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Geometry of Shadows track

Falcon1Falcon1 Elite Ranger
I was listening to a few b5 tracks at work today when I stumbled on one I didn't have at home (odd I know... think it appeared from emule a while ago). Its one of the Geometry of Shadows tracks but I'm not sure which one. Its 4.17 long and doesn't match the track lengths listed on Sonic Images site. It is certainly one of the themes from the 1st cd but its different, much darker with more layers to it. Sounds bloody brilliant if you ask me! Anyway I've uploaded it to my webspace so you guys can listen (4mb):

[url]http://www.nialljulian.co.uk/other/christopher%20franke%20-%20the%20geometry%20of%202.mp3[/url]

Is this a released track? It sure isn't on the Vol 1 cd and doesn't appear to be on any of the others. :confused: It could be on the Best of Babylon 5 cd but I got that through that Sierra 'spit' interactive B5 box thing and its not on there.

Comments

  • David of MacDavid of Mac Elite Ranger Ca
    I think this is the "European" version the "Requiem for the Line" from "And the Sky Full of Stars". I have no clue where it came from originally, but it was on Music of B5 before it closed down.

    At [url=http://www.third-space.net/archive/?type=Music]Third-space.net[/url], they have a file marked as this song, but it's really The Geometry of Shadows III from the Babylon 5 Vol. 1 CD. Again, I'm not sure why it's mismarked, but it is.

    Also, it is not from the Sierra CD. All of the tracks there were identical to the originals, save the first and last few seconds of each, which were changed so they would flow uninterrupted together.

    ----------------------

    Okay, I just did a websearch, and here's the reason for this remixed track's existance, straight from JMS.

    [quote][url=http://www.jmsnews.com/scripts/MsgStore.dll?MfcISAPICommand=GetMsg&List=1&Topic=8&Flags=1&Query=requiem&QFlags=1&ls=1&qs=1&qt=0]Originally posted by JMS[/url]
    Actually, to correct this, the last track in the European version
    has more *perussion* and fewer strings, whereas the American version has
    more strings and less percussion (this in the longer, reorchestrated
    suite of the Requiem for the Line). This was because Chris sent me the
    tape with the last track for my approval. I listened to it, and thought
    it was great...but for me, what really makes the RftL theme so beautiful
    and moving and tragic and powerful are the strings in counterpoint to the
    rest of the rhythm. Here they were missing. So I called, and said, "It
    really needs the strings." By this point they were already pressing the
    European edition, and it was too late to do anything about it. It was
    subsequently revised for the American release. So now there are two
    versions floating around out there; the percussive version is nice for
    the driving aspect of it, it hits you hard in the gut; the string version
    hits you in the heart and breaks it.

    jms[/quote]

    So, apparently, this track is "The Geometry of Shadows III" on the original European edition of Babylon 5 Vol. I. Or possibly "Mind War I". I can't quite tell from the context.
  • BekennBekenn Sinclair's Duck
    Wow. I have no idea how I managed to not know about this.

    Is the CD this came on still around?
  • AkrovahAkrovah Ranger
    Ahhhhh.... The sweet, symphonic strings of the GOOD version of the Rquiem for the line. My copy of B5 volume 1 has this version on it. When i got the "Best of Babylon 5" CD i was dismayed to find it had been changed. Now at least i know why and undersatand it, but this really is much better in my opinion. This really is one of my favorite peices from the B5 series, along with "The Whit Light" I have a wierd pretention towards sad orcastrated music.
  • David of MacDavid of Mac Elite Ranger Ca
    Could you clarify, then, which track it was replaced by? I'm assuming it's Geometry of Shadows III, but, as I said, I'm not really sure.

    If it is Geometry III, I have to disagree. Since my first taste of B5 music (The Best of B5 CD, which I had even before I'd seen any of the show), Geometry III has always been one of my favorites. That little zither sounding thing, the repetitive percussion, it was all very atmospheric. Pity it was never used on the show.

    And, of course, while I can see Geometry III is descended from Requiem, I still think it's a very different piece. But then, I see lots of people slam the Requiem label on pieces that I think don't deserve it (the Season 3 intro, for instance).
  • AkrovahAkrovah Ranger
    No, you see, the peice linked at the beginning of this thread is the orignial US release version of Geometry III from B5 Vol.1, also know alternatively as Requiem for the line. It was replaced by the version you now hear on the best of cd when Vol1 went to print in Europe. Later they updated the US vol.1 with the replacement and it has since pretty much become the standard Geomerty of Shadows III. That is, if i am interpreting JMS's posting correctly.

    Which one you like better is probably due to which ever one you heard first. for me it was the original version, and i Absolutely LOVE it.
  • Falcon1Falcon1 Elite Ranger
    David of Mac... ah right I see. Never new that at all. Interesting. Yeah I checked my sierra cd when I went back home and noticed they weren't the same. Looks like I have the european version of the vol 1.

    Akrovah, cheers for your info. I liked the original, nice and atmospheric. However when I heard the one I linked above I had to stop and listen to it... woooow! Its amazing! Had it on repeat for most of yesterday as I took in this new sound.

    So for me its thumbs up for the american version! :)
  • AkrovahAkrovah Ranger
    So now, my question is, what is this sierra cd of wich you all speaketh?
  • Falcon1Falcon1 Elite Ranger
    Sierra Studios released "The Official Guide to J.Michael Straczynski's Babylon 5" back in 1997. It was a 2 cd pack, one was a pc cdrom interactive guide to Babylon 5, the 2nd cd was an audio one with tracks from the show by C Franke. The whole thing was packaged in a typical pc game card board box with the cd's in a 2 cd case. Think I payed about £9 for it a few years ago in a sale. Its quite rare now but they do turn up on ebay from time to time.
  • SanfamSanfam I like clocks.
    I've got that one floating around on a CD Rack back home :D

    and, the box to match it, to...it' a nice little software toy. quite worth my $10 at the time (especially considering it turned me on to CF's music)
  • David of MacDavid of Mac Elite Ranger Ca
    [QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Falcon1 [/i]
    [B]The whole thing was packaged in a typical pc game card board box with the cd's in a 2 cd case[/B][/QUOTE]

    In mine, each CD had it's own case. Another difference between American and Europe, evidently.

    Speaking of which, the B5 music CD is now available on it's own. There are some slight differences, though.

    The Sierra version, produced at the end of Season 4, ends with the following tracks.

    Main Title Season 4
    Main Title [Of the Into the Fire game]
    Main Title (extended) [Of the Into the Fire Game]
    End Title Season 3

    The standalone ends:

    Main Title Season 4
    Main Title Season 5
    Dying Station (from Sleeping In Light)
    Bonus Theme ("Main Title (extended)" from the Sierra version)
  • Falcon1Falcon1 Elite Ranger
    Yeah I noticed the difference between the Sierra cd and the Best of B5 cd. Think I might get the later anyway just to add to the collection.
  • HuntSmackerHuntSmacker Firstones Ambassador to Starcraftia
    Speaking of soundtracks, does anyone have Endgame, Lines of Communication, No Surrender etc around their hard disk from Musicofb5? Sigh..
  • AkrovahAkrovah Ranger
    So wait, am i understanding you right? The bonus theme on the Best of B5 cd is a theme from the game?
  • David of MacDavid of Mac Elite Ranger Ca
    Yes.
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