Intrada Soundtrack Forum

Edit

Doug's subsequent replies clarified the issues that originally led to my below question. Thread title has been updated.

Thanks to Doug for offering his input on the creative decisions.

Yannick

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Hello Mr. Fake and the Intrada Team,

First let me thank you all for your wonderful work on the new release of Conan the Barbarian.

Since this is a score that I know very well from having listened to the Varese release over and over and from many viewings of the film, I believe there is an editing error in how you have assembled the cue titled "The Defilers" on disc 2.

You mention in the liner notes that this portion of the score was assembled from existing cues and that you have assembled it as heard in the film. However, for the segment of the cue where the portion of "The Anvil of Crom" begins, it seems that you have edited in the full cue from the opening titles, including the string section starting at around 2:14 in "The Defilers". In the film, this portion of The Anvil of Crom is not repeated as part of this cue... rather it skips to the last section of "The Anvil of Crom" (around 3:15 in your existing edit of "The Defilers").

So to summarize, in the actual film, the cue for "The Defilers" does not have the portion of the "The Anvil of Crom" between approximately 2:14 and 3:15 as it currently exists on disc 2.

Is this something that can be corrected on your otherwise excellent release?

Thank you for taking the time to read this.

Yannick

Here you have a Video of the Track with the right Edits.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBYOU6xDYbQ

compiled the tracks "War Paint / The Kitchen / The Orgy and Defilers"
"Anvil of Crom" in the "Defilers" Track has the same edits as in the movie.

I don't know if I'd call it an “error” so much as “incomplete.” I guess the reasoning was that the edits were replicated in the re-recording, so here would appear the unedited takes. Ironically, the extension of the tail end of “Anvil of Crom” in the film edit of “The Defilers” is one of the few well-done music edits in the film, with one of the worst (the awful transition in the end credits) being replicated on both the Tadlow and Intrada editions.

On the other hand, despite my initial shock at hearing a very familiar cue begin so differently, I adapted rather quickly to what “The Kitchen” sounds like unedited. The track on the Varèse edition always sounded like it had an edit in it me, but I didn't pay it too much mind because it matched what was in the film. I find myself preferring the original version now as it seems to make a bit more musical sense to me, although I understand why they switched those two passages in the film.

I could have done without the cross fade from “Warpaint,” but that's really nit-picking in the face of a dream come true. The clarity of the sound reveals textures that were always there, but muted; it's like a soft photograph that is suddenly in focus.

Yes, the edit on the CD is about 1:10 too long, if I recall correctly -- before loading my iPod I re-edited the tracks in Goldwave to more closely match the film The middle part of "Anvil of Crom" (featuring "The Riddle of Steel" cue, Conan's personal theme, in violin) is NOT there in the film edit of "Defilers". (d-udo, my edit is not quite as good as yours --if that's yours on YouTube -- Can you tell me exactly where you made the "cut"?)

There's also another little error in the booklet, where it says Conan is taken by Thulsa Doom's men and trained in the East (or something along those lines). Actually they use him as a slave on the Wheel of Pain, then sell him to the bearded redhead guy (sort of a Hyborian era Don King), who uses Conan as a pit gladiator, then sends him to be educated and trained by the "war-masters" in the east", and finally releases him. But "red-beard" isn't one of Thulsa Doom's men.

These are minor things though....the real trouble is waiting for the Intrada release of Destroyer

anyone noticed that the version of "The Kitchen" on the Intrada CD is quite different than the version on the Varese CD ?
It has almost the same length, but the so called first verse of the Choral from the Varese comes later at the Intrada Edit.

Varese Version:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwkPeOsQgtA

Begins with the Lyrics:
"Alum dare id Hephaestus, id ire fundi
Fati virum, omni brachium"

Intrada Version:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UqZX2U0dJQ

Begins with:
"Pulchris profundis infernarum servi fati
Impoteo Infernarum"
and then
"Alum dare id Hephaestus, id ire fundi
Fati virum, omni brachium"

The first verse and the second verse was switched.

Strange !!
Not quite a fault, but a very interesting edit.

^ Hmm.. didn't notice that! The VS version is the order in the movie. Maybe the movie is an edit and Intrada presented the vocals in the order as recorded...?

and also we have still that omnious Choral cue presented, as far as i know, ONLY in the Czech Version of "Conan - the Barbarian"

here it is:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dx62qCH_WI4

any informations from Intrada about hat cue ? was it on the 24" Masters ? Where did it come from ?
already posted earlier but still unsolved.
Thanks

Listening to the Varèse version of “The Kitchen” and comparing it to the Intrada version, it's very clear that the first two passages were switched for the film (and subsequent Varèse edition) editorially. Intrada is presenting the cue as it was originally recorded for the first time.

I gotta say something. I know die hard fans have been wanting this expanded, remastered, etc. etc. release of CONAN. I also know that the Intrada team has listened to their fans, to fulfill their requests. So, a few tracks have been produced differently than preferred. I haven't ordered it yet, but I'm sure I'm going to be happy with it. Can't we all please just appreciate all of the hard work that was put into this release? I'm sure Doug & Co. would really like that.

I see nothing wrong with people respectfully pointing out such differences in a "Soundtrack Views and Opinions" section of a forum. Lots of praise has been given for this monumental release, and it is not like these minute aspects are going to change any rational person's decision to buy a copy.

Hi YanMan. It's no biggie. I always knew assembling this project would invite many opinions on how to go about it. It's cool that people value this music so much.

A lot of my own personal preference went into this release, partly due to my relationship with Basil and talks about this score back when we started our label and partly due to the extensive alterations and continuing changes that were made, noted in the scoring logs and engineering paperwork included with the actual 2" tape masters themselves. A lot of editorial choices were made during post-production which included constant snips of cues, re-editing and whatnot. Some of the changes worked okay and others were just last-minute attempts to fit stuff into newly cut film. Keep in mind, they were still dickering with the idea of mixing the film in Dolby Surround up to the last minute as well, and did in fact mix the first two reels that way to try and convince the producers of the merits. (Action movies presented in stereo by 1982 were reasonably common.) But the powers that be opted for just going with mono prints.

In any case, this album could have been assembled in several different ways and, as with other holy grails, fans have highly personal connections to the music and how they want to enjoy it. I'm just another fan, really. The presentation is pretty much how I wanted to enjoy it with one major exception which, after getting feedback from people, I did relent on: I really wanted to assemble "Riders Of Doom", "Gift Of Fury" and "Wheel Of Pain" as one long sequence, which Basil intended it to be and, in fact, does happen in the movie but many fans knew the MCA album so well and were used to hearing the cues separately that I decided to go that direction.

As to re-creating the kitchen battle, it was an attempt to capture the basic film edits but not do all of the last-minute trims that showed up in the movie where bars were just cut by the film editors after the initial edits and trims were already in place. I wanted to make sure the music still made some sense when it was heard away from the picture.

I was actually tickled that we could include the affected cues without the chorus, as the film did, since those sequences were recorded with orchestra and choir in separate sessions. It gave us all a new feel to otherwise familiar material. Still, all of this really boils down to trying to make the release as musically satisfying as possible first, and editorially authentic where practical after that.

I hope this helps somewhat.
--Doug