Future Soundtrack for America

Future Soundtrack for America

ASIN: B0002NY8IU

Editorial Reviews
Product Description
There's nothing like the steady march of news these days to point out how much more focused on politics and world events Americans seem to be than at any time in recent memory. Musicians are no exception, and a group of some of the best American artists has come together to contribute to this joint project of Barsuk Records and the non-profit progressive organizations MoveOn.org and Music for America, in association with McSweeney's Publishing.

Conceived as a political fundraising CD by They Might Be Giants' John Flansburgh and then assembled by a small group of music industry volunteers, Future Soundtrack for America features new, exclusive and rare recordings from over 20 of today's best recording artists. Clocking in at over 78 minutes but making you want to listen again as soon as it's over, this is an extraordinary compilation. The spectacular array of artists who appear on the Soundtrack are: Blink-182, Bright Eyes, David Byrne, Laura Cantrell, Clem Snide, Death Cab for Cutie, Mike Doughty, The Flaming Lips, Fountains of Wayne, Jimmy Eat World, Ben Kweller, The Long Winters, Nada Surf, OK Go, Old 97's, R.E.M., Sleater-Kinney, They Might Be Giants, Tom Waits, will.i.am of The Black Eyed Peas, and Yeah Yeah Yeahs. In addition, the family of Elliott Smith contributed a mix of "A Distorted Reality Is Now A Necessity To Be Free" a song from Smith's as-yet-unreleased last record, and the first release of new material since his death in late 2003.

100% of Barsuk's profits from this CD will go to non-profit organizations working to involve more Americans in our political process, to advocate for ordinary people and traditional American values, and to help keep the United States a country all of us can be proud of.

Tracks:

Gone With The Wind: Overture
Citizen Kane: Overture
Casablanca: As Time Goes By
It's A Wonderful Life: It's A Wonderful Life
The Third Man: The Harry Lime Theme
The Searchers: Suite
The Bridge On The River Kwai: Colonel Bogey March
Vertigo: Prelude
Touch Of Evil: Main Title
Ben-Hur: Parade Of The Charioteers
North By Northwest: Prelude
Psycho: Suite
The Magnificent Seven: The Magnificent Seven
Lawrence Of Arabia: Overture

Tracks:

To Kill A Mockingbird: Suite
The Great Escape: Main Title
Doctor Zhivago: Main Title & Lara's Theme
The Good, The Bad And The Ugly: The Good, The Bad And The Ugly
Once Upon A Time In The West: Jill's Theme
2001: A Space Odyssey: Also Sprach Zarathustra
Midnight Cowboy: Midnight Cowboy
Get Carter: Main Title
A Clockwork Orange: Ode To Joy
The Godfather: Waltz & Love Theme
Jaws: Jaws
Rocky: Gonna Fly Now
Taxi Driver: Suite
Star Wars: Episode IV: A New Hope

Tracks:

Superman: Main Theme
Alien: End Title
Raging Bull: Intermezzo From Cavalleria Rusticana
Raiders Of The Lost Ark: Raiders March
Blade Runner: End Titles
E.T.: The Extraterrestrial: Adventures On Earth
Once Upon A Time In America: Deborah's Theme
Back To The Future: Main Theme
Witness: Building The Barn
Aliens: Main Title
Cinema Paradiso: Cinema Paradiso
Glory: Charging Frot Wagner
Dances With Wolves: The John Dunbar Theme
Unforgiven: Claudia's Theme

Tracks:

The Piano: The Heart Asks Pleasure First
Schindler's List: Main Theme
Braveheart: End Credits
Titanic: My Heart Will Go On
Saving Private Ryan: Hymn To The Fallen
American Beauty: Any Other Name
Gladiator: Now We Are Free
Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring: The Fellowship
The Girl With The Pearl Earring: Griet's Theme
Pirates Of The Caribbean: The Curse Of The Black Pearl: Suite
Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban: Suite
Lemony Snicket's A Series Of Unfortunate Events: The Letter That Never Came
Finding Neverland: Impossible Opening
The Incredibles: Overture

Customer Reviews:

Six Decades of Film Music.......2007-05-13

This is film music for the classical music lover. The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra presents excellent arrangements of a number of classic film themes (although several pieces of the 56 film classics selected for this 4 CD set are not orchestral arrangements, but rather specialty arrangements). Besides great film composers such as John Williams, Elmer Bernstein, Ennio Morricone, and James Horner, classical composers such as Richard Strauss and Pietro Mascagni make an appearance. On several of the numbers the Crouch End Festival Chorus adds the human voice to the power of the full symphonic orchestra to create true movie magic. If you like the sound of a full symphony orchestra playing some of the most recognized themes ever written, you'll love these CDs.

Excellent collection with fine performances.......2007-03-28

Silva Screen Records, based in England, has been issuing some fine collections of film scores, more in one box than we have the right to expect. This four-CD box contains scores by many of the best writers, including Max Steiner, Bernard Herrmann, Dimitri Tomkin, Kenneth J. Alford (The Bridge on the River Kwai), Elmer Bernstein, Maurice Jarre, Ennio Marricone, John Barry, Nino Rota, John Williams, James Horner, and more. We can all think of additional film scores we wished were included, but then there's no way this collection could be all-inclusive. The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra, supplemented by Crouch End Festival Chorus on some numbers, does a very competent job...The liner notes give the basic information without any commentary, and as far as I can see, contain only one error. Am I wrong or are tracks 9 and 10 on the fourth CD mislabeled? Track 9, which runs 7:33, seems to have the excitement of "Pirates of the Caribbean" (which I did not see) and track 10, which runs 4:22, the more sedate "The Girl with the Pearl Earring (which I also did not see). Listings seem to have them reversed.

"essential film scores from 1939 to 2004 ~ Incredible Music".......2005-05-16

When I think of the "Golden Age" of Hollywood, many composers come to mind...you gave the usher your ticket in the theater and sat down, knowingly you were going to get your moneys worth...when the curtain opened and you heard those first few notes...you sat back, watched and listened as the film score and orchestra worked their magic...now we have the ultimate from Silva Screen Classics "The Incredible Film Music Box", featuring a four disc set of the essential film scores of the past 60 years...covering several decades from 1939 through and up to the present 2004

There are compilations and then there are "Compilations" beginning with a classic that even the youngsters today recognize "GONE WITH THE WIND" (1939) (Max Steiner), sweeping score that captures the tragic history of the South during the Civil War, one great cue after another, it doesn't get any better than this, nominated by the Academy for Best Original Score...and closing on Disc 4 with "THE INCREDIBLES" (2004) (Michael Giacchino), the big hit in computer animation from Walt Disney & Pixar that once again pit Super-Heroes against the forces of evil...our family of five Supers prove crime doesn't pay, but box-office receipts do...gotta love it!

Silva Screen Classics as usual, has put quality into this 4-CD-Set featuring The City Of Prague Philarmonic Orchestra and the Crouch End Festival Chorus conducted by Kenneth Alwyn, Bill Ashton, Paul Bateman, James Fitzpatrick, Mario Klemens, Derek Wadsworth, and Nic Raine. Recorded in "Dolby Surround" with the new technology of "HDCD", this is a "film-score-buffs" dream, one to treasure now and years to come.

Some selections are missing, but when you think of what Silva has included, it is impossible to please everyone...was happy to see "TOUCH OF EVIL" (1958) from composer Henry Mancini, as I feel this composer deserves all the recognition that has been overlooked recently in the music world...This collection is aimed directly at the "Serious Film Score" music fans and collectors...Silva is as always, perfect in every way...just the way we like 'em!

Total Time: 4-CD-Set ~ Silva America 1181 ~ (5/10/2005)

Average customer rating:

The penultimate collection ...
Muisic of the Spheres
The Ulllllltimate Sci-Fi Music Collection
SciFi Album gift
Away From to be a Collectible Peace

The Science Fiction Album
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Silva America
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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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

Generally I agree with Strategos in his ecstatic Spotlight Review above. It is a joy to here some of the most memorable themes and cues from some of the most memorable science fiction and fantasy movies (re)recorded in great sound and in lavish (re)orchestrations, played by renowned classical orchestras, namely the City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra and the Philharmonia Orchestra, no less.

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

You wonderful four disk collection of SF music. It startsa up the the grand master of SF music, 2001: A space Odyssey all the way to Superman. This is all American SF music and several themes I would have liked to have included are not there. All in all though, a collection you will enjoy.

The Ulllllltimate Sci-Fi Music Collection.......2005-10-23

If one person gives great gifts, it's the illustrious Codemaster Talon. I've received a fair number of gifts in my lifetime, but so far, my older sister's take the cake. Take this one for instance. I'm real big on orchestral music, to the point where I listen to them more than any other kind of music. I've got orchestral versions of video game themes, orchestral soundtracks to truck-loads of anime shows (Big O, Escaflowne, and Giant Robo are incredible), and could probably spend the rest of my life just trying to study the nuances of all the classical music I've got. Being such a huge fan of orchestral music, I also have come to believe that orchestra music produced for movies and television is the new classical music (or as someone once said, Mozart would be making music for movies if he were alive today). Being a huge sci-fi fan, that kind of music has always been particularly near and dear to my heart. But were I to buy each and every soundtrack for every sci-fi I liked it would cost quite a bundle, and would include a lot of sub-par music along with the grandiose and fantastic main and memorable themes. That's where this beauty comes in.

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

I bought the Science Fiction Album as a gift for my son who is twenty-one years old. He is a musician, and also a huge fan of many SciFi shows and movies. I thought this would be the perfect thing for him and I was right. He loves it!

Away From to be a Collectible Peace.......2004-12-16

If you like Sci-Fi movies and want a compilation of their important scores, this is the CD-set to buy. But let me warn you about that very few songs in the cds are from the original soundtracks. Most of them is re-recorded by The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra. But the sound quality of cds are very good, because they have HDCD and Dolby Surround labels. This set is away from to be a collectible peace, but it is a good general compilation of favorite Sci-Fi movie scores.

Average customer rating:

Hoping for Another "Future Soundtrack" in 2008
If I could give it Zero Stars I would
pretty righteous.
After the dust settled, it became about music...
Good record, great cause

Future Soundtrack for America
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Barsuk
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Tracks:

OK Go - This Will Be Our Year [unreleased Zombies cover]
David Byrne - Not So Far To Go [original previously unreleased]
Jimmy Eat World - Game Of Pricks (live on the BBC) [unreleased]
Death Cab For Cutie - This Temporary Life [original previously unreleased]
Blink-182 - I Miss You (James Guthrie mix) [this mix available only on ltd UK 7"]
Mike Doughty - Move On [original previously unreleased]
Ben Kweller - Jerry Falwell Destroyed the Earth [original previously unreleased]
Sleater-Kinney - Off With Your Head [available only on bonus 7" w/ One Beat LP]
REM - Final Straw (MoveOn Mix) [original previously unreleased]
Bright Eyes - Going For The Gold (live) [unreleased]
The Long Winters - The Commander Thinks Aloud [original previously unreleased]
will.i.am of The Black-Eyed Peas - Money [available only on 2002 UK-only soundtrack release]
They Might Be Giants - Tippecanoe And Tyler Too [unreleased cover of 19th c. political song]
Clem Snide - The Ballad of David Icke [original previously unreleased
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Date With The Night (live) [unreleased]
Fountains Of Wayne - Everything's Ruined (acoustic) [unreleased]
Nada Surf - Your Legs Grow [original previously unreleased]
Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots (live on the BBC) [unreleased]
Old 97s - Northern Line [Opal cover; previously released only on promo-only EP]
Laura Cantrell - Sam Stone [unreleased John Prine cover]
Tom Waits - Day After Tomorrow [original previously unreleased]
Elliott Smith - A Distorted Reality Is Now A Necessity To Be Free [original previously unreleased]

Album Description

There's nothing like the steady march of news these days to point out how much more focused on politics and world events Americans seem to be than at any time in recent memory. Musicians are no exception, and a group of some of the best American artists has come together to contribute to this joint project of Barsuk Records and the non-profit progressive organizations MoveOn.org and Music for America, in association with McSweeney's Publishing.

Customer Reviews:

Hoping for Another "Future Soundtrack" in 2008.......2006-07-04

As a MoveOn.org supporter and music enthusiast who is a fan of many of the groups represented herein, I'm a pretty ideal listener for this material. But as one might expect with a project of this nature and 22 disparate performers, the results are a mite uneven. (Or is it that OK Go's leadoff song, "This Will Be Our Year," is a sad reminder of how the 2004 elections were NOT our year?)

But what I really looked forward to was hearing acts I was NOT familiar with. Alas, they tended to underwhelm. For me, the old friends were also the keepers in the bunch, namely: Nada Surf, Jimmy Eat World, Soul Coughing's Mike Doughty, Death Cab for Cutie, TMBG, Elliott Smith (RIP), and the almost always brilliant Fountains of Wayne. And kudos to Blink-182 for doing a suprisingly restrained and tuneful number.

Now let's get 'em in 2008!

If I could give it Zero Stars I would.......2005-08-23

Nothing like a bunch of multi-millionaires telling the saps who buy their CDs what a sorry state the nation is in. There are a few promising tunes on the CD but it's mostly the usual bilge being spewed by today's wannabe-activist musical acts. Save your money and download the songs you like from iTunes. As for Moveon.org -- their relevance has come and gone. Most of the kids buying this CD probably don't even know the original purpose of this passe, discredited organization. In summary, this is true bleeding heart feel good junk. Shut up and sing.

pretty righteous........2005-03-25

i heard about this cd a while ago, was very excited, found it, wasn't as impressed as i thought i would be. don't get me wrong--there are some real gems on here (among them: "this will be our year", "game of pricks", "off with your head", "money"). but there were a few disappointments ("going for the gold", "everything's ruined", etc.)

i figure it's worth it to support moveon.org, which was one of the reasons i bought the album. borrow from a friend and give it a listen before you buy.

. . . and yeah, where was the iron and wine?!

After the dust settled, it became about music..........2005-03-06

Political issues aside, this is one great album, period. I had an opportunity to listen to it when the dust from the 2004 Presidential Election had settled, and was floored by the quality of the contributions of the diverse artists, many of which are alternate or live versions of other songs you may have heard before. When you think of the many acts that joined in to make the "Future Soundtrack..." a reality, it's tough to choose any favorites.

Whether you know the bands or not, my guess is you will enjoy most of the tracks. This is something rare in this type of recording (a typical case that comes to mind about how these tend to sound is a triple-CD album that was released to help Tibet, most of which was terrible). In the "Future Soundtrack for America" there's the veterans: R.E.M., Tom Waits, The Flaming Lips, David Byrne; as well as several younger acts coming up strong. All of them give themselves into this album "like there's no tomorrow" and the result is one solid album from end to end, with 20 great tracks bound to stick around.

You could have bought it for the cause it stood for, back in 2004. The truth is today it is still great music, and it will continue to be so for a good while. And if you think I am doing this for political reasons, let me share a little bit with you: I normally listen to the music in an album first, and only after many, many times, do I sit down to pay attention to the lyrics. That hasn't yet happened with this album, and I already love it.

Good record, great cause.......2004-10-18

I really enjoyed this record and the proceeds go to a great cause. (Moveon.org is the best thing to happen to politics in a long time.) It's got 22 tracks so its a good value for your money. I particularly enjoyed the David Byrne, Flaming Lips, and Old 97 tracks.

Average customer rating:

its not that the material is bad, it is simply repeated
"Silva takes film-score-buffs to the far reaches of space"

The Science Fiction Album, Vol. 1

Manufacturer: Silva America
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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2001: A Space Odyssey: Also Spach Zarathustra
Star Wars: Main Title
The Empire Strikes Back: Han Solo And The Princess
The Empire Strikes Back: The Imperial March
Return Of The Jedi: Forest Battle
The Phantom Menace: The Flag Parade
The Phantom Menace: Anakin's Theme
The Phantom Menace: The Adventures Of Jar Jar
The Phantom Menace: Duel Of The Fates
Apollo 13 Lift Off
Apollo 13: Main Title
Capricorn One: Overture
The Right Stuff: Main Themes
Battlestar Galactica: Main Themes
The Nostromo
Alien: End Title
Independence Day: End Title Suite

Tracks:

Aliens: Prelude/Ripley's Rescue
Mars Attacks: Introduction & Main Title
The Thing From Another World: Main Theme
War Of The Worlds: Main Title/Martian Man Dies
When Worlds Collide: Main Title/The New World
Armageddon: Suite
Crash Landing
Lost In Space: End Title
Back To The Future: Main Title
The Black Hole: Overture
A.I.: Where Dreams Are Born
Lifeforce: Main Theme
Predator: Main Titles
Dogfight
Starship Troopers: Klendathu Drop
E.T.: The Flying Theme
Close Encounters Of The Third Kind: Suite

Customer Reviews:

its not that the material is bad, it is simply repeated.......2005-05-17

The entire first disc is available on other Silva America CDs, (at the time the star wars songs were the first release, but now they are on Music from the Star Wars saga), the rest on "Space and Beyond" "Space and Beyond 2: Alien Invasion", "The Cult Files" and "Battlestar Galactica A-Z of SciFi/Fantasy TV Themes". The re-recordings are cool but this is mainly a rehash of other cd's, as I said, the entire first cd is available on other Silva collections, and only 9 of the 15 tracks on cd 2 are not available on any other cd i own from Silva. (I don't have Cult Files re-opened or Space and beyond 3, who knows they might be on there)

Obviously, when this album was originally released, the main appeal was the newly recorded star wars tracks, this cd has become more or less obsolete, its still a nice collection, but if you own the other Silva cd's. you don't really need this.

"Silva takes film-score-buffs to the far reaches of space".......2002-05-17

Just in time for the latest George Lucas "Star Wars-Episode II:Attack Of The Clones"(5/16)(John Williams) ~ Silva America and James Fitzpatrick have gathered eight cues from previous Star Wars films to thrill us again. Get ready for another chapter in the ongoing saga of inner planetary tales, all collected for your listening pleasure in Silva's latest release ~ "The Science Fiction Album Volume 1" with 34 tracks on a futuristic 2-CD-Set(with a 3-D cover insert), much like the science fiction pulp covers from the '40s, inticing the reader to purchase, read and dive into another world of aliens and creatures from far reaches of space and planets.

This collection features the best of the best composers and film scores ~ David Arnold(INDEPENDENCE DAY)~ John Barry(THE BLACK HOLE)~ Bruce Broughton(LOST IN SPACE)~ Bill Conti(THE RIGHT STUFF MAIN THEMES)~ Danny Elfman(MARS ATTACKS)~ Jerry Goldsmith(CAPRICORN ONE/ALIEN)~ James Horner(APOLLO 13 MAIN TITLE)~ Glen Larson & Stu Phillips(BATTLESTAR GALACTICA MAIN THEMES)~ Henry Mancini(LIFEFORCE)~ Basil Poledouris(STARSHIP TROOPERS)~ Trevor Rabin(ARMAGEDDON)~ Alan Silvestri(BACK TO THE FUTURE/PEDATOR)~ Leith Stevens(WAR OF THE WORLDS/WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE)~ Dimitri Tiomkin(THE THING FROM ANOTHER WORLD)~ John Williams(STAR WARS MAIN TITLE/HAN SOLO AND THE PRINCESS/THE IMPERIAL MARCH/FOREST BATTLE/THE FLAG PARADE/ANAKIN'S THEME/ADVENTURES OF JAR JAR/DUEL OF THE FATES/ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE/E.T.-THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL/CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND).

No doubt the above composers excel in the world of film music, notice how many John Williams scores appear in this collection. Williams is without a doubt one of the major players in this genre, but there are many other composers who can stand up to his high marks when it comes to bringing the full force of a story through music. One such composer is Henry Mancini, if you ever had any doubts about this mans ability to score any film, whether it be drama, comedy, action or sci-fi...this question is answered here with "LIFEFORCE", gives the audience a cinematic education tightly coiled around directors Tobe Hooper's story of outer space vampires. Within each cue of the film, Mancini's score takes over and we are pleasantly surprised with the results.

If you're a "film-score-buff", like I am...then this collection from the '50s', '60s, '70s, '80s and '90s is an absolute must. As an added bonus we feature the world renowned ~ The City Of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra with conductors Paul Bateman, Nicholas Dodd and Nic Raine, plus, yes plus the Crouch End Festival Chorus and one of my favorite sopranos Charlotte Kinder. When it comes to releasing compilations of this magnitude, most labels tend to become much safer in their choices, afraid to make a mistake. Silva America takes the risk and it always pays off, this is one of those times ~ looking forward to "The Science Fiction Album Volume 2", gotta love it!

Total: Disc One 62:45 on 17 Tracks & Disc Two 66:10 on 17 Tracks ~ Silva America
SSD-1139 ~ (2002)

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