I generally agree with Mitch. Though, personally I am most happy with a single score running between 40-60 minutes, I am of course glad for saving money when buying a paired release. And a 25-minute-long CD is not a good thing either.
Especially the LP re-releases like the Alice/Petulia CD are obvious to be paired.

(Though I wouldn't say it's always easy to stop the CD in the player - just imagine you want to play some haunting score in the darkroom, concentrating fully on the music, and you don't want to hear the other score that follows this one. You have to either still keep attention if the first score isn't coming to its end, or you have to programme 20 tracks. But that's really a detail.)

So my only complaints are about some particular pairings, yes most often it's due to various composers included - that's the example of the Coma/Westworld/Carey Treatment CD. As a general rule I always file the CD with regard to its most "significant" score and its composer (as I file my CD's by composers). This way I often forget I have for example Richard Rodney Bennett's and Georges Delerue's scores in my John Barry section.

42zaphod, February 15, 2006; 2:05 PM

I totally agree with Mitch also. So what??? Coupling, tripling, whatever is the only way to have some less known film scores released that otherwise would not get any official release by themselves and see the light of day. I personally want to listen to them at least once. Yeees, some paired choices are quite odd and sometimes nerve-wracking at times but one can always seperate the film scores and create their own CD-R's for each one. This is what I do with all my multiple cd film scores, even the ones I do like. Perhaps it is my personal idiosyncrasy but I like to keep all my film music titles seperately no matter how short in duration they are. As far as 'Monkey Shines' there is perhaps some soul out there that would like to listen and have this particular film score in there collection so it is selfish to say that this score is not worthy of any release just because one does not like it.

serifiot, February 16, 2006; 3:26 PM

I think Varèse's FIST / SLOW DANCING IN THE BIG CITY is a wonderful coupling. :-)

handstand, February 15, 2006; 11:18 PM

I'd be willing to wager that if all the labels responded to everyone whining about "coupled
scores" (sounds naughty!) and started issuing them one-for-one, the same people would
then be whining about how lame it is to have these 35 minute scores on discs that could be
holding twice as much music.

The only other alternative is to not have them at all and that would make me sad. :( But,
that's just me, isn't it?

--
Karl Morton IV
kmiv@ix.netcom.com

kmiv, February 16, 2006; 2:29 AM

You're actually right Karl, I think it's natural that there is and always will be something that somebody will complain about.
That's why I said I am most happy when a score runs for 40-60 minutes, because that's OK for everyone to release it then. I could add one more argument against the coupled scores, that when there are more scores on a CD, each one has only its part of the liner notes. But that's catching at a straw.

Details, details ... we should be really glad that the releases do exist at all !

42zaphod, February 16, 2006; 2:50 AM

Generally, I don't like couplings

BUT, it's only for very self-centered reasons:-)

Disadvantages:

- Where the f*ç* do I file it when there's different composers?
- Thematically different material is not always a joy to listen in one piece
- Artwork sucks in 90% of these releases

Advantages:
- Scores, that may not have the commercial value to be released seperately at least see the light of day
- Pleasant discoveries/surprises can happen

Oh boy, I am just listening to Lewis' "Medusa Touch" once again, must be one of my top 5 all time scores...

And drinking beer, so sorry...

Beast,
Burnie


blinddoc, February 16, 2006; 3:39 AM

42zaphod said:

"Details, details ... we should be really glad that the releases do exist at all !"

My point EXACTLY! :) It's not like these CDs are saving lives, ya know. This music thing is
meant to be giving pleasure to the listener - it seems to me some are missing that end of it,
especially those who seem to get so worked up about things like what percentage of liner
notes is devoted to which score. Ah well - whatever floats their boat, right?

--
Karl Morton IV
kmiv@ix.netcom.com

kmiv, February 16, 2006; 3:51 AM

Such luxury problems!

pussygallore, February 16, 2006; 3:41 PM

Hard to imagine you're really unpretentious...

;-)

coma, February 16, 2006; 4:12 PM

Are you? ;- )

pussygallore, February 16, 2006; 4:30 PM

I sometimes pretend not to be, but it doesn't work... ;-)

coma, February 16, 2006; 10:22 PM

coma: doesn't it run for just less than 10 minutes ? At least mine does.

42zaphod, February 17, 2006; 12:10 AM

42zaphod: 9:57 to be precise. My memory tricked me.

coma, February 17, 2006; 11:41 AM