The Fellowship Of The Ring Soundtrack

[Comic Book Guy]

I bought my copy of the soundtrack today, and I can honestly say it was a beautiful piece of work. It was brilliant, I cannot put it into words how good it was, Howard Shore should now get reconition as a great composer. My favourite tracks were Concerning Hobbits, The Treason Of Isengard, Many Meetings and the Breaking of the Fellowship.

I recommend it.

[Aragorn]

Hehe, I'm getting them off Morpheus for free. Gandalf and The Treason Of Isengard are good, but I haven't heard them all yet.

[IronParrot]

I've listened to it on streaming a couple hundred times already, but I bought the CD today... and I'm listening to it on my beautiful sound system right now, for the second time today.

My favourite track is Many Meetings...

Man. No doubt about it, this is the Oscar frontrunner for Original Score this year.

[Darth Tater]

That was quite an experiance! Truely a brilliant soundtrack. However, just because it plays like the best soundtrack ever on its own doesn't mean it'll be a work of pure brilliance with the film.

Cases in point: The Gladiator soundtrack is absolutely brilliant on its own, but somehow it doesn't have the same impact with the movie. The Crouching Tiger soundtrack is the reverse. However, neither are nearly as good as FOTR, so my hopes are high.

Which brings me to another interesting point. Everything we've seen so far in regards to the movie has just been so incredibly awesome. There's just no way a movie can be that good though! I think we're being set up for a big let down, but oh well, I'm enjoying it now

[ArwenEvenstar]

The chances of finding it here are so NOT good :(:(:(

Oh well maybe my Aunt and Uncle will get it for me- or my boyfriend will burn it for me:)

[Darth Tater]

BTW Aragorn, there's no such track as "Gandalf" though treason of Isengard is great. First person to find the three or four typos I've already found in the sountrack booklet wins absolutely nothing! CBG you're disqualified, I've already told ya most of them ;)

[Aragorn]

Hmmm....damn Morpheus! Sometimes the titles aren't the real titles, just what the people that downloaded them think they should be called...:(

[IronParrot]

Typos in the booklet? Um, the one that sticks out for me is how they credited "Howard Weaving"...

[Darth Tater]

Yeah, that one's pretty obvious, but there's one that's even easier to spot!

Tristan has suggested the unthinkable to me: that the Harry Potter soundtrack is better then this one!!! His reasoning behind this? He doesn't have any of the themes from FOTR stuck in his head. Well I'll address that here and now, in the hopes of getting a lively debate going, which is always fun.

The first time listening to the soundtrack I immediately recognized three of the themes: the Hobbit theme, the Fellowship theme, and the Dark Riders theme. I've since discovered many others, the most obvious of them being the Ring theme.

The only reason I can think of that someone wouldn't notice these is that they're used to John William's oversimplefied (sp) works, the most obvious being Harry Potter. He uses one theme for almost every moment in this film! Over and over and over again, ad nausium! It's clear evidence that he's lost his musical maturity. However, listening to some of his older works, I've discovered that he never reached the level of maturity Howard Shore has!

The first time we here the Fellowship theme is towards the end of "The Prophecy". I doubt anyone actually notices it the first time around, because it foreshadows something we haven't heard yet. The theme continues to build every time we meet a member of the Fellowship, till we arive in Rivendell. Then it shines in all its glory, in a truely moving piece of music.

I can't remember Williams ever doing something like this. He starts all his soundtracks off with the themes as clear as day. Shore, however, has obviously realized he can create a prolonged sense of mystery with musical foreshadowing (I don't know if there's an actual term for it, I really know nothing about music.)

The Hobbit theme starts off sweet and innocent. It's a bit of a shock to hear after the first two tracks on the soundtrack, which are quite dark. Yet it sets up Frodo and Sam as innocent creatures, unawair of the world they're about to be thrown into. Their theme matures throughout the soundtrack (and I'm sure this is even clearer in the movie, considering there's about 2:30 of music in it, and the soundtrack's only 72 mins long), till "This Is My Father's World", er, I mean, "In Dreams", when it becomes a sad lament at innocence lost, at the same time looking towards the journey ahead. I can't wait to here how this theme matures throughout the quest to destroy the ring.

It would have been incredibly easy to make the Dark Riders theme a sudden thing, shocking everyone, and aiding in the sense of horror that the director is trying to create with them. However, this wouldn't have been true to Tolkien's vision. In book one of LOTR the Dark Riders are a menace that builds slowly and mysteriously in the background. Our first encounter with them in the soundtrack mirrors this superbly. We're strolling along a peacefull Hobbiton lane, just a bunch of happy go-lucky hobbits. But something's not right; our situation isn't as sunny as it appears. There's something in this music that isn't the way it's supposed to be, and it creates the sense that a dark power is building. It continues this way, till they appear in all their evil, searching, searching, just missing us, but now we know what to expect when their full power comes on Weathertop.

Weathertop continues a small, almost unnoticable theme that began in "The Prophecy", continued in "Shadow of the Past", and tried desperately to take over in the Dark Riders theme: the Ring theme. It's very closely connected with the Dark Riders, and that's why it's almost indecernable during the first listen. But it's there, and it becomes clear when a young, innocent voice (Edward Ross?) appears in the midst of the wraith world, singing the same theme, but at the same time trying to fight against the forces of darkness. It becomes clearer still on Amon Hen, where the ring's true power is shown for the first time.

There are a bunch of other themes of course, and other interesting things in this soundtrack, such as the use of chorals, that I'm sure I'll address in future posts. But I think I've bored you all enough for now ;)

[potyondi]

I wouldn't trivialize John William's works, especially with IP and I around ;). Besides, you can't say he's an "immature" composer based on the Harry Potter track. That's like saying Napoleon was a crappy general based on Waterloo.

I can't comment on what research you might have done into his previous works, but he doesn't have the same style as the FoTR composer and therefore they are not easily compared. John William's soundtracks are not listened to or interpreted as stories or have much semblance of continuity. Rather, he takes input from the director about what they are attempting to achieve in a scene and how music can enhance that effect. That's why you get stuff like The Imperial March. Through his aggressiveness, his brashness and his clarity, he accentuates an important theme or idea.

In addition, you mentioned that he never allows his works to begin subtly and then rise to a dramatic crescendo at the end? Ahem. Please listen to Hymn to the Fallen or Cadillac of the Skies. Then please reconsider your "learned" opinion ;).

Again, I've no idea how well you've studied his works but if you listen carefully, his orchestrating is extremely controlled. Delicately woven subtleties such as string of the Imperial March in Anakin's Theme essentially contradict your statement that he does not use "music foreshadowing".

In short, I don't care if, and in fact I encourage you to support your favorite composer, but not at the expense of mine. At least not without proof.

Just one more thing,

John William's oversimplefied (sp) works, the most obvious being Harry Potter. He uses one theme for almost every moment in this film! Over and over and over again, ad nausium! It's clear evidence that he's lost his musical maturity. However, listening to some of his older works, I've discovered that he never reached the level of maturity Howard Shore has!

but...

I really know nothing about music.

Err.. yeah.

[IronParrot]

It's all about context.

I'd say that the Philosopher's Stone score by itself was one of the better JW ones in recent years, but it was incredibly overplayed during the film. Now, stylistically, it fits the overall mood of Harry Potter quite well, but not necessarily so with the individual scenes.

The FOTR score is far more diverse in style, but that's a necessity considering the breadth of contrasting cultures that Tolkien's work deals with. Fortunately, it is a necessity that is achieved. While the Potter score confines itself to the whimsical, the FOTR score delves into everything from the Celtic to the Gothic to the decidedly Wagnerian.

In essence, I think the HP score would make quite the concert suite - it has a terrific title theme, but leaves much to be desired in terms of underscoring, simply because of its singular, uniform style. It is not unlike the case with Ennio Morricone's brilliant scoring of The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, which primarily makes use of a stringy Civil War chorale and a spaghetti western theme looped over and over. Thematically memorable. Similar case in point, Rota's score to The Godfather. In all of these cases, the epic scale does not lie in diversity of setting or atmosphere, and the score conforms to that.

The FOTR score, on the other hand, is more akin to Jarre's score to Lawrence of Arabia. Lawrence had the big sweeping desert theme, the strict British marching theme, and the rumbling and percussive Arab theme. The diversity and scope of the score complements the scale of the film.

Whether or not the FOTR score will work as edited into the final product remains to be seen, but right now things are definitely looking up.

[Darth Tater]

I used to be a huge fan of Williams' work. As a Star Wars geek I was first introduced to the concept of character themes through his music, as I'm sure a number of people here were. I do love his music, and I'm not suggesting his work is immature, just that Shore seems, from what I've heard of his work, to have a superior sense of mood and theme.

I am well aware of the Anakin "foreshadowing". But when you know the theme already, when it's a part of movie culture, it's really nothing special. It doesn't have the same impact as the foreshadowing that Shore does.

IP, I get what you're saying about Lawrence of Arabia, and you're the musical expert, I'm the one who couldn't read music if his life depended on it (ok that's not true, I'd do better then that girl in Goonies, but you get the idea). However, I must dissagree because, well, I don't agree with you, though chances are I'm wrong. There are many styles of music in that film, but it all feels the same. That's one of my major problems with that movie, and one of the reasons I think Bridge on the River Kwai is so much better: for all the differences of setting and landscape, the film is static. You always know where it's going and it doesn't take you very far to get there. The emotions are cookey cutter, just like the score.

I'm bracing myself for the flames.

[IronParrot]

Oh, I can flame you about Lawrence elsewhere. :p

About Williams: I've listened to my Classic Trilogy scores again - my favourite film scores ever - and yes, his work doesn't have the same kind of flair he did then. The thing about the scores to the Star Wars and Indiana Jones films is that they consist of both powerful thematic statements and appropriate underscore. The first canonizes the score as legendary; the second is what really holds the movie up.

Since about The Last Crusade, Williams' scores have shown an increasing tendency away from complex underscore that never repeats itself. With scores like The Empire Strikes Back, the score varies itself and supplements the tone of the film so well that just by listening to the music, you can point out the exact moments when certain events happen, or picture certain shots in your mind, when a given cue comes up. This is no longer the case with recent scores like Philosopher's Stone, The Patriot or A.I. - powerful works in terms of presenting themes that allow one to identify the film instantly, but not to a level of variance and detail so that one can identify specific scenes recently just from the music.

Essentially, John Williams has maintained his ability to compose themes. But it's no longer a case where all the music he writes takes on a life of its own, and almost becomes half the movie - the visuals being the other half.

For example, the score to The Phantom Menace - my favourite track is actually "The Flag Parade". It is not a recurring motif, but is a powerful statement on its own that is a good listen both stand-alone and within the context of the film. I actually think "Duel of the Fates" is highly overrated - its rigid structure makes it a good piece in its own right, and it certainly steps up the excitement level in the film's climactic sequence, but it does not match the film well enough on a scene-for-scene, shot-for-shot basis to work really well.

Then you have oddities like Saving Private Ryan - at first, not too thematic, though "Hymn to the Fallen" has, upon a listen, become synonymous with the film. However, it was probably a wise directorial choice to in fact limit the use of underscore, especially considering the tone of the film. Schindler's List - great theme, and again, an appropriate absence of underscore where it would not fit the film.

Philosopher's Stone we've discussed. Great title theme, but overused incidental music.

Now, let's get back on topic and talk about Shore's score to Fellowship again.

Outside the context of the film, it makes a great listen. And from this listen, one can already almost interpolate where certain things are probably going to happen in the film. Take the "The Black Rider" track for example. The changes in pace, the changes in tonality - they imply that there will be sudden changes in pace, changes in mood within the film.

If the tension-release cycles in the film match up to the tension-release in the score, then things are going to work beautifully, and this will truly be one of the great scores.

Essentially, the score has to be memorable, yet stay relatively out of the way where its role is to merely support the action, and in certain films - not this one, considering it's been confirmed that most of the film was scored - the music shouldn't be there at all.

With the scale of Tolkien's work, that almost demands an incredibly diverse and variant score.

I think Shore's score to Fellowship will work well simply on the basis that from what we hear on the CD, we can tell that the score doesn't overly repeat itself. Even some of the leitmotifs that will likely not be repeated - the Moria sequence, for example - have a certain memorability of their own.

The implementation of Tolkien's environmental descriptions right into the music already bodes well. Note tracks "Journey in the Dark" and "The Bridge of Khazad-dum" in particular. Take a look at the novel, and the descriptions of the approaching war drums of the orcs.

You get the idea.

[Lord Xanthyz]

Okay, I have been "dead" at Entmoot lately, and apparently in the real world lol
Is the soundtrack available in stores? Or do I have to special order it? I never knew it came out...

[Darth Tater]

Great post IP.

The soundtrack's out in the stores, and if you don't have it already I recommend running out right now to get it!

[Gorhiriel]

THe Soundtrack rules!! I love The Bridge of K-D. It rules!!

[anduin]

Yes, The Bridge of Khazad-dum is definitely one of my favorites, especially the ending. It always takes me away from what I am doing or thinking and puts me in a totally different state of mind. So sad....so sad.

[eowyn144]

i absolutely love the soundtrack! i play it everyday and there's always a different track to match my mood.
my favourites are: concerning hobbits, many meetings, bridge of khazad Dum(i cried when i first heard the ending), lothlorien, the great river, the breaking of the fellowship and may it be. so basically most of them!!!!
does any one know about the soundtracks for the next two films?

[Comic Book Guy]

does any one know about the soundtracks for the next two films?

Well I'm not sure about the next two films, but Howard shore is planning to compose music for the Extended version of the Fellowship of the Ring, for the DVD. Apparently this hasn't been done before.

[eowyn144]

u know how every1 always says that the extra stuff will be on the dvd, what about on the video?will it have it all too?some of us still don't have dvd players ya know!:confused:

[crickhollow]

buy the dvd whether or not you have a player! That's what I'm doing. I'm working on getting a dvd/r-wr drive for my computer. then I'll have another reason to sit in front of it like a lump (other excuses include Instant Messenger, the moot, and oh yeah, schoolwork)

They don't usually put the xtra stuff on video because you can't skip from track to track, section to section like you can on cds and dvds.

[Rosie-Lass]

The only reason I can think of that someone wouldn't notice these is that they're used to John William's oversimplefied (sp) works, the most obvious being Harry Potter. He uses one theme for almost every moment in this film! Over and over and over again, ad nausium! It's clear evidence that he's lost his musical maturity.

Ok, I like Harry Potter and I also like the film, I don't own that soundtrack,(I have heard it) and I think you're wrong in saying that Williams' musical maturity is waning. Composers have different levels of maturity, and while Shore is bound to be recognised as one of the composers of the decade if not the next few decades, I agree with Iron Parrot, John Williams can hardly be described as immature.
I'm playing the HP score in an orchestra at the moment and it sounds just great to me. Not over-simplified, but simple enough so that the audience doesn't get too bowled over by it.

The whole point of a soundtrack is to convey the mood of the film, and LotR can hardly be compared to Harry Potter (as I say to my friends who constantly ask me :"which did you think was better, Harry Potter or LotR",). They are completely different films and while the themes can roughly be compared to one another, anybody would have to admit that, in the (HP) film, there are far fewer themes that need to be put to music, which is why the soundtrack could be seen to be lacking in quality.
This is no reason to say that John Williams is 'slowing down'. I too am a Star Wars fan and I love the music there too, and I personally think that the quality is the same, the films being, again, of different requirements.

There is very little that NEEDS to be put to music in Harry Potter, as the acting fills it in so there is very little point in comparing it to such a diverse and beautiful soundtrack as LotR.
My reason for saying this is that LotR has emotions that not even the best acting can convey, for instance, Concerning Hobbits. This has an enduring sense of freedom that acting can't make you visualise, but combined, the soundtrack and the acting have made FotR a film that will be REMEMBERED.
*pant, pant*

On the other hand:
I have to say, although I don't own the soundtrack myself, (sacrelige, darling) Eowyn let me listen to it, and I'm being perfectly honest here, I got goosepimples!:D
Just to balance things out a little!

[Ërendil]

I bought the movie soundtrack and my favourite pieces are

Concerning hobbits (Does this remind anyone else of titanic music?)
A journey in the dark
The bridge of Kazard-dum
May it be
The breaking of the fellowship
Aniron

[Earenya]

A good 60% of my CDs are soundtracks, and all of your comments really intrigue me concerning LotR, Star Wars, Lawrence of Arabia, etc.

Ive read all of the posted opinions about John Williams, and I think all of you have valid points. One thing not addressed, though, is signature sounds. Most artists- in any field- have a certain signature quality about their work. Dancers working for Balanchine in the 70's would be asked (by him) during choreograpy"Ok, what will come next in the dance?" and those who had been in several of his ballets would be able to say, "A circle?" or what not correctly. For those of you unfamiliar with his work, he is known as one of the most groundbreaking and inventive choreographers in world history.
This too is something that Williams has, a signature quality. Beginning with Jaws and ending with Harry Potter, my challenge to you is what are these signature sounds? Certainly his style has morphed a bit. Thematic developements have changed but so has movie styles. His work is not my favorite because it is "his"; I like whatever soundtracks I happen to like, mostly based upon how they make me feel, how they matched the movie, etc.
LotR is one of my FAVORITE soundtracks. I accidentally broke my 1st CD of it and had to buy another- the time inbetween was torturous. Howard Shore definately has my vote for this years Oscar's. His creation covers such variance, from Lothlorien, to Concerning Hobbits, The Great River... the list goes on for almost every track.
Great thread by the way!!

[Garina]

Originally posted by Ërendil
Concerning hobbits (Does this remind anyone else of titanic music?)

Nooooooo! I can't stand Titanic. My cousin brought the piano music for it and she drives me mad!!!! (sorry anyone who like Titanic, its far too repetitive for me)

I adore the soundtrack - I went out and bought it because I had bits of the music in my head for days and it was driving me insane because I couldn't remember all of it. My fav tracks are
Concerning Hobbits
Treason of Isengard
The Black Rider
The Council of Elrond
Journey in the Dark
Bridge of Khazad Dum
Lothlorien
Breaking of the Fellowship
May It Be

I love the other tracks as well.

(I prefer Howard Shore to John Williams, but JW's style of music generally suits the films he does. The only reason the Harry Potter theme is irritating is because we heard nothing else for about 2 months b4 the cinema release!)

[azalea]

Originally posted by Ërendil


Concerning hobbits (Does this remind anyone else of titanic music?)


Yes, actually, the first strains reminded me of that song when I first heard it (I hate that Titanic song, no offense to anybody).

[Tar-Elendil]

this is one of the most peaceful as well as exciting piece of music ive heard in awhile..amon hen is prolly the best.. i even listen to it in my car..this is a big step for me..
<-------HUGE fan of sytem of a down!:)

[Polkat]

i adore the soundtrack.

at the moment i have borrowed it from one of my best friends who has conviently forgotten she owns it .

ha ha! [evil laugh] will keep it forever. or until i can afford to buy my own.

my fav track is concerning hobbits. its so free and joyful.

also love the bit that plays when they walk over that hill. i cannot remember which track it is. but it is great i have to fight down the urge to climb over my sofa and breath in deeply in manner of legolas.

[Khamûl]

The Fellowship of the Ring Soundtrack is one of the most amazing soundtracks I have ever heard. I think that it's the only soundtrack that I can listen to and get scenes from the movie. I especially love "The Bridge of Khazad-Dûm". You can tell when they make it over the collapsing part of the bridge because of the triumphant 'fellowship' theme, and at the end it has that extremely sad music because of Gandalf dying. Another one of my favorite moments comes 1 minute and 39 seconds into "A Knife in the Dark". You have Saruman's theme playing and then all of a sudden it stops and this ethereal music starts and I can just see Gandalf talking to that moth. I also love "The Ring Goes South" just for the stirring moment when they are leaving Rivendell.

One of my favorite soundtracks ever and well deserving of the Oscar for best score.

[azalea]

One of my favorite parts is The Black Rider, where I can just picture Frodo in the movie saying "get off the road" and then the hobbits hiding under the tree roots as the rider sniffs for them, and the screaming of the Nazgul -- it's great.

[Renille]

I love the soundtrack! On Christmas, when I got it, I listened to it twice in a row at least. Whenever I go on long trips, my dear little soundtrack is always with me. I especially love the tracks "Concerning Hobbits", the first track, and that one track where Frodo hears the Black Riders coming when Pippin, Merry and Sam are collecting mushrooms. You can hear approaching evil and the hoofsteps.

[Polkat]

i know what u mean. when i am in a paticularyly obsessed mood [always] i start shouting things like "SAM U CANT SWIM!" during track 17.

oooooooh have just reached the uruk high [dunno how to spell htat] running music.

[Faeirex]

Smooth polkat, very smooth.

In response, I can only say you will never see the Princess Bride/ that CD I'm sure you don't want me to mention by name until my soundtrack is returned.

Point out that it is you who gets the worse part of the deal here. I still have one copy of the CD in my home, and I can always burn another. Unlike you, who will have to do without PB's extremely tacky special effects until I choose to return it. Mwahahahaha-
*cough. Sorry about that. Evil tendencies escaped briefly.

For the rest of you, I have to actually confirm that Polkat is actually telling the truth. She does indeed climb on the sofa and shout out comments during the soundtrack. It makes me quite ashamed to know her. (But not ashamed enough to shout out 'Lost! My preciousssss is lost!' when I couldn't find my silver pen).

My two fave tracks are 'Concerning Hobbits' and 'The Bridge of Khazad-Dûm'. When I hear them, I can totally picture the scenes in my head. Especially BKD. It's got such a great motif, really stirring. (Can you tell I do GSCE music? Exam tomorrow- aaaaaaaaargh!)

There are other tracks I love as well, but unfortunately I cannot remember them, because a certain person has my CD. [meaningful glance at you-know-who]
And why does Lord Voldemort want the soundtrack anyway?

~Fae

[StrawberryIcecream]

I l=have the soundtrack also of course.
Love Concerning hobbits and the breakingof the fellowship.

This was asked a whil back but the video will have extra cuts on it. but only the two hour extras not the six hourversion.

[Eruviel Greenleaf]

I listened to the soundtrack almost non-stop (literally!) from December 'til March, and I still listen to it some! :D

[Nienna Grey]

I think the soundtrack is a truly inspired and remarkable piece of work by Howard Shore. Each piece seems to speak aloud the scene from the movie to which it relates. My favourites are "Concerning Hobbits" and "The Breaking of the Fellowship".

I have both the ordinary CD and the collectors' version and was a bit disappointed that the more expensive version didn't have extra tracks. I wish the music which was played at Bilbo's party (where Frodo was dancing) had been included as that was fun.

[Lizra]

and the "Road Song" (sung by Gandalf?) yes, the party music!!

[Nienna Grey]

Yes the "Road Song" sung by Gandalf would have been terrific too! I forgot about that one.

There was also some music which was played when the Fellowship were attempting to cross Mount Caradhras which wasn't included.

[Eruviel Greenleaf]

Breaking of the Fellowship is my favorite. . .but it makes me sad :( :)

[Garina]

This isn't the best thing to listen to if you're feeling depressed!
Oh, well, who cares. I like this CD. :)

I think the Journey in the Dark, and The Bridge of Khazad Dum are good, because I can actually see the movie in my head!

[Eruviel Greenleaf]

I can see it especially with the Bridge of Khazad-dum.

[Lizra]

I've wondered what that choirlike chorus keeps saying in the Nazgul music?

[Garina]

*Flicks through insert*
Darn, doesn't have them.
I'm guessing something suitably menacing!:)

[Lizra]

Menacing, yes! :) Maybe some Tolkien language?

[Darth Tater]

It's in the Black Speech of Mordor, but I'm not sure of the words.

[Lizra]

I went to your website, I'm speechless. Try passive agression?, No, nevermind.

[Darth Tater]

A. You're off topic and 2. It's not my site. Pretty brilliant though.

[Finrod Felagund]

My favourite track on the soundtrack was the Bridge of Khazad-Dum. it was really majestic and menacing and at the end, the sad music after Gandalf gets "killed" is so sad.
I actually liked the song "In Dreams". That kid had an amazing voice. And Enya's "May It Be" was ok too. (Obviously, it was nominated for an Oscar:D )

[eowyn144]

:( :( :( :( :( :( :(

i got a scratch on my lotr cd!!!!!

oh how sad i was when i found out! i was just listening to it for the umpteenth time and when the bridge of khazad dum came on it went all weird and scratchy!!!i tried it out on about 4 different cd players but it's definetly the cd.

[LuthienTinuviel]

is it true that when you listen to one song a whole lot ( like a whole lot more thank you could think) that the rest of the data gets warped on the cd?
my cousin told me that, but hes like tater and finding legit information.:D

[Eruviel Greenleaf]

I really like In Dreams. I've memorized it, but unfortunately, I can't sing it :D

The Nazgul music is really cool as well.

[Khamûl]

Yeah, "The Bridge of Khazad-Dûm" is definitely one of my favorites. Just all the different moods it has in it is amazing. The menacing voices, the sad music of Gandalf's demise, and the triumphant Fellowship theme. I also love "The Breaking of the Fellowship" even though it's so sad. "In Dreams" is awesome. Howard Shore is the man.:D

[Polkat]

hmm cannot remember what i was going to write.

suspect i just clicked here as i had 3 emails about this thread in my inbox this morning and decided it was about time i contributed.

cried last time i listened to The Bridge of Khazad-Dûm which was v strange as i didn't cry while actually watching the movie. well i did but at boromir's death which again was strange coz when i read the book i accidentally screamed out "die boromir die!" coz he was the reason frodo ran away and therefore annoying and deserving of death.

cried in the film though. most strange.

[Finrod Felagund]

I can sing both "In Dreams" and "May It Be" though I'm a guy I have a big voice range and I can sing really high in falsetto.

[Garina]

I can just about sing May It Be, but In Dreams is way too high! *sulks*
:D

[Eruviel Greenleaf]

I just plain can't sing :)

I like the bit where they are leaving Rivendell, too.

Am listening to Bridge of Kahzad-dum right now. :D

[Faeirex]

Would love to get involved with all the talk about which songs I sing along with (not really a sound you want to hear...) but I can't, because [loudly and pointedly] someone has my soundtrack!

But when I get it back [hint hint], you'll definitely be hearing from me. I hope.

~Fae

[Polkat]

when?

what is this when?

i will keep your soundtrack forever and ever.

evil laughter echos around the room *cough cough* [in choked voice] excuse me a second.

i don't sing along but i will when i get the score. then i will also play it on my piano. go me!

[Liviaine]

I got it as part of my early birthday present. I sing along with both. Two of my favorites are the Bridge of Khazad-dum and A Journey in the Dark.

[Lady Midnight]

Now see this soundtrack is proof of the existence of that wich is Higher.

No way anyone could produce music that good without some help from The Divine.

Personally I love to listen to it when I'm either studying or doing yoga. I like the Enya tracks best.

:) :) :)

[LuthienTinuviel]

i can almost sing in dreams. but i got a sore throat when i tired too hard. now i haven'tlistened to the cd for a week. ive been listening to sex pistols. shame on me.


tch.

[Lizra]

the pistols have a good beat, AND you can dance to them! :)

[LuthienTinuviel]

yes'm what i would do without mp3's i don't know!

hmm i would have to *gasp* spend money on cd's!!!!!
ahhhhhhhh!

[Eruviel Greenleaf]

*sulks in the corner* No mp3s for me, I just have to spend money. How sad. But at least I have the soundtrack :)

[Lizra]

I don't know what an mp3 is! I've heard of them. I'm sure I sound like an old fossil, but 47 isn't really that old. :) Is it where you make a copy of an album (CD!). You can pick them from a list? But is the sound quality as good? Owning music is sort of fun, the collecting part. We have 100's of albums bundled with twine on the front porch, my hubby won't part with them. I wonder if my son will ever play them. It's mostly new wave, punk and lot's of rockabilly, plus the greats, Beatles, Stones,and on and on. The Mp3's, you just store for a while and then copy over it? Album cover art was pretty neat, and the lyric sheet and other stuff on the sleeve. Cd's sort of eliminated that cause they're so little. I guess when it's something you really like, you buy it? (like the LoTR soundtrack!

[LuthienTinuviel]

i love the beatles! no wonder he won't part with them!
they rock da haus.

mp3's are just one songer files that you can get off the internet. you can collect enough to make a cd or two if you have the right hard/soft ware.
ask aldesign, he can prolly explain it better.

[Khamûl]

Yeah, an MP3 is just a music file that you downloaded off the internet onto your hard drive. You can use MP3 players and listen to it on your computer. Or, if you have a CD burner and the software, you can burn it onto a CD as an audio file and play it in regular CD players. Hope that helps.:)

I agree- The Beatles are pretty cool. I bought the "1" CD collection of their #1 hits and gave it to my mom for Christmas a couple of years ago. Sometimes when she's not around, I take it and listen to it myself.:D

[Eruviel Greenleaf]

EG likes the Beatles a lot. They are one of her favorite bands. And Led Zeppelin. But mostly she listens to the LotR:FotR soundtrack and talks about herself in the third person :D

[Garina]

Garina does that too. It really irritates her friends!
The problem with the FOTR soundtrack, is that every time she listens to it, Garina sulks because she cannot see the movie!

[Eruviel Greenleaf]

EG just plays the movie in her mind while listening to the soundtrack. Especially at the Bridge of Kahzad-dum, she remembers the movie very clearly. :)

[Lanelf]

I keep annoying my friends by singing the songs (which I've memorized the words to) in art class for 75 minutes straight. It's not my fault, they're catchy! My friends are only annoyed because they're all Harry Potter fans and have never seen/read lotr. I've been trying to convert them but they are resisting strongly. Must redouble efforts...

________________
A small, cute frog plans to make all the world lotr fanatics.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Mind that Bus!~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Gondor has 305.2 national cheeses. Just so you know.

[Starr Polish]

Being poor (;)), I had to get the soundtrack from the library, and I love it all. My favorite is "Concerning Hobbits", "The Breaking of the Fellowship" and "May It Be". I especially like the words of "The Breaking of the Fellowship". Mehehe. It's fun to listen to while reading the book, up in a willow tree :D

[Radagast]

You people should also get the Tolkien Ensambles' 'A night in Rivendell' and 'An Evening in Rivendell'

Genius.

[Entlover]

Originally posted by Radagast
You people should also get the Tolkien Ensambles' 'A night in Rivendell' and 'An Evening in Rivendell'

Genius.

Haven't heard of that -- what is it or they, who are they by?

[Radagast]

Check the Tolkien Trails Rivdendell MP3 section; they have three samples of their work.

[elendili]

Totally random thought but don't you think all the trumpet Mordor music is kinda like the music of Ainur when Morgorth starts to change the music from the thought of Ilvatar (I know I spelt that wrong)? Endless repeating a tuneless, my favourite bits though!

[Celandine]

My favorite song on the LotR soundrack is 'May it Be', actually I like all the songs on the soundtrack.

[LuthienTinuviel]

haha new thing, my speakers on my computer don't look anymore, so ive memorised where the musiccomes in, (after moria ive got it down pat) and i just play my walkman to the video, and say some of the lies along with the movie
i love my soundtrack

[azalea]

Just thought I'd mention that the FotR soundtrack won the Grammy for best original movie score.

[Ornelírë Mistë]

My favorite song from the movies is Evenstar. It is played when Aragorn is floating in the river in TTT. As for other music...

LED ZEPPELIN!!!! And cream, and the stones... Chili Peppers. Anyone ever hear of They Might Be Giants (TMBG)? I love them.

[azalea]

Originally posted by OrnelÃ*rë Mistë
As for other music...


...you might want to go down to the Entertainment Forum.
There are a lot of music threads there. This one is just for discussing the FotR soundtrack. Thanks.:)

[Elessar the Elfstone]

I got a cd containing theme tunes from blockbuster films and its got one from lord of the rings called The Prophercy does any one know where in lord of the rings that piece of music comes from?;) :) :( :o :D :p :cool: :rolleyes: :mad:

[Elessar the Elfstone]

Oh and I'm thinking of puchacing both lotr sound tracks out of ten what would you give them?

[azalea]

The Prophecy was from the very very beginning of FotR.

I happen to love both of the soundtracks, I give FotR a 10 and TTT a 9 1/2, but I know there were people here who didn't like them, so I guess it depends on your tastes.

[The Dunadan]

okay this is very important to me... you know the FOTR SDTRK, and how The bridge of Khazad-Dum has the vocal in it? Well in the movie it has music after the vocal! I can't believe they didn't put it on the ST!!! Does anyone have this or know where to get it? Please!:(

[Estel13]

I just got it on CD. So far, I like The Bridge Of Khazad-Dum the best. Love the map of ME under the CD. Also the translations from the Elvish.

[azalea]

I was just listening to it last night, because I had had In Dreams on my mind. My favorite is Aniron. Too bad it's so short.:(

[Lizra]

I really enjoyed FoTR soundtrack! I should switch my TRex cd with it for awhile! :eek: :D When I bought TTT soundtrack, I tried to play it in the car, as we took the half hour ride up to Lafayette. It was horrible! At least two thirds of it was so soft and "nothing" that I kept turning it up, waiting for some melodies. Bah! :mad: Filler junk! I don't think I have the time to waste trying to find something memorable on it anymore! Oh well, it looks pretty on the shelf! :)

[Black Breathalizer]

Originally posted by Lizra
When I bought TTT soundtrack, I tried to play it in the car, as we took the half hour ride up to Lafayette. It was horrible! At least two thirds of it was so soft and "nothing" that I kept turning it up, waiting for some melodies.I will admit that the FOTR is a more complete listening experience than TTT, but I strongly disagree that there is nothing good on it. In fact, some are truly great. My favorites are: Track 8 - Evenstar, Forth Earlingas - Track 16, Samwise the Brave - Track 18, Gollum's Song - Track 19, Isengard Unleashed - Track 17, the King of the Golden Hall - Track 6, and Foundations of Stone - Track 1

[LuthienTinuviel]

holy cow... lizra doesn't like something!:eek: (:D )

but i have to agree and disagree.
i agree that alone it isn't as good as FotR, but when you see TTT as much as i d, listening to the second soundtrack is fulfilling cause you can play the movie in your head.

wow. that is worded oddly.. tell me if it doesn't make sense.:p

[Lizra]

Well, I was trying to get the other family members to enjoy it. I'd wait through all this soft, tonal build-up stuff, a few "theme" notes would actually play loud enough to sound like something, I'd get excited....turn it up, and ten bars later, back to the muffled filler stuff again. The other family members were quite polite, (they tried to hide the eye rolling! ) but I don't think I'll be allowed to play TTT for driving music again! :D I want strong melodies I can hum, or whistle! Like there was on FoTR! ;

Gosh LT! You must be confusing me with Rian! :D I'm not that agreeable! :confused: :)