Classic Ross Amico

Tag: Soundtrack

Superman Soundtrack Definitive Edition Review

It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s John Williams Nirvana!

My copy of La-La Land Records’ 40th anniversary edition of Williams’ classic score for “Superman” (1978) arrived the other day. The 3-CD set is remastered from the newly-discovered original elements. A previous release of the complete score on Rhino Entertainment sounded disappointingly flat; a redo was available only as part of an 8-disc box set devoted to music from all the Christopher Reeve Superman films, on Film Score Monthly. Williams scored only the first film, which is all I’m interested in, so as far as I’m concerned, this should be the definitive “Superman” release.

The set includes not only the complete score as heard in the film, but also the original soundtrack release, alternate and/or additional bonus cues, and a 44-page booklet with extensive liner notes.

I am looking forward to being 12 again for a few hours, as soon as I remove the shrinkwrap. The set is limited to 5000 copies. You can find out more about it here:

https://lalalandrecords.com/superman-the-movie-40th-anniv-remastered-limited-edition-3-cd-set/

Not included in the set:

March 10, 2019
Olympic Music Fever Film Composers Soundtrack

Nevermind the flu – we’ve got ourselves a case of Olympic Fever!

This week on “Picture Perfect,” in honor of the Winter Games in Pyeongchang, we’ll try something a little different, since most of the music we’ll be listening to was, strictly speaking, not written for film. However, all of it was composed by artists closely associated with film. Much of it will be ceremonial music, heard during the opening ceremonies and television broadcasts, but we’ll also have a suite from a score composed for a documentary on the games.

Featured composers with include Leo Arnaud (a Ravel pupil who worked on “The Wizard of Oz” and went on to write THE classic Olympic theme), Angelo Badalamenti (David Lynch’s composer of choice), Lee Holdridge (a multifaceted musician who is the recipient of seven Emmys and a Grammy), Basil Poledouris (composer of “Conan the Barbarian” and “Lonesome Dove”), and John Williams (‘nuff said).

I’ve got a fever, and the only prescription is Olympic music, on “Picture Perfect,” this Friday evening at 6:00 EST, on WWFM – The Classical Network and wwfm.org.

February 9, 2018
Star Wars 40th Anniversary Music Magic

Happy 40th anniversary, “Star Wars.” I do miss the giddy enjoyment of the original.

What would the film be like without John Williams’ immortal music? Watch here:

Then the way it should be:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iH6a1iYQ0GA

Finally, Williams’ overblown concert version, which really makes sure we don’t miss the William Walton allusion:

May 25, 2017
Star Wars Soundtrack 40th Anniversary

“Star Wars” – the original, as opposed to “Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope,” as it has been known since its 1981 reissue – was released for the first time, in theaters, on May 25, 1977. Needless to say, the film became a pop cultural phenomenon that went on to assume mythological proportions.

This week on “Picture Perfect,” we revisit a long time ago (40 years, to be exact) in a galaxy far, far away, as we listen to selections from John Williams’ classic score. In an era when pop music was threatening to swamp the movies, Williams’ paradoxically fresh-yet-retro heroic take was credited with singlehandedly reviving the fortunes of the orchestral film score. “Star Wars” went on to become the best-selling orchestral soundtrack of all-time.

The fashion these days is to present a score note-complete and sequentially, as it appeared in the film. But there was an art to how the composer and supervising music editor (in this case, Kenneth Wannberg) used to arrange these soundtrack albums to create a special kind of listening experience.

Buck the trend of digital complexity and note-complete soundtrack recordings by kicking back and listening to the music as you first enjoyed it at home in 1977, with selections from the original 2-record set. The exact contents of the double-LP album have been unavailable for years, until a quite recent vinyl reissue of the complete “Star Wars” soundtracks.

The Force is strong with this one. Join me for 40 years of “Star Wars” on “Picture Perfect,” this Friday evening at 6 EDT, on WWFM – The Classical Network and wwfm.org.

May 19, 2017
Ten Commandments Score 60th Anniversary

For the 60th anniversary of Cecil B. DeMille’s “The Ten Commandments,” the Intrada label has handed down, like stone tablets from Mount Sinai, a definitive, 6-CD box set of music from the film. The collection includes the complete 2 ½ hour score, three commercial soundtrack releases, and bonus material intriguing enough to curl Charlton Heston’s beard.

This week on “Picture Perfect,” we’ll share lovingly remastered selections from the 1960 Dot and 1966 United Artist soundtrack re-recordings, the Pillar of Fire and parting of the Red Sea sequence from the actual film, and rare demos, prepared for Mr. DeMille by the composer, Elmer Bernstein, who will introduce his themes from the piano.

So let it be written, so let it be done! Join me for the definitive “The Ten Commandments,” on “Picture Perfect,” this Friday evening at 6 EDT, on WWFM – The Classical Network and at wwfm.org.

April 7, 2017

Tag Cloud

RECENT POSTS