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The Dark Crystal 25th Anniversary CD Soundtrack

Aside from bringing fans a deluxe 2-disc "anniversary edition" DVD, Henson is using the 25th anniversary of "The Dark Crystal'" as a great excuse to resurrect, revisit, and release the film's magnificent soundtrack. "The Dark Crystal: 25th Anniversary Edition Soundtrack" album is set to be released on CD by La La Land Records on July 14, 2007. The film's score was written by composer Trevor Jones and performed by the London Symphony Orchestra with Marcus Dods conducting. Currently the music from the film is hard to come by, with the limited edition printings of all past releases currently out-of-print. La La Records has told me that the full details of this album (track listing, artwork and whatnot) will be made public later this month; and I will be sure to keep you posted with the details of this album when the information becomes available.

-- Greg

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Wow! So I suppose the 10,000 question is: HOW, precisely, will this "Anniversary" edition differ from its predecessor? Any new music (or better quality sound) is to be welcomed. Perhaps Trevor Jones, and his private archive, have finally been brought on board. As this is one of my all-time favorite scores, I certainly hope so!!! On the other hand, perhaps it's only a re-issue of the original LP (the $16.98 price-point given at Amazon.com might suggest a single-disc release).

Let the speculation commence...

EDIT: A closer look at Amazon's page does indeed reveal that this is a single-disc set (or at least Amazon thinks so...). I'm bracing myself for disappointment, but we'll see what new info comes out in the official announcement.

http://www.filmscoremonthly.com/board/posts.asp?threadID=42608&forumID=1

Necromidodo! Necromidodo! Necromidodo! Necromidodo! Necromidodo! *Phew*

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Originally posted by Wedge:
The 2-disc release already featured the original LP "remastered". So is this a NEW remastering? Is the sound quality significantly improved, not just from the original LP, but from the OOP Numenorean release?

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Originally posted by scoreaholic:
It would be nice to hear the entire score as it was written. Shame on La-La Land Records!!

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1. THE DARK CRYSTAL OVERTURE
CD1 - Track 1

2. LOVE THEME
CD1 - Track 8

3. AGE OF WONDER/THE POWER CEREMONY
CD2 - Track 1
CD1 - Track 2
For this cue, I wanted best of both worlds. It begins as it does in the film version. About seventeen seconds before where the male chorus drops off, I mix in the album track (having faded the beginning for a smooth transition). The effect is that the chorus, instead of just dropping off, builds to the magnificent two-note fanfare from the album track. The album track plays through to the end from this point on -- both because it has superior sound-quality, and because the film version has what sounds like some some tracked music at the end (taken from "The Shard", I believe -- see Cue 15 of my assembly).

4. JEN'S FLUTE
CD2 - Track 2

5. THE STORM
CD1 - Track 3
We seem to be missing a bit of the beginning of this cue, but there's nothing for it. This cue is only on the album and does not appear in the film.

6. VALLEY OF THE MYSTICS
CD2 - Track 3
This cue also begins strangely. I initially attempted to cross-fade it with the end of the previous cue, but I decided not to go that route with my final version.

7. THE EMPEROR DIES
CD2 - Track 4 [0:00-1:17.413]
The first part of this track is not on the original album, so we need it. But the remainder of the track represents the shortened film version of the death/funeral scenes. Cut the track as suggested and do a few fade-outs (I did one at roughly 1:08, then 1:12, then 1:14) and it should sound nice on its own. Then you can proceed to...

8. THE MYSTIC MASTER DIES
CD1 - Track 4
You can even mix this with the end of the last track, if you like, but I kept them separate.

9. THE FUNERALS/JEN'S JOURNEY
CD1 - Track 5

10. TRIAL BY STONE
CD2 - Track 5
CD1 - Track 6
This one is VERY tricky! You want to blend the extended opening passage from CD2, which is not on the album, with the full album track, which not only has better sound, but features a passage (2:11-2:28) that has been edited out of the film version. I achieved best results first by cutting from CD2T5 everything after 1:02.7 (where the main theme comes in). Then I selected everything after 0:51.257 and did a fade-out. I proceeded to mix in CD1T6 (again, at 0:51.257) in its entirety, and was very satisfied with the results. You may have to play around with it to get it to sound just right.

11. THE CHAMBERLAIN IS BANISHED
CD2 - Track 6

12. THE CRYSTAL CALLS
CD2 - Track 7
If you wish, you can blend the following track at 46.838 -- but there's really no getting around this abrupt fade-out. I ultimately decided to leave it be.

13. GARTHIM/STRANGE COUNTRY
CD2 - Track 8

14. THE HOME OF AUGHRA
CD2 - Track 9

15. THE SHARD
CD2 - Track 10
CD2 - Track 1
The second half of this cue seems to be dialed out in the film. Fortunately, it (or something VERY similar) was tracked at the end of "The Power Ceremony", so we can do a splice. I recommend selecting from about 4:19.773 to 4.23.772 on CD2T1 and fading-in. Then drag your selection to the end of the track and copy it. Mix it into CD2T10 at 0:14.690 for good results. There is a very slight acoustic difference, but it's almost imperceptible -- the kind of thing you wouldn't catch unless you knew it was there.

16. MUSIC OF THE CRYSTAL
I edited together this brief track from the DVD isolated score. First, I play the sound the shard replica makes back from the scene where the Mystic Master shows it to Jen. Then, I play the flute tone and crystal resonance from the scene where Jen uses his pipes to discover which is the true shard. Some of you may not want to bother going to the DVD for these non-score notes and sounds, but I'm obsessive, so... :-)

17. ESCAPE FROM THE OBSERVATORY/THE URRU DEPART
CD2 - Track 11

18. CRYSTAL VISION
Taken from the DVD isolated score, this is a very short cue that underscores Jen's vision of the crystal being cracked. Like I said, I'm a completist... you may not consider this worth your time.

19. DREAM-FASTING
CD2 - Track 12

20. SKEKSIS BANQUET
CD2 - Track 13

21. THE GARTHIM RETURN
CD2 - Track 14

22. CRYSTAL BATS
CD2 - Track 15
I like the complete version of the Gelfling Song from the album, and I like it on its own track. I fade out the Crystal Bats before it begins, even though there are a few river sounds mixed in.

23. GELFLING SONG
CD1 - Track 9

24. DANGER ON THE RIVER
CD2 - Track 15
I fade in during the sound-effects that precede this portion of the cue. It is possible to mix this with the end of the previous cue then split the files, if you want to bother with that.

25. THE POD DANCE
CD1 - Track 7
Longer, better-sounding, and more complete than the film version.

26. GARTHIM RAID
CD2 - Track 16
Only the end of the track, where the orchestra cuts off the dance music (from about 2:24 on). You can tell it's a fade-in, but it's not too bad. I prefer this to keeping the film abridgement of the dance music, or to relegating the complete dance cue to a "bonus track".

27. JEN AND KIRA
CD2 - Track 17

28. THE GELFLING RUINS
CD2 - Track 18
CD1 - Track 10
I keep the first sixteen seconds or so of the film version so that I have a few phrases of the eerie synth solo, then I cut to the album version.

29. TEMPTATION/LANDSTRIDERS
CD2 - Track 19

30. THE LANDSTRIDER JOURNEY
CD1 - Track 11
Includes an introductory passage not in the film version.

31. THE CHAMBER OF LIFE
CD2 - Track 20
Fade-in after "The Landstrider Journey" film version (or splice this part with the album version).

32. YOUNG AGAIN/CLIFF BATTLE/THE JOURNEY CONTINUES
CD2 - Track 21

33. SKEKSIL STRIKES
CD2 - Track 22

34. KIRA CAPTIVE
CD2 - Track 23

35. THE REFLECTOR
CD2 - Track 24

36. SKEKTEK'S DEMISE
CD2 - Track 25

37. APPROACHING THE CASTLE
CD2 - Track 26

38. THE PERILS OF JEN/THE DARK CRYSTAL
CD2 - Track 27

39. THE GREAT CONJUNCTION/FINALE/END CREDITS
CD1 - Track 12/Track 13
CD2 - Track 28
This is one of the more complicated cues in terms of editing. The OST tracks have much better sound, but the Conjunction cue is severely abridged. The film version is generally more complete, but has worse sound, and does contain several annoying nips and tucks that can be restored using the OST. My edits roughly correspond to these timings: [CD2T28 0:00-2:47] + [CD1T12 0:00-2:35] + [CD2T28 5:14-7:18] + [CD1T12 2:38-END] + [CD1T13]. As you can see, I have overlapped the end of CD1 Track 12 and the beginning of Track 13. I also elected to stick with the album version of the end credits, even though it's slightly shorter (the film has an additional 20 seconds or so at the beginning of the Pod Dance reprise, but I don't really miss them -- and the OST version of the transition is enjoyable in its own right).

40. THE GREAT CONJUNCTION/FINALE/END CREDITS (ALTERNATE)
CD2 - Track 28
Why include this as a bonus track? Because of the aforementioned 20-second extended opening on the Pod Dance reprise, and also because about 36 seconds of the Finale (appx. 9:36-10:13) include a vocal overlay of the Mystics chanting, which I think is kind of neat. It's a long track to include for less than a minute of alternate material, but hey -- there's room on the disc.

For CD-burning purposes, I like to begin Disc 2 with "The Landstrider Journey". At the end of Disc 2, I also added the concert suite from the SONICEMAD 2-CD set (my personal edit smoothly removes the applause between numbers, except at the end of the final cue, where the applause has only been shortened). My final titles/timings looks like this:

DISC ONE (54:42)
01 - The Dark Crystal Overture (3:10)
02 - Love Theme (3:16)
03 - Age Of Wonder/The Power Ceremony (4:43)
04 - Jen's Flute (0:56)
05 - The Storm (1:00)
06 - Valley Of The Mystics (0:39)
07 - The Emperor Dies (1:17)
08 - The Mystic Master Dies (0:49)
09 - Funerals/Jen's Journey (5:24)
10 - Trial By Stone (3:32)
11 - The Chamberlain Is Banished (1:20)
12 - The Crystal Calls (0:50)
13 - Garthim/Strange Country (2:29)
14 - The Home Of Aughra (1:21)
15 - The Shard (0:49)
16 - Music Of The Crystal (0:24)
17 - Escape From The Observatory/The UrRu Depart (2:28)
18 - Crystal Vision (0:15)
19 - Dream-Fasting (2:11)
20 - Skeksis Banquet (2:27)
21 - The Garthim Return (0:30)
22 - Crystal Bats (0:17)
23 - Gelfling Song (2:17)
24 - Danger On The River/Mystic Journey (1:00)
25 - The Pod Dance (3:11)
26 - Garthim Raid (1:45)
27 - Jen And Kira (1:36)
28 - The Gelfling Ruins (2:59)
29 - Temptation/Landstriders (1:47)

DISC TWO (63:59)
01 - The Landstrider Journey (0:43)
02 - The Chamber Of Life (2:01)
03 - Young Again/Cliff Battle/The Journey Continues (4:20)
04 - SkekSil Strikes (1:43)
05 - Kira Captive (0:57)
06 - The Reflector (1:12)
07 - SkekTek's Demise (1:08)
08 - Approaching The Castle (0:28)
09 - The Perils Of Jen/The Dark Crystal (3:40)
10 - The Great Conjunction/Finale/End Credits (16:11)
11 - The Great Conjunction/Finale/End Credits [Alternate] (16:10)
12 - Dark Crystal Suite: Dark Crystal Overture (3:08)
13 - Dark Crystal Suite: The Skeksis Duel (2:08)
14 - Dark Crystal Suite: Love Theme (3:01)
15 - Dark Crystal Suite: The Gelfling Ruins (2:20)
16 - Dark Crystal Suite: The Landstrider Journey (1:06)
17 - Dark Crystal Suite: Dark Crystal Finale (3:43)

For those of you without the patience or resources to do your own audio editing and would just like a programming sequence that represents as much of the score as possible, I recommend this:

CD1 - T1 - The Dark Crystal Overture
CD1 - T8 - Love Theme
CD1 - T2 - The Power Ceremony
CD2 - T2 - Jen's Flute
CD1 - T3 - The Storm
CD2 - T3 - Valley Of The Mystics
CD1 - T4 - The Mystic Master Dies
CD1 - T5 - Funerals/Jen's Journey
CD1 - T6 - Trial By Stone
CD2 - T6 - The Chamberlain Is Banished
CD2 - T7 - The Crystal Calls
CD2 - T8 - Garthim/Strange Country
CD2 - T9 - The Home Of Aughra
CD2 - T10 - The Shard
CD2 - T11 - Escape From The Observatory/The UrRu Depart
CD2 - T12 - Dream-Fasting
CD2 - T13 - Skeksis Banquet
CD2 - T14 - The Garthim Return
CD2 - T15 - Crystal Bats/Gelfling Song/Danger On The River/Mystic Journey
CD2 - T16 - Pod Dance/Garthim Raid
CD2 - T17 - Jen And Kira
CD1 - T10 - The Gelfling Ruins
CD2 - T19 - Temptation/Landstriders
CD2 - T20 - The Landstrider Journey/The Chamber Of Life
CD2 - T21 - Young Again/Cliff Battle/The Journey Continues
CD2 - T22 - SkekSil Strikes
CD2 - T23 - Kira Captive
CD2 - T24 - The Reflector
CD2 - T25 - SkekTek's Demise
CD2 - T26 - Approaching The Castle
CD2 - T27 - The Perils Of Jen/The Dark Crystal
CD2 - T28 - The Great Conjunction/Finale/End Credits

It's missing quite a few odds and ends, most notably the "Emperor's Death" cue, but the score is substantially there. Edit to suit your tastes and preferences.

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Originally posted by scoreaholic:
The fist special edition dvd of The Dark Crystal (one dvd set) has a score only track. You can watch the film but only hear the music. If you hook your dvd player to your sound system you should be able to record the music. I did that and used the elongated tracks from the original album to come up with a 79 min.+ album. Granted the music on the dvd sometimes cuts in and out in the middle of a track, but its what was used in the movie. It would be nice to hear the entire score as it was written. Shame on La-La Land Records!!

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For what? Releasing the only good sounding source of this music that exist? Shame on YOU, sir!

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Originally posted by PeterK:
Would someone escort SHAME out the door? No one here likes shame, so let's kick 'em out. Not in our club, thanks.

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Originally posted by tjguitar:
Peter has this for 10 bucks. Is it worth it?
http://moviemusic.com/soundtrack/darkcrystal25th

[Message edited by tjguitar on 07-10-2007]

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Only if you don't have the 2 disc set

MV

Oh, you were kidding?! HAHAHHAAALMAO