SUPERMAN: THE MUSIC (1978-1988) box set

Thought you guys would want to know about this.

http://www.aintitcool.com/node/35748

 

Awfully expensive but my willpower is weakening. I think I'm getting it. It looks very nice. The Superman II score is almost as good as the famous John Williams score from the first one.

 

I have one of these on order .... looks fantastic!!!

It's not horribly expensive .... about $15 a disc.

 

Thought I’d consolidate a few thoughts about this massive 8CD set, posted at various times to the FSM forum.

The booklet is detailed, thorough and well researched. It is easy to read and informative.

Mastered from 35mm mag film, SUPERMAN sounds more clean, vibrant, dynamic and internally consistent than ever before. Existing edits have been smoothed over making many of them undetectable. The previous Rhino edition was grossly peak limited, had an odd bump in the midrange frequencies and was over modulated at times. Digital noise reduction may have sucked some life out of the score but this is definitely an improvement.

Ken Thorne did an admirable job adapting material from the first film in SUPERMAN II. His choices were always appropriate and sometimes quite inspired: such as “Clark Fumbles Rescue” reprising “To the Lair”; “Superman Flies Off” where material from the original film’s “Prelude” is set in a sombre tone; and the use of Williams’ unused, alternate “Dome Opens” cue for the “Aerial Battle” sequence. In all, it’s actually quite a treat having the first film’s music reorchestrated, stretched, condensed and re-recorded enthusiastically under Thorne’s baton. It would be nice to think that the Ken Thorne detractors will see his efforts as far greater than previously considered.

From SUPERMAN III, I really enjoy the “Main Title.” A really terrific light-hearted piece. The use of woodwinds and all those staccato rhythms together with pizzicato strings is great. The Superman fanfare statement accompanying the logo is neat -- it commences boldly and concludes, unresolved, with solo trumpet. There’s actually quite a lot going on in the whole piece. The “Montage” is also great fun. I also like the little french horn bridge Thorne wrote in the “End Credits” between approx 0:20 and 0:25. Freed to head more in his own direction, I think that he made a commendable effort and created a strong score that still clearly fits the SUPERMAN mould.

SUPERMAN IV, previously unreleased in any format, is a treasure trove of interesting ideas. Adapted by Alexander Courage, this score contains three new themes for Lacy, Nuclear Man and young Jeremy. “United Nations” may be the highlight of the score where a stirring presentation of the Superman B-theme concludes with statements of the fanfare, Lacy’s, Jeremy’s and the love theme coalescing. Amazingly, it doesn’t appear contrived or forced and flows wonderfully. It’s an interesting score that is far greater than the film it ended up accompanying.

 

Nice to hear that this is a great sounding set, Chris! I know you've been involved in some friendly debate as to the sound quality of the Star Wars releases, so I'm glad this one gets the thumbs up. I might just have to track this puppy down!

 

Unfortunately, despite the lavish production and my propensity to nit pick (!!), the box is not immune to a few criticisms.

The first SUPERMAN has definitely undergone noise reduction as hiss is conspicuous by its absence. There is a wide frequency response -- and particular (over) emphasis on the lower end creating a heavy and woolly sound at times -- but, alas, some of the aliveness and ambience has been sucked out along with the hiss. Why are people so scared of tape hiss? Some peak limiting has been applied but this is not detrimental. As mentioned previously, this release is now more internally consistent in sound quality compared with the Rhino edition that combined several different sources. Perhaps the original Warner CD, whilst suffering a few issues with imaging and veiling, is still the easiest on the ears. To my mind, Steve has been the only mastering engineer to properly present a John Williams / Eric Tomlinson recorded score in a way that is tonally appealing and not fatiguing over extended periods.

SUPERMAN II is crisp if not a little too bright. There is an issue with the last two tracks on the disc. The right channel in “Lois Forgets” appears to be about 5 dB lower than it should be. The right channel in the last track, incorporating the end credits, is about 3.5 dB down however contains a significant azimuth (delay) error in the order of 6.145 ms. This can be corrected by delaying the right channel by 271 samples. The upshot of this error is that instruments panned to the centre -- including woodwinds, snare drum and tuba -- are indistinct and unfocussed. This is most apparent when the recording is summed to mono -- the music becomes bass shy and centre material is diminished as frequencies around 81 Hz, the approximate equivalent of note E2, and multiples of it are cancelled.

SUPERMAN III sounds fine with both this score and the former score possessing the distinctive CTS Wembley quality captured with focus and delicacy by John Richards. This is the most tonally appealing score in the set to my ears.

The jewel for film music fans is SUPERMAN IV as the score has never before been released and underwent significant adjustments to fit the film it was dubbed into. The score was recorded in both Germany and at CTS, with these recordings remixed and edited together, with little noticeable change in soundstage or positioning. Quite a tough feat to accomplish.

This box set is a commendable effort for sure, make no mistake, and I’m very grateful to own it. It is something that should be in all SUPERMAN and film score fan’s collections. The above represents my opinions of the sound quality!

I would be most interested to read comments from others.

 

I must have been one of the first buyers as I got set #2(of a limited 3000 run). I've had this since it came out and have been meaning to give my impressions of it. In general Chris is dead on in his view of the set. I might do a more thorough comparison of Superman 1 in the future because I have virtually every edition of it which has been released on both vinyl and cd.

The set itself consists of all eight cds housed in two fatboy cases that hold four cds each and the booklet within a hard casing shell. The booklet is incredible as it is a 160 page hardbound mini-book with lots of pictures and new details about the various productions. Apparently this project had been in the planning for a long time and was already "locked" contractually or we would have seen material from Superman Returns also.

I would strongly recommend this set for fans of Williams' work. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the Superman 3 score(this box is the only way to get it on cd), though be aware that Williams didn't score all the movies.

 

Hi PhantomStranger, have you compared the various releases of the SUPERMAN score? I'd be interested in your comments.

I have written a more lengthy review, which collates comments I have posted here and elsewhere, posted on my Web site at:

http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Lot/9045/

 

That is an excellent writeup of the Superman box. I had some of the same concerns you cited about the first movie's score from the boxset but I am not ready to comment fully. If I get the time I'll do a thorough comparison for the first film at some point.

 

NR on the first Supes? Oy vey. That's one reason I still love my Star Wars Anthology discs - glorious tape hiss! It sounds far more alive and natural than the special editions, though it isn't perfect by any means (wrong takes, not-quite-master tapes, etc). You're right when you say that Steve's the only one that's really nailed it - I'm simply in love with my Raiders 2-Disc LP.

 

Steve’s RAIDERS seems like a one-of-a-kind, unfortunately, which is a real shame. The 1993 STAR WARS box is still my first choice when I want to relish in the original trilogy scores.

As for SUPES, I’d like to go back and compare it with the vinyl as well.

 

I have two Supes on vinyl, one domestic and one Italian. The latter is noisy as all heck, but the former is no beauty either. Aside from the noise, they both sound very similar to the Star Wars double-LP - slightly compressed in dynamic range. I'd bet good money that John Neal was behind it, but I can't prove it. Both of my Supes have no credits whatsoever with them, other than the movie's credits. Mastering info is nil and liner notes are MIA.

All I really know about the LP (besides that I think it sounds a lot like Star Wars) is that it was cut by a guy named "Arnie" at the Winchester plant.

 

Thanks for the report on the quality of the vinyl and the interesting info regarding the cutting.

John Neal did some quality recordings of his own over the years but I’m not sure he was involved with this one. The only evidence I can offer is Mr Tomlinson’s assertion that he did all the mixing for the film. I suspect that they were recording to 1” tape as well as magnetic film so the original album was probably prepared from the former rather than the mags. I’ll see what I can ferret out. I don’t know where the album was assembled but presume it would have been in the US.

 

Well, you'd know more than I would. I just assumed it was Neal because it has the same "sound" as the Star Wars LP, and it's from the same time period as well. I think I'll just needledrop the March tonight and give it an upload so you can give it a listen too.

 

So, this ended up sounding better than I remember it sounding. Probably 'cause I haven't listened to it since I upgraded my rig. It does indeed sound slightly better than the original Star Wars release, though it's by no means the best vinyl scoring I've ever heard (once again, Steve's Raiders March has that honor).

The record itself looked as pure as new fallen snow, though played with a bit of noise. I suppose you can be the judge of how good it ended up sounding. This is through my Rega Planar II circa 1978, with a AT-440MLa cart and a PS Audio II preamp circa the 1980s. It's a 92/24 Flac, at around 84mb.

http://www.sendspace.com/file/8pi6wx

 

That is a really high quality transfer, I am very impressed!

Some of the defects on the original Warner CD are also noticeable on the LP it seems: The significant drop out at 23.8 seconds during the fanfare; the tape wobble at 2:35.4; and the slight reduction in the left channel after the splice at 4:14.4.

In terms of tone and dynamic range, after giving it a few listens, the LP seems comparable with the original CD indicating a flat transfer was probably made during the production of the latter.

The left channel on the WB CD is slightly raised compared with the LP. The only other thing I noticed is that the absolute polarity differs between the LP and the WB CD. Your LP matches the FSM Blue Box Set.

Once again, thanks so much for sharing. It enables us to all do a bit more detective work and understand how these things are manipulated and altered over the years.

 

Interesting that the LP sounds most similar to the first CD, since they were released yeeeears apart. Just out of curiosity, which disc would you reach for if you wanted a digital copy of Superman? Is the new FSM tops, despite its NR?

 

This is the big question and difficult to answer. The expanded releases (Rhino and FSM) offer some great cues missing from the original album: “The Kryptonquake”; “Jonathan’s Death” and “Helicopter Rescue” immediately come to mind. “Jonathan’s Death,” in particular, is such a superb cue. The solo trumpet, the chimes and low strings midway through. The use of string harmonics – the big statement at the end. The power of music in effecting emotions.

If I’m in the mood for a more “honest” sound and the lion’s share of important cues then the original album tends to be my preference. Each to their own, though.

 

Audio Fidelity should tackle the first film's score for SACD.

 

So, what's the verdict regarding the Superman 1 score...does the Superman Box edition sound better than the earlier Rhino 2-CD set? I think the box set version used the better master-tapes, but it was mentioned above that some NR might have been applied, but does the boxed set version still sound superior to the older Rhino set?

 

I'll say it has a different sound. Neither are dramatically better but there are differences.

 

After seeing your question, I went back and actually dug the Rhino Archives CD set out for listening. Superb packaging, there are some incredible photos in it. The mastering isn't terrible but I would rank it dead last in terms of preference. Something is lacking in its musicality.

 

Thanks for the info (particularly the informative posts I've quoted below). Unlike *cough* 99% of the folks here, I've been nostalgic lately. While I haven't listened to soundtracks much in ages, they were my entry point into music. This was just at the dawn of the VHS/Beta era and when John Williams was The Beatles of soundtracks (you're welcome for finally making this a Beatles thread).

Back then (at least for me) the closest way of having access to the film experience was by cobbling together soundtracks, books, comics, and eventually listening to the films on Maxell UR-120 (?) home recordings made by putting a cassette player next to the TV speaker and dutifully (un)pausing around commercial breaks during ABC's eventual two-night airings.</OldManSimpsonVoice>

I'd listen to the Superman I-III soundtracks on my portable GE mono tape recorder, but when eventually my grandparents bought me the LP of II (see very cool photo below of my edition [not my copy; source]), I loved spinning it the most, feeling that I's soundtrack sounded too echoey (whereas now it sounds grand). In hindsight, the orchestrations are arguably weaker and less dynamic (not in the DR way) with the smaller orchestra but this was the copy I could play on my mom's Fisher stereo with its tall spindled-turntable and classy wood base. I'd watch those futuristic laser-etched Superman crests spin at 33 1/3 and I didn't picture the movie, I heard the music.

Anyhow, when I discovered a few days ago that this set was on sale ($100 after shipping), I had to decide if I'm willing to spend that kind of money on I, II and the supplements. Many years ago, my brother bought me the heavily truncated CD of the first soundtrack, which I've barely spun, so based on that I doubt I'll even listen to I & II more than once or twice. Even as a kid III's soundtrack felt poor and IV was such a mediocre film that I didn't mind there was no soundtrack (plus I'd discovered things like girls and pop radio). The cartoon soundtrack is nothing more than a curio for me. Ah, the price of nostalgia.

Well, my copy arrived yesterday and was the big treat in a very difficult week. I may pop it on today -- or at least make ALAC copies for the HT setup and absurdly lo-res mp3s so I can listen on my iPod, pretending it's my tinny old GE. I'd buy you guys a round of Kool-Aid but I just spent my allowance -- with your help. Thanks!

 

I still love this soundtrack as much as I ever did. I've seen criticisms of it from classical music snobs but it's a powerful piece of music. I'm not sure the movie works nearly as well without it. I was aghast when Warner Bros. dropped Williams' main theme from Man of Steel.

 

So, while listening to random songs from the collection I've begun transcoding this behemoth into iTunes, which requires some OCD tasks such as occasional spell checking, making album titles (and sorting) consistent as well as adding cover art which Gracenote's database is missing. While hunting for images and trying to find out what orchestra was used for Superman II, I stumbled on a site where Ken Thorne, composer/arranger for Superman III & III is interviewed. Below find (lengthy) excerpts including Thorne's somewhat lack of enthusiasm for III; the full interview is worth a few minutes and can be found here.

Funny, considering all the time I spend here reading about Dylan, Leonard Cohen & George Harrison, yet this is what I wind up posting about. Go figure.