Disc: 1
1. Main Titles
2. Blush Response
3. Wait For Me
4. Rachel's Song
5. Love Theme
6. One More Kiss, Dear
7. Blade Runner Blues
8. Memories Of Green
9. Tales Of The Future
10. Damask Rose
11. Blade Runner (End Titles)
12. Tears In Rain

Disc: 2
1. Longing
2. Unveiled Twinkling Space
3. Dr. Tyrell's Owl
4. At Mr. Chew's
5. Leo's Room
6. ONE ALONE (Bonus Track)
7. Deckard And Roy's Duel
8. Dr. Tyrell's Death
9. DESOLATION PATH (Bonus Track)
10. Empty Streets
11. Mechanical Dolls
12. Fading Away

Disc: 3
1. Launch Approval - Scott Bolton, Bryce Bolton
2. Up And Running - Sir Ridley Scott
3. Mail From India - C. Lambrakis
4. Br Downtown - Oliver Stone, Akiko Ebi, Cherry Vanilla
5. Dimitri 'S Bar - Akiko Ebi, Oliver Stone, Dimitris Tsakas
6. Sweet Solitude - Dimitris Tsakas
7. No Expectation Boulevard - Rutger Hauer, Wes Studi, Bhaskar Balakrishnan
8. Vadavarot - Irina Valentinova, Florencia Suayan Tacod
9. Perfume Exotico - Edward James Olmos
10. Spotkanie Z Matka - Roman Polanski
11. Piano In An Empty Room
12. Keep Asking - Bryce Bolton

Here's the first, from denofgeek.com:

Blade Runner: a brief chat with Vangelis
The notoriously reclusive Vangelis granted us a few short words to talk about his work on the classic Blade Runner soundtrack.

by Martin Anderson
To celebrate The Final Cut of Blade Runner finally seeing the light of day, legendary composer Vangelis spared us a few minutes...

Q: Many of your fans might have expected a synthetic, 'Beauborg'-style score for Blade Runner, rather than the rich and emotional tapestry of themes that you came up with. How concerned were you with disassociating the Blade Runner score from the bombast of Star Wars and the 'artificial' style of many previous sci-fi themes?

A: In order to answer your question I need a special talent that some people have to talk about their work endlessly, something I find very difficult and boring to do. So, I will just say that I did what I felt like doing at the moment I did it.

Q: It took many years for the real Blade Runner soundtrack to be released - what were the issues you had with releasing the original score, until the final official release in the 1990s?

A: I do not wish to dwell on this subject; suffice to say it was not a particularly happy situation for me. But after all, I am glad that it came out when it did, even that late.

Q: From where did you take your principal thematic and textural cues when approaching the soundtrack of Blade Runner?

A: Everything came purely from the film itself -- the characters, the settings, the atmosphere, the story, the whole thing.

Q: You're known as a perfectionist, adapting your score to exactly fit dramatic cues in the editing - how does this affect the creative process when scoring?

A: In no other way than more hard work. "Avec des heures supplementaires" like the French say.

Q: You have doubtless been approached to score other science-fiction films since Blade Runner - is it something you feel you have 'done', or would the right story tempt you back into the genre?

A: If it were something as good as Blade Runner I would definitely not reject it.
********************

And here's the second, from theoutview.com:

Vangelis, the amazing musician and composer of many success soundtracks like ''Chariots of Fire'' ( which won the Best Original Score Oscar) , ''Conquest of Paradise'' ( 1492 - Conquest of Paradise movie ) , Blade Runner's theme and also the 2002 World Cup's theme, in a exclusive interview, tell us all about his works, dreams and about Brasil. Read this fantastic interview with the neo-classic music's genious.

And don't forget to check the Blade Runner's Trilogy CD avaliable at Baixahits.com.br. Click here to buy it!

Outview - Vangelis, as a Academy Award winner composer, would you tell us what inspires you when you compose your beautiful songs?

Vangelis - Inspiration, as you call it, is a mystery and it's better if it stays that way.

Outview - As someone who started in Greece, how's the feeling to be globally reconized by your work?

Vangelis - Wherever I started from, what matters is the work. This is what is appraised and not where it comes from.

Outview - Who are your influences?

Vangelis - Nature.

Outview - How was the experience of working with Jon Anderson as the duo ''Jon and Vangelis''?

Vangelis - Most of the time I work alone. Thus, when I collaborate with somebody else or when I compose the score for a movie, it is an opportunity for a change.

Outview - About the amazing piece of art Chariots of Fire, please tell us how was the process to create it and the sensation to win the Academy Award for Original Music Score.

Vangelis - As was everyone, when I saw the opening scene I was enthusiastic, although Hugh Hudson had already chosen and used another piece of my music, specifically '' L'Enfant '' from the album Opera Sauvage. Hugh felt this piece fit perfectly and there was no need for other music for the opening scene. So, even though I had a strong feeling to write something new and much more appropriate, it seemed the issue had already been closed. In spite of this, I wrote the theme we all know, and at the last moment, when the remaining music was completed and we needed to lock the picture, I gave it to Hugh Hudson asking him to synchronize it with the opening scene. I told him that, if he considered the new theme to be better, he could use it and if not to use what he at first had in mind. Fortunately, he made the right choice. I can't say that I expected to win the Oscar and maybe that's why I didn't have any great anxiety. That same night in London, I was celebrating my birthday with some close friends over a nice dinner. After I blew out the candles, we continued with a few more drinks and later I went to bed. Around 4 in the morning, due to the time difference between LA and London, a dear friend called me from New York and woke me up screaming ''You got it!''

Outview - When we hear Conquest of Paradise, it's impossible not to feel emotioned, it's indescribable, really touches our soul. When you create such an amazing sound, do you feel this way too?

Vangelis - I felt and feel the same emotions you describe.

Outview - Do you plan on coming to Brazil someday?

Vangelis - I always wanted to visit your country, but unfortunately, I have not managed to do so yet. I hope that in the future I will make it and enjoy Brazil's beauty and above all, your wonderful music.

Outview - Did you imagine you could have brazilian fans?

Vangelis - Is your question based on factors of distance, or taste?

Outview - What would you do if you weren't this amazing musician?

Vangelis - First of all, thank you for the ''amazing'' remark. Now to answer your question, I would say I'd be a painter.

Outview - How's the feeling of performing live?

Vangelis - Not always comfortable. I prefer to work and create without showing off.

Outview - You turn abstract sounds into pieces of art that can reach any human being's soul. When the idea of a song come to your mind, do you go play it at the same moment or do you keep it until more ideas came out and then put all them together and create something?

Vangelis - What I play first, this is the final result.

Outview - Have you reached the top of your dreams or do you still have any to realize?

Vangelis - The end of my dreams, definitely not. I have a long way to go still.

Outview - We have this idea, that mr. Vangelis can extract sound from anything. We've already heard so many instruments in your songs.. and each instrument reach a part of our feeling that we don't even knew it was there. How did you discover this capacity in your life, that you could do it?

Vangelis - Perhaps because I started dabbling in music at the age of four and so I remain free, without restrictions, to this day.

Outview - Mr. Vangelis, as we know, this year is the 25th anniversary of Blade Runner release. Please, tell us about this great work you did in a partnership with Ridley Scott.

Vangelis - Blade Runner is a prophetic film that when I see today, after 25 years, I feel the same pleasure I was feeling at the time I was composing its score.

Outview - Do you regret about anything in your career?

Blade Runner Trilogy review

And there it is. Finally available to the public in UK shops by tomorrow morning: Vangelis' unexpected but much welcomed return to "Blade Runner".

Eagerly awaited by a very diverse audience, including fans of the movie, fans of the music and even fans of countless artists who have repeatedly professed to have been greatly inspired by this legendary soundtrack.

Needless to say the announcement of an upcoming rerelease with no less than two bonus disks caused quite a shockwave of chatter and speculation. Since disk 1 in the set contains the 1994 album, carefully remastered but untouched as far as the actual content is concerned, it's time to explore what exactly those two new CDs are all about.
Disk 2 - Blade Runner Previously Unreleased and Bonus Material

The disk the soundtrack fans have been waiting for. We travel back to 1982, to explore those parts of Blade Runner's music that, to the disappointment of many, could not be incorporated into the album Vangelis released in 1994. Added to this are a few compositions made for the movie, that didn't make it into the actual movie, or any of its reincarnations...

To first answer the question inevitably raised by the movie's many die hard completists: Does it contain absolutely everything? That is, in short, a "no". Some of the very minimal background music, the retro futuristic club dances, the market place and, most surprisingly, the actual opening titles music are still not available outside of the movie.

What it on the other hand does offer is a wealth of those dark, moody, intense pieces that so beautifully accompanied Blade Runner's exploration of this less-and-less-distant future, pondering the question of what it is to be human. On one level cold, sad and dystopian, on another more alive, intimate and humane than many other great scores have managed to be. No wonder so many people have kept wanting to explore this music outside of its original context for the last 25 years.

All these tracks are presented in perfect sound quality. They subtly segue into each other, but for this disk Vangelis chose not to add any new music, effects or dialogs, presenting most pieces in as complete and pure a state as possible. This results in quite a few surprises. "Mechanical Toys" for instance sounds oddly familiar being an obvious part of the score, but in fact only a small fraction of it has been heard in the movie. A fascinating listen that does instantly connect with memories of its subject matter.

Most of what everyone was waiting for is finally here. The choral climaxing music that plays when Roy murders Dr. Tyrell, the ominous discomfort during the final duel between Deckard and Roy, the wondrous icey music for Chew's genetic laboratory... The disk ends fittingly with the immensely popular piece known as "Tears in Rain", presented here without Rutger Hauer's monolog heard on disk 1, for the purest possible enjoyment of the music.

Perhaps the best surprises of this disk are the two bonus tracks. These pieces add credibility to what's being said every once in a while: Some of the best music Vangelis has put into this world is as yet unreleased. Well, in this fortunate case, 25 years of hiding end with the release of Blade Runner Trilogy. While a part of Desolation Path was heard by fans who managed to explore the famous "Work print" of the movie, or some of the countless bootlegs, it never before sounded this good, this complete or this delicately beautiful.

"One Alone" has been completely unheard of, leaving it fully to the listener to imagine what sort of scene would have enjoyed this beautiful piece of music. Vangelis plays his synths as warm and gentle as it gets. "One Alone" is a ballad that manages that rare mix of sweet melancholy and hidden passion that cannot go anywhere but straight to the heart. A true gem.

All in all, listening to this CD is a special experience in many ways. While, as a fan, it feels great to see such collective patience (and let's be honest, persistence) finally pay off.
Disk 3 - BR 25

There are countless traps an artist could fall for when revisiting a legendary work. Perhaps one of the most dangerous ones would be to try and recreate the original in a modern way, or worse, to make extensions artificially in the old way. Vangelis sidestepped this trap brilliantly. His 25th anniversary album - 12 tracks of new Vangelis music, in the mood of Blade Runner - does not sound exactly like the 1982 score, nor does it copy or imitate everything that made it so successful in the first place. Instead, in a contemporary way, it finds new ways to pull the listener into that fascinating, over-populated, over-urbanized world. Sure, the occasional melody from the movie re-appears, as a celebratory or nostalgic nod to the movie we're commemorating, but whenever possible, those familiar pieces are retro-fitted into something new, yet undeniably "Blade Runner" in its own way. Ultimately exploring yet another part of Los Angeles, 2019...

One could say, listening to this music, that it's not the same street, not the same room you visit, not even the same characters you hang out with. Instead, each piece of music visits another part of town, another aspect of life. Yet all this takes place in this same fictional - or is it "futural" - world that Ridley Scott set out to tour us around in, all those years ago.

Musically, the album is nothing less than surprising. It's been a long time since Vangelis experimented this much, toying with new ways to arrange music, playing with new sounds and styles, creatively widening his horizons even further than before. The music switches or combines flavors as diverse as Oriental new age, a classical piano etude, hypnotic electro, loungy jazz and... well, bonus points will be awarded to anyone who manages to classify the wacky "BR Downtown". But no matter where he goes, the music always keeps in line with the integral ambience.

Which of these tracks stand out will come down to personal taste, but to name a few, "Piano in an Empty Room" is a delicately beautiful composition performed solely on one single piano, a recording both intimate and completely engaging.

Sweet Solitude starts with Vangelis on a gentle electric piano, soon joined by wonderful jazzy percussion and a sensual saxophone performed by Dimitris Tsakas. On the other side of the spectrum is a track like "No Expectation Boulevard", driven by a slow but strong beat, nervously exploring those noisy crowded streets we've seen in the movie.

The spoken word inclusions are subtle, never overshadowing the music. They mostly help abridge pieces, or add a multi cultural feeling to fit the perception we have of Blade Runner's world.

BR 25 is a carefully detailed work, perhaps best listened to on headphones, so that nothing of what's happening is missed, making sure it does not drift to the background. It's a pleasure to let it guide, encourage and inspire your imagination.

If I want voiceovers and other computer effects I'll put the FF-ing DVD on, okay?

What production moron made this decision?

Gets a */***** rating

quote:

---

Originally posted by Foobsie:
Very sad to say that this edition is not an improvement over the previous... The voiceovers are present in almost all tracks, at times out of place and very annoying.

If I want voiceovers and other computer effects I'll put the FF-ing DVD on, okay?

What production moron made this decision?

Gets a */***** rating

FoobsZ

---

As far as who made the decision to include the voiceovers, I'm guessing that most of the credit/blame rests with Vangelis himself. It's always been my impression that he exercises a great deal of control, perhaps complete control, over his material, and I doubt that voiceovers could have been included without his consent. The inclusion of movie dialog and sound effects is an unfortunate trend in soundtrack releases, one I'd like to see come to an end.

quote:

---

Originally posted by RogerFeigelson:

Wait...there are voiceovers on all the tracks on disc 2?[/B]

---

Nope, no voiceovers - just some windeffects added on the "Tears in Rain" track named "Fading away here".

The second disc leaves me with mixed feelings. It's great to dive into 44 minutes of Blade Runner music without dialogues and music that seems not to belong to it but on the other hand it's like a glimpse on how most of us would like to have the whole score. It just leaves you hungry

At least the set is not expensive...

On disc 2, there's more that sounds unfamiliar to me than just the 2 stated new songs. This may be due to hearing the entire compositions instead of the one minute snippets we're usually afforded in the movie itself.

And disc 3...hmmm..... On the whole, it's not bad. The voices, though present on every track, are mixed in enough that they do not necessarily dominate the song. It's not like the music has been relegated to backing for a narration. Rather, the voiceovers are used as ambience and mood. Vangelis has done this periodically in the past, such as on "China," "See You Later," and some of the Jon and Vangelis stuff.

There's a smattering of BR melodies in the new material, particularly in the first cut of disc 3. This really gives that cut the feel of the soundtrack for a BR sequel. However, the inclusion of "One More Kiss, Dear" is jarring and rather derails the mood.

I'm musing over press releases description that the disc 3 stuff would be in the style of BR. I'd say that it was a mixture of things--a dance feel, an urban feel, and references to various Vangelis styles from the past, such as from his "Direct" album.

Closing thoughts.... Is this the be-all-and-end-all super BR soundtrack we've been lusting after for years, which BR really deserves? No, far from it. IMHO, Vangelis missed a golden opportunity to release a definitive soundtrack. Ideally, he could have released 2 discs of complete music more or less in film order and a third disc assembling all the non-film stuff that is spread over 3 discs in this set. That would have been the best of both worlds: the real soundtrack and new material. However, Vangelis is very individualistic and essentially inscrutable to most people, I believe. So is this release worth getting? If you're looking for a definitive representation of BR's music, then I think you'll be disappointed. If, however, you could settle for another helping of BR music, padded out with new material, or are just a fan of Vangelis, then by all means buy it. As someone has already commented, at least it's cheap for a 3-disc set.

quote:

---

Originally posted by SEBULBA:
Unfortunately, I have to say I'm a little dissapointed. Only because the set is not as stated. There are only 2 tracks on disc two that are from the movie. The rest are not there. Maybe they were cues composed to be used, and were'nt. There is still SOOO much more missing. I'm not dissapointed with the quality or music itself, just the misleading of the description of the set. And I'm not to big on disc 3.

---

It's ironic. Vangelis is probably best known for his soundtracks, both as used in the movies and that soundtrack albums comprise a fair percentage of his discography. Yet he has such an odd concept of what a soundtrack album should be, at least compared to my concept of it. For those soundtracks of his for which I have at least some familiarity with the movie, it's typical that the soundtrack album includes music that was not in the movie and excludes music that was in the movie.

In the case of Blade Runner, it gets even more complicated because of how the music is used in the movie. Many sequences have an electronic underscore that is very subtle and which I might mistake for "sound effects" instead of "music," due to the nature of the composition and the use of "gadget" sounds in this futuristic movie. I suspect that some of what was on Disc 2 that doesn't immediately sound like anything from the movie is in fact the electronic underscore. To me, it would have been so much more desirable to include cues like the actual opening titles and the unicorn music (which does NOT stem from "Antarctica," at least the CD, by the way, though it may have been used in that film itself) than the non-melodic stuff.

quote:

---

Originally posted by Olorin:
The inclusion of movie dialog and sound effects is an unfortunate trend in soundtrack releases, one I'd like to see come to an end.

---

Trend? It's pretty rare, to be honest.

Trend? It's pretty rare, to be honest.

</QUOTE>

Perhaps, but I don't buy many soundtracks, and seemingly a fair number that I have, or have been interested in, have indulged in this practice.