The Empire of the Sun – John Williams 1987 (Flac)

Closed.

My 256 will no longer cut it. Thank you in advance.

Eric, what are you doing?
I can’t leave my PC for a moment.
Thank you very much.

One of my favorite Williams�s scores, a real Masterpiece!

While I have enormous respect for Williams’s unparalleled craftsmanship, the score, though it has its share of highlights (like The Pheasant Hunt and The Streets of Shanghai) which make it totally worth downloading, is so uneven stylistically that it falls apart as an independent listening experience, as does e.g. Temple of Doom, another score full of brilliant touches that just don’t hang together. Unlike Temple, Empire of the Sun is an unmitigated disaster in the film, which, truth be told, is not one of Spielberg’s better movies.

I’d appreciate that link when you’re done with the upload, thanks 🙂

Interested, thanks. 😉

One of the few Williams albums I’m still missing — thanks for sharing it!

A Flac version? Excellent. Won’t need my ape any longer (or my cassette tape which I purchased in 1990. LOL) I have heard rumors of an expanded version being worked on. Don’t take that to the bank, though. I have no relationship to any record label or inside info at all. Just read comments somewhere. Could very well be full of you-know-what.

But of course you never know what the future could bring. I’d love it. There was some great music left of the CD (such as the first introduction to the "Toy Planes" theme which you could hear as Jim is lying in bed.) The 1987 CD sounds quiet and soft (with the exception of "Jim’s New Life" and "Toy Planes" cues) compared to today’s recordings.

It was only until I listened to the RIP version of this score which includes many more reflective and discordant passages that my appreciation for Williams’s effort rose beyond middling respect (I’ve never seen the film in its entirety). The official soundtrack release, like a number of other Williams soundtracks, emphasizes ear candy over dramatic nuance.

Thanks for posting this! Love the score

It is a real treat this score, i have the cd also and i agreed with you my friend it`s superb !!

amazing soundtrack thank you very much.

Could you send a link please
thank you

Many thanks! Could uou send me the link?Please!

May I request the link as well…thank you!

I would love a link! Thanks!

Please send me a link! Million thanks

Lucky I don’t post it Erich…you been more fast again 🙂 🙂 🙂
Have a Nice Sunday 😉

I would love a link please Erich!

Thanks and please a link 🙂

Hello Erich could you send me a link too? 🙂 Thanks in advance!!!

I would love a link to this, please!

Thank you very much in advance, erich! 🙂

While I have enormous respect for Williams’s unparalleled craftsmanship, the score, though it has its share of highlights (like The Pheasant Hunt and The Streets of Shanghai) which make it totally worth downloading, is so uneven stylistically that it falls apart as an independent listening experience, as does e.g. Temple of Doom, another score full of brilliant touches that just don’t hang together. Unlike Temple, Empire of the Sun is an unmitigated disaster in the film, which, truth be told, is not one of Spielberg’s better movies.

Wimpel if I didn�t know you, I answer you in other way, but I�m going to give you the benefit of the doubt, yes because reading your comment I doubt seriously that you have heard well this magnificent score.

The first thing that your comment remind me, is a resemblance, like a Judge in one of those fights, when everyone knows that a contendant won, and suddenly the Judges decision is completely wrong, then you think they probably watched another fight!

I like your taste in Music and your shares are always good, but in this case my friend you surely heard another score, or you fell sleep I don�t know, something happened, it comes to my attention that you said that "The Pheasant Hunt" is one of two tracks that you liked, NOTHING happens in this track, in fact is the weakest addittion of the entire Release!

I�m too tired and I don�t have enought time to do an analysis track by track, but for me, the score is wonderful, exquisite and beautiful, plus it stands (like almost all Williams scores) on his own, as a Great Soundtrack.

Another thing, the film is also one of my favorites Spielberg Films, John Malkovich is a joy to watch, for me his second best performance only behind his Role in a Death of a Salesman as Bill Lofman.

I also invite you to watch again the movie, and pay attention to the sequeances where these tracks play:

Cadillac of The Skies, a powerful and emotive track my favorite from the score.

Jim�s New Life, an allegro that possesses an innocent playfulness entirely suited to the character, by the way allegros are one of the pieces of music that nowadays almost nobody try, and Williams and Goldsmith always composed several great.

Imaginary Air Battle, with haunting voices and complex writing for strings that works perfect for the scene.

Toy, Planes, Home and Hearth, in this scene I always cry, with that BEAUTIFUL crescendo just in the perfect time.

All these are extraordinary examples and text book material, perfect marriages between music and images, only few composers are capable of achieving this.

Thank you Erich. For a few years I was ambivalent towards the film. I Liked it very much when I saw it over 20 years ago. Then a period where I didn’t like it so much. Then after watching the recent Blu-Ray I was absorbed in the sheer magnificence of the movie. When you watch a movie on a 13 inch TV on muddy VHS on first viewing, then years later a pristine version on a large HD TV your feelings towards that movie can change as you approach it as if your seeing it for the first time. I would rather watch this movie over Always (and even Hook) any time. It’s still not a perfect movie, It’s a wee bit too long and Spielberg (along with Williams) can hammer you over the head with too much sentiment and emotional manipulation. But what great film doesn’t? Somehow these two can pull it off. When Williams was writing the finale for E.T. at one point he turned to Spielberg and said, "Steven this is so shameless what we’re trying to pull off here. Can we get away with it?" Spielberg replied, "John, all movies are shameless." Can you imagine Michael Bay (or for that matter J.J. Abrams who the fanboys all love, but to me lacks depth) trying to make a film like Empire Of The Sun? I’m reminded of a quote Spielberg made at the time: "All the highbrow critics who never cared for my earlier work loved this movie, but the general audience who loved my other movies rejected it."

Thanks for the fresh audio rip. I always prefer a fresh rip to a version that’s been bouncing around the internet for years.

Thank you very very much!

Thanks! 🙂

I agree with erich! What a truly magnificent score. Thank you so much!

Thank you

You all are so welcome my friends, enjoy this masterful work!

Many thanks Erich !

Thank you.

Wow, thanks, I don’t even know John Williams composed for this film.

Thank-you, I already had it in mp3 but I’m glad for the flac upgrade, and with log. Nice.

Thank-you, I already had it in mp3 but I’m glad for the flac upgrade, and with log. Nice.

You’re very welcome my friend, enjoy!

Same here, have mp3 and could need an upgrade. Can I get the link, please? Thanks a lot!

Same here, have mp3 and could need an upgrade. Can I get the link, please? Thanks a lot!

The link is on post # 1.

Thank you SO MUCH for this! This is another of my scores for which the CD is buried in storage and all I had, until now, was my crappy 128kbps version that I ripped into iTunes. I’ve been wanting to re-rip this one forever but couldn’t spend an entire day digging out my boxes of CDs. Thank you thank you thank you. (If it wasn’t clear, I LOVE this score – it’s just one more reason why John Williams will always be my favorite composer.)

The link is down. I would higly appreciate if the OP would reupload it.

i think there is another thread around here with a working link : try using the search function.

i think there is another thread around here

I don’t think so…

Can’t wait till my copy arrives for the New Expanded Release, a delated Father’s Day Present and a dream come true for me.

Well I think it’s a nice idea to share this again for completists.

Edit: I have my copy now!

It was The best Release of 2014 without a doubt. It is one of my most beloved scores of all time.

Thank you, erich!

Thank you very much Eric! 🙂

Thanks a lot for this . and of course for mega link . nice work erich .

Thank you for this share. 🙂

Thanks. this is great