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Old 02-25-2008, 07:16 PM   #70
ArathornJax
Haunting Spirit
 
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Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Out West near a Big Salty Lake
Posts: 76
ArathornJax has just left Hobbiton.
Pipe Today Gollum, the Nine, Gandalf, Bilbo, PipeWeed and moving on

Ok, did listen to the CD's today, while the first one (I started at the beginning and went from there). Here are my thoughts:

First, the opening prologue was really brief and quick. I think it gave the listener a general concept of the rings, without revealing the secret of the one ring.

Gollum's search for the ring was a nice touch, as was his capture near Mordor and his torture. Sorry, I would have to go back into the booklet that came with the CD's (and that would require a lot of effort right now as they are packed away, while they aren't unpacked yet), so is that the Mouth of Sauron who finds Gollum or the Witch King? I assume it is the Mouth of Sauron since he dispatches the nine later on the CD.

I loved the scene at the Inn with the Gaffer and all the other Hobbits gathered together. I think this scene was done extremely well.

The Last Party was also quick yet effective. I loved that the explosion of Gandalf's firework as Bilbo puts on the ring and wish that Peter Jackson had included that in the film version.
I also like after the confrontation between Bilbo and Gandalf at Bag End about Bilbo leaving Frodo the ring, how Bilbo walks out singing The Road Goes Ever On, and how that refrain continues, but fades slowly, signaling that Bilbo's role in this story has also faded out.
I have to share that when my son was younger and the movies were coming out, and he owned and played with some of the Toy Biz Black Rider toys, that he made that sound that is on the BBC tapes that the Black Riders make whenever they attacked his "good guys." I like how the Black Riders sound.
One last thing is the attention to detail like Frodo offering Gandalf the three types of pipe weed to smoke. In memory of Bilbo Gandalf take the Old Tolby. Very nice touch, and great details. The link between Gandalf and the ring, his warnings and final proof that the ring is evil, and is Sauron's ties nicely back to the prologue. Another example is the sounding of the clippers as Sam works around Bag End. Then they fade and shortly thereafter, Sam is caught! Again, nice attention to details I also have to say with the winter we've had here in Utah, it was nice to have the CD's to bring to my mind an image of a spring day with blue sky, fluffy white clouds, a promise of warmth and gardening! What a great job done in creating visual images.

Overall, I have to say that I loved the strings that represent the beginning and the end of each disc. So much here, yet not enough time to go through it all! I can't wait for my journey tomorrow to and from work!
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