Customer Reviews

E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial, 20th Anniversary Edition

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Box set includes color booklet and poster.E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial is an audiobook and soundtrack album (as opposed to the various releases of the soundtrack score), narrated by Michael Jackson, for the film of the same name. Produced by Quincy Jones, the album was released in the same month as Jackson's Thriller album and went on to collect a Grammy Award in 1984.Jackson and Quincy Jones began working on the album, an audiobook of Steven Spielberg's E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial and featuring key dialogue and music highlights directly from the film, in June 1981. [1] Jackson also featured as a vocalist on the song "Someone In the Dark", written by Alan and Marilyn Bergman. [1] After a publicity photo shoot, in which an animatronic robot of E.T. hugged Jackson, the singer stated "he was so real that I was talking to him. I kissed him before I left. The next day, I missed him." [1]

Jackson's record label, Epic, allowed the singer to record the album for MCA on two conditions:

1. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial was not to be released until after Christmas 1982. This was to avoid the audiobook competing with Jackson's new album, Thriller. [2]
2. "Someone In the Dark" was not to be released as a single. [2]

MCA breached both conditions, by releasing the storybook in November 1982, and giving promo copies of "Someone In the Dark" to radio stations. [2] Court action resulted in MCA having to withdraw the album and being prohibited from releasing "Someone In the Dark" as a single. [2]
2. Reception

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial reached #82 on the British pop chart - considered high for a storybook album. [3] The audiobook received a Grammy Award in 1984 for Best Recording For Children. [4] Upon collecting the award, and taking home a record eight Grammys, Jackson stated that "of all the awards I've gotten, I'm most proud of this one". [3] Although the entirety of this album has never been issued on CD, a re-edit of the song "Someone In the Dark" was issued as part of a CD reissue of the Thriller album.
3. Track Listing

LP

1. "Someone In the Dark" (Opening version) (Alan Bergman, Marilyn Bergman, Rod Temperton) - 4.58
2. "Landing" - 3.24
3. "Discovery" - 11.32
4. "Home" - 6.09
5. "Intrusion" - 5.23
6. "Chase" - 3.18
7. "Good-Bye" - 2.25
8. "Someone In the Dark" (closing version) -

There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that "E.T., the Extra-Terrestrial" is one of those powerful, once-in-a-generation films (not movie) that stirs the viewer's emotions on all levels and its power is magnified by the superb score of the master, John Williams. Williams has written music that runs the gamet of classic film music - lush, thrilling, captivating, uplifting, and emotional.

The closing music is the epitome of Williams' creative and musical genius. The music meshes perfectly with the final scene, making the finale even more powerful. The "E.T. Theme" is repeated and one can almost hear the audience cry. A timeless classic to be treasured by generations of not just soundtrack/score buffs, but music fans of every walk of life.

I was very excited when I first heard about an SACD realease for the E.T. Soundtrack, 'cause it's been my favourite for 22 years. Even though I didn't have an SACD player, I bought it. When I got home, I played it on my Marantz regular CD player, and I was impressed by how good it sounds. As this day I was off, I went down town for some browsing, looking for a discounted SACD player, and I got it. For the second time in the same day, this SACD surprised me. It just sounds so real, instruments feel like if they were in my listening room. All the harshness of the previous CD releases is gone, instead, you have this beautiful performance perfectly captured on a disc. Everything is on this SACD, all the subtleties of the instruments, the ambience of the recording hall on the surround channels, musicians coughing or turning the pages of their music books... This SACD is a real BARGAIN!!!