John Williams - Again

I'm like a broken record when it comes to John Williams.  Not another John Williams entry....  John Williams is a fantastic composer and artist.  I love his work.  Did you know he produces his own albums?  Which is interesting because most of them are hits.  And some are misses.

The biggest miss is that of Close Encounters.  I have three different version of this music.  The original, an expanded and a 40th anniversary.  The original and expanded editions are terrible.  Terribly boring.  Pedestrian.  One of the only albums where I'd enjoy shaving my head with a cheese grater rather than listen to it.  

John Williams holds Close Encounters and E.T. in the highest regard.  Which is interesting.  The original sound track recording to E.T. is not very good either.  I don't even own the original sound track recording.  I think there was an expanded issue at some point.  I don't own it either.  But, I do own the own the 35th Anniversary LaLaLand recording.  And it's great!

Seeing how John Williams gushes on Close Encounters I've been keeping my eye out for the LaLaLand 40th anniversary recording.  It either out of stock or out of print, but marked out of stock.   Found it and received it today.

At first listen, it is actually pretty good.  Way better than the other two versions.  Why is that?  Because all the music is included played in the order they appear in the movie.  Not mishmashed together into a "more listenable" album - that what John Williams strives to do with his original soundtrack recordings.  And it's also remastered with modern technology by John Williams guru Mike Matessino.

I much prefer the LaLaLand recordings compared to the more mainstream recordings.  I wonder if the New World Order would consider this 'exhibiting bias?'  

I am not interested in the LaLaLand cut of Schindler's List.  There doesn't seem to be much difference from the OST recording.  Eventually I'll get Empire of the Sun.  Then the collection will be complete.  It only took 40 years to assemble.  

What is cool about Close Encounters is John Williams somehow manages to make the music feel at times eerie, other times frightening and even curious....  like the emotions one would experience interacting with an alien life form.

Another very good album that I wasn't keen on at first, but here I am finding myself enjoying this as a late discovery after multiple attempts.

Side note - James Earl Jones died today at 93.  So long Vader,  So long Mufasa.  John Williams is 92.  And James Earl Jones's death is getting a little too close for comfort to the orbit that is John Williams.