Customer Reviews

The Adventures of Superman: Original Television Soundtrack (1950s TV Series)

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Kudos to whoever at Varese Sarabande had the inspiration to release this disc. Here are all those wonderful snippets of background "mood music" that graced so many early television shows including, of course, the first season of "The Adventures of Superman." This music is so deeply embedded in my brain that the shows themselves are less well remembered. But, surely, others must remember a syndicated Western series "Stories of the Century" (starring Jim Davis)as well as a kazillion other early TV thrillers and B and C rated movies. As a matter of fact, check out my Amazon.com review of "Superman and the Mole Men" where I pan that movie's home videotape release because it does not contain this music. (The music heard on this CD was added later when the film was re-mixed as a two-part episode for the TV series; how pale and amateurish the film is without this glorious music!) Buy without delay and, if you're 45 or older, you will be astonished at how many buried yet vivid memories this CD dredges up!

Varese Sarabande presents this major event, long awaited from the early days of television and one of the most familiar background music ever written - "The Adventures of Superman", starring George Reeves as the "Man of Steel". To baby boomers, this awesome soundtrack is imbedded in a collective consciousness, as Superman saved Americans from crooks, spies, mad scientists and monsters, and oh yes...Mole Men.

It all started in July 1951 as a pilot of sorts "Superman and the Mole Men", shot in 12 days at RKO-Path Studios, with Kellogg's Cereals as a sponsor, as you will hear on hidden track 36. Of Superman's 104 episodes, the first 26 black & white have taken on a mythical status, and a bold orchestral sound virtually unheard of in TV underscoring before or since, this was ground-breaking composing for a half-hour series.

Before Superman, canned TV music was a dreary affair, suddenly with this "new series", a groundswell of dynamic music burst on the scene with ballistic force, big-orchestra chases, heavy tension pieces and slashing action themes with a huge cinematic sound. Every week kids and yes, their parents watched and saw what no other series of its day could do, deliver the promise of a super-hero we could believe in, made possible by a gifted actor (George Reeves) whom many of us felt we actually knew intimately...and we proudly dedicate this album to the memory of George Reeves, and all the keepers of the flame...thank you Varese Sarabande for the memories of those wonderful days of yester-year!

Total Time: 72:16 on 36 Tracks...Varese Sarabande 066093...(2000)

The medium of filmed episodic television was still in its infancy when "The Adventures of Superman" began production in 1951. Producers Luber and Maxwell were pioneers faced with the task of creating compelling half-hour "movies" featuring a character already well-known to juvenile (and adult)audiences from comic books, newspaper strips, theatrical cartoons, radio, and movie serials. Luber and Maxwell's excellent choices in terms of casting, direction, cinematography, and scripting were complemented by the powerful Mutel music library cues that punctuated this remarkable television series, a show that has been in constant distribution ever since. Its success encouraged later Superman projects, including one of the most successful motion-picture series ever made. Strongly influenced by the serial and film noir heritage of its production team, and by the newspaper and pulp fiction training of its writers, the first two seasons of "The Adventures of Superman" depicted a vivid mid-20th Century Metropolis where evil forces struggled constantly with the public good. Underscoring the vivid black & white cinematography and exceptional performances of superb character actors was the music heard in "The Adventures of Superman." Still powerful and compelling so many years later, this music set a standard for television to follow in subsequent years. Listening to this new release on CD reminds us of the energy and originality in television back then, of the mastery these creative talents had over their medium, and of the power music has to establish moods in visual entertainment. The music in this new CD serves as an archetype for dramatic television soundtracks, and as such is one of the most important such discs ever released. And if you saw this program on TV as a child, the music has the added ability to evoke moods and memories you may not have felt or thought of in decades. I only hope this is just the first volume to be released from "The Adventures of Superman." From both an historical and emotional perspective, this CD is one of the most important such discs ever released. I highly recommend it.

If you spent hours playing with that Aurora model of Superman crashing through the wall, or put on a red bathroom towel and jumped off the couch once to often, then this cd is for you. To say it is nostalgic is an understatement.The wax to disc transfer is amazing, leaving you with the impression that you are in the control room, the linear notes are superb, with information beyond belief. This music sends you back to the safe as mashed potatoes 1950's, when kids thought Superman was larger then life, and was so popular he even ended up on Lucy's ledge. All the music is here from that first season, so spend some time, close your eyes and you will still be able to see George Reeves and those little guys with the Electrolux coming out of the well.

Ahhhhh.... this is the music that will bring it all back to you. This is truly Superman Music at it's best. You can actually close your eyes, listen to the music and be transported back to 1951 and vision the Mole Men, climbing out of the worlds deepest oil well, stalking among the streets of Silsby, in a world that is unknown to them. You can sense Superman leaping from the Daily Planet building and soaring through the air. The sound enhancement is spectacular on this CD. This is a Superman Collectors dream, to have the original music that was not available in the past. Bravo for Varese Sarabande Records for releasing this GEM. For the true Superman collector ... order 2 copies, one to open and listen to and the other to store for your Superman Collection. 5 Star rating was the highest allowed by Amazon ..... but it is a definite 10 STAR Rated CD. Have no fear buying this one, it is the REAL thing. Make sure that you allow the cd to finish right to the end, after the end title theme is a small tid bit, a special cereal spot starring Superman & Perry White. Enjoy !

Many baby boomers like myself grew up watching "The Adventures Of Superman." This CD brings back those wonderful memories with crystal clarity. All one has to do is close their eyes, and listen. The various episodes then come to mind through the magic of this wonderful music. The music presented on this CD sounds wonderful and shows little of it's age. Yes...this is the original music not a re-creation. Although this CD didn't cover all of the episodic music of this show...it did cover most. Let's hope a second CD covering the remainder of this music is on the way. This CD is a MUST HAVE...not only for fans of Superman but also for fans of classic fifties TV.

This is a great CD! I am a fan of the b&w episodes, especially w/the original Lois, Phyllis Coates. She was a woman ahead of her time. The CD is 70+ minutes long and of the 35 tracks, 32 are excellent! Listening to the music reminds one of some of the classic episodes, such as 'The Unknown People', 'The Evil 3', 'Rescue', 'The Deserted Village', 'Mystery in Wax' etc. etc. There is even a 'bonus' track at the end which is a (radio?) commercial of Kellogs cereal w/both George Reeves and John Hamilton taking part. If you're a fan of the show this is a 'must have'. Sit back, enjoy and relive your youth :-)

I was extremely pleased with the quality of the sound and the tracks that were included from the original Superman TV series.
When I listened to it, it immediately put me back into the fifties and alll of the great memories from watching the show for six or seven years. I would heartily recommend it to any Superman fan.

THIS REMASTERED ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK OF THE FIRST YEARS OF THE TV SERIES, SUPERMAN WAS SUPERB. IT COVERED THE FIRST YEARS 1951-52.IT WAS REALLY GOOD TO HEAR THESE TRACKS AGAIN. I CAN'T WAIT FOR THE NEXT SET 1953 AND ON TO BE PRODUCED. LISTENING WAS A REAL TREAT AND NOSTALGIA - A MUST FOR ALL BABY BOOMERS IN THEIR 40'S AND 50'S.

Don't turn off your PC tonight until you order this CD. Virtually every piece of music heard during the first season of "The Adventures of Superman" is here, and they've never sounded better. The liner notes alone are worth the purchase price. This music holds up VERY well after almost half a century. Listen to this CD and you'll realize that the music was one of the things that made the first season of "Superman" so very special.