Customer Reviews

Sci-Fi Channel - Sci-Fi's Greatest Hits, Vol. 1: Final Frontiers

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Whoa !! When I first saw this on Amazon, I did not hesitate to grab hold of this as soon as possible. There they are.....all the themes from TV and movies from the 60s to 90s that I've always wanted. But sadly, halfway through the CD, I felt a bit disappointed as not all are originals (and I wonder why they could not get their hands on them, since this CD is priced at premium). So beware of the following :

Track 1 : Space Odyssey to Track 4 : Return of the Jedi
These are NOT originals, but recorded by other orchestras.

Tracks 5 to 25 : are originals, containing many interesting TV themes from the 60s and 70s, except that, the theme of Buck Rogers is so badly mastered that it sounds as if it was recorded with a microphone direct from the TV box. They should have just dumped this track if they could not get a better recording.

Track 26 : Blade Runner is the recording by the New American orchestra, and NOT the original by Vangelis.

Tracks 28 to 33 : they are originals from the TV, but most are too short and some merely contains snippets of sounds and voices, not really worth listening.

But, overall this is a must buy, as you can only get all these themes together in this volume.

This set is just another example of TVT repackaging a lot of their previously released material. Instead of getting originals, they get the next best (and cheaper) thing. If you like the movie themes on this CD, buy the originals and make your own compilation. You'll be happier. If you like the TV themes on this CD, you're pretty much out of luck, for rarely do the clean versions of these themes show up in commercial releases.
In TVT's favor, they are listening to their critics. This set was released before the NBC Must See CD and the 100 Greatest TV Themes CD set, which include all originals (and some actually from master recordings).

This collection includes the obvious theme music: Star Wars, Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica (Original Series), but has welcome additions.

Cult favorites include the hard-to-get Space:1999 theme, Dr. Who, Tron, & the suprisingly listenable Inside Space.

The quirky & inexplicable choices of "The Abyss", "Land of the Giants" & "Voyage To The Bottom Of the Sea" are present, albeit inappropriate in a spaceflight themed CD.

For the kid in each of us, the theme from "Fireball XL-5" a Supermarianation kids show, rounds out this CD.

But note--many of these themes, especially the more famous ones, are not originals, but new recordings, with the same or different performers.

Also, the "Buck Rodgers" theme sounds like it was recorded down a well or something. Fortunately, the complete soundtrack from the series is out, & can be purchased on Amazon.Buck Rogers: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

The Hipster gives it a Big Thumbs UP!

No various artists CD collection is going to be perfect, and "Final Frontiers" is no exception. Still, I am quite pleased with this compilation.

Yes, it's true: the tracks for "Star Wars", "The Empire Strikes Back", and "Return of the Jedi" are re-records and not from the original soundtrack. But now the good news: unless you already own the original soundtrack CDs and know them by heart, you'd think that these WERE the originals. They're that good. "Star Wars" (Track 2) starts with the opening credits music, including music from the opening battle scene, then segues nicely into a medley inspired by the closing credits music. "Empire Strikes Back" (Track 3) is the Imperial March/Darth Vader's theme. (Gotta love that, right?) "Return of the Jedi" (Track 4) is the least of the three, not unlike the movie itself.

For people looking to add to their musical library, might I suggest also picking up Sony's "Classical Hits" compilation CD, also available on Amazon. That version includes the "Battle of the Fates" music from Phantom Menace, as well as music from other movies, like Gladiator, Braveheart, and Titanic. Even better, all of the aforementioned tracks on the "Classical Hits" CD ARE the original soundtrack recordings. So by just purchasing that CD and this one, "Final Frontiers", you'll have plenty of great movie music at your fingertips.

A few other quick observations about "Final Frontiers":

The "Star Trek" theme (Track 5) varies slightly from the version heard on the TV show. I have to believe that this is not the original Alexander Courage recording from 1966, but instead a re-recording. Let your own ears be the judge.

The Amazon track listings for the "Lost in Space" themes are in error. Track 7 is actually the theme from the 1967 season, followed by the 1965 season theme(Track 8). No big. Both tunes, composed by John Williams, would appear the studio originals. Which is a good thing, because 1967 season theme is hard to find on CD.

The sound quality for the theme from "Buck Rogers in the 25th Century" (Track 12) is atrocious. And I don't mean from an audiophile's perspective. Your average sound novice will listen to that track and think, "Where was that music recorded, in somebody's toilet?"

Personal faves, like "Planet of the Apes", "Dr. Who", "Total Recall", "Battlestar Galactica" (Lorne Greene version) and the wonderfully cheesy "Space 1999" theme are all here, and are all studio originals.

Overall, a great purchase.

Disappointment. To tell the truth, I have purchased this CD mainly because of the "Alien" movie theme. Therefore was very disappointed - the theme was reduced, as it seems to me, on 70 %. The same is with the "Abyss" theme - you will hear drums only... Music from Blade Runner sounds strange - not like Vangelis. I regret, that has bought this CD.

FOR ANYONE WHO LOVES THE MUSIC THAT ACCOMPANIED THE ADVENTURES OF CAPTIAN KIRK,DR.SMITH,LUKE SKYWALKER,DR.WHO,OR LT. STARBUCK & APOLLO THIS CD'S FOR YOU.A WONDERFUL COMPILIATION OF 33 OF THE MOST POPULAR SPACE THEMES EVER FROM TELEVISION AND THE MOVIES. ALL OF THE TRACKS SEEM TO BE THE ORIGINALS WHICH MAKES THIS C.D. A MUST HAVE FOR ALL SCIENCE FICTION COLLECTORS.I'VE BOUGHT SCIENE FICTION SOUNDTRACKS BEFORE BUT NONE COMPARE TO THIS COLLECTION.IF YOU'RE A FAN OF OUTER SPACE MOVIES AND T.V. SHOWS THIS C.D. IS AIMED TO PLEASE!I LOOK FOWARD TO GETTING THE REST OS THE SCI-FI SOUNDTRACKS COLLECTION!

"Sci-Fi's Greatest Hits, Vol. 1: Final Frontiers" is an anthology CD that collects science fiction music from film and television. The themes included span in time from the late 1950s to the late 1990s.

This CD is a lot of fun, and will evoke a lot of memories for those of us who have enjoyed these shows and movies (either first run or in syndication). Many of sci-fi's most famous musical cues are here: the opening fanfare from "2001: A Space Odyssey," the theme from the original "Star Trek" (complete with the memorable narration), the "Dr. Who" theme, and more. Overall, a great treat for sci-fi fans.