September 08 2008
Buffy score CD hits stores.
The album consists of music by Christophe Beck from seasons 2-5 and is also available at Amazon MP3 and the (U.S.) iTunes Store — the latter of which adds two bonus tracks to the album version. European release date is September 15.
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Individual posts are copyright their respective authors
This is a non-profit, unofficial website, not affiliated with Mutant Enemy, Inc., 20th Century Fox, Warner Brothers or UPN.

Rhodey | September 08, 22:52 CET
Although I'm in Europe, I managed to buy it from the U.S. iTunes, and compare it to Beck's promotional CDs. Findings:
* It's much better mixed, leading to much clearer audio in pieces like "Sugar High".
* There are weird cuts (inaudible, if you haven't heard the promotional CDs):
- 10 seconds of the ending of "Remembering Jenny", which also has some piano notes added at the very end.
- a few seconds of quiet intro on "Sugar High"
- "Kralik's House" is completely recut
- "Magic Snow Music" cuts 45 seconds of intro until the oboe "solo" enters
- "Faith's End" cuts out almost a minute in the middle
I really see no reason for those cuts, since there's plenty of time left in terms of CD length. But whatever, the tracks still work.
* The tracks (thankfully) don't segue into one another, as they did on the promotional CDs (which made some of the tracks rather less shiny for random playback)
Lots of goodies in terms of the new stuff. I love "Spellbound" - even if it was mostly music-only in the episode, this brings so much more clarity to the arrangement.
"A Really Big Sandbox" (from that exact moment in Restless) has record noise, which is not a mistake, since records were used to give it its distinctive sound.
"Spaghetti" is, as expected, from the end of Giles' dream, facing the First Slayer.
However, "Body Paint" is not actually from Willow's dream, but rather the beginning of Giles' dream, hypnotizing Buffy and walking the graveyard fair. It uses the same theme as in Willow's dream, though, but with different instrumentation.
"Xander's Nightmare" is the bit playing over Xander's run through the connected sets of Buffy until the slayer rips his heart out.
"Sacrifice" is, as the title indicates, an alternate version, although I'm quite sure I've heard it before. The beginning is the same as on the "Once More With Feeling" soundtrack, but the climax is rewritten -- and less climaxy.
And seeing as there's plenty of material from the promotional CDs not to be found here, and a whole lot from season 4 that still hasn't been released at all, I guess we might expect/hope for a second CD at some point. =o)
[ edited by Serge on 2008-09-09 08:14 ]
Kaneda | September 08, 23:01 CET
Although I must say, "Willow and Oz" isn't really that distinctive to my ears. Never was in the series either. "Thanksgiving Brawl" is a fun piece of action music, though, although it has quite a few similarities to "Faith's End", but without quite as much "punch".
Kaneda | September 08, 23:08 CET
Satai (with Punsch) | September 08, 23:24 CET
kungfubear | September 08, 23:33 CET
kungfubear | September 08, 23:38 CET
I was wondering about that too and if there was an intro from Joss as well?
test
Simon | September 08, 23:57 CET
Simon | September 09, 08:57 CET
Maybe someone will post a review on Amazon, for those of us who are really
brokepatient, and have no great love for iTunes.Shey | September 09, 00:33 CET
Numfar PTB | September 09, 00:44 CET
And is there some reason 'Close Your Eyes' isn't on here, or is that being titled 'Massacre'?
And back to 'Sacrifice'; that piece of music has the power to make me get teary if I listen to it all the way through. Gorgeous, haunting piece of music.
Illyria | September 09, 02:27 CET
Leaf | September 09, 02:31 CET
Evidence points to the former (not rereleasing stuff), since the version of "Sacrifice", as mentioned, is also an alternate version. If anyone can tell me where I've heard that version before, that'd be great =)
ETA: That might be it, Leaf, I'll check.
"Massacre" is the piece for the end of "Becoming Part 1", where Buffy fights with Angel while Drusilla and the gang are at the library. It does include the "Buffy/Angel" theme, though (as does "Moment of Happiness").
[ edited by Serge on 2008-09-09 11:36 ]
Kaneda | September 09, 02:35 CET
[ edited by Serge on 2008-09-09 11:57 ]
Kaneda | September 09, 02:56 CET
kungfubear | September 09, 03:18 CET
hobnail | September 09, 04:26 CET
Invisible Green | September 09, 05:02 CET
Leaf | September 09, 06:19 CET
I think I'm gonna buy the cd and then download the 2 bonuses off itunes.
xander fan | September 09, 06:19 CET
BTW, a 128kbps AAC (iTunes) sounds better than a 128kbps MP3. Not as good as a 256kbps MP3 (Amazon) surely, but maybe in the neighborhood of a 160kbps MP3.
ETA: Amazon claims they use variable encoding "aiming at an average of 256 kilobits per second", but these tracks range from 196 to 245. (The Southland's album I bought there ranges from 206-265.)
[ edited by jam2 on 2008-09-09 15:39 ]
jam2 | September 09, 06:33 CET
Yes, it does have some similar..."vibes" to "Hush." Not...whiny, exactly, but...very melancholy. Very string-heavy, I believe. Good catch.
Leaf, Serge "Sacrifice" is from "The Gift," so...how is it used somewhere else, especially a couple years before it was written? Or am I very confused here?
Does anyone know if Wal-Mart will carry it?
ShadowQuest | September 09, 07:00 CET
jam2 | September 09, 07:10 CET
Not sold in store according to their website.
Link:
Simon | September 09, 07:14 CET
That makes much more sense now. And...ooh! I don't have much from Season Six, so that's cool. I've got "Dawn's Ballet" and "Broom Dance/Grr Argh," even though Grr should go at the end - I don't know anything about editing so I can't just slice it off the end of "Broom Dance" and put it at the end of my play list. Besides, that ends with "Final Battle" from "Chosen" and the little falsetto grrargh wouldn't really fit there.
Simon Those pooh-heads! Now where am I gonna get it?? I don't have a CC or PayPal, so ordering from Amazon is out of the question. And we don't have a B&N or any other place up here I can order it from. Grrrrr! This is my not-happy face.
ShadowQuest | September 09, 07:20 CET
EDIT: Nope, iTunes 8 is not DRM-Free
ShadowQuest I can have Amazon send it to you, just e-mail me. (iphone at wilhelmwolf dot com) we can work out the details.
[ edited by Wilhelm on 2008-09-10 05:35 ]
Wilhelm | September 09, 07:27 CET
Amazon will do anything to get your cash- as well as accepting direct debits from your bank account, they accept cheques and money orders. You basically place your order online and then post in your payment, which takes a little longer but is still an option if you don't 'do' CC's.
And I can't speak for other countries, but Downunder we can pick up temporary Visa cards from our local post office. You pay the value of the card ($50 or $100) and an additional few dollars surcharge, my teenage nephews use them online all the time.
Disclaimer- I am not, by the way, affiliated with Amazon, Visa, or Australia Post!
missb | September 09, 09:46 CET
Because, well, I'm just greedy like that. :)
kungfubear | September 09, 10:37 CET
Invisible Green | September 09, 13:05 CET
Wilhelm | September 09, 20:37 CET
And sorry for maybe adding confusion in the middle of things by changing my nickname from Serge to Kaneda -- wanted to do that for two years, and just found out that Whedonesque does allow you to (unlike 99% of other blogs and forums) =) Won't be changed again.
Kaneda | September 10, 02:17 CET
(and thanks for the breakdown of the tracks, whatever your name is ;)
Saje | September 10, 02:49 CET
And you're welcome. Mainly wanted to shout out about the cuts, because the one in "Faith's End" really annoys me. =)
Kaneda | September 10, 03:52 CET
AngelDiva | September 11, 15:18 CET
Anuris | September 12, 10:49 CET
And of course I'd love it if we could get a release of Anya singing "Mrs" in Selfless, especially because the only version we have is the one in the episode which cuts off abruptly before the song is finished. The same goes for "The Exposition Song" from Restless.
Razor | September 13, 09:12 CET
xander fan | September 15, 11:11 CET
I'm a huge huge fan of the score from "Buffy" and I bought the CD of the score, but I can't buy the bonus tracks since I am not a US resident. What a shame! Could someone PLEAAAASE help me to have them? I would be very very grateful!!!!!!!!
Xalandar | December 31, 02:30 CET
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