Space and Beyond: Beyond the Final Frontier (Compilation)

Review by Thomas Glorieux:

Space and Beyond continues to explore the universe and everything that is unexplainable. This time again more fantasy looking fanfares and pieces that are demonstrated to the big crowd using the City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra once more. Every track is combined with a massively sounding orchestra and most of the performances are good, only real die hard fans could complain about certain aspects of the performance. But the question mostly about continuing compilations is the material that has been used more than before and the lack of perhaps better music. Silva Screen's 3rd chapter has used again the new and the old but mostly the old is perhaps a bit too different for my liking. For instance Mancini's music from It Came from Outer Space, Addison's Strange Invaders and Gray's Journey to the Far Side of the Sun isn't exactly music that will stir the crowd more than once. It does however set again the perfect set of old and new science fiction together to create a mood that is typically alienating in its atmosphere and tone.

Mostly, compilation scores go back to the things (meaning highlights of a score) that make the album sell and if Williams with The Phantom Menace can't do it without much difficulty, than what else. It receives a good performance by the way. Also Star Trek receives more interest with music from the game, latest movie and series, it all gives you ample music from the stars. But mostly with compilations (and this especially concerns Space and Beyond) it is the search for the sudden hidden treasure, or the performance that makes it better than the normal moment that is important. The hidden treasure is Craig Safan's 'The Last Starfighter' which is pure orchestral fantasy and 2 perfect compiled suites are equally stunning in their performance; David Newman's Galaxy Quest combines a lot of tracks together in a fitting whole and Poledouris' excellent Robocop suite is another sensational track to listen to. And besides that, we have good performances of Lost in Space, a more than interesting (orchestral) look upon Armageddon and equally Judge Dredd and The Cape are welcome bombastic inclusions to the score. Finally we have normal to good music and performances that can work for those who aren't afraid of a different version, including the opener of the first disc Aliens, which I think isn't really incredible true to the original version but does offer power and pace, making the track worthy in my book.

So Space and Beyond 3: Beyond the Final Frontier does bring more surprises and good performances of various era's of space music but sometimes you have to say that it isn't that brilliant overall. We were truly spoiled with the first two releases of Silva Screen and by the time you realized it, the third isn't up to the same level of brilliance as the previous two. This doesn't mean that it is just awful because it delivers suites and surprises with style and it keeps listening good, but it isn't 5 stars worthy. Perhaps also the material of space music is finally seeing the end and if it did come to a fourth release, I would be surprised to see what else they have in store for us. The third Silva Screen CD, again containing worthy liner notes, 2 CD's full of symphonic music and good to sometimes superior performances is just the kind that can work if you keep looking to the stars with interest, and should not be missed if you have complete interest towards science fiction and little green men.

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Tracks

Double Disc

Disk One: 63.06

Aliens (James Horner) Orchestrations by Nic Raine

1. Prelude / Ripley's Rescue (5.54) Excellent Track

Ghostbusters (Elmer Bernstein) Orchestrations by Elmer Bernstein

2. Main Theme (3.12)

It Came From Outer Space (Henry Mancini) Orchestrations by Henry Mancini

3. The Thing Strikes / Desert Rendezvous (4.17)

Strange Invaders (John Addison) Orchestrations by John Addison

4. Suite (8.27)

Judge Dredd (Alan Silvestri) Orchestrations by William Ross

5. Suite (4.49) Excellent Track

Robocop (Basil Poledouris) Orchestrations by Scott Smalley & Nic Raine

6. Suite / Rock Shop / Home / Van Chase / The Dream (9.31) Excellent Track

The Time Machine (Russell Garcia) Orchestrations by Nic Raine

7. London 1900 / Filbey's Theme (2.28)

Back To The Future (Alan Silvestri) Orchestrations by James Campbell

8. Main Theme (3.25) Excellent Track

The Cape (John Debney) Orchestrations by Frank Bennett

9. Main Theme (3.11) Excellent Track

Star Trek: The Menagerie (Alexander Courage) Orchestrations by Alexander Courage

10. Suite (8.27)

Star Fleet Academy (Ron Jones) Orchestrations by Ron Jones

11. Opening (4.02)

Star Trek: Insurrection (Jerry Goldsmith) Orchestrations by Alexander Courage

12. End Title Suite (5.06) Excellent Track

Disk Two: 68.17

The Last Starfighter (Craig Safan) Orchestrations by Joel Rosenbaum

1. Main Theme (3.07) Excellent Track

Silent Running (Peter Schickele) Orchestrations by Paul Bateman

2. The Space Fleet (4.09)

Journey To The Far Side Of The Sun (Barry Gray) Orchestrations by Nic Raine

3. Suite / Main Theme / The Sleeping Astronauts / Finale (5.57)

Lost In Space (Bruce Broughton) Orchestrations by William Ross & David Slonaker

4. End Titles (3.26) Excellent Track

Galaxy Quest (David Newman) Orchestrations by David Newman

5. Suite (7.11) Excellent Track

Things To Come (Arthur Bliss) Orchestrations by Arthur Bliss

6. The Children's Ballet (3.46)

Things To Come (Arthur Bliss) Orchestrations by Arthur Bliss

7. March (3.59)

The Matrix (Don Davis) Orchestrations by Don Davis

8. Anything Is Possible (8.08)

Meteor (Laurence Rosenthal) Orchestrations by Arthur Morton & Laurence Rosenthal

9. End Titles Suite (5.03)

Deep Impact (James Horner) Orchestrations by John Bell

10. The Wedding (4.18)

Armageddon (Trevor Rabin) Orchestrations by Nic Raine

11. Harry & Grace / Launch (5.08) Excellent Track

Star Wars: The Phantom Menace (John Williams) Orchestrations by John Williams

12. The Flag Parade (3.18) Excellent Track

13. Anakin's Theme (2.51)

14. The Adventures Of Jar Jar (3.26)

15. Duel Of The Fates (4.10) Excellent Track

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