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Greatest Science Fiction Hits 4 |
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Music Composed by Various Artists Conducted by Jack Smalley Produced by Neil Norman Performed by Neil Norman and his Cosmic Orchestra Release Date: 1999
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is another compilation CD from GNP Crescendo looking to make a name for itself in the crowded arena of sci-fi music compilations. The selection is nice, but as far as the quality is concerned, the tracks run hot and cold with a majority of the music in the "cold" category. I would rate this compilation only a few notches above the truly terrible Worlds of Science Fiction album. Most of the problem in the music presented here is Neil Norman’s band. They manage to truly butcher the Star Trek suite, which could’ve been really awesome if it was performed with a full orchestra. As it is on this CD, it’s just a big embarrassment. The Lost World track is also messed up due to the Norman’s wailing guitar that appears near the end. The music is arranged in a concert piece, and is really good as far as that is concerned, but the dinosaur sounds in the background and the aforementioned guitar really trash it. Many of the other selections were synthesized originally (like the X-files), and while they’re true to the original, it just isn’t something I’m all that hot on. In addition, the James Bond theme doesn’t really work because the guitar just doesn’t sound right. Nevertheless, this CD does have some good spots. The Stargate SG-1 music is good (and thankfully, played by an orchestra and not a band), but (yes, here comes another gripe!) the end credits music is bland and barely makes use of the Stargate themes. Wild Wild West is another faithful recording. The Saint is good as well, however I really miss the female vocalist parts, which are instead performed with electronics. The two Predator tracks are okay, as well as the performance of the main theme from Escape from the Planet of the Apes. This album is, at best, an average compilation of themes from sci-fi movies and television shows. There are some parts where it really shines, and others where it really stinks. If the selection of music interests you, or if you’re not turned off by Star Trek band music, then you might want to give this a spin. Otherwise, I’d recommend you spend your hard-earned cash on some of the better compilation CDs that can be found. **1/2
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Track Listing 1 - Amazing Stories (1:10) 2 - Men Into Space (1:11) 3 - The Outer Limits II (1:01) 4 - Conquest of the Thaxton Nebula (3:07) 5 - Escape from the Planet of the Apes (2:31) 6 - The Wild Wild West (2:02) 7 - The Lost World: Jurassic Park (3:42) 8 - Reanimator (2:26) 9 - The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai (3:29) 10 - Hercules: The Legendary Journeys (1:38) 11 - Stargate SG-1 Main Title (1:02) 12 - Stargate SG-1 End Title (1:05) 13 - Alien Autopsy (2:11) 14 - Xena: Warrior Princess (1:26)
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15 - Saturn 3 (4:04) 16 - The Saint (1:40) 17 - Predator (3:45) 18 - Predator II (2:52) 19 - Universes (1:50) 20 - Star Trek Encounters (6:41) 21 - Airwolf (2:52) 22 - Godzilla's Interlude (0:52) 23 - Monster Zero March (3:05) 24 - The X-Files (4:03) 25 - Babylon 5 (3:24) 26 - Escape from New York (5:23) 27 - The James Bond Theme (4:09) 28 - Men In Black (4:17) Total Running Time: 76:58 |
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