Superman

Review by Thomas Glorieux:

The classics of John Williams, the incredible list of immense themes, and the one person that is responsible for its outcome of film music. The golden '70 and early '80 offered the best themes of John Williams. And one to add to the almighty list is the heroic march of Superman. No one can forget the impact it made when it was released at the theatres, and the blockbuster movie became attached to one of the biggest blockbuster themes of Williams' his career. There have been some releases but the original still stands as one of the all time collectibles. The sound is very good and the material is of course pure Williams in all its standards. Superman became classic gold, classic film music. The release of '78 offered an impressive 73 minutes of music, with the Superman theme, the love theme, the villain march and some outstanding adventure action minutes. The impeccable theme of course starts the score, 'Theme from Superman (Main Title)' is the sensational concert arrangement that offers the best possible mix of adventure and romance. 'The Planet Krypton' begins with the awesome and desolate sounding Krypton theme, before it swells up into glory and power. 'Destruction of Krypton' is 6 minutes of immense orchestral power. One of the best examples of a perfect love theme performance is the track 'Love Theme from Superman', a impressive thematic gem and offering pure romantic emotion.

Still, my most interesting discovery has to be found inside the 3rd minute of 'The Fortress of Solitude', when the Krypton theme makes it appearance through flute solos and it really has such a resemblance with the 5 note theme of Close Encounters of the Third Kind. It really is strikingly similar sometimes. 'The Flying Sequence & Can You Read my Mind' offers the splendid love theme with a rather uninteresting version of Margot Kidder speaking her inner feelings to Superman's character Christopher Reeve, this piece really interrupts and is truly is out of place. 'The March of the Villains' is another classic march resembling the style of Indiana Jones, highly entertaining. The adventure action sequences found at the end are enjoyable but not so memorable or brilliant, at least what this CD release offers because there are some excellent performances missing. But what could the Superman soundtrack be without a last blast of all the themes in 'End Title', a perfect end of another impressive Williams score. You have to admit it every time, the scores' Williams delivered are still pure gems and they will maintain that status, and they remain to have that pure orchestral and magical sound. It might not glitter as fine as the Star Wars scores, there is much that deserves the ongoing attention of any pure film music fan. Superman deserves as any classic a expanded and proper release (and it did get it) but you have to repeat that the material found on this soundtrack is impressive, worthy of attention and complete with all the themes we want to hear every time again. And as pure CD standard its all we want and need, every time again and again.

Superman "2 CD Complete Score"

If you consider the man has written classic after classic scores you should think it should stop somehow sometime. No not around the time of terrestrials, adventurers and super people that is! And when Richard Donner made the comic book adventures of Clark Kent a reality on the big screen, it was only one man who could make the man musically fly. Namely John Williams, the legend who made the music for all the blockbusters in that day! Poor Jerry Goldsmith could only guide those failed attempts at recapturing the blockbuster spirit but John Williams was a guaranteed success no matter what. And naturally the man didn't fail when he created the now famous main theme for Christopher Reeve's character. Ultimately know as one of his ultimate A themes. For years the CD release of Warner Bross was all that was needed to amuse the fans, but know a 2 CD deal is needed to entertain the fans in double style. And needed is the word if you consider which goods were left from the original CD, complete tracks or just plain minutes that were cut from the picture, but it are those minutes that make the difference. Starting with 'Prelude and Main Title March' where a minute makes for a new piece of music, before the famous march unfolds itself for the first time. With the excellent krypton theme we reach 'The Planet Krypton' and the percussive villain theme, as well for the brass erupting which is still classic Williams, meaning darn impressive. 'Destruction of Krypton' is also 2 minutes longer and again it feels so much more when you compare the 2, the original from the expanded. The opening and closing is so powerful in its trumpet playing that it spells out epic doom all over it. 'Star Ship Escapes' is a completely new track and while most was cut from the film, it still sounds connected to the brassy action music from the previous tracks, and its variations on the themes make it all so much more complex and threatening. The pizzicato playfulness in 'Growing Up' and the emotional home theme in 'Death of Jonathan Kent' are having new minutes which make the whole story more complete. And then 'Leaving Home' feels so much more at home with its powerful home theme finish. And even the long 'The Fortress of Solitude' is having added minutes of new material, in which the eerie choir and variations on themes intermingle one another gloriously.

With 'Welcome to Metropolis' we encounter humorously the first version of the love theme while 'Lex Luthor's Lair' shows the other big theme for the very first time, namely the march of the villain theme, again somewhat humorous. Surprisingly the big action piece 'The Big Rescue' was never released until now and here the main theme makes it first bold appearance when Kent does something heroic. And this is interspersed with some pizzicato playfulness in the following tracks. The second disc by then holds other key cards. Like the concert version of the ingenious 'The March of the Villains' and the soft love theme in 'The Terrace'. Naturally its full bodied version doesn't leap behind and 'The Flying Sequence' luckily doesn't insert Margot Kidder's awful singing in the love theme, but here the true orchestral performance is heard. That Kidder's version follows way at the end as alternate material makes you glad there is such a thing as 2 CD deals. The scherzo in 'Sonic Greeting' of the theme and 'Misguided Missiles and Kryptonite' are but examples of full new tracks, and in the last the themes are flowing into one another flawlessly, but then again Williams always had a knack for tying his numerous themes together. With 'Superfeats' we have yet another example of new minutes which make all the difference when hearing the full picture Williams intended for Superman and 'Super Dam and Finding Lois' its the same when Williams unleashes the complex music which wasn't even featured at all in the film. 'Finale and End Title March' brings the themes in full ablaze and I still fancy 'Love Theme from Superman' as one of the ultimate love themes ever composed. Of course his own 'Across the Stars' love theme doesn't leap behind. With the alternate pieces and concert versions, Superman The Complete Score finally gives you the super strength needed to fly and dodge pigeons because now and finally now you understand the true meaning of Williams material. Everything he touched in that period turned into gold and Superman is no different, its that classic and time consuming and it will always remain that way. It may not be heralded as his Star Wars scores but it remains one of THE themes instantly recognizable and it shows that Williams landed something big. Because John Ottman needed to insert his themes into the new version of Singer, if not the people wouldn't connect to Superman's story at all. Again read my lips, its not as classic but its a classic no matter what and what John Williams achieved here he has done numerous times before, he gave a heart and a meaning to a hero that made Christopher Reeve legendary. And with 2 CD's we have the chance to fly with him, on the theme that made him Superman.

Superman: ****
Superman "2 CD Complete Score": *****

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Tracks

Single Disc

1. Theme From Superman (Main Title) (4.25) Excellent Track

2. The Planet Krypton (4.45) Excellent Track

3. Destruction Of Krypton (5.58)

4. The Trip To Earth (2.23)

5. Love Theme From Superman (5.00) Excellent Track

6. Leaving Home (4.49) Excellent Track

7. The Fortress Of Solitude (8.27)

8. The Flying Sequence / Can You Read My Mind * (8.07)

9. Super Rescues (3.24)

10. Superfeats (5.00)

11. The March Of The Villains (3.33) Excellent Track

12. Chasing Rockets (7.33)

13. Turning Back The World (2.02)

14. End Title (6.27) Excellent Track

* Composed by John Williams and Leslie Bricusse

Total Length: 72.48

Armageddon "2 CD Recording Sessions Promo"

Disk One: 75.18

1. Prelude And Main Title March ** (5.26) Excellent Track

2. The Planet Krypton ** (6.37) Excellent Track

3. Destruction Of Krypton ** (7.52) Excellent Track

4. Star Ship Escapes * (2.21) Excellent Track

5. The Trip To Earth (2.27)

6. Growing Up ** (2.32)

7. Death Of Jonathan Kent * (3.24)

8. Leaving Home (4.49) Excellent Track

9. The Fortress Of Solitude ** (9.14)

10. Welcome To Metropolis * (2.08)

11. Lex Luthor's Lair ** (4.46)

12. The Big Rescue * (5.55) Excellent Track

13. Super Crime Fighter ** (3.14)

14. Super Rescues ** (2.10)

Bonus Tracks

15. Luthor's Luau (Source) * (2.48)

16. The Planet Krypton (Alternate) ** (4.24)

17. Main Title March (Alternate) (4.38) Excellent Track

Disk Two: 73.38

1. Superman March (Alternate) ** (3.44) Excellent Track

2. The March Of The Villains (3.33) Excellent Track

3. The Terrace * (1.32)

4. The Flying Sequence (8.10) Excellent Track

5. Lois And Clark * (0.47)

6. Crime Of The Century * (3.23)

7. Sonic Greeting * (2.18)

8. Misguided Missiles And Kryptonite * (3.23)

9. Chasing Rockets ** (4.55)

10. Superfeats ** (4.52) Excellent Track

11. Super Dam And Finding Lois ** (5.11)

12. Turning Back The World (2.04)

13. Finale And End Title March ** (5.38) Excellent Track

14. Love Theme From Superman (4.59) Excellent Track

Bonus Tracks

15. Can You Read My Mind + (2.56)

16. The Flying Sequence / Can You Read My Mind + (8.12)

17. Can You Read My Mind (Alternate & Instrumental) (2.56)

18. Theme From Superman (Concert Version) (4.24) Excellent Track

+ Performed by Margot Kidder

* Previously unreleased selection

** Contains previously unreleased material

The use of artwork or photos is posted for non profitable reasons

=== Link to Composer Site: John Williams ===