Favorite Pirates/Haunted Mansion: RedDot CD vs. Musical History set


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Michael Zielski

Member
Pirates of the Caribbean......one of the "holy grails" of ride-throughs, and my favorite ever since I first experienced it way back in 1967--we had never seen anything like it before!

Since I haven't made up my mind as to which ride-through I prefer, I thought I'd try and gather some other opinions. Here's what I've come up with so far.....

As far as completeness, the RedDotNet CD doesn't eliminate any of the attraction's original dialogue as far as I can tell. Randy Thornton's latest version does have all of the dialogue from the fort bombardment scene, the auction scene, and "the pooped pirate" scene(thank you for keeping Paul Frees's original, non-pc version). What's missing: the dunking scene is shortened by a few final lines--fairly minor; I can't hear Paul Frees's singing parrot in the burning city scene; the dialogue in the jail scene is significantly shortened.

What else is different in the Musical History of Disneyland version? Randy's ride-through does offer a real sense of floating through Pirates. You can now hear the sound of moving water, tucked away in the background in some of the scenes, as you imagine your boat gradually moving through the plundered city. You can also hear the crackling fire in the burning city scene, as well as in the jail scene(which makes up, in part, for the missing dialogue here). These background effects are not present on the RedDot CD. I also like the transitions from scene to scene in Randy's version; dialogue and sounds are blended as you move from one scene to the next, just as we would hear floating along in the attraction. Also, Paul Frees's "No fear of evil curses says you.......", and the following pirate's comments have a new, eerie echo added to them--a nice touch.

Hmmmm.......I think I may have made up mind......please, any other thoughts???

Mike
 
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brianfreno

Member
Re:Favorite Pirates: RedDot CD vs. Musical History set

Hmm that's a toughie. I like completeness, but some of those extra effects are pretty cool, but the reddot pirates was so good. I liked the Haunted Mansion reddot a lot too, but I didn't like how the audio cracked at some points and how the GGG quality wasn't that great. What was your opinion on both of these?
 
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Michael Zielski

Member
Ah, the Haunted Mansion.....my other "holy grail" ride-through that I was going to bring up on another post, but let's do it now......

I'd probably give it to Randy Thornton's version over the RedDotNet CD on this one for a few reasons: as you already mentioned, Brian, GGG's sound quality has been improved; the graveyard band is now back in the graveyard sequence, as it should be; and something I just noticed today when I was listening to the RedDot CD with headphones--some strange, echoing, background noise in Paul Frees's foyer and stretching room dialogue, which I never noticed before, has been eliminated.

What's missing from the Musical History of Disneyland version compared to the RedDot CD: some of Paul Frees's boarding spiel; Madame Leota's two opening lines; the bride's beating heart(I can't remember if you can actually hear it in the Mansion). Also, the hallway and graveyard scenes have been shortened in the Musical History version, which I don't really have a problem with, as both were a bit lengthy, certainly more than you actully experience in the attraction itself.

So.....I'm going with Randy's version on this one, despite the Paul Frees/Eleanor Audley deletions.

Mike
 
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brianfreno

Member
There's something about the instrumentation for GGG that makes it seem different from the previous releases of it as well as the RedDot release. It's not that big of a deal, but I think I preferred the previous instrumentation.
 
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Michael Zielski

Member
Still mulling this one over, Brian......I think I'd have to go with the RedDot Pirates version, mainly because of the additional dialogue not on the Musical History version(you really need to have Paul Frees's singing parrot on the bridge); but then I'd go with the Haunted Mansion Musical History version, because of the better quality audio, and the ghost band's presence back in the graveyard. What were your final thoughts?

Mike
 
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brianfreno

Member
Honestly, I can't chose between the two versions for either. I'm just glad I have both, each with their goods and bads.
 
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micca

Member
This is a cool discussion. WDW is my "home" park so I'm always looking for audio that best recreates the Fla. experience. In both HM and POTC on the 50th set, there is material (musical and dialogue) not immediately evident in the actual attractions(I have been to DLR several times). Perhaps it's really there and I just can't hear it when at the parks. It seems to me that if the objective is really to recreate the sound of being there, only those sounds audible in the attraction should be heard in the mix. So doesn't that give the nod to Red Dot?
 
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brianfreno

Member
A good portion of the elements you hear in both releases, but don't hear at the parks, have been removed from the current attractions at both parks. The Red Dot releases have more elements.
 
BLM07

BLM07

Member
Haunted Mansion:
I think the Musical History version is better than the RedDot release because the of quality. I don't really care for added echo (not sure if there was any) or the music in the stretching room, Madme Leota floating around and music in the mirror room is very strange and different from what I normally hear.

I like how the Grinning Ghost graveyard mix plays the full singing busts and then mixes the other versions to make a shorter mix because that song can become repeatative if you hear all of the different versions. After all that, I still think I will have to go with Grinning Ghost's version.

Pirates:
The Musical History version is basically a shorter version of the RedDot version with water effects. It was weird listening to it because dialog fades out before it would end on the RedDot version. The water effects and extra echo (again, can't remember if there was any extra) doesn't really add anything for me. I'm gonna have to go with the RedDot version on this.
 
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Michael Zielski

Member
Thanks, all--glad I brought this topic back up!

By "Grinning Ghost's version", do you mean the Musical History version, or a homespun mix?

Also--I can't remember if you can actually hear the bride's heart in the Mansion--anyone know if you can? Her heartbeat is on the RedDot CD, but not Randy's.

Mike
 
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Michael Zielski

Member
Thanks, Brian--I thought you guys were probably talking about the GGG version that's been discussed on this site.

I'll be listening for that heartbeat in August.......

Mike
 
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Michael Zielski

Member
Is that Disneyland for you, Brian? I forgot to specify, but we're heading back to WDW("home" park), where my wife just told me that you can definitely hear the bride's heartbeat in the attic. I would think it would be the same in Disneyland--and if so, don't know why it wasn't included in the new ride-through.

Mike
 
Randy Thornton

Randy Thornton

Member
Hiya Michael!

I think you should take a listen to The Haunted Masnion track from the Disneyland box set again. The Bride's heartbeat is there in the attic scene. It plays alll the way through the scene and begins to fade as the graveyeard underliner fades in.

Thanks for your honest review of the tracks for both Pirates and Mansion!

Randy
 
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Michael Zielski

Member
Well.....now that I've wiped all the egg off my face after relistening to your Haunted Mansion track, Randy, all I can say is......it's my '81 Honda Civic's fault! That's my only explanation for not hearing the heartbeat, because in 2005, someone else--or in this case, something else--is always to blame. I listened to that attic sequence more than once, but it was while travelling to work using headphones and a portable CD player in a non-luxuary vehicle(I'm obviously not a car person--more a collector of memories) that doesn't exactly reduce road noise--anyway.......

All kidding aside, thank you for looking in and pointing out a negligent mistake; I think I got everything else right in the two "reviews", as you so kindly referred to them.

Sorry to be so fussy about these two attractions, but you know as well as anyone that you're talking about sacred material here, classic Disney experiences touched by Walt's own imagination. Thank you for your continued attention to all those fussy little details that Walt always insisted on, and which help to continue the Disney tradition of artistic excellence.

Michael
 
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MrSmee

New Member
Hi folks. I'm brand new here, but I wanted to comment on the Mansion tracks and such.

The RedDot compilation was actually taken from an existing ride through, with a few pieces added back in. I believe the track was created for a prior Mansion anniversary or something... This is why you hear the current attic sound effects and music played over the graveyard introduction (which featured the old attic sounds, and then transitioned to the exterior and dog sound effects...)

I personally like the structure of the 50th compilation much better. The heartbeat is definately there (and definately audible in the attraction) though the popup ghosts are not. I'm not sure why Randy mixed the wails from the Endless Hallway in the attic sequence instead of the "I do" ghouls. The mixing of the opera ghosts is also a tiny bit off (which sounds kinda bad at certain points in the song.)
Other than that, I can't complain about it. There are some wonderfully mixed portions (including the transition from Load back into the ride) and I'm glad to see a mix that finally features the rain in the Portrait Hallway sequence.

If *I* were asked to make a mix, it would be very different. But I'm happy with what we've got thus far. :)

-J
 
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brianfreno

Member
Is that Disneyland for you, Brian? I forgot to specify, but we're heading back to WDW("home" park), where my wife just told me that you can definitely hear the bride's heartbeat in the attic. I would think it would be the same in Disneyland--and if so, don't know why it wasn't included in the new ride-through.

Mike
Click to expand...

Hiya Mike

I just got back from Disneyland (5 day stay - 6 woulda been insane). Indeed, the heartbeat is audible at DL.

Honestly, the 50th set is great and the Haunted Mansion mix is fine, but I think between the two, I like the content of the RedDot version a lot - I just wish the quaility was better.
 
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Michael Zielski

Member
Lucky you, Brian--thanks for the update! Yep, I guess the beat goes on, as was once said......still amazed I missed hearing it in Randy's version.....

I'm still going with Randy's version of the Mansion ride-through; I don't mind the shortened hallway/graveyard sequences, and you gotta have the graveyard band playing in that segment--the band isn't on the RedDot CD for some reason.

Mike
 
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