Star Wars Ultimate Edition Soundtracks coming Jan. 2016

Do you mean those two songs will be released or that the REAL pre-97 films are finally coming out?

 

Looks like those songs are on the release. And John Landis a close friend of Lucas said the originals were in the pipeline a few days ago. Rumor of course but seems like it could happen with Disney

 

I'm interested in getting the vinyl versions of Episodes II and III. I have very good copies of the original trilogy releases, and the I Am Shark release of Phantom Menace. If the downloads that come with the vinyl box are hi-res, I might be willing to spring for it. It looks like the CD box is just a re-packaging of what's already been available for a while, with the addition of the bonus interview disc (what the hell does Harrison Ford have to do with the soundtracks?!), so I'll pass on that.

 

I don't know if people have seen this, and it doesn't give a lot more info, but there is a link to the pre-order on iTunes: http://www.starwars.com/news/sony-c...te-editions-of-original-star-wars-soundtracks

I'd be happier with DSD downloads of the mastering done in 2004 of the two-disc sets issued then, but the HD downloads should suit me fine - especially since the price isn't terrible. I've never done HD downloads via iTunes before...any idea what the resolution is?

 

I am going to have to include the '20th Century Fox' music intro on mine though, I have had Star Wars soundtracks without it in the past and the main title just doesn't sound right without that at the start IMO

 

Oh I fully expect people to be whistling the fanfare opening night!

 

They weren't DSD mastered. I own the 1997 sets, and briefly owned the 2004 set. If memory serves, I recall being very disappointed to discover they were bit identical, and sounded identical too. So I returned the 2004 set. A marketing cock-up, or a case of trying to pull the wool over the eyes of collectors to pay for the same product twice? Other than the bonus Musical Journey DVD that came with the Sith soundtrack, these forthcoming releases mark the first time the soundtracks have been available in high-res (though they're the album versions rather than complete). If done correctly, I'm cautiously excited about these releases... Pre-ordered, though I'm hoping more information on the mastering side of things will be forthcoming before the release date.

I'm slightly concerned by the following: "Audio was transferred from the original LP masters using the highest resolution (up to 192kHz/24bit)."

The original LP masters for the prequels (were all three released as LPs?!) would likely have been the 16-bit CDs themselves, though would love to be proven wrong there. And it says 'up to 24/192'...

 

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B015NOT9FY?tag=smarturl-20

Looks like the CD edition comes with the sh!t versions of the Original Trilogy soundtracks.

 

I wouldn't mind if they replicated the original LP release for IV through VI. Honestly, I get deterred when they try to include ever piece of music...

 

I really hope the vinyl releases include the original 77, 80 and 83 LP mastered and they are available to download (I take it it's for free) at 192/24. If it's like this, it's a dream come true so I'm in.

 

I'm really hoping the bonus free downloads that come with the vinyl set are the 24/192 sets too, not MP3s. Record company greed being what it usually is however, I'm assuming they will be MP3s. But I hope somebody from Sony will realise the LP sets would likely sell far more copies if they come with High-Res downloads...

 

If the free downloads are not High Rez as these are to be "sold" separately, I'll pass on the vinyl set and go for the High Rez downloads.

 

Oh no !! That is a real bummer perhaps though the reason the full versions sound like crap is due to the mastering etc, I would lover them sounding how the original 1993 set sounded !!

 

Wasn't there a different mastering that came out before the 1993 as well?

 

The 1993 Anthology sounds good, but some tracks were badly assembled, sometimes a track comprised of several different takes sounds uneven and wrong takes were chosen next to the ones of the original albums and movies soundtracks.

 

I don't see the album that YOUR avatar is!
I HAD that record, when I was a kid!

 

iTunes doesn't do HD/Hi-Res as we understand it here. iTunes files = AAC lossy codec, 256Kb/s, 16bit 44.1KHz. If you want lossless 16/44.1 or higher then you'll need to go somewhere other than iTunes for them.

On the plus side the iTunes track listing link confirms that these definitely aren't the 1997 RCA album configurations, more the original '77, '80 & '83 albums. Opening the link in iTunes itself confirms the tracks will be Mastered for iTunes but alas no digital booklet or iTunes LP content. Those wanting liner notes will need to look elsewhere, most likely one of the physical formats.

If the CDs conform to this track listing then I'm definitely in for them - hopefully the mastering and sound quality can exceed the Anthology box set.

And I stand corrected with Lapti Nek and Yub-Yub (Ewok Celebration) making it out into the wild again.

 

If there was a track listing on your Amazon link it's now gone. By 'sh!t versions' do you mean the 1977-1983 LPs/CDs or the 1997 RCA CDs?

With the vinyl and iTunes track listings now confirmed I'm hoping previous suggestions of the CD versions having the 1997 track lists (& therefore same mastering & sound) were erroneous and the CDs will match the vinyl and download track lists.

 

I love both the double-LPs for Star Wars and Empire, and they're still my preferred way to listen to the scores, with the Anthology set coming in a very close second (still remember buying it from Tower Records in Picadilly Circus back in '93... has it really been 22 years?! Arghhhh!). I must say I very rarely play the RCA 1997 sets.

Was thinking it would have been a really nice touch to create a second LP to expand Jedi especially for this set, either with the original mooted double-LP contents (if there originally was one suggested), or perhaps asking John Williams for his current preferences to expand the set to encompass two LPs. That would have been quite a marketing hook too... Would have made all three a unique way of listening to the entire original trilogy.

 

Cool! Yeah, The Story of Star Wars was the first album I ever had. Still have it, and though it's a bit beat up, it still plays great! I just got back into vinyl last year, and hearing that old album for the first time in over 30 years was a real treat!

 

I have never heard it, does it contain the real actors and music ??

 

Yeah - all original...it was basically a chopped up version of the movie in audio form. Also featured a narrator with a cool booming voice.

 

There was one for Empire too I think but also an all original adventure based on that throwaway line in Empire about Han meeting a bounty hunter on Ord Mantell. We were pretty into that and the comic books between the movies. Nowadays there's just too much of that stuff to try and keep up with.

 

Fist album I ever got as well,still have it for sentimental reasons,unplayable tho.

 

Brian 'Flash Gordon's Alive' Blessed ?