Music of DC Comics: 75th Anniversary Collection [Soundtrack]

Music of Dc Comics: 75th Anniversary Collection (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 28, 2010)
• Original Release Date: 2010
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Soundtrack
• Label: WaterTower Music
• ASIN: B003PIUICO
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #35,916 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Superman March (Sammy Timberg)

2. Theme From Superman [Album Version] (John Williams)

3. The New Adventures of Superman (John Gart)

4. Lois and Clark/The New Adventures of Superman (John Gruska)

5. The Adventures of Superboy (John Gart)

6. Superboy (Kevin Kiner)

7. Smallville Season 8 [End Title] (Louis Febre)

8. Batman: The Electrical Brain (Lee Zahler)

9. The Batman Theme [Album Version] (Danny Elfman)

10. The Adventures of Batman (John Gart)

11. Batman TV Series Theme (Neil Hefti)

12. Batman: The Brave and the Bold Theme (Andy Sturmer)

13. Batman Beyond [Main Title] (Kristopher Carter)

14. Molossus from Batman Begins (Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard)

15. Justice League of America (John Gart)

16. Super Friends (Hoyt Curtin)

17. The All New Super Friends Hour (Hoyt Curtin)

18. Justice League Unlimited Theme (Michael McCuiston)

19. Legends of the Superheroes (Fred Werner)

20. The Teen Titans (John Gart)

See all 31 tracks on this disc

Editorial Reviews

The Music of DC Comics: 75th Anniversary Collection celebrates
highlights of DC Comic s rich musical history including many rare theme
songs that have never before been released. The compilation begins
in 1941 with the theme song from Max Fleischer s Academy Award
Nominated Superman Cartoons and moves through the decades. Theme
songs from the DC Superhero Filmation cartoons from the 1960 s
including Justice League and Green Lantern are featured alongside
the most recent Justice League and Green Lantern themes produced
by WB Animation in the 2000 s. The 1970 s are represented by Hanna
Barbera s Super Friends cartoons as well as the theme from the
legendary Wonder Woman series starring Lynda Carter. Other highlights
include DC superhero themes from John Williams, Danny Elfman and
Hans Zimmer and, of course, the unforgettable theme to the 1966 Batman
TV Show starring Adam West......Nah Nah Nah Nah Batman!!

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Fun, but a LOT is Missing! September 30, 2010

By Benjamin J Burgraff VINE™ VOICE

Amazon Verified Purchase

In 75 years, DC characters have inspired an impressive collection of music, from jingles to symphonic suites, and it seems very appropriate that a compilation should be offered...but be aware, before you purchase this, that for unexplained reasons (copyrights, I suspect), some very familiar tunes are not included in the collection!

The disc begins, appropriately with Sammy Timberg's march, which opened the Max Fleischer/Paramount Superman cartoons of the early 1940s. But the 3-note fanfare and bouncy (uncredited) theme of the Kirk Alyn "Adventures of Superman" movie serials is not included, and, more surprisingly, Leon Klatzkin's famous theme music for George Reeves' "The Adventures of Superman" TV series is missing, as well (As a baby boomer who grew up on this, leaving it out is simply unforgivable!)

It is fun listening to the cheesy verbal introductions of the various animated DC series of the 60s and 70s, as well as the catchy jingles (with vocal accompanists harmonizing unforgettable lyrics like "It's Superman, Super, Super, Superman!"), and the Adam West "Batman" TV series gets an expanded version of the theme song everybody was humming in the mid-1960s. But the Man of Steel's ill-fated foray on the Broadway stage, "It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's Superman!", is ignored, despite introducing a hit pop tune ("You've Got Possibilities").

Happily, John Williams' brilliant theme for the Christopher Reeve "Superman" film is included (although the hit single, "Can You Read My Mind?" is left out). The three original Reeve sequels offered, fundamentally, variations of the Williams' score, but 2006's "Superman Returns" also introduced beautiful original music (by John Ottman) to supplement Williams' score, but none of it is available, here....

Danny Elfman's startling, evocative theme for the Tim Burton/Michael Keaton "Batman" film is included ("Batman Returns", the Burton/Keaton sequel, would use the same theme music), but the disappointing Joel Schumacher sequels did offer Elliot Goldenthal's vaulting operatic scores, which have been completely ignored.

I was also disappointed that Danny Elfman's terrific theme for "The Flash" TV series isn't offered, nor any music from Christopher Nolan's "Batman Begins" sequel, "The Dark Knight", nor most of the themes of the 'direct-to-DVD' offerings, nor any music from DC's non-mainstream heroes ("Watchmen", "Jonah Hex", etc). A true celebration should include many of the omitted selections!

"Music of DC Comics: 75th Anniversary Collection" deserves four stars, for what is offered, but loses a five-star recommendation, for what is missing...Is a sequel in the works? Read more ›

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A Definite Buy, But I'd Have Paid $10 More For A More Complete Collection October 2, 2010

By Dennis M. Roy

Amazon Verified Purchase

Have to essentially agree with Benjamin Burgraff's review. They could easily have expanded this collection into a 2-CD set. So many movies and TV series based on DC Comics characters didn't make the cut for this album. For the record, to the best of my recollection, here's what's missing:

Columbia Pictures movie serials: THE VIGILANTE (1947); CONGO BILL (1948); SUPERMAN (1948); BATMAN AND ROBIN (1949); ATOM MAN VS. SUPERMAN (1950); BLACKHAWK (1952)

Broadway musical: IT'S A BIRD, IT'S A PLANE, IT'S SUPERMAN (1966)

TV series: THE ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN (1952-1958); SUPERPUP (1958 unsold pilot); SUPERBOY (1961 unsold pilot); SWAMP THING (1990 DiC Entertainment cartoon series); THE FLASH (1990 TV series); BIRDS OF PREY (2002 TV series)

Movies: SUPERMAN II (1980); SWAMP THING (1982); SUPERMAN III (1983); SUPERGIRL (1984); SUPERMAN IV: THE QUEST FOR PEACE (1987); THE RETURN OF SWAMP THING (1989); BATMAN RETURNS (1992); BATMAN FOREVER (1995); BATMAN AND ROBIN (1997); V FOR VENDETTA (2005); SUPERMAN RETURNS (2006); THE DARK KNIGHT (2008); WATCHMEN (2009); JONAH HEX (2010)

Filmation animated cartoons: THE NEW ADVENTURES OF BATMAN (1977); SHAZAM! (1981-1982 - Part of the KID SUPER POWER HOUR with SHAZAM!, not to be confused with the live-action series)

Various incarnations of Hanna-Barbera's long-running SuperFriends TV cartoon franchise: CHALLENGE OF THE SUPER FRIENDS (1978-1979); THE WORLD'S GREATEST SUPER FRIENDS (1979-1980); SUPER FRIENDS: THE LEGENDARY SUPER POWERS SHOW (1984-1985); THE SUPER POWERS TEAM: GALACTIC GUARDIANS (1985-1986); also the 1988 Ruby-Spears animated SUPERMAN cartoon....

WB animated TV series: BATMAN (1992-1995); SUPERMAN (1996-2000); THE NEW BATMAN/SUPERMAN ADVENTURES (1997-2000); JUSTICE LEAGUE (2001-2004 - Similar, but a more orchestral score version of the same melody used for the later Justice League Unlimited theme); TEEN TITANS (2003-2006); THE BATMAN (2004-2008); LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES (2006-2007); YOUNG JUSTICE (2010)

WB animated movies: BATMAN: MASK OF THE PHANTASM (1993); BATMAN & MR. FREEZE: SUBZERO (1998); BATMAN BEYOND: RETURN OF THE JOKER (2000); BATMAN: MYSTERY OF THE BATWOMAN (2003); TEEN TITANS: TROUBLE IN TOKYO (2006); SUPERMAN: BRAINIAC ATTACKS (2006); SUPERMAN: DOOMSDAY (2007); JUSTICE LEAGUE: THE NEW FRONTIER (2008); BATMAN: GOTHAM KNIGHT (2008); SUPERMAN/BATMAN: PUBLIC ENEMIES (2009); JUSTICE LEAGUE: CRISIS ON TWO EARTHS (2010); SUPERMAN/BATMAN: APOCALYPSE (2010); SUPERMAN/SHAZAM!: THE RETURN OF BLACK ADAM (2010) [It should be noted that many of these have had their own soundtrack score releases on CD, however.]

Whew! That's a lot! (And I have the nagging feeling I must have missed at least a variation or two of the Super Friends cartoon.) Definitely enough to fill up another collection (or two). So buy this CD already, and let's hope they do a follow-up collection. Read more ›

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Mostly nostalgia October 1, 2010

By Michael A. Torregrossa

Amazon Verified Purchase

Produced in celebration of the seventy-fifth anniversary of DC Comics, this CD includes themes songs and introductions from both live action and animated films and television programming based on characters created by or (as is the case with Captain Marvel and Plastic Man) now owned by DC. The majority of the 31 tracks should appeal to older fans who may have seen these in their initial release/airing (I especially enjoyed the material from my childhood in the late 1970s and 1980s), while the inclusion of an extended suite from _Batman Beyond_, a 24-second piece from _Smallville_, and two themes from DC's recent animated direct-to-DVD films is disappointing, especially when (as other reviewers have observed) so much else is missing (like the the _Adventures of Superman_ intro and the remainder of the _Super Friends_ themes, as well the other animated Batman themes and Superman intros). This could have easily been a multi-CD set, and, hopefully, Warner Bros. will consider an updated version to commemorate DC's 80th anniversary in 2015.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A Snapshot Yet Not Comprehensive October 13, 2010

By Exchronos

Amazon Verified Purchase

Like many, I believe this should've been a two disc or even three to four disc collection.

Yet what it does have is very good, in some instances.

For example we do get the original "Superman March" from the Fleischer Superman cartoons. What we don't get is the at least two altered versions of this theme. One version recounts Superman growing up in an orphanage, while the other compares Superman's powers to forces of nature.

Most of the music in this collection suffers from too much narration. For example I wish they had used the end title theme to "New Adventures Of Superman" because it's a great rocking instrumental but they used the beginning title theme which is laden with narration.

Also, when it comes to Smallville I would've liked to have the theme song "Save Me" as opposed to Season 8's end titles theme.

There are also many songs that reference Superman that should have been considered, such as "I Am Superman", "Sunshine Superman", and "Kryptonite".

Now onto the Batman section!

It's nice to have music from the 1943 serial on here. Though an episode from the radio shows for characters like Superman, Batman, and Blue Beetle would've been a nice disc. Especially if they collected key episodes, like the introduction of Kryptonite into the Superman mythos.

There's three key problems with the Batman section. Number one there's none of the great music by Shirley Walker did for the 1990s Animated Series. Two, there's none of the hits off any of the 1990s Batman films like "Gotham City", "Kiss From A Rose", or even "Bat-Dance!". Then number three is how they treated the 1960s TV Show.

You do NOT get the original theme song from the TV show.... Nor do you get any other music from the show or based on the show, like classic tracks off the album "Jan And Dean Meet Batman" which has two awesome songs "The Batman" and "The Joker Is Wild". They even skipped the Marketts hit version of the Batman theme too.

Now you do get two themes from the Super Friends franchise. Yet the best one, "Challenge Of The Superfiends" is missing. Considering that was the intregal show and theme that had the legion Of Doom, not having that theme is a dissappointment.

Next we have a variety of songs not included. We get the 1960s cartoon themes for Justice League (not the 1990s/2000s series though except for the Unlimited theme), Flash (but not the 1990s live action theme), Teen Titans (but not the 2000s show theme), we get one Shazam theme (there were two-one was live action and the other was animation), one Swamp Thing theme (none from the two films or the short lived cartoon which actually had two variant themes!), and only one song from Legends Of The Superheroes (we don't get Mordru singing...just like we don't get Batman singing from the episode "This Little Piggy" of Justice League Unlimited, or any songs from "Mayhem Of The Music Meister" from Batman The Brave And The Bold! Or even Harley Quinn singing in that one episode of the 1990s Batman series! Or that one love song from the 1966 Batman movie!).

Also missing are the themes to the Ruby-Spears Superman and the theme from the Bruce Timm Superman series too.

So yes, they easily could've made a huge collectors set with everything on it. Though what this set does give is a good beginning for the DC music collector.

It's worth the buy just to get the "Superman March", "Lois & Clark Theme", and the Superman and Batman movie themes (by John Williams and Danny Elfman respectively) all on one CD. Read more ›