| 1. Close To You |
| 2. Beyond Belief |
| 3. Holding Your Soul |
| 4. Angelina |
| 5. Endless Tide |
| 6. Morning |
| 7. Silent Star |
| 8. The Dance |
| 9. Crystal Rain |
| 10. Reborn |
Editorial Reviews
Wind and Wire, April 2005
First rate exploration of acoustic guitar instrumentals, Aldo's Close To You is simply too good to be ignored!
Product Description
"Close To You' is a light and mellow blend of acoustic and nylon string guitars accompanied by some slow grooves, textures, and natural sounds aimed at relaxing listeners.
Disc 1: 60 minutes
Disc 2: 50 minutes
Disc 3: 61 minutes
Disc 4: 58 minutes
What gives Silva? There is *MUCH* more John Williams in the silva screen back catalogue by the Prague Philharmonic than what is in this set, and thats not including their entire discs devoted to Star Wars Films, Indiana Jones Trilogy etc. Why isn't Hook "When You're Alone" included on Disc 2? There's room. Why isn't 1941 on Disc 1? There's room. Why isn't Earthquake on Disc 3? There's room. Why isn't Far and Away on disc 4? There's room. Where's the other ten minutes of the Rare Breed suite on disc 3? Why isn't Midway on disc 1? Where are the Land of the Giants, Time Tunnel and Lots In Space tv themes? Etc. Etc. Etc.
C'mon Silva, most of these 4 disc mega boxes released in the past few years are packed to the brim, but not this one, and with new recordings made after this was released (the terminal, munich, geisha, war of the worlds, star wars ep 3, harry potter 3), it only makes sense for a "re-do" in the next couple of years.
Further, with Silva releasing the 100 Greatest Film Themes on six discs in a couple of months, it's only a matter of time before we see the ultimate six disc john williams set.
This isn't a BAD set to own, but it could have been much better and when compared to the Jerry Goldsmith and John Barry sets in this same series, this one is a major letdown.
Many hit songs are recorded. It will be one of CDs which should be loved.
Thinking I wanted the album but afraid to send a hard earned $11.98 for two records, I sent Mom with $6.34 to get this casette. And I was hooked.
The sequencing on the casette is different than on the album or CD and, in my judgment, better. It begins with a good roar, "We've Only Just Begun" and has two above average tunes, "Mr Guder" (a jibe at a former employer that Richard later regretted - but a fan favorite at concerts) and "I Kept On Loving You" (written by Paul Williams and Roger Nichols, composers of "We've Only Just Begun"), the best version of "Reason To Believe" that I've ever heard. This is followed by an attempt at the Beatles tune "Help!" that sounds like a completely different song. And that, of course, wasn't the first time as their first single was "Ticket To Ride" - and it, too, sounded nothing like the Beatles.
Side one of the casette closes out with their biggest hit of all-time, "Close To You." On side two, the first three songs are all right - "Baby It's You," "Love Is Surrender" (for which a video, rare in those days, was made) and "Maybe It's You." But the final three tracks of the album fall off the chart, particularly the last two, "Crescent Noon" and "Another Song."
So how do I rate the album/CD? Four stars. Why not five? Well in favor of the high ranking is two monster hits - a #1 (the title track) and a #2 (We've Only Just Begun), good orchestration, powerful vocals, and a noble attempt at making old songs sound new not once, but three times.
Yet it's not five stars because the end falls so flat as to be absurd. And the cover art is horrendous. This, in fact, would only be a three-star effort were it not for two major hit singles. Nevertheless, this is a good prism of what was to come in the next three years from the Carpenters.
It interested me to see how Pandora categorized her music. It cited its:
folk roots
country influences
acoustic sonority
vocal-centric aesthetic
major key tonality
After all that, I guess it sounds a little lame to just say, it makes me feel good. No one else seems to resonate with me the way Kate Wolf does.
KATE WOLF'S MUSIC AND LYRICS ARE PERSONAL. I FEEL LIKE I KNOW PART OF THIS PERSON WHO SANG THESE SONGS.
"CLOSE TO YOU" IS THE FIRST SONG OF KATE'S I HEARD, AND THE ALBUM IS MY FAVORITE. THE ROLLING COUNTRY SOUND OF THE SONGS IS SOOTHING AND HELPS HER LOVE FLOW FORTH. AND HER LOVE DOES COME THROUGH - IT HIGHLIGHTS THE SIMPLE PLEASURES OF LIFE.
HER MUSIC WAS HER GIFT TO ALL OF US; THIS CD IS PACKED WITH TEN WONDERFUL PRESENTS.
The quality of this cd like many of the others from the artist are very intimate - as if they are performed for the listener at home. Highly recommended. Personally I prefer "For Only The Lonely" but this cd is also a must have for your collection.
If you like something more up-beat than "Songs For Swinging Lovers" is IMHO - probably the best recording from Sinatra - it happens to be in mono but don't let that influence your purchase.
Close to you, though you're far away
You'll always be near
As though you were here by my side
No matter where - in my dreams I'll find you there
Close to me, sharing your caress
Can't you see you're my happiness?
Wherever you go, my heart will go, too
What can I do?
It only wants to be close to you."
~ Close To You ~ Al Hoffman/Carl Lampl/Jerry Livingston
"Close To You And More," recorded in 1956, is one of the finest and my absolute favorite Sinatra recordings of all-time. The choice of material is very impressive and his interpretations are flawless, heartfelt, sincere and so true to the lyrics of each song. This is another one of great collaborations with a fine arranger and conductor, Nelson Riddle. To me, Nelson Riddle was truly the best of all Sinatra arrangers/conductors for he had proved that he could master his craft on any recordings he handled, be it with a full orchestra or a small ensemble like the classically-influenced Hollywood String Quartet (husband and wife Felix and Eleonor Slatkin, Paul C. Shure and Alvin Dinkin). Mr. Sinatra, a classical music lover himself, heard the beauty and elegance on how the quartet played and fell in love with the quartet and in the process developed a close friendship with the Slatkins.
With fifteen nostalgic songs to listen to, this magnificent CD is bound to mesmerize and move you starting off with my top choice here, an achingly beautiful song, "Close To You" followed by one of Johnny Mercer and Gordon Jenkin's gems, a longingly sentimental "P.S. I Love You," down to heart-rending tracks, Jimmy McHugh and Harold Adamson's "I Couldn't Sleep A Wink Last Night" and Edward Redding's "The End of a Love Affair."
Mr. Sinatra's gentle and affectionate treatments of Edward Heyman and Oscar Levant's "Blame It On My Youth" and a gem from Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart, "It's Easy To Remember" are so sublime and perfectly covered.
"Your sweet expression
The smile you gave me
The way you looked when we met
It's easy to remember
But so hard to forget
I hear you whisper, "I'll always love you"
I know it's over and yet
It's easy to remember
But so hard to forget."
Ralph Rainger and Leo Robin's musical treasure, "With Every Breathe I Take" is also one of my favorite songs of all-time.
"I think of you with every breath I take
With every breeze that wanders by
And your name is a song
I'll remember the long years through."
And yes. . . Frank Sinatra is like a song, a song we'll always remember the long years through.
With my heartfelt recommendation. A must-have to any Sinatra buff.
The singing of both ballads and catches belongs to a long and venerable tradition in England. The natural habitat of the of the catch was the tavern, while the ballad was known in a wider variety of social settings as well as the stage. By the end of the 17th century, ballads were collected by connoisseurs of popular culture and published in anthologies. The main source for this recording, 'The Catch Club, or 'Merry Companions', was printed in 1762.
A quote from the catch-philosopher (of 'Come, come let us drink') is offered by the Baltimore Consort: "...wine and good cheer will in spite of our fear inspire our hearts with mirth..the time we live, to wine let us give, since we all must turn to earth...."
This is an excellent collection of songs; quite interesting and varied. The instruments are played skillfully, and the voices, for the most part, are good quality. However, as with all 'folk-like' songs, the diction is not always clear, and that is very true of several of these on this disc. The female voices were more difficult to comprehend much of the time. The text is printed out, so ultimately familiararity will make them easier to understand. I do like the disc, and think that it needed to be done.As to a previous criticism concerning the fact that it wasn't 'true' barroom singing. Of course, it's not!!!If it were, you would not understand any of it!!!!!Enough said.
The Baltimore Consort play with life and vigour, with a good deal of improvisational flair, not being bound to texts and going through the production of notes as if mechanically. This is true to the spirit and nature of the early music, in which performers often had to 'play by ear', neither being able to read music nor having printed music even if they could. This is particularly true of the songs on this disc, where many are derivative of anonymous jokes and stories, and much of the music is likewise folk-tune and anonymously composed.
Some of the songs can be rather shocking. As Mary Anne Ballard writes in the accompanying notes, 'We must remember that in the days before indoor plumbing and pooper-scooper laws, everyday life was of an earthier flavour than it is today.... The men of the singing clubs and the ladies of stage poked fun at themselves and their companions with wit, pleasantry and contrivance.'
The names of many of the composers of these pieces have been lost to history, particularly the more folk-song oriented ones. However, some well-known composers are represented among the pieces here - Purcell, D'Urfey, Aldridge, and others.
The regular players include Mary Anne Ballard (viols), Mark Cudek (cittern, guitar, recorder and bass viol), Custer LaRue (vocalist/soprano), Larry Lipkis (recorder, viols), Ronn McFarlane (lute), Chris Norman (flutes), Webb Wiggins (tambourine and 'virginals'). Some artists are known from other Dorian productions, such as Ronn McFarlane on the lute in the collection 'Greensleeves'.
Added to the regular consort players are the Merry Companions, including Peter Becker (baritone), Alexander Blachly (baritone), Paul Shipper (bass, belch-canto), and James Weaver (baritone).
One more addition includes a guest artist, Lorenzo Labbrobacio, playing of all things, the 'fartophone', a rather mysterious instrument indeed. Labbrobacio defies identification on the internet other than references to this disc, and so the mystery deepens.
This is music that is interesting, truly fun to listen to, entertaining and has a quality about it that makes it a joy both in musical and humourous tones.
I have always had a weak spot for (good, or maybe even intelligent) science fiction/fantasy and film music, especially its way of evoking mystery, grandure and wide open spaces. Call it a weakness if you want. But it was maybe really kick started off, for as far as I can remember, with Star Trek. But especially Star Trek II, III and IV - essentially a trilogy - because of their very romantic but very warm, human core, set on the broadest canvasses of unlimited and mysterious outer space. But then there was the music for adding that essential extra dimension of emotion and atmosphere. I am happy that much of the music on this album is from the Star Trek series and films, often equaling or sometimes even outclassing the original recordings.
This kind of music (for the movies) should be seen as an art on its own rights with its own merits and qualities. As such, the musical sequences on these CD's are a beautifully played cross section of some of the most evoking orchestral music for science fiction/fantasy film ever created. And I very much like the nicely blended, wide and deep orchestral soundpicture with enough reverberation to evoke a sense of wide open spaces.
I am quite thrilled by tracks like the evocative music from Dune, truly transporting one to the vastly sands of Arrakis (the music is wonderful, but to my great regret I think the movie itself is a flawed masterpiece at best, alas.). And then there is the very different, goofy music for Ghostbusters (memories of childhood), the spoofy but electrifying music from Mars Attacks (lovingly parodist music, this, with not a little touch of irony) and the happily adventurous, forward driving Theme from Galaxy Quest ('Never give up, never surrender!'), now also used for the internet-based fan-series Star Trek: The Hidden Frontier. On the other side of the spectrum we have the atmospheric music for Enemy Mine (an underestimated 'little' movie), the Theme from The Right Stuff (actually science FACT, not fiction, this film, just like Apollo 13, of course), the eerily attractive music for Species, the original End Title for Alien (not used in the theatrical version of the movie, where it was replaced by music from howard Hanson's Second Symphony), the exquisitely exotic music for Stargate, the sweet and warmly sympathetic, beautifully re-orchestrated, theme for Starman, the title cue for Star Trek: TOS (much more melodiously played than the original! If only a series nowadays could continue to be as thought provoking and as original as Star Trek was during its launch, fourty years ago ...) and a truly overpowering End Titles Suite from Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country. I especially like the thrillingly grandiloquent rendition here of the music for Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. And how nice it is to hear the (thematic) similarities between James Horner's music for The Wrath of Khan, his great break-through as a film music composer, and his (two years) earlier music for Battle Beyond the Stars (which did indeed help him earn the job for writing the music for Star Trek II) ...
But on the 'down side', if one is looking for - for example - the gorgeously expansively played End Titles from Cocoon, it is not included here: one has to acquire the album that 'kicked it all off', so to say, namely 'Space and Beyond', also on Silva Screen. I was very pleased also with the inclusion on that album of some of the music from the series Star Trek: The Next Generation, namely where one of the characters, Tasha Yar, in one of the episodes (Skin of Evil) is saying goodbye to her crewmmates: sweetly sentimental and simple music which I have always wanted to own on CD. I guess that a few cues from the other two sequals ('Alien Invasion: Space and Beyond II' and 'Space3: Beyond the Final Frontier') didn't make it onto this 4 CD collection-album as well, but I guess that it would be the 'better part of the bargain' to opt to buy this 'The Science Fiction Album' instead of buying all three albums separately. Well, of course it is for yourself to ultimately decide what you really want ;-)
If I were to nitpick (which is not easy with such a marvellous project as this one), then I would say that while all music is performed with magnificent grandure and with style, some of it is not performed as crisply and as technically 'on the spot' as some of the original recordings: ensemble is a little slack and the playing somewhat stilted sometimes, losing some of the edge and the originality of the writing. ET and Star Wars spring to mind, but then the soundtracks for Star Wars are traditionally recorded with the magnificent London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by maestro John Williams himself, and these superior recordings (especially the ones for Episode I, II and III) can't really be bettered, IMHO. Likewise for the music from Star Trek: The Motion Picture, I believe that in the end one really has to resort to the ultimate reference, namely the original recording (which is true in many other instances of 'original recordings'), and then the 20th anniversay colector's edition of this soundtrack on Columbia/Legacy (truly unmissable, this veritable classic of sci-fi/film music soundtracks!).
But all in all this 4CD-collection amounts to probably being the penultimate high quality sci-fi music album collection (I certainly know of no other project that comes as close quality as well as quantity wise), with some of the most memorable musical moments from classic to modern sci-fi/fantasy film captured in lavish orchestrations.
Collection-wise: five *stars*. Playing: generally four *stars*, sometimes more. The recording quality: five *stars*. The music (qualified on its own merits as film music) and its (re)orchestrations: generally five *stars*. In the end this is all highly recommended, and certainly not to be missed by science fiction and fantasy film music fans. Klaatu barada nikto.
The moment I ripped off the shrink-wrap and popped it into my cd player was a moment of great trepidation. Believe me when I tell that I've seen my fair share of sub-par orchestral recording in my lifetime. Very often they are in those big super-packs of music, and suffer from poor direction, improper mastering, and sometime even pathetic orchestration (or worse yet have something sounding like a cheap synthesizer and a kazoo in place of a full orchestra). I needn't have worried though. This sucker is fantastic.
Many people who are not audiophiles will probably miss the point of this cd collection. It is not the original versions of the pieces. It is re-orchestrations, mostly by the phenomenal Prague Symphony Orchestra. Many of these themes didn't sound all that hot in there original versions because they were low budget films or were not recorded in high-fidelity. Here they are given the full treatment, mastered with the most loving care imaginable. Often the version found in these cds is SUPERIOR to the original.
Remember the theme from 2001: A Space Odyssey? Of course you do. But how many times have you heard a cheap imitation of the original version from the movie, starting too low in volume and ending too high (and missing the essential pipe-organ that gives it that extra oomph)? Well, this first track in the entire collection is not only everything it should be instrumental and timing-wise, but it also has been oh-so-carefully adjusted during the mastering process so that at no time is the music either too low or too high in volume (surely a benchmark for every other recording ever to be made of the piece).
Or what about the theme from the (at-the-time) uber-creepy The Black Hole? The orchestration of this piece of music goes from tiumphant to terrifying and back again, with a splendor and cleanness that I CERTAINLY don't remember being in the original recording.
Then there's the new version of the theme from Independence Day, complete with a violin solo, a far more electrifying ending climax, and a chorus so thunderous that you feel like applauding at the end. Simply indescribable. Kind of like the MIND-BLOWING rendition of the theme from The Last Star Fighter. This has been one of my favorite themes for a long time now, but I've never heard it played like this. I think the original version of the theme is something like 1 minute long, but this new version doesn't just fade out (HAHAHAHA!!!!) THIS version is THREE minutes long, goes through the main theme THREE times, with the final strains being so triumphant and joyous I could not help but feel an electrifying charge the first dozen or so times (come to think of it, I still feel that way). This is superior to the original in EVERY way. AWESOME.
And let's not forget the incredible new rendition of Stargate with it's heavy use of clarinets (for Egyptian effect!) and a triumphant new ending (completely lacking the chanting from the original version. This version is so different that for the first minute it is very hard to tell that it is in fact Stargate. But then the main theme kicks in, and then you get this incredible flute solo for my favorite part of theme (the whole thing is played slower, but arguably more powerfully than the original). My goodness. At first I found the thing so different I didn't like it. But then I listened to it again. And again. And again.
I could go on and on, talking about the fantastic new rendition of Moon Raker, the ear-popping Battlestar Galactica, the classic Star Trek (First Contact has a minute or two of the theme from Star Trek:The Motion Picture before going into the main theme), or the sweet renditions of music from the Star Wars movies (or the music from E.T.).
I have to mention though that this collection was not picked based merely on what people want, or on what is popular. No, the people who made it obviously thought a GOOD music collection was better than a popular one. That's why you get a heartbreakingly beautiful theme from A.I. instead of the main theme. It's why you get music from movies that you probably never gave a second thought to the music (because the movie was lousy). It's why you get Armageddon, Judge Dredd, and Robocop (who would have guessed their music was so COOL when there was all that crazy action and bad-acting going on on-screen).
I said it before and I'll say it again. This cd-set was mastered with tender-loving-care, and it shows BIG-TIME. High-fidelity the likes of which I have not seen since the days when cds were brand-new in the world. Dolby Surround. Perfectly balanced. BEAUTIUFL orchestrations. About the only thing that makes me scratch my head is the weird sound-effect tracks (Oooookay.....). Other than that, it's PERFECT. Obviously they could not include every sci-fi theme ever (no one can), but this collection is REALLY GOOD. A lot of great themes that got away (forgotten gems :), new versions of old favorites, and under-appreciated classics aplenty, but ALWAYS the full and complete versions with nothing cut-out (the theme from Dune is quite extended).
If you love movie music (and sci-fi movie music in particular) you MUST buy this awesome collection). It is not the original recordings. Almost always the new ones are better (if they aren't better they're just equal). This is what you have been waiting for. I for one am going to be buying quite a few cds from this company in the future. Give your ears the treat they deserve. Buy it NOW.
Top Joints:
One Nite Stand
Close To You
Everything's Gonna Be Alright
While this one certainly contains many valuable tracks, the re-mastering is horrid. The songs sound stripped yet still maintain a great deal of distracting noise. I conjecture that the re-mastering was done simply by increasing the bass and decreasing the treble.
First rate exploration of acoustic guitar instrumentals, Aldo's Close To You is simply too good to be ignored!
Product Description
"Close To You' is a light and mellow blend of acoustic and nylon string guitars accompanied by some slow grooves, textures, and natural sounds aimed at relaxing listeners.
Close To You,Aldo,Silent Star Enterprises, Inc,"Contemporary Classical Guitar" It's a light and mellow blend of acoustic and nylon string guitars accompanied by some slow grooves, textures, and natural sounds aimed at relaxing listeners.,New Age,New Age / Meditation,Pop
Average customer rating: 
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Mirrormask
Iain Ballamy , Stuart Hall , Martin Sharp , Matthew Sharp , Burt Bacharach , Dave McKean , Martin France , John Parricelli , Neil Percy , Iain Bellamy , Ashley Slater , Arve Henriksen , Chris Batchelor , David Powell , Josefine Cronholm , and Neil Gaiman Manufacturer: La-La Land Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD  Movie Scores
| Soundtracks
| Styles
| Music
Movie Soundtracks
| Soundtracks
| Styles
| Music
General
| Soundtracks
| Styles
| Music
General
| Vocal Pop
| Pop
| Styles
| Music
Similar Items:
ASIN: B0007RTARU Release Date: 2005-09-20 |
Tracks:
- Sock Puppets / Flyover
- Circus Overture
- Spanish Web
- Gorillas!
- Running For The Bus
- Abandoned Hall
- Leaving The City
- Arresting Helena
- The White Queen Sleeps / The White Palace
- Rabbit Band
- The Library
- The Myth Of Creation
- Fish Street
- Looking Through The Window
- Giants Orbiting
- Outside Bagwell's
- Mrs. Bagwell's Rhumba
- Meeting The Sphinx
- Monkeybirds
- Dream Park / Meeting In A Dream
- Conjuring A Dome
- In The Dark Forest
- Betrayed!
- Close To You
- A New Life
- A Rather Tense Dinner Party
- Butterfingers
- Discoveries / Fight Or Flight? / Goodbye Evil Helena
- My Waltz For Newk
- If I Apologised
Customer Reviews:
Mirrimask - the music.......2007-08-06
Great movie, better soundtrack.......2007-05-19
great collection of unusual music.......2007-05-07
Supurb.......2007-03-08
Amazing!.......2007-02-24
Average customer rating:
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The Music of John Williams: 40 Years of Film Music
Manufacturer: Silva America ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Movie Scores
| Soundtracks
| Styles
| Music
Movie Soundtracks
| Soundtracks
| Styles
| Music
Star Wars
| Soundtracks
| Styles
| Music
General
| Soundtracks
| Styles
| Music
Similar Items:
ASIN: B0000C6K09 Release Date: 2003-10-07 |
Tracks:
- The Sugarland Express-Main Theme
- Jaws-Main Theme
- Close Encounters Of The Third Kind-Suite
- Raiders Of The Lost Ark-March
- Raiders Of The Lost Arc-The Map Room:Dawn
- E.T. The Extra-Terrestrail-Adventures On Earth
- Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom-Mine Car Chase
- Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom-End Credits
- Empire Of The Sun-Exsultate Justi
- Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade-Indy's First Adventure
Tracks:
- Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade-End Credits
- Always-Follow Me/Dorinda's Solo Flight
- Hook-Main Themes
- Jurassic Park-Main Themes
- Schindler's List-Main Theme
- Amistad-Dry Your Tears, Afrika
- Saving Private Ryan-Hymn To The Fallen
- A.I. Artificial Intelligence-Where Dreams Are Made
- Minority Report
- Catch Me If You Can
Tracks:
- The Rare Breed-Suite (Universal Emblem/Hilary's Plight/Scottish Romeo/The Hunt)
- Jane Eyre-Suite: The Jane Eyre Theme
- Jane Eyre-Suite: To Thornfield
- Jane Eyre-Suite: Restoration
- The Cowboys-Overture
- The Poseidon Adventure-Prelude
- The Towering Inferno-Main Titles
- Family Plot-End Titles
- The Fury-Main Titles
- Superman-Main Theme
- Dracula-Main Titles & Storm
- The River-Main Theme & Love Theme
- The Witches Of Eastwick- Dance Of The Witches
Tracks:
- Born On The Fourth Of July-End Credits
- Presumed Innocent-End Titles
- JFK-Arlington/End Titles
- Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone-Hedwig's Theme
- Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets-Fawkes The Phoenix
- Star Wars: A New Hope- Main Theme
- Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back-Hans Solo And The Princess
- Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back-The Imperial March
- Star Wars: The Phantom Menace- Anakin's Theme
- Star Wars: The Phantom Menace-The Flag Parade
- Star Wars: Attack Of The Clones-Across The Stars
- Star Wars: The Phantom Menace-Duel Of The Fates
Customer Reviews:
Very disappointing, considering what it could have been.......2007-04-20
Disc 1: 60 minutes
Disc 2: 50 minutes
Disc 3: 61 minutes
Disc 4: 58 minutes
What gives Silva? There is *MUCH* more John Williams in the silva screen back catalogue by the Prague Philharmonic than what is in this set, and thats not including their entire discs devoted to Star Wars Films, Indiana Jones Trilogy etc. Why isn't Hook "When You're Alone" included on Disc 2? There's room. Why isn't 1941 on Disc 1? There's room. Why isn't Earthquake on Disc 3? There's room. Why isn't Far and Away on disc 4? There's room. Where's the other ten minutes of the Rare Breed suite on disc 3? Why isn't Midway on disc 1? Where are the Land of the Giants, Time Tunnel and Lots In Space tv themes? Etc. Etc. Etc.
C'mon Silva, most of these 4 disc mega boxes released in the past few years are packed to the brim, but not this one, and with new recordings made after this was released (the terminal, munich, geisha, war of the worlds, star wars ep 3, harry potter 3), it only makes sense for a "re-do" in the next couple of years.
Further, with Silva releasing the 100 Greatest Film Themes on six discs in a couple of months, it's only a matter of time before we see the ultimate six disc john williams set.
This isn't a BAD set to own, but it could have been much better and when compared to the Jerry Goldsmith and John Barry sets in this same series, this one is a major letdown.
Always a pleaser.......2007-03-31
JOHN WILLIAMS 40 Years of Film Music.......2007-01-10
Movie Music Magic & Memorabilia.......2006-12-13
John Williams: 40 Years of Outstanding Film Music.......2006-11-28
Average customer rating:
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Close to You
The Carpenters Manufacturer: A&M ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General
| Pop
| Styles
| Music
Soft Rock
| Pop
| Styles
| Music
Pop Rock
| Pop
| Styles
| Music
Contemporary
| Vocal Pop
| Pop
| Styles
| Music
General
| Vocal Pop
| Pop
| Styles
| Music
General
| Easy Listening
| Pop
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Traditional Pop
| Oldies
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General
| Broadway & Vocalists
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Similar Items:
ASIN: B00000HY5E Release Date: 1999-01-12 |
Tracks:
- We've Only Just Begun
- Love Is Surrender
- Maybe It's You
- Reason To Believe
- Help
- (They Long To Be) Close To You
- Baby It's You
- I'll Never Fall In Love Again
- Crescent Noon
- Mr. Guder
- I Kept On Loving You
- Another Song
Amazon.com essential recording
When the Carpenters found themselves with a sudden radio hit ("Close to You"), their record company put the pressure on them to come up with a whole album. The album's glue is, of course, the unabashedly sentimental and corny title track and the subsequent chart topper, "We've Only Just Begun." However, their lush covers of now-classic songs such as "I'll Never Fall in Love Again" and "Baby It's You," and Karen's tragic plea on John Lennon's "Help," contribute to the strength of this collection. The band toys with bossa nova sounds on "Love Is Surrender" and explores deeper emotional terrain on the beautiful "Crescent Moon." Close to You stands as a harbinger of the great things ahead for the Carpenters in the '70s. --Lorry FlemingCustomer Reviews:
CD which was fresh and was substantial .......2007-06-10
Many hit songs are recorded. It will be one of CDs which should be loved.
The Start Of Something Special.......2007-01-21
Thinking I wanted the album but afraid to send a hard earned $11.98 for two records, I sent Mom with $6.34 to get this casette. And I was hooked.
The sequencing on the casette is different than on the album or CD and, in my judgment, better. It begins with a good roar, "We've Only Just Begun" and has two above average tunes, "Mr Guder" (a jibe at a former employer that Richard later regretted - but a fan favorite at concerts) and "I Kept On Loving You" (written by Paul Williams and Roger Nichols, composers of "We've Only Just Begun"), the best version of "Reason To Believe" that I've ever heard. This is followed by an attempt at the Beatles tune "Help!" that sounds like a completely different song. And that, of course, wasn't the first time as their first single was "Ticket To Ride" - and it, too, sounded nothing like the Beatles.
Side one of the casette closes out with their biggest hit of all-time, "Close To You." On side two, the first three songs are all right - "Baby It's You," "Love Is Surrender" (for which a video, rare in those days, was made) and "Maybe It's You." But the final three tracks of the album fall off the chart, particularly the last two, "Crescent Noon" and "Another Song."
So how do I rate the album/CD? Four stars. Why not five? Well in favor of the high ranking is two monster hits - a #1 (the title track) and a #2 (We've Only Just Begun), good orchestration, powerful vocals, and a noble attempt at making old songs sound new not once, but three times.
Yet it's not five stars because the end falls so flat as to be absurd. And the cover art is horrendous. This, in fact, would only be a three-star effort were it not for two major hit singles. Nevertheless, this is a good prism of what was to come in the next three years from the Carpenters.
I love the Carpenters.......2006-11-09
#175 on Rolling Stone 500.......2006-04-08
Could It Get Any Better??.......2006-03-27
Average customer rating:
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Close to You
Kate Wolf Manufacturer: Rhino / Wea ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General
| Contemporary Folk
| Folk
| Styles
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Singer-Songwriters
| Contemporary Folk
| Folk
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General
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ASIN: B000003346 Release Date: 1993-09-28 |
Tracks:
- Across The Great Divide
- Leggett Serenade
- Like A River
- Unfinished Life
- Friend Of Mine
- Love Still Remains
- Eyes Of A Painter
- Here In California
- Stone In The Water
- Close To You
Customer Reviews:
Songs That Resonate In Your Heart.......2007-03-09
It interested me to see how Pandora categorized her music. It cited its:
folk roots
country influences
acoustic sonority
vocal-centric aesthetic
major key tonality
After all that, I guess it sounds a little lame to just say, it makes me feel good. No one else seems to resonate with me the way Kate Wolf does.
KATE WOLF - HER MUSIC IS A BLESSING........2001-09-12
KATE WOLF'S MUSIC AND LYRICS ARE PERSONAL. I FEEL LIKE I KNOW PART OF THIS PERSON WHO SANG THESE SONGS.
"CLOSE TO YOU" IS THE FIRST SONG OF KATE'S I HEARD, AND THE ALBUM IS MY FAVORITE. THE ROLLING COUNTRY SOUND OF THE SONGS IS SOOTHING AND HELPS HER LOVE FLOW FORTH. AND HER LOVE DOES COME THROUGH - IT HIGHLIGHTS THE SIMPLE PLEASURES OF LIFE.
HER MUSIC WAS HER GIFT TO ALL OF US; THIS CD IS PACKED WITH TEN WONDERFUL PRESENTS.
An Album of Down-to-Earth Poetry Straight from the Heart.......1998-10-16
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Close to You and More
Frank Sinatra Manufacturer: Capitol ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General
| Jazz
| Styles
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Traditional Jazz General
| Traditional Jazz & Ragtime
| Jazz
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ASIN: B00005UMTB Release Date: 2002-01-08 |
Tracks:
- Close To You
- P.S. I Love You
- Love Locked Out
- Everything Happens To Me
- It's Easy To Remeber
- Don't Like Goodbyes
- With Every Breathe I Take
- Blame It On My Youth
- It Could Happen To You
- I've Had My Moments
- I Couldn't Sleep A Wink Last Night
- The End Of A Love Affair
- If It's The Last Thing I Do
- There's A Flaw In My Flue
- Wait Till You See Her
Amazon.com
One of the most conceptually daring of Sinatra's Capitol albums returns to print in this 24-bit remaster. Close to You put the singer and arranger Nelson Riddle together with the Hollywood String Quartet, a small rhythm section, and guests including Sinatra regular Harry "Sweets" Edison for one of his most intimate sets. The delivery is very conversational and especially suits lyrics like "Blame It on My Youth," "I Couldn't Sleep a Wink Last Night," and Johnny Mercer's wry "P.S. I Love You." These emotionally generous ballads are often relaxed but are no less intense for it. Three bonus tracks complete the 1956 Close sessions and include a straight-faced reading of the Bing Crosby novelty number "There's a Flaw in My Flue." A marvelous disc that both stands on its own and demonstrates the flexibility of the era's downbeat Sinatra. --Rickey WrightAmazon.com
Franks Sinatra Photos
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More from Ole Blue Eyes
Classic Sinatra |
Point of No Return |
Frank Sinatra Sings for Only the Lonely |
The Capitol Years |
Tone Poems of Color |
Come Dance with Me! |
Customer Reviews:
5 stars? You're kidding!!.......2007-01-27
Superlatives are not adequate...........2006-10-16
The quality of this cd like many of the others from the artist are very intimate - as if they are performed for the listener at home. Highly recommended. Personally I prefer "For Only The Lonely" but this cd is also a must have for your collection.
If you like something more up-beat than "Songs For Swinging Lovers" is IMHO - probably the best recording from Sinatra - it happens to be in mono but don't let that influence your purchase.
"Wherever You Go, My Heart Will Go, Too. . .What Can I Do? It Only Wants To Be . . . Close To You".......2006-10-03
Close to you, though you're far away
You'll always be near
As though you were here by my side
No matter where - in my dreams I'll find you there
Close to me, sharing your caress
Can't you see you're my happiness?
Wherever you go, my heart will go, too
What can I do?
It only wants to be close to you."
~ Close To You ~ Al Hoffman/Carl Lampl/Jerry Livingston
"Close To You And More," recorded in 1956, is one of the finest and my absolute favorite Sinatra recordings of all-time. The choice of material is very impressive and his interpretations are flawless, heartfelt, sincere and so true to the lyrics of each song. This is another one of great collaborations with a fine arranger and conductor, Nelson Riddle. To me, Nelson Riddle was truly the best of all Sinatra arrangers/conductors for he had proved that he could master his craft on any recordings he handled, be it with a full orchestra or a small ensemble like the classically-influenced Hollywood String Quartet (husband and wife Felix and Eleonor Slatkin, Paul C. Shure and Alvin Dinkin). Mr. Sinatra, a classical music lover himself, heard the beauty and elegance on how the quartet played and fell in love with the quartet and in the process developed a close friendship with the Slatkins.
With fifteen nostalgic songs to listen to, this magnificent CD is bound to mesmerize and move you starting off with my top choice here, an achingly beautiful song, "Close To You" followed by one of Johnny Mercer and Gordon Jenkin's gems, a longingly sentimental "P.S. I Love You," down to heart-rending tracks, Jimmy McHugh and Harold Adamson's "I Couldn't Sleep A Wink Last Night" and Edward Redding's "The End of a Love Affair."
Mr. Sinatra's gentle and affectionate treatments of Edward Heyman and Oscar Levant's "Blame It On My Youth" and a gem from Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart, "It's Easy To Remember" are so sublime and perfectly covered.
"Your sweet expression
The smile you gave me
The way you looked when we met
It's easy to remember
But so hard to forget
I hear you whisper, "I'll always love you"
I know it's over and yet
It's easy to remember
But so hard to forget."
Ralph Rainger and Leo Robin's musical treasure, "With Every Breathe I Take" is also one of my favorite songs of all-time.
"I think of you with every breath I take
With every breeze that wanders by
And your name is a song
I'll remember the long years through."
And yes. . . Frank Sinatra is like a song, a song we'll always remember the long years through.
With my heartfelt recommendation. A must-have to any Sinatra buff.
Companion Piece.......2006-10-02
P.S. I Love This Album..........2005-09-20
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The Art of the Bawdy Song
Manufacturer: Dorian Recordings ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Baroque Dance Suites
| Ballets & Dances
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ASIN: B000001Q93 Release Date: 1993-02-11 |
Tracks:
- Aniseed Robin
- Cuckolds All A-Row
- I Gave Her Cakes And I Gave Her Ale
- Taking His Beer With Old Anacharsis
- Fye, Nay, Prithee John
- Cold And Raw
- The Miller's Daughter
- Will Said To His Mammy
- The Old Fumbler
- Walking In a Meadowe Greene
- Celia Learning On The Spinnet
- Tom the Taylor
- My Lady's Coachman John
- The Irish Jig Or The Night Ramble
- Come Sirrah Jacke Hoe
- Dainty Fine Aniseed Water
- Most Men Do Love the Spanish Wine
- Argreers
- Gathering Peascods
- My Lady And Her Maid
- As Roger Last Night To Jenny Lay Close
- Pox On You
- Ladie Lie Near Me
- 'Tis Women Makes Us Love
- Sir Walter Enjoying His Damsel
- My Thing Is My Own
- Here Dwells a Pretty Maid
- My Man John Had a Thing That Was Long
- When First Amyntas Sued For a Kiss
- More Palatino
- Poor Owen
- Where They Drank Their Wine
- Come, Come, Let Us Drink
Customer Reviews:
One of the best CD's out there!.......2007-05-10
a voice teacher and early music fan.......2007-03-25
The singing of both ballads and catches belongs to a long and venerable tradition in England. The natural habitat of the of the catch was the tavern, while the ballad was known in a wider variety of social settings as well as the stage. By the end of the 17th century, ballads were collected by connoisseurs of popular culture and published in anthologies. The main source for this recording, 'The Catch Club, or 'Merry Companions', was printed in 1762.
A quote from the catch-philosopher (of 'Come, come let us drink') is offered by the Baltimore Consort: "...wine and good cheer will in spite of our fear inspire our hearts with mirth..the time we live, to wine let us give, since we all must turn to earth...."
This is an excellent collection of songs; quite interesting and varied. The instruments are played skillfully, and the voices, for the most part, are good quality. However, as with all 'folk-like' songs, the diction is not always clear, and that is very true of several of these on this disc. The female voices were more difficult to comprehend much of the time. The text is printed out, so ultimately familiararity will make them easier to understand. I do like the disc, and think that it needed to be done.As to a previous criticism concerning the fact that it wasn't 'true' barroom singing. Of course, it's not!!!If it were, you would not understand any of it!!!!!Enough said.
Prelewd to Postlewd.......2005-09-28
The Baltimore Consort play with life and vigour, with a good deal of improvisational flair, not being bound to texts and going through the production of notes as if mechanically. This is true to the spirit and nature of the early music, in which performers often had to 'play by ear', neither being able to read music nor having printed music even if they could. This is particularly true of the songs on this disc, where many are derivative of anonymous jokes and stories, and much of the music is likewise folk-tune and anonymously composed.
Some of the songs can be rather shocking. As Mary Anne Ballard writes in the accompanying notes, 'We must remember that in the days before indoor plumbing and pooper-scooper laws, everyday life was of an earthier flavour than it is today.... The men of the singing clubs and the ladies of stage poked fun at themselves and their companions with wit, pleasantry and contrivance.'
The names of many of the composers of these pieces have been lost to history, particularly the more folk-song oriented ones. However, some well-known composers are represented among the pieces here - Purcell, D'Urfey, Aldridge, and others.
The regular players include Mary Anne Ballard (viols), Mark Cudek (cittern, guitar, recorder and bass viol), Custer LaRue (vocalist/soprano), Larry Lipkis (recorder, viols), Ronn McFarlane (lute), Chris Norman (flutes), Webb Wiggins (tambourine and 'virginals'). Some artists are known from other Dorian productions, such as Ronn McFarlane on the lute in the collection 'Greensleeves'.
Added to the regular consort players are the Merry Companions, including Peter Becker (baritone), Alexander Blachly (baritone), Paul Shipper (bass, belch-canto), and James Weaver (baritone).
One more addition includes a guest artist, Lorenzo Labbrobacio, playing of all things, the 'fartophone', a rather mysterious instrument indeed. Labbrobacio defies identification on the internet other than references to this disc, and so the mystery deepens.
This is music that is interesting, truly fun to listen to, entertaining and has a quality about it that makes it a joy both in musical and humourous tones.
Sounds like they're singing Christmas carols.......2004-11-09
A sly and rollicksome good time!.......2002-11-29
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The Science Fiction Album
Various Artists Manufacturer: Silva America ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Movie Soundtracks
| Soundtracks
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Star Wars
| Soundtracks
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Star Trek
| Soundtracks
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ASIN: B000066HE5 Release Date: 2005-02-08 |
Tracks:
- 2001: A Space Odyssey
- Aliens
- Sound Effect - The Nostromo
- Alien
- A.I.
- Armageddon
- Sound Effect - Apollo 13 Lift-off
- Apollo 13
- Back To The Future
- Battle Beyond The Stars
- Battlestar Galactica
- The Black Hole
- Contact
- Capricorn One
- Close Encounters of the Third Kind
- The Day The Earth Stood Still
- Dune
Tracks:
- Galaxy Quest
- Sound Effect - Dogfight in Space
- Enemy Mine
- Ghostbusters
- Gremlins
- Heavy Metal
- Independence Day
- E.T.
- Judge Dredd
- The Last Starfighter
- Lifeforce
- Sound Effect - Crash Landing
- Lost In Space
- Mars Attacks
- The Matrix
- Predator
- The Right Stuff
Tracks:
- Moonraker
- Robocop
- Silent Running
- Sound Effect - Alien Organism
- Species
- Stargate
- Starship Troopers
- Starman
- Star Trek - TV Theme
- Star Trek: The Motion Picture End Title
- Klingon Attack
- Sound Effect - Warp Drive
- Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
- Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
- Star Trek: Generations
- Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home
Tracks:
- Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country
- Sound Effect - Transporter Crew
- Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - Main Theme
- Star Trek First Contact
- Star Wars
- The Empire Strikes Back
- The Empire Strikes Back
- Return of the Jedi
- Sound Effect - Battle Stations
- Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace - The Flag Parade
- Anakin's Theme
- The Adventures of Jar Jar
- Duel of the Fates
- The Time Machine
- Things to Come
- The Thing From Another World
- War of the Worlds
- When Worlds Collide
- Total Recall
- You Only Live Twice
- Superman
Customer Reviews:
The penultimate collection ..........2006-12-07
I have always had a weak spot for (good, or maybe even intelligent) science fiction/fantasy and film music, especially its way of evoking mystery, grandure and wide open spaces. Call it a weakness if you want. But it was maybe really kick started off, for as far as I can remember, with Star Trek. But especially Star Trek II, III and IV - essentially a trilogy - because of their very romantic but very warm, human core, set on the broadest canvasses of unlimited and mysterious outer space. But then there was the music for adding that essential extra dimension of emotion and atmosphere. I am happy that much of the music on this album is from the Star Trek series and films, often equaling or sometimes even outclassing the original recordings.
This kind of music (for the movies) should be seen as an art on its own rights with its own merits and qualities. As such, the musical sequences on these CD's are a beautifully played cross section of some of the most evoking orchestral music for science fiction/fantasy film ever created. And I very much like the nicely blended, wide and deep orchestral soundpicture with enough reverberation to evoke a sense of wide open spaces.
I am quite thrilled by tracks like the evocative music from Dune, truly transporting one to the vastly sands of Arrakis (the music is wonderful, but to my great regret I think the movie itself is a flawed masterpiece at best, alas.). And then there is the very different, goofy music for Ghostbusters (memories of childhood), the spoofy but electrifying music from Mars Attacks (lovingly parodist music, this, with not a little touch of irony) and the happily adventurous, forward driving Theme from Galaxy Quest ('Never give up, never surrender!'), now also used for the internet-based fan-series Star Trek: The Hidden Frontier. On the other side of the spectrum we have the atmospheric music for Enemy Mine (an underestimated 'little' movie), the Theme from The Right Stuff (actually science FACT, not fiction, this film, just like Apollo 13, of course), the eerily attractive music for Species, the original End Title for Alien (not used in the theatrical version of the movie, where it was replaced by music from howard Hanson's Second Symphony), the exquisitely exotic music for Stargate, the sweet and warmly sympathetic, beautifully re-orchestrated, theme for Starman, the title cue for Star Trek: TOS (much more melodiously played than the original! If only a series nowadays could continue to be as thought provoking and as original as Star Trek was during its launch, fourty years ago ...) and a truly overpowering End Titles Suite from Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country. I especially like the thrillingly grandiloquent rendition here of the music for Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. And how nice it is to hear the (thematic) similarities between James Horner's music for The Wrath of Khan, his great break-through as a film music composer, and his (two years) earlier music for Battle Beyond the Stars (which did indeed help him earn the job for writing the music for Star Trek II) ...
But on the 'down side', if one is looking for - for example - the gorgeously expansively played End Titles from Cocoon, it is not included here: one has to acquire the album that 'kicked it all off', so to say, namely 'Space and Beyond', also on Silva Screen. I was very pleased also with the inclusion on that album of some of the music from the series Star Trek: The Next Generation, namely where one of the characters, Tasha Yar, in one of the episodes (Skin of Evil) is saying goodbye to her crewmmates: sweetly sentimental and simple music which I have always wanted to own on CD. I guess that a few cues from the other two sequals ('Alien Invasion: Space and Beyond II' and 'Space3: Beyond the Final Frontier') didn't make it onto this 4 CD collection-album as well, but I guess that it would be the 'better part of the bargain' to opt to buy this 'The Science Fiction Album' instead of buying all three albums separately. Well, of course it is for yourself to ultimately decide what you really want ;-)
If I were to nitpick (which is not easy with such a marvellous project as this one), then I would say that while all music is performed with magnificent grandure and with style, some of it is not performed as crisply and as technically 'on the spot' as some of the original recordings: ensemble is a little slack and the playing somewhat stilted sometimes, losing some of the edge and the originality of the writing. ET and Star Wars spring to mind, but then the soundtracks for Star Wars are traditionally recorded with the magnificent London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by maestro John Williams himself, and these superior recordings (especially the ones for Episode I, II and III) can't really be bettered, IMHO. Likewise for the music from Star Trek: The Motion Picture, I believe that in the end one really has to resort to the ultimate reference, namely the original recording (which is true in many other instances of 'original recordings'), and then the 20th anniversay colector's edition of this soundtrack on Columbia/Legacy (truly unmissable, this veritable classic of sci-fi/film music soundtracks!).
But all in all this 4CD-collection amounts to probably being the penultimate high quality sci-fi music album collection (I certainly know of no other project that comes as close quality as well as quantity wise), with some of the most memorable musical moments from classic to modern sci-fi/fantasy film captured in lavish orchestrations.
Collection-wise: five *stars*. Playing: generally four *stars*, sometimes more. The recording quality: five *stars*. The music (qualified on its own merits as film music) and its (re)orchestrations: generally five *stars*. In the end this is all highly recommended, and certainly not to be missed by science fiction and fantasy film music fans. Klaatu barada nikto.
Muisic of the Spheres.......2006-11-06
The Ulllllltimate Sci-Fi Music Collection.......2005-10-23
The moment I ripped off the shrink-wrap and popped it into my cd player was a moment of great trepidation. Believe me when I tell that I've seen my fair share of sub-par orchestral recording in my lifetime. Very often they are in those big super-packs of music, and suffer from poor direction, improper mastering, and sometime even pathetic orchestration (or worse yet have something sounding like a cheap synthesizer and a kazoo in place of a full orchestra). I needn't have worried though. This sucker is fantastic.
Many people who are not audiophiles will probably miss the point of this cd collection. It is not the original versions of the pieces. It is re-orchestrations, mostly by the phenomenal Prague Symphony Orchestra. Many of these themes didn't sound all that hot in there original versions because they were low budget films or were not recorded in high-fidelity. Here they are given the full treatment, mastered with the most loving care imaginable. Often the version found in these cds is SUPERIOR to the original.
Remember the theme from 2001: A Space Odyssey? Of course you do. But how many times have you heard a cheap imitation of the original version from the movie, starting too low in volume and ending too high (and missing the essential pipe-organ that gives it that extra oomph)? Well, this first track in the entire collection is not only everything it should be instrumental and timing-wise, but it also has been oh-so-carefully adjusted during the mastering process so that at no time is the music either too low or too high in volume (surely a benchmark for every other recording ever to be made of the piece).
Or what about the theme from the (at-the-time) uber-creepy The Black Hole? The orchestration of this piece of music goes from tiumphant to terrifying and back again, with a splendor and cleanness that I CERTAINLY don't remember being in the original recording.
Then there's the new version of the theme from Independence Day, complete with a violin solo, a far more electrifying ending climax, and a chorus so thunderous that you feel like applauding at the end. Simply indescribable. Kind of like the MIND-BLOWING rendition of the theme from The Last Star Fighter. This has been one of my favorite themes for a long time now, but I've never heard it played like this. I think the original version of the theme is something like 1 minute long, but this new version doesn't just fade out (HAHAHAHA!!!!) THIS version is THREE minutes long, goes through the main theme THREE times, with the final strains being so triumphant and joyous I could not help but feel an electrifying charge the first dozen or so times (come to think of it, I still feel that way). This is superior to the original in EVERY way. AWESOME.
And let's not forget the incredible new rendition of Stargate with it's heavy use of clarinets (for Egyptian effect!) and a triumphant new ending (completely lacking the chanting from the original version. This version is so different that for the first minute it is very hard to tell that it is in fact Stargate. But then the main theme kicks in, and then you get this incredible flute solo for my favorite part of theme (the whole thing is played slower, but arguably more powerfully than the original). My goodness. At first I found the thing so different I didn't like it. But then I listened to it again. And again. And again.
I could go on and on, talking about the fantastic new rendition of Moon Raker, the ear-popping Battlestar Galactica, the classic Star Trek (First Contact has a minute or two of the theme from Star Trek:The Motion Picture before going into the main theme), or the sweet renditions of music from the Star Wars movies (or the music from E.T.).
I have to mention though that this collection was not picked based merely on what people want, or on what is popular. No, the people who made it obviously thought a GOOD music collection was better than a popular one. That's why you get a heartbreakingly beautiful theme from A.I. instead of the main theme. It's why you get music from movies that you probably never gave a second thought to the music (because the movie was lousy). It's why you get Armageddon, Judge Dredd, and Robocop (who would have guessed their music was so COOL when there was all that crazy action and bad-acting going on on-screen).
I said it before and I'll say it again. This cd-set was mastered with tender-loving-care, and it shows BIG-TIME. High-fidelity the likes of which I have not seen since the days when cds were brand-new in the world. Dolby Surround. Perfectly balanced. BEAUTIUFL orchestrations. About the only thing that makes me scratch my head is the weird sound-effect tracks (Oooookay.....). Other than that, it's PERFECT. Obviously they could not include every sci-fi theme ever (no one can), but this collection is REALLY GOOD. A lot of great themes that got away (forgotten gems :), new versions of old favorites, and under-appreciated classics aplenty, but ALWAYS the full and complete versions with nothing cut-out (the theme from Dune is quite extended).
If you love movie music (and sci-fi movie music in particular) you MUST buy this awesome collection). It is not the original recordings. Almost always the new ones are better (if they aren't better they're just equal). This is what you have been waiting for. I for one am going to be buying quite a few cds from this company in the future. Give your ears the treat they deserve. Buy it NOW.
SciFi Album gift.......2005-07-20
Away From to be a Collectible Peace.......2004-12-16
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Close to You
Father MC Manufacturer: Mca ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD East Coast
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ASIN: B000002OK5 Release Date: 1992-08-18 |
Tracks:
- All I Want
- One Nite Stand
- Close To You
- Everything's Gonna Be Alright
- Do The One, Two
- Red Lace Lingerie
- My Body
- Ladies, I Luv 'Em
- Baby We Can Do It
- Go Natalie
- On The Road Again
Customer Reviews:
2.5 stars: The Background singers outshine him on his own joints........2007-04-19
Top Joints:
One Nite Stand
Close To You
Everything's Gonna Be Alright
one of the best albums of the 90's.......2005-11-20
Well done album - In it's time was very popular.......2005-10-07
Save Your Money............2004-05-17
Average customer rating: 
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Live Praise & Worship: So Close to You
Kent Henry Manufacturer: Hosanna! ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General
| Christian & Gospel
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| Christian & Gospel
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| Christian & Gospel
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Similar Items:
ASIN: B000024ZOT Release Date: 1997-01-01 |
Tracks:
- I Set My Sights on Jesus
- So Close to You
- Caught Up, Caught Away
- In the Silence
- Send Your Fire
- Rain Falls Again
- Faithful God
- Jump Up
- Freedom Train
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Average customer rating: 
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Change Partners
Manufacturer: Encore ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Romberg, Sigmund
| ( R )
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Traditional Vocal Pop
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Similar Items:
ASIN: B000001ZRF Release Date: 2000-01-01 |
Tracks:
- Carousel in the Park - Jeanette MacDonald
- It Doesn't Cost You Anything to Dream - Jeanette MacDonald
- Close as Pages in a Book - Jeanette MacDonald, Robert Merrill
- Fireman's Bride - Jeanette MacDonald, Robert Merrill
- Big Back Yard - Robert Merrill
- When You Walk in the Room - Robert Merrill
- Isnt' It Romantic? - Jeanette MacDonald, Paramount Studio Orchestra
- Love Me Tonight - Maurice Chevalier, Jeanette MacDonald
- Golden Days - Nelson Eddy
- Drinking Song
- Deep in My Heart, Dear - Nelson Eddy, Rise Stevens
- Serenade - Rise Stevens
- Just We Two - Rise Stevens
- Come Boys - Nelson Eddy
- One More Mile to Go
- Raindrops on a Drum - Nelson Eddy
- Love Is the Time - Nelson Eddy
- Nearer and Dearer - Nelson Eddy
- Tell Me With Your Eyes - Nelson Eddy
- Russian Easter Hymn - Nelson Eddy
- Whale Who Wanted to Sing at the Met: Three Blind Mice/Short'nin Bread - Nelson Eddy
- Why Do I Love You? [From Show Boat] - Nelson Eddy, Jane Powell
- Beyond the Blue Horizon [From Monte Carlo][*] - Jeanette MacDonald
Customer Reviews:
extremely poor re-mastering.......2004-12-21
While this one certainly contains many valuable tracks, the re-mastering is horrid. The songs sound stripped yet still maintain a great deal of distracting noise. I conjecture that the re-mastering was done simply by increasing the bass and decreasing the treble.
An excellent CD!.......2004-03-29
For Jeanette, it has numbers from Up In Central Park: Carousel in the Park, It Doesn't Cost You Anything to Dream, Close as Pages in a Book, Fireman's Bride, The Big Back Yard, When You Walk in the Room. She and Robert Merrill sing these together and on their own, and very charmingly, too. There are also Love Me Tonight, Isn't It Romantic, and Beyond the Blue Horizon.
For Nelson, he sings music from The Student Prince with Rise Stevens: Golden Days, Drinking Song, Deep in my Heart Dear, Serenade (which is BEAUTIFUL!), Just We Two, and Come Boys. He also sings all the songs from Northwest Outpost - thankfully, without Ilona Massey! Also, the Willie the Whale segment from Make Mine Music is on this CD - just as it is in the movie, with the narration and everything - it's great! (The Tristan und Isolde part is not included, however - not sure what the reasoning is behind that.) He also sings a duet with Jane Powell - Why Do I Love You? from Show Boat.
I say this is a must for fans of Nelson and/or Jeanette, not to mention Rise Stevens!
I particularly enjoy "When You Walk in the Room". It's a charming little tune, with ridiculous but adorable lyrics! "Fireman's Bride" is very funny also - Jeanette barely sounds like herself!
I hope this will help others to choose this CD - it's a pity there's not a list of the titles here!
Nelson Eddy on CD - always a pleasure.......1998-08-30
Rock Music:
- Colecao Talento [Import]
- Collage
- Come, My Friend : Songs and Blessings For Shabbat
- Comme Ils L'imaginent [Import]
- Dalla Americaruso [Live] [Import]
- Despues Del Silencio
- Die Ofarim Story- Welterfolge [Import]
- Enrico Experience [Import]
- Essentials [Import]
- Eu Me Transformo Em Outras [Import]
Recommended Music:
Rachmaninov: Sonata for Cello & Piano, Op. 19; Vocalise, Op. 34/14