Mine arrived last week but I'm currently in Macau so I can only marvel at it via Skype. I won't get my hands on it until May. Can't wait to start listening.

Batman Forever 2-disc released this wk:

http://http://www.lalalandrecords.com/index.html

With the score Elfman wrote and an appropriate libretto, Batman Returns would make a great opera.

Specifically:

http://www.lalalandrecords.com/BatmanForever.html

(the site has not updated to place this on their main page yet)

BATMAN FOREVER: LIMITED EDITION (2-CD SET)




LIMITED EDITION OF 3500 UNITS


Presenting the latest release in our Expanded Archival Collection, renowned composer Elliot Goldenthal's (ALIEN 3, DEMOLITION MAN, HEAT, A TIME TO KILL) original score to the 1995 WARNER BROS. blockbuster film BATMAN FOREVER, starring Val Kilmer, Tommy Lee Jones, Jim Carrey and Nicole Kidman, directed by Joel Schumacher. Goldenthal's robust orchestral score honors The Caped Crusader with a powerful theme that is pitch perfect whether appearing as a stalwart march or brooding character study. The rest of the score follows suit, effectively supporting the film's array of characters and large-scale action with complex, memorable themes and motifs. This remastered release has been radically expanded, more than doubling the running time of the original 1995 score soundtrack release. (The remastered 1995 score album is presented here as well). Produced and supervised by Elliot Goldenthal, produced for La-La Land Records by Neil S. Bulk and Dan Goldwasser, and mastered by James Nelson, this 2-CD limited edition release features exclusive, in-depth liner notes from film music writer John Takis and is a must-have for any film-music enthusiast. This is a Limited Edition of 3500 Units.

TRACK LISTING:

DISC 1

THE SCORE

Main Title* 1:54
Batmobile*/Introducing Two-Face* 1:39
Thug Fight* 0:55
Obligatory Car Chase* 2:40
Nygma's Cubicle*/Bat-Signal* 3:22
Capsule* 1:07
Rooftop Seduction*/Roof Plunge* 2:05
Nygma After Hours*/Brain Drain*/You Are Terminated* 4:52
Suicide*/First Riddle*/Second Riddle Delivered* 4:14
Dream Doll* 2:23
Big Top Bomb* 4:19
Circus Opening*/The Flying Graysons*/Death Drop* 3:41
Flashback*/Signal*/Robin's Lament* 4:00
Have a Safe Flight*/Through the Eye* 5:57
Nygma's Apartment*/Two-Face's Lair*/Riddler's Entrance*/Schizoid Stomp*/Brain Drain Expo*/Heist Montage* 6:04
Laundry Room Stunt* 0:25
More Heists*/Third Riddle*/Nosy Robin* 1:06
Building Nygmatech*/Family of Zombies* 1:29
Master Dick* 0:56
Memories Repressed*/Love* 2:34
Alley Rumble++/Screen Kiss* 1:38
Batcave*/Nygmatech Tango*/Public Demo* 4:39
Nygma & Chase Dance* 1:16
Two-Face's Entrance*/Batman's Entrance* 2:50
Gas Trap*/Batman Phoenix* 2:30
Gratitude Problem* 1:33
Go to Chase* 2:16
Batcave Closeout*/Dick Leaves Wayne Manor* 1:24

DISC ONE TIME: 74:54

DISC 2

THE SCORE (continued)

Happy Halloween*/The Bat*/Love Scene*/Twick or Tweat*/Seize and Capture* 7:08
Riddles Solved*/Partners*/Battleship* 6:21
Scuba Fight*/Claw Island*/Emperor of Madness* 5:10
Fun and Games* 3:07
Batterdammerung 1:20
Two-Face's Demise* 1:47
Bat Descent*/Arkham Asylum* 1:00
Wet Screen Kiss*/March On!* 1:22

BONUS TRACKS

Themes from Batman Forever (B-Side Single) 3:39
More Heists* (alternate) 0:39

ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE SCORE ALBUM

Main Titles & Fanfare 1:52
Perpetuum Mobile 0:55
The Perils of Gotham 2:58
Chase Noir 1:45
Fledermausmarschmusik 1:14
Nygma Variations (An Ode to Science) 6:03
Victory 2:38
Descent 1:07
The Pull of Regret 2:49
Mouth to Mouth Nocturne 2:16
Gotham City Boogie 2:02
Under the Top 5:40
Mr. E's Dance Card (Rhumba, Foxtrot, Waltz & Tango) 3:20
Two-Face Three Step 2:19
Chase Blanc 1:23
Spank Me! Overture 2:46
Holy Rusted Metal 1:52
Batterdammerung 1:20

DISC TWO TIME: 76:35

TOTAL ALBUM TIME: 151:29

* Previously Unreleased

++ Wreckage and Rape (Alien3) (Elliot Goldenthal)

RETAIL PRICE: $29.98

LLLCD 1189

I decided a couple of weeks ago to splurge and treat myself to Batman since 1) my whole world sucks right now and 2) it was still available. It wasn't the most responsible way I could have spent $28, but at least I got free shipping. I was excited to get the package in the mail. I was disappointed to discover they had sent me Batman Returns by mistake.

I called and explained the situation. The guy was very friendly and cooperative. He told me to keep Batman Returns and that he would send Batman forthwith. He did, and it came in the mail today! I'm not telling anyone this so they can try to scam something free from La-La Land Records, but rather to praise their customer service. I would have been happy to return Batman Returns, so long as they sent me a prepaid envelope so I wouldn't have to cover return shipping. He didn't ask me to do that, though. I'm quite pleased with their customer service, though it does remind me I had the same problem several years ago when I ordered Never Say Never Again from Buy Soundtrax. I can't imagine it's healthy for such niche companies to send out copies of limited product like that erroneously.

Anyway, I can say that I am quite thrilled with both expanded Elfman Bat-scores. The audio quality is amazing (to my ears; I know some others are more discerning and critical than mine) and I was quite impressed by the booklets and the depth of their track-by-track insights. Batman Returns seems more dominated by music theory than film commentary, so I got lost at some of it but I found it quite impressive regardless.

I can't imagine I will order many expanded soundtrack albums, but I do know that I am eagerly awaiting word on Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, the last remaining original series movie score yet to get the complete treatment. Goldenthal's Batman Forever interests me, but I just can't justify that kind of money for something I don't really, really, really, really, really want.

"Batman Returns" was the one I had no interest in and still don't.

It's a score I never enjoyed on album, but did enjoy in the film within its proper context.

I snapped up "Forever" without hesitation, because the original album was actually my very first CD I owned along with the original "Independence Day" score album.

It was December of 1996, and for Christmas that year I wanted to get into CDs for music since they were easier to find than cassettes by that point for soundtracks, and I ended up buying the Forever album, then the ID4 album at a different store, then the CD player itself all in the span of a few hours after school. I still have that CD player, an old Sanyo stereo. I'm very grateful to La-La Land for releasing both of those albums in expanded forms, despite having no studio / label connection when they were originally released.

In that sense Forever was a sentimental purchase, but I love the schizophrenic nature of that music, and always loved Goldenthal's own Batman theme. It's different, a bit longer, but with the same basic musical idea of Elfman's. Both are equally valid as Batman themes, because they are just like Batman himself: Open to interpretation.

In hearing the expanded presentation, much of Goldenthal's music for Batman and Bruce Wayne is quite similar to Elfman's in terms of how the instruments are applied to the given situation. How they differ is in the tone of the films they were meant for with regard to the villains and other elements: Elfman was of course more of a gothic, brooding tone, Goldenthal's was a throwback to several classic movie genres like 50's sci-fi and film noir.

I love both the Batman and Batman Forever scores, but have no love whatsoever for the Batman Returns and Batman & Robin follow-ups.

On a personal note, my world is probably just as bad, and this stuff - music, movies, just entertainment in general, are all I've got. Literally. It's all distraction.

I was never a fan of the Batman Returns album, either. I think part of it was the structure, of so many 2-part suites, made it harder to get into each track. It reminded me of going to middle school dances where they would play a lot of hip-hop and I never knew when one song ended and the next began. It just kept going. I have to say, I found listening to the La-La Land edition much more accessible and enjoyable.

My first ever CD was Star Trek V: The Final Frontier. Also, I loved David Arnold's work on Independence Day.

I've always liked Goldenthal's score. I would place it third, behind Elfman's Batman and Shirley Walker's Batman: Mask of the Phantasm in the Bat-canon. I might also pick Nelson Riddle's 1966 Batman: The Movie score above it, depending on my mood.

I can't quite wrap my head around the lack of interest in the Batman & Robin score, since it's almost entirely just the Batman Forever score recycled.

Sorry to hear that. You're welcome to message me here, through Twitter (@TravisSMcClain) or Facebook if you wanna vent.

Yeah, they're pretty great. My Returns arrived with a bent booklet, so I emailed about getting a replacement and they sent a whole new copy. I've always liked the more whimsical Returns score, looking forward to getting the expanded Forever. (just ordered through Intrada)

That original album was confusing, and had a funky sticker on the CD case for a tracklist. For me it wasn't the presentation as much as the music itself, I didn't like how it was such a diversion from what the first film's score was. Leave the Batman theme out and there's nothing to connect them. The music does play well in its context on film (thankfully not butchered like many film scores are with regard to editing) and the build up to the Batman theme for the credits is just awesome. Very exciting to see it with the unraveling "Batman" with "Returns appearing before the bats take over the frame. The Animated Series had a much closer musical connection to the first film during its opening credits compared to this film. Funny to think that the series and film came out the same year, only a few months apart.

Shame that the La-La Land release of the complete "Final Frontier" was sold out so fast, but unlike the Horner Trek scores from FSM (oh the irony of FSM releasing Horner scores) and now Rosenman's Voyage Home from Intrada, Final Frontier was limited. It's neat that La-La Land has put out so many expansions that were on completely unrelated labels. ID4 was the film that cemented my love of film music, since the score was vital to that film working as well as it did.

That's the beauty of Batman and the music that accompanies him. All of the approaches have been pitch-perfect for the interpretations, but they are not at all interchangeable. Put Goldenthal's theme in Batman 89 and it doesn't work. Too flamboyant and jazzy. Put Elfman's theme in Batman Begins and its too over-the-top. Zimmer / Howard's electronic-based rhythms and effects wouldn't work in the other films or Mask of the Phantasm (which apparently Zimmer was a keyboard player on if I remember the end credits right, either that or it was the Tia Carrere song).

As standalone music they all have their ups and downs but in the proper context, it's all valid Batman music.


A few days ago I sat and watched that movie all the way through for the first time since getting the DVD set of all four in 2005. Paid extra attention to the music because people keep saying it's 'better' than Forever with all the new themes and choir and all of that. The entire score is basically a half-assed performance of the Forever score. It's appropriate that the Batman theme sounds like it was reduced to a Saturday morning cartoon version, while in Forever it's a bold, powerful but elegantly performed march. It's like the Forever score was pulled out, given to an amateur orchestra and then recorded. The new themes are nice enough but 90% of the score is just half-assed Forever. Forever was a fantastic musical performance - they nailed how crazy it was like they were in on the joke and the over-the-top nature. It's enthusiastic and lively, and at times very powerful and dramatic. Batman & Robin by comparison is just the opposite in each case. Just a personal preference, of course.


Thank you, but I never jumped on the Twitter craze for the same reason I don't bother with facebook: Both are useless if you don't have anyone to speak to using either of those forms. Facebook without friends is just a waste of time, not to mention the feeling of a virtual letter "L" stamped on my forehead as a reminder of that.

IMO, Batman Returns is Elfman's best score. Much more mature than Batman and really highlights each character. It works on its own and even better in the film.

Keeping the Elfman theme going... it looks like LLL is releasing a complete Planet of The Apes (2001) next month. Despite the film itself, I always dug the music.