Rating:  -
I don't recommend purchasing this CD because the packaging was poorly put together and really you get the same music that you get on the original 1CD release. All the additional music sounds poorly recorded and there's a reason that it was unreleased. Overall, very disappointing.
Rating:  -
Two of my first movie memories as a child that still stick in my mind are the firt time I saw Superman & the first time I saw Star Wars, both scored by . . . John Williams.Until a few years ago we had a somewhat edited down soundtrack, then came an enjoyable but different paced soundtrack put out by the Roal Scottish Orcestera, but alas it was only a revamped working of the edited soundtrack. But NOW we have the whole thing, just about as it was heard in the movie, and to boot it has not one not two not three but four different versions of the main title.For those of you who like Superman and want to complete their collection, this it it. For those who want some good orchertral music to listen to, this is it.
Rating:  -
I wasn't expecting a miricle from this release, and I didn't get one. The sound quality on the previous CD release was horrible...muddled, muted, warbly, shaky. Rhino's supposed "digital remastering" has done very little to create a noticible change in this release. The bass is still muted and muddled, but perhaps a BIT less so. The same can be said for the high brass: a bit less warbly, but still not up to par. I know this recording is old, and, judging by the inexcusable quality of the previous recording, I doubt there was much Rhino could have done. If you noticed sharp glitches in certain tracks on the earlier release, you will notice them again. However, Rhino COULD have provided more user-friendly packaging. First of all, the outer cardboard "box" is far too narrow to fit both the CD case and booklet inside. The copy I received was already stressed and bent while in the wrapper. Once I got the contents of the box out, I found it almost impossible to fit them back in without ripping the box and crinkling the booklet. In addition, the CD housing is as fragile as it can be. One has to bend it to remove the CDs, and, in the process, risks bending the CDs and breaking the housing. The most unacceptable aspect of this release is the fact that the inner CD tray, the one that you flip over to access disc 2, IS HELD ON BY AN ADHESIVE STRIP (A FANCY WAY OF SAYING "TAPE"). JEEZ! On a positive note, this soundtrack is, of course, a classic...perhaps William's best work. The sound quality of this recording does not do it justice. Yep, I'm angry. On the outside, this release looks like a stellar effort, but closer inspection reveals it to be half-hearted. In sum, an improvement, but far from a Super one.
Rating: -
As someone who grew up with this soundtrack, I can honestly say I've listened to the Warner release thousands of times. There was a point where I gave it a good listen at least once a day for several years, finally falling off to about 75 times/year(I'm 31). As a an adolescent my only source for the soundtrack was either the movie or the Warner LP. I actually made copies from a hi-fi stereo VCR in the early 80's just so I could have the film version of the score, but it was ruined by dialog. Then there was the warner release on vinyl. I had a few prints of the record set in perfect condition and used a very expensive phono along with a nakamichi deck and metal tapes. My teenage years were in pursuit of the best walkman and headphones so I could listen to it on the go. This is pretty sad. Perhaps I should keep my name anonymous just so my friends don't discover what a die hard I am for this soundtrack. Finally in '92, the Warner version was released on CD, but it was horribly degraded. Many more dropouts because they used the original master to print the CD and it had not been well preserved nor restored in any way. There was also more hiss and less dynamic range. It was inferior to the LP. It was very sad and my initial excitement about getting it on CD faded quickly, especially when I discovered it was missing tracks. So now it is today, 4 days after the Rhino release. I received my copy from Amazon 2 days ago(thank Amazon, it was shipped very quickly!). I am on at least my 30th listen through the entire soundtrack. What can I say? It was more than I could have possibly hoped for. The restoration is on par with the Star Wars Trilogy. There are no dropouts and very little hiss. It sounds like it was recorded yesterday. A previous reviewer thought it wasn't much better than the warner release. I suggest they go back and recheck their ears or equipment. As an expert on this soundtrack and a *neurotic* audiophile, I think I can say with much justification that this restoration is as good as technology today could have done. It is nearly perfect to my audiophile ears. Now on to the content. Not only is it restored to chronological order, it includes many bonus tracks of ORIGINAL NEVER BEFORE HEARD JOHN WILLIAMS!! This is enough in itself to buy the soundtrack even if nothing else had been done. The first few times listening to it I had goosbumps. The sound quality is so incredible. The remix brings out new symbols and strings never before heard with headphones. It is clean and dynamic. Flaws? There are some. A few tracks have a little hiss. There is a change in like they were piecing together two different sources for the same track and that was the transition point. It is fairly noticeable with good headphones(mdr-v6). There are a few other minor glitches, but not enough to even slightly color my enjoyment. I also wish the jewel case had been enlarged enough to fit the booklet *INSIDE*, but this is such a minor quibble, especially since I will be making a digital copy to mini disc in the next day or so and put the original back on the shelf so it is perfect for years to come(the packaging that is). In all, by far the best soundtrack restoration I've ever heard. I only wish I could give it 10 out of 5 stars. It is true a soundtrack can fly!
Rating: -
John Williams crowning acheivement is finally available complete & remastered for the first time. The sound qaulity, well, it IS great. Considering this is a 20+ year old recording, Rhino, and esp. producers Nick Redman & Micheal Mattessino, have done a fantastic job. The sound is much more dynamic, and stellar than the previous Warner Bros. release
The 40+ minutes of additional music is great, there are some real treats, from the energetic "The Big Rescue", to the fast paced "Sonic Greeting". This album is a treat, an absolute must-have for everyone who loves great music!
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