Babylon 5 episodic cds

Thanks Jan. Are they still in production?

TT.

Terrible Tim said:

Thanks Jan. Are they still in production?

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Has anybody here bought B5 episodic CDs or the Crusade CD from the site recently? I bought all mine years ago.

I bought some Sleeping in Light and (iirc) a Best of Babylon 5 CD about a year ago. The list of available titles seems much shorter than it used to be so I think that as they run out of stock they're just taking it off of the site.

Jan

I bought a signed SIL cd about six months ago from Sonic Images. Maybe Christopher Franke will put the new music from TLT on his site. We can always hope.

dencor said:

Maybe I am a little wierd but everyday on my way to work I listen to the SIL cd on my car stereo. I have been doing this for several years now and have still not tired of it. I find it relaxes me and brings me back to my favorite moments of that episode.
I am curious if anyone else listens to their B5 cds on a regular basis. Or maybe I am completly alone in my addiction to Christopher Frankes music. However, when I am lifting weights it is definitely hard rock I listen to.

thanks
dennis

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Your absolutely right 100%. I think the newest of composers that comes close to Christopher Franke is Bear McCrear who does the music for the new Battlestar Galactica. I have a busy schedule so I can't always play the episodic cd's or the the other B5 soundtracks but believe you/me I play them quite often especially lately.

KoshN said:

I have that same problem right now. Isn't there a way to transfer CDs to an iPod or non-iPod MP3 player? I'd like to carry around a large variety of CDs (if not my whole library of about 180 CDs) to listen to on the road using a system that is independent of the sound system of the particular vehicle I'm in, and the iPod/MP3 player and a pair of earbuds seems like a lightweight, compact way to do that.

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I have an mp3 player called the Toshiba giga-beat mp3 player that holds up to 60 gigabytes. Actually its around 55 minus the software that is used to be able to plug and play for windows. There are people out there that have bought this product and haven't had success but I bought mine right before Christmas and it's still working today. It easily works with Windows Media Player 10 or up. Out of all the albums that I have on my mp3 player the one set that will never ever be removed are the Babylon 5 soundtracks (All of them) let me know if you need assistance.

Terrible Tim said:

Thanks Jan. Are they still in production?

TT.

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I believe as long as Christopher Franke continues to produce music his soundtracks should never go out of print (hopefully) plus for many years "And The Rock Cried Out" soundtrack was only available in limited numbers was finally re-released a couple years ago when I bought that copy and completed my whole Babylon 5 collection (the only I don't care for is Evan Chen's "A Call To Arms"

I'm a huge fan of all the music so don't hesitate to ask me questions or talk about

Music in eps is far more important than most people give it credit for. It's an integral part of the storytelling process, especially in the 'feel' component. I've seen pieces of video spliced with different music and it makes you think you're watching two entirely different productions.
I personally like most of the music from B5, but whereas the video relies on the music to give it its punch, I think the reverse is also true. Some music is written to correspond to specific actions onscreen, and listening to it in audio only sometimes leaves it a little shallow.
I don't own any of the B5 cds, but I do have some Star Wars and Halo soundtracks and after a while of listening to them they seem to go flat. I mean each time I listen to them, not a cumulative effect. I think the ears are glad to hear the sounds versus silence/normal background noise, but after a while you need the pictures to go with the sounds, if not other nonmusic sound effects.
Halo music just isn't the same without weapons fire and marine voices shouting. Star Wars isn't something you listen to a lot on its own, it really needs to be backup to something else. If I'm doing something and I put in a soundtrack cd the music works well, but if I just sit and listen to it, it comes up short without the video.
As for composers, I think the best I've heard would be whoever did the music for Stargate Atlantis.

Legan said:

Music in eps is far more important than most people give it credit for. It's an integral part of the storytelling process, especially in the 'feel' component. I've seen pieces of video spliced with different music and it makes you think you're watching two entirely different productions.
I personally like most of the music from B5, but whereas the video relies on the music to give it its punch, I think the reverse is also true. Some music is written to correspond to specific actions onscreen, and listening to it in audio only sometimes leaves it a little shallow.
I don't own any of the B5 cds, but I do have some Star Wars and Halo soundtracks and after a while of listening to them they seem to go flat. I mean each time I listen to them, not a cumulative effect. I think the ears are glad to hear the sounds versus silence/normal background noise, but after a while you need the pictures to go with the sounds, if not other nonmusic sound effects.
Halo music just isn't the same without weapons fire and marine voices shouting. Star Wars isn't something you listen to a lot on its own, it really needs to be backup to something else. If I'm doing something and I put in a soundtrack cd the music works well, but if I just sit and listen to it, it comes up short without the video.
As for composers, I think the best I've heard would be whoever did the music for Stargate Atlantis.

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Hey Legan:

I know you have already posted 9 messages already but even though I'm new here too I wanted to still say nice to see another new person of some sorts here at the board.

Your abso-fraggin-lutely correct about the importance of soundtracks. Before fans started purchasing soundtracks as a music genre..the term soundtrack was invented to underscore a certain event in a movie to enhance the experience. We can't enjoy watching the movie Jaws without the famous theme by John Williams. Watching the shark going after someone without that theme just doesn't work. Watching a horror movie of some sorts even like Aliens which is a action/horror/science fiction movie just doesn't work without James Horner's score.

But at the same time I've found soundtracks on their own can be quite tharaputic. All soundtracks to me are very very soothing. Whether it's Jonn Williams bombastic heroic themes, James Horner so called-self plagerism to Christopher Franke's unique keyboard (with small orchestra)friendly underscore to the Babylon 5 episodes or movies. I'm usually not a huge fan of synth scores but Franke does in a such a beautiful way that there are times I get goosebumps all over my body. Oviously there are too many to mention but I'll do my own reviews of the soundtracks on their own later down the road from the 2 series discs to the episodic individual ones.

One of my favorite things about listening to soundtracks on their own it doesn't matter if I've seen the movie or not I can create so many different patterns and pictures in my mind. It depends on what instruments are being played I can picture my own way of interpreting the way the movie or tv is going to go..There are so many things that go through my imagination in my mind.

Alex

Babylon5fan07 said:

I think the newest of composers that comes close to Christopher Franke is Bear McCrear who does the music for the new Battlestar Galactica.

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He's certainly very good, though I couldn't personally compare him to Chrisopher Franke, they're too different in style. I'm one of those who really liked his (McCreary's I mean!) version of 'All Along The Watchtower'. Do you have any of the BSG soundtrack on CD? Is it worth buying? I remember lots of great snippets of music from the series, but do they make good complete tracks, and does it come together well into good albums? I'm tempted to pick them up (soundtrack cds), but I'd like to hear about them from someone who already has first.

(And if this looks a bit like an attempt to build bridges and put differences in the past, that's because it is.)

raw_bean said:

He's certainly very good, though I couldn't personally compare him to Chrisopher Franke, they're too different in style. I'm one of those who really liked his (McCreary's I mean!) version of 'All Along The Watchtower'. Do you have any of the BSG soundtrack on CD? Is it worth buying? I remember lots of great snippets of music from the series, but do they make good complete tracks, and does it come together well into good albums? I'm tempted to pick them up (soundtrack cds), but I'd like to hear about them from someone who already has first.

(And if this looks a bit like an attempt to build bridges and put differences in the past, that's because it is.)

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I guess in my comparison for Bear Mccreary it was just more of an emotional response of how good both composers are I really think that Bear McCrear to me is the only composer that could ever pull off a score in the B5 universe more than Horner and Wiliams or anyone else due to the fact at times Bear does use the synth at times like CF did in the B5 universe but that's just me. I guess overall Franke is closer to Richard Gibbs from the mini series to BSG than Bear McCreary. But to answer your question regarding McCreary's work on cd..yes they are wonderful and beautiful crafted pieces of work. I have all 3 BSG soundtracks (Mini by Richard Gibbs, Season 1 and 2 by Bear)I think overall Bear McCrear each season as improved his work on the show. I really think that the BSG soundtracks are very very good. Oviously there may be a few tracks on all 3 cd's that may not sit as well as others but from what you seen on tv the music is just as good on cd. I'm looking forward to Season 3 soundtrack which is supposed to be due out in August or so. The only song that isn't included on the soundtracks is the piano solo that was in season 2 when Starbuck and Helo were on Caprica relaxing before they met up with Anders. But you can get that on Phillip Glass cd which includes that song called Metamorphesis (5 I believe)

BTW, no hard feelings regarding out other topic..I'm ready to move on.
Thanks raw bean
Alex--if you have any other questions regarding the B5, BSG or any other soundtrack just buzz me

Well, I'm sold! I should get paid on Monday, I think it might be time to pick up some BSG music. Cheers, B5Fan!

Check your private message raw bean...if you want I can give you more information regarding the soundtracks.