John Carpenter's: The Fog (New Expanded Edition Original Film Soundtrack) [Soundtrack]

John Carpenter | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 10, 2000)
• Original Release Date: February 8, 1980
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Soundtrack
• Label: Silva America
• ASIN: B00004Y9YU
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #331,029 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Prologue - John Carpenter

2. Theme from the Fog - John Carpenter

3. Matthew Ghost Story - John Carpenter

4. Walk to the Lighthouse

5. Rocks at Drake's Bay

6. The Fog

7. Antonio Bay

8. Tommy Tells of Ghost Ships

9. Reel 9

10. Main Theme Reprise [The Fog]

11. The Fog Rolls In [*]

12. Blake in the Sanctuary [*]

13. Finale [*]

14. Die Walküre: Vorspiel

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars The Aborted Soundtrack............................, December 30, 2000

By 

J. L. Braswell (Cullman, Alabama United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: John Carpenter's: The Fog (New Expanded Edition Original Film Soundtrack) (Audio CD)

The Fog is one of my favorite horror movies due to its atmospheric and ghostly feeling. Much of this feeling is due to the superb score by John Carpenter. I purchased the original import album on Ebay several months ago. I had been searching for this soundtrack for years. Can you imagine the excitement I felt when I finally succeeded in my quest? After listening to the CD, I was extremely let down. Only a few pieces of music from the actual film was present. I read the liner notes and found out what was wrong. Here is a quote from John Carpenter himself;

"The movie that I had made was clunky, clumsy and awful. The music was heavy-handed and obvious. I wanted to pack up and leave town. This was the lowest point I can remember in my professional career."

"I went back to Sound Arts Studio and quickly began composing and recording new tracks. Dan Wyman was at my side keeping a critical eye on my multi-tracked performances and maintaining quality control. Out of all the frenzy, re-working and re-structuring, I produced what I consider to be one of my best scores."

I honestly don't know why so many tracks from his "best score" are discarded from the soundtrack in favor of the original "heavy-handed and obvious" tracks which, quite simply, are not good. Where was the music that accompanied the scene in which Mrs. Williams and her assistant drive up to the church to visit Father Malone? Where was the music from the scene in which the fog terrorizes Andy and Mrs. Kobritz and the subsequent rescue and escape from the house? Where are the shorter music cues which were used to accompany the fog rolling in and cutting off the power to Antonio Bay or Dan the weatherman's death?

When I discover that their was a "Expanded Edition" of this soundtrack, I was ecstatic and immediately ordered a copy, only to again be let down. It was the exact same CD as the old one, but including severel new tracks. Why was the track entitled "Main Theme Reprise" included when it is already featured in "Theme From the Fog"? To my dismay, "The Fog Rolls In" was more aborted music which wasn't used in the film. "Blake in the Sanctuary" was a remotely better (more true to the film) track than the original's "Reel 9". "Finale" was a good inclusion, but is inappropriately titled due to the fact that it is not used in the finale of the film in any way. The liner notes are even identical to the original CD, offering nothing new.

The only two things which I can actually say are welcome additions to the soundtrack is the ghost story "Prologue Narrated by John Houseman" and the "Radio Interview with Jamie Lee Curtis About The Fog", which was a very informative look inside her career and the acting field.

If you like the movie THE FOG and you don't own the soundtrack, then this is worth buying for the few tracks which are represented in the film. If you already have the original release CD, then don't bother with this one because it doesn't offer enough extras to warrant spending your hard earned cash on. Lastly, I would like to say that I love the music to this movie and would have rated this CD with 5 stars if ALL of the movies themes were included instead of presenting us with such an abundance of aborted material.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great - but where is the real music????, January 7, 2001

By 

Chadwick H. Saxelid "Bookworm" (Concord, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: John Carpenter's: The Fog (New Expanded Edition Original Film Soundtrack) (Audio CD)

The Fog contains my favorite Carpenter music, and is my favorite Carpenter film. So I was overjoyed when, in 1985, I found the soundtrack had finally been issued by Varese Sarabande. My joy turned to slight disappointment when many of the music tracks from the film were not included and it seemed to contain compositions that had not even been in the movie. Nonetheless there was more than enough to keep me happy for a time.
When I saw that Silva had reissued an expanded soundtrack I was again overjoyed and filled with hope. But that joy again turned to slight disappointment when I heard the final result. The album is nothing more than the first release with a few additional tracks, granted from the film this time. But music is still missing, mainly my favorite cue that plays as Mrs. Williams drives up the winding road to the Church as the Sea Grass is discovered. I would also have liked to hear the music from the attack on Andy and Mrs. Kobritz and the narrow escape made by Nick, Elizabeth, and Andy minutes later. There are many squandered tracks as well. The Houseman prologue being the biggest. Instead of letting the main title run in its full length, Silva just slapped the narration segment at the front of the disc. But I did love the reprise of the Main Theme as it finally plays as presented in the end credits of the movie. The Blake in the Sanctuary track is okay, but the cues are spoiled by the underdubbing of Reel 9 AGAIN. I do not need to hear the exact same track twice.
I really wish they had done it right, but they didn't. Nonetheless Carpenter's compositions shine and the haunting music never seems to grows old. To this day it remains my favorite Carpenter score and a required disc, for me that is. Recommended.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Very Good Guideline For This Soundtrack, July 30, 2002

By 

Gary Citron (Sanford, Maine United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: John Carpenter's: The Fog (New Expanded Edition Original Film Soundtrack) (Audio CD)

I must state that if you like the haunting melody and sounds that John Carpenter himself makes for the majority of his movies you will definately enjoy this soundtrack.I must also say that I first saw this movie in the movie theater when I was 10 years old and I found it to be a very well done and frightening film.
I like listening to the musical score because it brings me back to the day I saw it in the movie theater.