style, but the core of the score is in the main devoted to the free tonal style of the Bartok school. The formal coherence and the inventive instrumentation attain a level which is quite considerable." Alexander Van Koeben (sic).

Couldn't have said it better myself, Alex. I should add that the "shape" of the score is a bit hard to get to grips with, and it doesn't really seem to come together, but this might be because of the sequencing or something. It's also ugly to look at, and that might even influence my perception of the whole.

FSM will do it a million times better. I say "buy it". (Can I have my commission now, Lukas?)

Too bad you'd allow a boot to interfere with obtaining a legitimate release of not one but TWO great scores in the best possible sound.

quote:

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Originally posted by Graham Watt:
As you say, Ron, it's just too bad, but having the boot will really prevent me from getting the official release (and, I know, I'll be missing out on David Shire too because of this), at least for the time being.

How do others feel about this? I imagine our "must have" lists are unwieldy and we're all on some kind of budget. What's a person to do?

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It makes me want to dump half the projects I'm currently working on for Intrada.

quote:

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Originally posted by Graham Watt:
As you say, Ron, it's just too bad, but having the boot will really prevent me from getting the official release (and, I know, I'll be missing out on David Shire too because of this), at least for the time being.

How do others feel about this? I imagine our "must have" lists are unwieldy and we're all on some kind of budget. What's a person to do?

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If I care enough about something to bother with a boot (few scores merit such effort), then I care enough to buy the release.

My "must have" list is pretty small. My "would like to listen to once" list is huge, however...MP3s help with that.

But, for me at least, the reality is the following:

quote:

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Originally posted by Graham Watt:
Roger, don't do that!

But, for me at least, the reality is the following:

Imagine you like all Goldsmith western scores equally (for example). You've got a boot (or more to the point, the legit re-recording) of Rio Conchos. FSM releases the original Rio Conchos. Prometheus releases Rio Lobo. Your budget allows you ONE of these. Which do you get?

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Well, to start, I wouldn't have put money into a bootlegger's pocket if I knew it would preclude me from purchasing a legitimate release when one came out. You've helped out a bootleger and hurt FSM. There's no way around that.

If you didn't have the bootleg and were choosing between MORITURI and RIO LOBO but could only chose one, that's an entirely different matter. And one that is understandable.

Still, Roger...you gotta know that some of these folks are students and don't always have a steady flow of income. I can appreciate that, having been a collector for 38 years.

I have boots in my collection, many of which I thought would never see a legit release in my lifetime -- and I was wrong. And boy am I glad, because I have bought every one of them, too, and the boots are only good for coasters, except one or two which feature alternate takes -- or in the case of one film -- the complete finale, including chorus, not on the legit release.

I read about folks wanting things but having to wait, and that's okay. Just don't wait too long.

The FSM stuff has been spectacular -- "The Egyptian" is not redundant in ANY WAY to the Morgan/Stromberg issue, which is very fine in and of itself. But there's nothing better than the 20th Century-Fox Orchestra and chorus conducted by Alfred Newman -- no comparisons of any sort are applicable.

The Friedhofer "Between Heaven and Hell", with tracks featured from "Soldier of Fortune" is PHENOMENAL.

And "The Best of Everything" in stereo is going to be SENSATIONAL.

As for MORITURI, who knew three or four years ago that FSM would be able to get their hands on stereo masters? I truly try to support you, and Lukas. and Craig Spaulding, and Prometheus and all the other specialty producers working so hard to get ligitimate releases out to collectors like me. I have bought and will continue to buy your releases, INCLUDING things I previously had on boots. But it's impossible to see the future, and I guess I tend to go with "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush." Really, is that so wrong?

I totally support FSM, and it was a risky move on their part to do this one, since most of the people who really love this score would have it already. But to say you will not buy this ever because you have the boot is ridiculous.

NP:La Strada(Rota)

FSM may eventually sell out of something, but it may still be had through Supercollector, here, or Intrada.

I believe Lukas has told the rec.music.movies newsgroup that they are pretty close to selling out the Paper Chase/Conrack/Poseidon Adventure CD. but that was awhile back.