Customer Reviews

"Neil Norman - Greatest Science Fiction Hits, Vol. 1"

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This is the first of Neil Norman's Greatest Science Fiction Hits. The album features re-recordings of famous science fiction themes, produced and arranged by Neil and the late great Les Baxter. The songs are done in a discofied synth pop style, which works pretty well in most of the cases here. I said that these are famous science fiction themes, but four of the tracks here were apparently written especially for this album by Baxter or Norman. I have been unable to find any information about a film called "Journey to the 7th Galaxy". There have been films called "Phantom Planet", "Not of This Earth" and "Black Hole", but the tracks here do not appear to be from those films. Regardless of all that, this is a fun album. Recommended to science fiction fans.

An expert in creating a sound very similar to the original Sc-Fi score, 16 familiar soundtracks are arranged and performed by Neil Norman and His Cosmic Orchestra. Produced and arranged by Les Baxter and Mr. Norman, this compilation has some interesting tracks for soundtrack collectors. While many of the serious fans will prefer the "original soundtrack" these are quite good and very entertaining.

There are some stand outs - ALIEN (Jerry Goldsmith) the 1979 Blockbuster set the standards once again for film scoring on the Sci-Fi level - CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND (John Williams) in 1977 this composer gave us the feeling we are not alone and the alien is not the enemy, but a stranger we need to communicate with, by what method, well "music" of course, the universal language.

Total Time: 41:39 on 18 Tracks/ GNP-Crescendo Records - GNPD 2128 (1986)

was listening to my 1979 on release cassette "tape" I got as a child, I loved sci-fi then as much as now and want to get this on CD, the cassette is fading and CD quality is clear. I think big band rocks if you just know how to rock it! some of the better tunes are orcastrated with numourous instrumentalists, a bass, an electric gitar and a couple of drum kits such as regge(bongos) and jazz/rock. Reggae, hip hope and disco sound the same to me.go on,admit it hip hop,:: , hipsters, you love disco in 2010!

Neil Norman's Cosmic Orchestra scores big on this collection of Science Fiction favorites. The band leans toward a bluesy, jazzy sound that adds a certain charm to the musical arrangements. The two best tracks are "Alien" and the original TV "Outer Limits."

I bought this CD years ago and after moving my collection, I dusted this off. I remembered I didn't really like it the first time I heard it and after playing it again I remember why. It is as one of the other reviewer said... "discofied tunes". It's copyrighted 1986, but the sounds are strictly 1970's generic tv sounds. Ugh, everything was so badly synthesized. I bought this originally thinking it was a compilation album of sorts. Hey if your thing is synthesized, disco sounding tunes, go right ahead. If you are looking for closer to original reproductions, look elsewhere. This may actually be the first CD album I considered throwing away, and after the used prices I see it going for I may just do that.