Customer Reviews

Out Of This World

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Out of This World is a 1990 Philips reissue of a Boston Pops album first released in 1983, shortly after the release of Return of the Jedi. As with 1982's Aisle Seat, conductor John Williams and producer John McClure showcase music from classic science fiction movies and TV series. Although 5 of the 11 tracks were composed by Williams ("Adventures on Earth" from E.T. and a concert hall suite from "Return of the Jedi"), Star Trek fans will be happy to know that Alexander Courage's "Main Theme" from the Original Series and Jerry Goldsmith's "Main Title" from Star Trek: The Motion Picture were included.

As always, "America's Orchestra" tackles each composition with the same sensitivity and care as if they were pieces by Mozart or Beethoven. The pieces are relatively short -- "Adventures on Earth," the longest single piece, lasts slightly over nine minutes, while the Closing Title from "Alien" runs shy of the three-minute mark -- and are evocative of those hours spent in front of the television or in the darkness of the movie theaters where we went on those astral voyages of the imagination.

The whole CD, short though it is, is good, but the real reason for a John Williams fan to buy this one is the concert version of "Jabba's Theme" from "Return of the Jedi." That particular theme appears on the "Jedi" soundtracks, but not as a complete and contained work, which is what you get here. And, naturally, it's fantastic.

If you are a science-fiction tv/movie lover you'll find this CD to be great. Boston Pops offer their usual performing excellence, very well conducted by John Williams. Very enjoyable, indeed.

This recording is shaky at best. At worst, Williams and his engineer were drunk during the recording sessions. The main problem with this album is, the orchestra sounds like an amateur or college orchestra, rather than a major professional organization. The ensemble sounds thin, as if lacking enough musicians to pull off the grand scope of the music. The engineering is sub-par compared to other Williams/Boston Pops releases. The sound quality seems lackluster for a 1983 recording (couldn't they have mixed it to get rid of the shrill woodwinds and brass?). Worst of all, the orchestra plays out of tune at several points (specifically in the French horns, trumpets and woodwinds). Especially in the "ET" and "Return of the Jedi" tracks, is this REALLY the Boston Pops??

Perhaps I'm being too critical. After all, Williams had only been the conductor at the Boston Pops for a few seasons before undertaking this mess. However, this recording pales in comparison to his other recordings of the era. The cuts from "Return of the Jedi" are nothing special; there are any of a number of other re-recordings of these tracks that I would recommend over this one. Williams' conducting seems uncertain during the pieces he didn't compose, for example, the excruciating tempo variations in "Battlestar Galactica" and the unbearably slow rendition of the "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" theme (Goldsmith would have picked up the pace significantly).

The BPO as heard on this album lacks the panache and polish of later recordings (including subsequent Williams efforts), and this is easily the worst Boston Pops album I've heard. In the end, for what you get in this collection, I recommend Erich Kunzel's "Star Tracks" compilation over this hackneyed effort. You'll find better performances and higher quality in the Cincinnati Pops compilation, with renditions of these great themes sounding more faithful to their original versions.