posted
I wanted to ask for some input about available audio CD versions of LOTR. search for some info here, but only found a few threads about the BBC broadcast.
By my reckoning, this is what's been produced:
Abridged BBC Radio production (Ian Holm as Frodo)
Unabridged production with Rob Inglis as narrator
Abridged "Minds Eye" American radio production, packaged in a wooded box (seen at a bookstore yesterday)
This raises a whole slew of questions. OK. First of all, the BBC version also has other cast members playing parts, right?
Secondly, the Inglis version is just him speaking everything, or are there other cast members as well?
Thirdly, has anyone else heard the wooded box-set I referenced above?
From: Vinya-Tárilos | Registered: Aug 2004
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posted
I've heard of the wooden box set from an old gentleman some time ago. He seemed to be displeased with it. I'm not fond of audio books myself, nor do I know much about the other two items, but if I were to get one, I'd naturally go for the unabridged version in order to keep true to the manner in which Tolkien intended the story to be put forth.
From: New York | Registered: Sep 2005
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posted
I've only heard of a wooden box set of the Hobbit (dramatized).
The Inglis one is just him. He's cool. He also did the Hobbit.
The other one by BBC with Ian Holm has other actors too, and is dramatized/abridged.
-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~- "The object of war is not to die for your country, but to make the other guy die for his." - Gen. George S. Patton
"We can't make you do something, but we can make you wish you had."
From: The greatest place on earth-VIRGINIA!!! | Registered: Apr 2004
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posted
I understand that Tolkien himself narrated both The Hobbit AND Lord of the Rings; I'd love to know where to find it. I do have some excerpts of the poems and some chapters as read by Tolkien, while likewise some chapters of The Silmarillion are read by Chris Tolkien. However the whole thing together, would be a quite a find.
From: Los Angeles, CA, USA | Registered: Oct 2004
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It includes the 1952 recordings of Tolkien himself reading selections from The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Adventures of Tom Bombadil. The recordings were made at the home of Tolkien’s friend George Sayer. The set also includes recordings of Christopher Tolkien reading selections from The Silmarillion.
Tolkien wrote to Rayner Unwin on August 29th, 1952 (Letters no. 134):
quote:I have recently made some tape-recordings of parts of the Hobbit and The Lord (notably the Gollum-passages and some pieces of ‘Elvish’) and was much surprised to discover their effectiveness as recitations, and (if I may say so) my own effectiveness as a narrator, I do a very pretty Gollum and Treebeard. Could not the BBC be interested? The tape-reel is in the possession of George Sayer (English Master at Malvern) and I am sure he would forward it for your or anyone else’s trial. It was unrehearsed and impromptu and could be improved.
I've heard some of the excepts Tolkien read. Found some mp3s somewhere. Excellent narration skills, if a little too subdued for my tastes. Has anyone listened to the album Halion cites?
How good is the BBC/Ian Holm production, even though it's abridged? IOW, are the omissions forgivable?
From: Vinya-Tárilos | Registered: Aug 2004
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posted
The Lord of the Rings BBC one is pretty good. It's good quality, and it has pretty much the same story. I think it's like 13 tapes long or something. It definately should not be substituted for the real thing, but it's a good tape series. Ian Holm is awesome.
-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~- "The object of war is not to die for your country, but to make the other guy die for his." - Gen. George S. Patton
"We can't make you do something, but we can make you wish you had."
From: The greatest place on earth-VIRGINIA!!! | Registered: Apr 2004
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posted
Witchy: I concur with Halion and add my high reccomendation. It is lovely to listen to Tolkien reading the passeges.
From: California ainrofilaC | Registered: Apr 2001
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After hearing about these recordings of the good Professor reading aloud his work, I went to work finding these recordings on the net. As of now I have about an hour's worth of recordings, and it is indeed excellent. Extremely lovely to hear Tolkien read and sing, and he does it so well. I think I shall buy the recordings from Amazon, I believe they have it there. Though as I said I am generally no fan of books on tape, hearing the man read his own work is just too delightful to pass up. For those interested in hearing J.R.R. Tolkien's verbal interpretation of his own work, I certainly recommend the Tolkien recordings. For those simply looking for a complete audio book of LotR to listen to in the car and such, this probably isn't your thing as it is not complete.
From: New York | Registered: Sep 2005
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posted
Silmahtar - I love the BBC dramatization. I got it from the local library and burned it, and still listen to it every once in a while.
The Inglis version is "full-text", which is nice, but every time listen to it I'm more convinced that he didn't even understand what he was reading. Almost every other paragraph there's a line in which he emphasizes the (obviously) wrong word or commits some other gaffe. Still, I listen to it all the time, because it has the full book.
The American dramatizaion (the "wooden box" set) is awful. The same production company (I think) did a version of The Hobbit in which (I swear to God) they pronounce Smeagol's nickname, Ga-LOOM, strong accent second syllable. Like "balloon". WTF?
[ 03-29-2006, 01:42 PM: Message edited by: Wandering Tuor ]
From: My place | Registered: Jan 2002
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posted
I just got my hands on Martin Shaw's reading of The Silmarillion. Excellent job. I'm not sure his pronunciations are always perfect but they're better than anything else I've heard.
I was hoping he did a version of Tolkien's other works. I have Inglis' version of The Hobbit and it is cute (my daughter loves it) but I don't know whether I'd like LotR in that same style. Shaw just reads in The Silmarillion. Inglis acts out the voices in The Hobbit, which is cool for the kids story but I'm not sure about for the more grown-up LotR.
I still may check it out. I've heard the BBC version of Fellowship and was unimpressed. I like it ok, but it was hard to get past Aragorn's lisp. I just prefer a reading to a dramatization.
Any other recordings that haven't been mentioned?
From: Blacksburg, VA | Registered: Apr 2002
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The BBC version is great in everything but the fighting. But the Fellowship is a good one, probably the best of them.
From: Washington (not D.C.) | Registered: Mar 2007
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Is there a definitive version? That is to say, some may say the professor himself, and I might agree since it is his story, but other than him, is there an agreed upon "best" of the best?
-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~- The grey rain-curtain turned all to silver glass and was rolled back, and he beheld white shores and beyond them a far green country under a swift sunrise.
From: Virgo Supercluster, 40º N 75º W | Registered: Mar 2006
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posted
I love the Rob Inglis Lord of the Ring and the Hobbit. Before that we had the Npr wooden box they were HORRIBLE
-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~- Still round the corner there may wait a new road or a secret gate and though I oft have past them by today Tomorrow I may come this way and take the hidden path that runs toward the west of the moon or towards east to the sun
From: Florida | Registered: Dec 2008
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The wooden box upsets me...We got that when we ("we" being my mom and I) were new Tolkienites...I think we had finished "Fellowship" and were starting on "Two Towers," but I'm not sure. Anyway, I was so excited to hear it, then we put it on and I couldn't stand it.
From: California ainrofilaC | Registered: Apr 2001
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posted
Same here, I wanted to hear the story but I hated listening to it. Late we bought the Rob Inglis and we have not listened to the wodden box cds agian
From: Florida | Registered: Dec 2008
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I just want a recording of someone (preferably a male with a British accent?) reading LotR. Does such a thing exist?
From: California ainrofilaC | Registered: Apr 2001
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Yes,It does it is the only unaabridge version read by Brittish Shakepearen actor Rob Inglis the Box set is about $120.00 it isn`t over priced it is worth every cent. Trust me
-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~- Still round the corner there may wait a new road or a secret gate and though I oft have past them by today Tomorrow I may come this way and take the hidden path that runs toward the west of the moon or towards east to the sun
From: Florida | Registered: Dec 2008
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posted
Since my earlier post, I've had occasion to hear the Inglis version, as well and can confirm the positive comments here. It's the best. Better than the dramatization. Wonderful if you've got a long commute to and from work.
From: Blacksburg, VA | Registered: Apr 2002
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OMG, I listened to a sample of the American radio production and was bad. Ridiculously, laughably, unforgivably BAD. The Hobbits (or Elves, not sure) had the voices modulated to sound like -- I kid you not -- munchkins (as in Wizard of Oz munchkins).
I think I got about 3-4 minutes into it, at best. Awful.
From: Vinya-Tárilos | Registered: Aug 2004
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posted
I also prefer the narration than dramatized ones -- a million times
But I noticed there are also people who would do otherwise, so...
Of all the narrations, Martin Shaw's The Silmarillion is by far my favorite. His voice is awesome, and the way he reads it is just perfect. And his pronounciation is very accurate.
Registered: Mar 2002
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I love the BBC dramatisation, even though it has quite a few omissions (Tom Bombadil gets left out yet again). My favourite (though there is a fantastic cast) is Bill Nighy as Sam. The only fly in the ointment is Robert Stephens as Aragorn-I think he's totally miscast. I tend to prefer dramatisations to just having things read out loud.
From: Moscow | Registered: Jan 2003
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