The Music of the LOTR Films/Rarities Archives: Late 2009

[kams]

Barnes&Noble finally got my copy in. US$55 with taxes. May be cheaper online by now.

Still, I've made it through "Fanghorn" on the first disk and I'm not thinking anymore about the money I spent.

[TheTennisBallKid]

I think it's regarded as such freakish stuff here that, not even all the best equipped shops will get it.

I guess it could be considered a bit of a specialty item. A four disc set of a film score...that it's available at all gives me some hope about the state of this world.


So watcha think? Still bothered by the absence of "Where is the Horse and the Rider?", kams?




ttbk

[TheTennisBallKid]

Article/interview from the Seattle Post here.

"LOTR" music an ongoing adventure for composer Shore
By Jeff Shannon
Special to The Seattle Times

The "Lord of the Rings" movies have been out of theaters and on DVD shelves for years.

Howard Shore already composed a symphony based on the scores, and it's even been more than two years since the Oscar-winning film composer conducted that "Lord of the Rings Symphony" in Seattle's Benaroya Hall.

But the story behind the music behind Frodo Baggins and his quest to destroy the One Ring is not over yet, as Shore is still completely immersed in the score he wrote for Peter Jackson's epic fantasy film trilogy. Following last year's release of "The Fellowship of the Ring: The Complete Recordings," Shore went right to work assembling "The Two Towers: The Complete Recordings," a three-CD/one-DVD set released last month. "The Return of the King" will get the same deluxe treatment next year, with a four-disc set that will, for the first time, contain Shore's complete score from the films in its impressive entirety.

"Lord of the Rings" music has been readily available in single-disc soundtrack releases, but Shore always knew he'd eventually assemble the scores, not merely to satisfy "Rings" fans, but to give himself an opportunity to hear his work, 10 hours from start to finish, as he'd never heard it before.

"The scores were recorded in sections, and not chronologically," Shore said by telephone from his office in New York, "so the first edit [of the complete recordings] was the first time I'd ever heard the whole piece. That was an interesting feeling, because I'd never heard the score in its entirety. You hear most of it in the films, but there are other sound elements in that context, so this was our first pure listening."

It's been only six years since Shore began his first "LOTR" recording sessions, but assembling the complete scores was still an archival effort. Most was on hard drive in London, but other elements were in New Zealand (where the films were produced) or at the offices of the trilogy's distributor, New Line Cinema.

"I was composing music based on J.R.R. Tolkien's books as well as Peter's films," said Shore, who researched Tolkien's "Middle-earth" for four months before writing a single note of music. "There were stand-alone pieces written as themes, like the music of the Shire and the Fellowship theme, and then I started adapting these themes in the process of scoring."

For Shore, "The Two Towers" represented the splintering of the Fellowship established in Jackson's first film, resulting in the most complex compositions of his three-film score. "The Complete Recordings" reflect this complexity, with new and recurring themes and leitmotifs that are constantly adapted to the shifting moods and atmospheres of Tolkien's epic adventure.

To that end, Shore recruited film-music expert Doug Adams to fully analyze the music, enabling casual listeners and experienced musicians alike to appreciate every aspect of composition, arrangement and orchestration. Adams attended some recording sessions and was given unlimited access to Shore's creative process, allowing him to write the booklets that accompany the "Complete Recordings" CD sets and an upcoming full-length book ("The Music of the Lord of the Rings Films," due in 2007) that explore Shore's music in fascinating depth and detail. (Adams' scholarly expertise can also be appreciated in the annotated scores available online at www.lordoftherings-soundtrack.com.)

"I needed somebody of Doug's talent to be a part of this project," said Shore. "His writing brings another kind of storytelling logic to the listening experience, to help musicians and lay people understand how the music relates to the films."
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After the complete "Return of the King" score is released next year, Shore (who is currently orchestrating an opera inspired by David Cronenberg's film "The Fly," which he scored) will eventually record the two-hour, 10-minute "Lord of the Rings Symphony," which is still being performed to sellout crowds around the world.

Unfortunately, it's unlikely that Shore will score the proposed film version of "The Hobbit." Due to legal conflicts between Peter Jackson and New Line over profit distributions, the creative team behind the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy will not be involved.

(I'm inclined to be skeptical about that last paragraph...he doesn't actually quote Shore, and it contradicts Doug Adams' comments about Shore's relationship with New Line...)

The tidbit about recording the Symphony is interesting. Even though he doesn't quote Shore, and it isn't clear whether there a definite plans to that end...or whether it's just something he wants to do "eventually."

Thanks to PJ-Shill for digging this up.



ttbk

[Voronwë the Faithful]

ttbk, I suspect that the comment about recording the symphony is based on the statements of Shore that we have seen to the effect that he would like to do so some day, rather then a reflection of any new, specific plan.

And I will go on record here as saying that not only WILL Shore score The Hobbit, PJ WILL direct it as well.

[TheTennisBallKid]

ttbk, I suspect that the comment about recording the symphony is based on the statements of Shore that we have seen to the effect that he would like to do so some day, rather then a reflection of any new, specific plan.

And based on past comments about how these projects are being worked on...they wouldn't want to plan anything until after they know they've gotten ROTK out, and can turn their full attention to it. So yes, you're probably right.

And I will go on record here as saying that not only WILL Shore score The Hobbit, PJ WILL direct it as well.

ttbk

[Primula Baggins]

From your keyboard to God's eyes, Voronwë. . . .

[kams]

So watcha think? Still bothered by the absence of "Where is the Horse and the Rider?", kams?




ttbk

Bothered? Me?


I took the wav file you pointed me to and tucked it in between tracks 2 and 3 in a custom-made Disc Three. The audio quality of the wav file is so-so. It starts and ends abruptly. But I get my poem!!

If I had the software knowledge, I could fade-in and fade-out a track or tack it at the beginning of an existing one so the three second delay between tacks isn't there. That is the track I hear inside my head: Bernard Hill speaking with and immediate fade-in to Shore's music.

Ah well. Like I said, I'm happy with the hack I did.



"The Breach of the Deepening Wall" gives me chills. awesome.

[TheTennisBallKid]

Just a quick note for those who haven't gotten it yet: most sites are currently listing it as either backordered or unavailable; according to Doug Adams the intial pressing has sold out, but more will be on their way soon.




ttbk

[kams]

Alatar, did you ever get a copy?

ttbk, only you would know this.... how many copies in the first pressing?

[TheTennisBallKid]

As much as I'd enjoy tracking the sales numbers...they don't release them. But I think it's safe to say that they underestimated the demand, and that it's selling very well.



ttbk

[Alatar]

Alatar, did you ever get a copy?

Not yet, but I'm expecting to see it in my Stocking!

[TheTennisBallKid]

Interview with Shore: (if you go to the link, he also talks about The Departed and Soul of the Ultimate Nation)

Let's move to the Complete Recordings of The Two Towers. I know you're closely involved in the making process of these incredible new editions. How do you feel about revisiting the whole thing now? What are your impressions about having all the music out on CD?

It's interesting—you know, when you're working on a film you're always working on sections of the film. There was really no time during the process that I could ever actually put all of the music together and listen to the edited piece. And it wasn't until I sat down and started editing the Complete Recordings together—The Two Towers recording, which is now out, is over three hours!—it wasn't until we actually assembled it all that we'd ever hear just the premiere hour piece, and it was. Once you do that, you realize [what you've done]. The [J.R.R. Tolkien's] book has such great bones to it, it has such great form, and the film also has great form that the music takes on this form as well, so when you listen to the whole three hours it takes you on a complete musical journey that I had never really known or experienced because, as I said, I was so deep in writing it. It's a kind of revelation to hear it as a complete piece. It's really a new piece. You didn't hear all that music in the film and surely you didn't hear it all on [the original] CDs. It is a way to put everything out in a way that is really creative. I'm delighted with that. I'm thrilled to be able to do that.

I have to say there's a great deal of care and detail as well in the production of these new edition, like the great, in-depth liner notes by Doug Adams. It's the closest thing to experience the listening of a full opera, really.

Doug's notes are wonderful. He's working on the notes and the book for years now—there's a complete stand-alone book about the music that will come out next year and it's all written by him. We're now starting work on The Return of the King, which will be four CDs.

Wow... So there will be ten CDs at the end.

It looks like it's going to be ten CDs, plus the DVDs in 5.1 surround sound. Another thing I haven't done before is that I had never heard the entire scores in surround. The surround [mix] were always done for the films—we mixed them in surround, but I never heard them continuously, just to sit down for three hours and listen to the entire work in surround. That's really the enjoyment, I think, and for the listener I hope it's a good experience to get—experience the piece, and the Tolkien story and the imagery from the film. They can have all that in listening to the music.
Perfoming The Lord of the Rings Symphony

After the “Rings” Symphony and the release of the full scores on CD, are you feeling 'complete' about Lord of the Rings? Or are there any other musical projects about it you still want to do?

I'd like to do a proper recording of the Symphony. After the Complete Recordings of The Return of the King will be out, I'll start to focus on the recording of the Symphony. The Symphony is a six movements piece, two hours and ten minutes of a ten hour score. It's an edited piece, but I'd love to do a good live recording of that. I'm also interested in a projection project that we're now discussing, in which we could perform The Fellowship of the Ring live to a projection of the film.

You mean the whole movie?

Yes.

With the complete score played live?

Yes.

Wow... I think it's something never been done before! Surely not with a movie of such length! I really hope you will be able to do that!

We're working on it. I'm starting to work on the score. After having done the Complete Recordings, we'll have almost all the [written] scores organized, so it's possible to do that.

Lord of the Rings is something you'll be forever remembered for. Are you able now to say how big the impact of this project was for you as an artist and as a composer?

I'm very grateful for the opportunity to work on Tolkien's book—it's such a great book, a classic of the 20th century and an important work, and Peter [Jackson] and Fran [Walsh] and Philippa [Boyens]'s team play was wonderful. To be able to work with these great artists, and with Tolkien, is really a gift for a composer. I'm really happy that I was able to have the energy and the experience to write this piece. We wanted to create something that was lasting and a well-constructed piece.

....

There's a lot of talk about The Hobbit in these days. I'm aware it's still unclear when and how the film will be made, but if Peter Jackson will be directing, would you like to return as the composer of the Middle-Earth?

Peter and I were actually talking about The Hobbit not too long ago, I mean, it's something that we always thought we would do. I hope it will work. It's a great story, it's a return to Middle-Earth, it would be a pure joy for me. I would love it.

Have you maybe already came up with an idea for a theme for The Hobbit?

(laughs) I'm working on it, yeah... My brain would click away on it in Middle-Earth... I mean, it's a place I never quite really left.

[/quote]

I'm also interested in a projection project that we're now discussing, in which we could perform The Fellowship of the Ring live to a projection of the film.

That's not without precedent, the most recent example I know of being the 20th Anniversary Premiere of E.T.; and there was some sort of arthouse experiment with performing the score to Vertigo live a few years back...

That could be amazing....



ttbk

[Alatar]

I hope the Symhony is released as a DVD, not just audio. I'd love to have the experience of the live performance reproduced as much as possible, including the projections and the full visual impact of an orchestra in motion.

[Primula Baggins]

That live-score performance has also been done a few times with silent films—wasn't it Francis Ford Coppola's father who wrote a score for Napoleon a few decades ago? But how spectacular that would be to see!

(And how tough to play—to match the film the conductor would have to have complete control and the orchestra would have to follow him perfectly. Which is of course how scoring the film is done, but it would be tough to sustain that continuously over more than two hours!)

[TheTennisBallKid]

I hope the Symhony is released as a DVD, not just audio. I'd love to have the experience of the live performance reproduced as much as possible, including the projections and the full visual impact of an orchestra in motion.

Agreed. There's potential in what they could do with that...


Prim - oh yes, silent films. I believe those can be seen accompanied by an orchestra on a fairly regular basis nowadays -- if you're near the right orchestra/film society. Doing it with a sound film is a slightly more complicated beast...

Shore didn't go into specifics, so I can only speculate: would it be done with or without the dialogue and sound effects? It's possible to do it with (though tricky), but I'd see this as more of a chance to view the film as an opera, almost, just the music and perhaps subtitles. Add in the fact that the music is being played live -- which you're right, would be an incredible balancing act -- and FOTR could be a magnificent experience....just imagine hearing those opening strains of the Prologue, and then the Ring theme comes in...

Yes, I think I'll follow the news about this closely...

For anyone still waiting to buy either of the sets...Barnes and Noble has a 25% off coupon for any single item (including clearance) U8Y3W9U for today, 12/18 only. Free shipping on orders of $25 or more. Ends at midnight, EST. (about two hours from now)

That works out to about $37 for TTT and $31 for FOTR.



ttbk

[TheTennisBallKid]

Doug Adams:

Hi everyone,

Happy Holidays to all – and Happy Impending Weekend to those whose interests don’t coincide with any particular upcoming holidays. I’ve finally got a few free moments to dig through a handful of questions and update you on the Complete Recordings – although it looks like you guys are getting pretty good at answering questions on your own!

>>>just a question: is the c.r. music from the original recording? or was this music especially recorded for the cr?>>>

>>>The CR consists of the recordings made for the original post-production of the theatrical releases, and then those made for the post-production of the extended versions of each film. Nothing new was recorded for the CRs.>>>

See, I’m not needed here! 

>>>Frodo's "Threads of an old life" scene at the end of The Return of the King has the music that commonly plays underneath the Pensive Setting of the Hobbit Theme (I'm pretty sure). Now, was the music for this scene recorded as is, or was the Pensive Setting edited out so we only here the music underneath? I hope we hear it as is, because it is one of my favorite parts of the score.>>>

You’re hearing the music here as it was recorded. Unless something changes, you’ll be hearing the music exactly like this on the ROTK: CR set.

>>>Also, I think we all know by now that Gandalf's arrival at Minas Tirith was changed in the film, but did Shore score that scene as originally planned? If so, will we hear it in that form (which I think might be similar to the OST unless there is unused music) or will we hear it as heard in the film?>>>

Shore’s music was written to the original cut of the film, with Gandalf’s initial arrival at Minas Tirith coinciding with Faramir’s retreat from Osgiliath. In all honesty, it is still being decided how this will be presented on the CD set.

>>>Doug, is there any hope to hear the abandoned version of the "Into the west" (not sure about the title) song by Lennox in the CR?>>>

If you’re referring to “Use Well These Days”… currently it seems unlikely that this will placed on the ROTK: CR set, simply because it’s never actually a part of the storytelling. However, it will be included on an upcoming release, so don’t worry at all. You’ll have it.

>>>IIRC it was even featured on some of the OST versions, right?>>>

It was on the DVD that came with the deluxe ROTK CD, yep.

>>>So I've been around the board long enough to hear quite a bit about Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen. I have to admit, I am a 100% "Ring" virgin but am very interested in checking it out. What do you all suggest as the best way to go about beginning this journey? Thanks!>>>

Hey, with all this Wagner shoptalk, I thought some of you may be interested in a book by Bryan Magee, The Tristan Chord: Wagner and Philosophy.
Link

(I don’t know Bryan, so I’m not stumping for him, but given the intellectual points parsed in the Wagner discussion, I thought this wouldn’t be out of line.)

>>>Another question - have you thought about some sort of gift set when this is all said and done? I was thinking something alongside the Extended Edition Gift Sets with the following:>>>

>>>I've mentioned this way back in the past somewhere, but they should offer a slip case mail away offer for the CRs like they did for the EEs. I did that for my EE movies and it works great.

Doug, would a release of all three CRs in a box set happen to coincide with the release of ROTK:CR or will it be just a solo release only? Just curious. Thanks!>>>

You’re not too far off the mark here.

>>>mine doesn't shut either! I would expect a lot more for 60 dollars>>>

FYI, the shutting issue is related to shipping not manufacturing, so I’m afraid there’s little the production side can do short of requesting that handlers take a little more care… which is being done.

>>>Good News about your book Doug, I am waiting with great anticipation (are we all?!)
About the hobbit themes Doug, you’re saying that the Lullaby setting is returning not debuting. Is that a mistake because I can find this in FOTR>>>

It is a conscious decision. The Lullaby material is based so closely on the original Shire theme (as it should be) that it can’t really be called a brand new motif. However, something like the Playful Setting takes the Shire’s stepwise intro and creates an entirely new motif out of it, so that was pegged as Debuting material. It’s a fine line, and we have to be very, very careful to properly present the nature of the material.

>>>And now, let's hear about the preliminary work being done on The Return of the King: The Complete Recordings! Ohhhh, Doooouuuug!!!!!>>>

Heh, well, it’s happening! The liners are in a rough form, a draft of a first rough edit is completed. HS is busy with his opera right now (as well as some other projects… yes, one of which is LOTR related), so as soon as he has time, his first round of comments will come in and we’ll begin coordinating efforts.

>>>Regarding the Balrog fight/Gandalf rebirth music in the Fan credits on the EE...the opening twenty or so seconds of that piece (2:04:33_4:55, Disc Two, Region 1;lyrics from "The Fight"?) is an alternate for Gandalf being revealed to the Three Hunters, isn't it? I was syncing unused music with the DVD tonight, and it seems to fit there. (43:24_43:48, Region 1, TE)>>>

Yep, it is an alternate. The version on the CR is the other significant take… and the one that HS ultimately decided to use here.

>>>In case I've missed hints about this, is the 'rarities disc' expected to be part of the multimedia content of the book?>>>

>>>That's the rumor. I remember suggesting this to Doug many moons ago, I will go through my posts and find out, just for S&Gs!>>>

It’s still the rumor, as well. I’ll discuss details when details are more detailed. 

>>>One question I have which any one on this message board who has the set can answer is: In the end credits of the film (not the Fan Credits, but the actual credits), correct me if I am wrong, but wasn't there the music piece (the nature them I think) where the trio meet Gandalf The White included and seemed somewhat expanded from the actual proper place in the film, --- I don't think I heard this on TTT:CR end credits section??????, or was I so overwhelmed by the experience that I didn't pick that out individually by itself?????>>>

See above, it you will. The Fan Scroll music was an alternate.

>>>I think it is funny and great, that moment in the recordings on the first disc of The Two Towers - I think it might be track 6 at about 3:30 minutes in, and I just can't get that moment (5 beat pattern) out of my head of the excitement and anticipation of that podcast.........'And this is the moment you've all been waiting for!!!!...........'

Thanks Doug...........LOL I don't think I will ever imagine anything else, some may say you've ruined the piece for me as I imagine nothing else but your voice about to appear (and it doesn't), but it just reminds me of how exciting everything is!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!>>>

HA! Will I hope I didn’t permanently mar your perception of this music with my dumb voice! Just keep playing that track over and over, you’ll eventually burn my voice out of your head, I promise!

>>>in the track ''edoras'' as the fellowship enter edoras and aragorn looks up to see Éowyn and as he looks again she is gone and there is a gong, is there a reason for this gong not being on the CR.>>>

The tam-tam (or gong) was performed here by Peter Jackson. It was recorded wild, and never actually a part of Shore’s original concept for this piece. Just something fun for Jackson to do, and a nice bit of PR for the sessions. Now certainly it didn’t hurt anything, but when the time came to reassemble the piece for the CR, Shore went back to his original composition, which did not include the tam-tam hit.

>>>Also could you further exaplain, cause i dont quite understand why that bit of music as frodo and sam come up the mountain, originally the title for TTT theatrical edition is not on the CR and instead the shire theme is there.>>>

Check the Annotated Score online, if you have a moment. The music you hear in the film is tracked. The music on the CD set is what Shore actually wrote and recorded.

>>>In regards to the "Rarities" disc that is being rumoured. I have info from some one "VERY reliable" that this will happen after the release of ROTK-CR.>>>

Are there spies in the midst? 

>>>1. I was trying to play one phrase from the Two Towers liner notes on my piano to identify a theme I couldn’t hear, but noticed a sign I’ve never seen before. It’s neither a treble nor bass clef, and I noticed it’s only for the viola (which might explain why I’ve never seen it before). What is the name of this clef (or whatever it is) and how would I read the notes for that line for piano? Is it comparable to the treble or bass clefs?>>>

The alto clef is a C clef, which means whatever line is between the two curves is always designated as C. (Bass clef, on the other hand in a F clef, treble is a G clef. You can get a much more detailed explanation here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clefs)

>>>2. Shore’s score is the first time I’ve encountered aleatoric writing, as Doug defined the musical style of the Watcher in the Water music. Would the cue from 2:18 (and more audibly 2:30) of ‘Night Camp’, and 2:40 and 3:20 of ‘The Dead Marshes’, and especially from the beginning (and mostly 0:40 to 1:36) of ‘Gandalf the White’, be other examples of aleatoric music? The opening 90 seconds of ‘Gandalf the White’ is one of my favorite moments. I’ve always loved the sound of an orchestra warming up, which seems at least superficially related to aleatoric music or what’s going on at these moments.>>>

Yes, those are both examples of aleatoric music. It’s all over the LOTR scores, actually, though I believe TTT features more of it than the other two.

>>>Is there a difference between aleatoric music, ‘tone clusters’, and ‘divisis’ (described on p. 42 of the Fellowship liner notes)?>>>

There are differences yes. In simplified terms, tone clusters simply apply to harmonies in which several stepwise pitches are sounded simultaneously. If you play the first five tones of a major scale simultaneously, you’ll have rich, bright a tone cluster. If you play the first five tones of a chromatic scale simultaneously, you’ll have a rather piercing, harsh tone cluster. It’s simply a different harmonic scheme, not triadic, not quartal, not quintal, etc.

Divisis are markings in written music that indicate a section is to divide itself in a non-traditional way. For example, if you asked the first violins to divide themselves four ways to perform a major seventh chord, you’d notate “div.” and indicate a divisi. Shore makes extensive use of divisis in his string writing, both using consonant harmony and dissonant harmony. This is how he achieves some of those thick, threatening sounds in the string sections (there are some spots where the celli and basses are divided 8 or even 12 ways to play a cluster)… as well as some of his very thick, richly sonorous major chords.

>>>3. The passage in ‘The Dead Marshes’ from 3:20 to 3:45 where the choir does…whatever they do. Man that would have been amazing to be present for the recording of this part. Some of the choir appear to be making sounds in this part that are not notes in the conventional sense, including whimpers, sighs, and so forth. Would Shore have been able to give direction in his musical notation of what he wanted, or does that kind of music need to be talked through, directed, and then conducted in person? Do professional choir members today receive vocal training in these kind of ‘extra-music’ sounds? Before the Complete Recordings when I watched the movie I assumed those sounds were part of the sound design of the film, not part of Shore’s composition.>>>

There are actually ways to notate this type of writing. You can see one method here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sprechstimme

Anyone that is schooled in music today will have to tackle these Twentieth Century techniques, so it’s really just part of the standard training.

>>>4. Just as a comment, I’ve noticed that the presentation of the Ringwraith theme in ‘Wraiths on Wings’ is far more vicious and less majestic than in Fellowship. There was a dark beauty to the Ringwraith choir in Fellowship and one gets the impression Shore wanted the audience to identify with on some level, but here, the choir almost seems to be…achorally chanting the theme, instead of singing it (if ‘achoral’ makes any sense). The image that pops into my head is that the Wraiths got a severe tongue lashing from Sauron after they failed in Fellowship, and now gone is the beauty of their evilness. Now they’re just desperate to find the Ring and as a result, their musical presence is far more base and primitive.>>>

Yes! They’re also gaining in power. Look at the score of their writing in ROTK. As the hobbits get closer and closer to Mordor, they’re approach the seat of the Wraiths’ power.

>>>we at ColonneSonore.net have just published a new exclusive interview with Howard Shore, in which he talks about THE DEPARTED, the LOTR Complete Recordings and SOUL OF THE ULTIMATE NATION:>>>

Maurizio, I enjoyed your piece as always. Thanks so much for the kind words!

>>>As for "Fellowship" (and "Towers" and "Return" and as EE's too??) done with live orchestra. What a stunning idea! It will be an experience like no other! And what a feat it will be to get the orchestra to play pianissimo enough and for long stretches under the dialogue!!... Suggestion: it will have to be done a la Bayreuth with a hidden orchestra so the light spill does not effect the screen...>>>

This Fellowship performance may be coming up sooner than you think. Stay alert! 

>>>Do you know anything more about this? If so, do you know whether the score would be balanced against the sound effects and dialogue -- similar to say, the 20th Anniversary Premiere of E.T. -- or if it would be more of a FOTR-as-a-silent-film experience, perhaps with subtitles?>>>

I don’t know many more details other than there are negotiations under way right now, and, as I say, performances may begin sooner rather than later. I’d look very carefully at what Shore did with the Naked Lunch concerts to get an idea of what may transpire here.

>>>Good Lord! It looks like they're not actually carrying it any more, and it's only available from their partners. That is just weird as can be. Why would they no longer be carrying it themselves? Was this a limited release and they aren't getting it in any more? Or did they decide that at its overblown MSRP that not enough people were buying it to make carrying it worthwhile?

This whole TTT situation does not make sense.>>>

As Mr. TennisBall points out, yes, TTT has actually sold out! It’s barely been out of a month, but it’s already sold out, which I consider nothing short of amazing! There is another pressing under way now, and it’ll be available again in early January. So fear not. As always, no conspiracies, so scheming. You guys just bought them all! 

Ok, last update before a long winter’s nap… I believe that as of the beginning of this week, the deal is finally firmly in place for the LOTR book. If all goes according to plan, you should be able to hold this book (and its friendly plastic accoutrements) in your hands in 2007. So get ready, it’s gonna be a big year for the music of LOTR!

I’m going to go start taking vitamins now.

Happy new year, all. Thanks for your support, well wishes and insatiable interest over the past few months. Hope you’ll all be along for the ride in 2007. Here we go!

-Doug

ttbk

[Alatar]

>>>Another question - have you thought about some sort of gift set when this is all said and done? I was thinking something alongside the Extended Edition Gift Sets with the following:>>>

>>>I've mentioned this way back in the past somewhere, but they should offer a slip case mail away offer for the CRs like they did for the EEs. I did that for my EE movies and it works great.

Doug, would a release of all three CRs in a box set happen to coincide with the release of ROTK:CR or will it be just a solo release only? Just curious. Thanks!>>>

You’re not too far off the mark here.

I hope he means the Slip Case will be available seperately, and not just as part of a complete repurchase!

[cemthinae]

I know this thread is for TTT, but I couldn't find the FOTR thread... so here goes...

*geekgasm*

I received a box in the mail today.

It was taped in a way that made me suspect the person who mailed it either didn't want me to open it, or was certain the contents were very precious...

Luckly it was the latter, and I did get it open.

I got the shock of my life... when I pulled out this:

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a31/ll ... cious1.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a31/ll ... cious2.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a31/ll ... cious3.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a31/ll ... cious4.jpg

Thank you, thank you, thank you!!

I didn't think I'd ever end up owning my own copy... and now I do...

[kams]

Whoa! Great photos of the CDs.

You DO have a guardian angel...one with deep pocketses!

[cemthinae]

The person who sent them (:love:) is also of the photographer persuasion and so I figured he would enjoy the shots... my way of saying "Thank you!" when words really don't cut it!