The Essential John Carpenter Film Music Collection: Halloween [Soundtrack]

John Carpenter (Composer), The City of Prague Philharmonic (Orchestra), Gareth Williams (Performer), Nick Watson (Performer), Mark Ayres & Nic Raine (Performer), Steve Lockwood (Performer), Justin Read (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Gareth Williams, Nick Watson, Mark Ayres & Nic Raine, Steve Lockwood, Justin Read
• Orchestra: The City of Prague Philharmonic
• Composer: John Carpenter
• Audio CD (October 22, 2002)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Soundtrack
• Label: Silva America
• ASIN: B00006JTG2
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 2.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #250,506 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #83 in Music > Miscellaneous > Holiday > Halloween

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

38 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Essential what?, July 7, 2003

By 

N. P. Stathoulopoulos "nick9155" (Brooklyn, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Essential John Carpenter Film Music Collection: Halloween (Audio CD)

As the previous reviewer noted, nowhere on this CD does it indicate that the 'Essential John Carpenter' is someone re-recording all of the famous cues. Naturally all the info is on the inside.

And the disc? I don't see the point in bothering. They might as well make Assault on Precinct 13, Dark Star, and They Live (which pretty much don't have scores in print anymore) available again, even if they have to combine a couple to make one disc.

Carpenter does not use orchestras or elaborate bands for his scores. He does most of it himself and that makes another Carpenter collection simple. It's not difficult to play the notes, but everything is just slightly off and after a while you wonder what's the point.

This is NOT the music from the Carpenter films you love. This is someone playing that music. Assault on Precinct 13, which provides most of the attraction of this pretty worthless disc, sounds lousy and has none of the life of the throbbing synth of the original. Not only that, but they have the nerve to throw in two (2) cues from Starman, a Carpenter film that he didn't do his own music for(!) Instead the disc is broken by the Jerry Goldsmith pieces that sound NOTHING like anything Carpenter has done. It's bad--it belongs elsewhere, namely the Starman soundtrack which is still in print.

Stay away from this thing. It's a ripoff, another attempt to cash in on a name without providing any real product.

24 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars AVOID THIS IMITATION GARBAGE!!!!! FAKE CARPENTER, June 24, 2003

By 

Laughin' Spittin' Man (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Essential John Carpenter Film Music Collection: Halloween (Audio CD)

These jerks did a great job hiding the fact that these tracks are re-recorded by some schlep. Avoid this lame piece of garbage at all costs. The tones are totally wrong, it sounds very little like the genius originals. I bought this to get some of the Assault on Precinct 13 stuff, and was horrified to find that everything had been re-recorded. THIS IS NOT MENTIONED ON THE OUTER PACKAGING IN ANY WAY!!! You would never know until you open it and read the liners. Shame on these bastards for trying to dupe and rip people off. AVOID THIS [STUFF]!!!

20 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars not for fans of carpenter's scores, December 3, 2004

By 

dave - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Essential John Carpenter Film Music Collection: Halloween (Audio CD)

like other reviewers said, this is someone else playing those classic carpenter tunes. sometimes it sounds like elevator music. unfortunately, the cover doesn't say anything about this piece of work...