Customer Reviews

The Ultimate Star Trek

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Yes, this is not for collectors of Star Trek music, as all of this is available on more extensive albums. However, if you have no Star Trek CDs and just want the themes and most recognizable music on one CD, this one is perfect for you.

I've been a hardcore fan of Trek for a while, but sadly, this is the only album of Trek I have. This album is for you people that are in my shoes. If I never get another Trek album again, I'm very satisfied with this.

On this record, you get the best of the movie scores. When you put this into your CD player, you will automatically remember these tunes. Not only are the movie tracks here, but all of the themes (besides Enterprise) are here. Which is a sweet addition.

True, these tracks can be found on the other soundtracks, but if you want the best of those soundtracks, you've found it in here. And like I said, if you don't have any other Trek album and your looking for one, this is the best to get.

Most diehard Trek fans would already have these themes, but it is useful having them all on one disc. There was an earlier collection of Star Trek movie themes released a few years ago, titled 'The Astral Symphony', but this new disc is, of course, more up-to-date.

The stand-outs are the TOS theme (for nostalgia's sake, at least), Goldsmith's wonderful ST:TMP theme (which became the TNG theme), and James Horner's music for ST:TWOK. Strangely, there is nothing from The Search For Spock, but that is probably because that theme was very similar to Horner's ST:TWOK score.

And I just gotta say, no matter how many times I hear it...I still find it hard to listen to Leonard Rosenman's theme for The Voyage Home...

Varese Sarabande presents all newly recorded music in spectacular digital sound and features Glasgow's Royal Scottish National Orchestra, London's Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and America's Seattle Symphony Orchestra, performances conducted by Jerry Goldsmith, Cliff Eidelman, Fred Steiner and Frederic Talgorn. It's an international, all-star tribute to Gene Roddenberry's classic science fiction masterpiece - "The Ultimate STAR TREK".

One of the most successful franchises in both film and television history continues to renew and reinvent itself to this day. The world of STAR TREK has been through 35 years of metamorphoses. We've seen generations come and go...Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock and Dr. McCoy...Captain Picard, Ryker and Data...Commander Sisko and Captain Janeway. We've seen the Enterprise, Deep Space Nine and the Voyager...the Klingons the Romulans, the Cardassians and the Borg...they are all here, on this the "ULTIMATE" of scores!

Jerry Goldsmith has been the musical captain of the STAR TREK universe for some twenty years now..."STAR TREK:THE MOTION PICTURE", "THE FINAL FRONTIER", "FIRST CONTACT", "INSURRECTION" and "VOYAGER" all represent Goldsmith at his best, he's a living icon. Next, James Horner's famous theme from "THE WRATH OF KHAN" is here...No STAR TREK compilation could be complete without the famous theme from the classic original television series by Alexander Courage.

Varese Sarabande's release, just in time for the celebration for the completion of Paramount's issue of all nine STAR TREK motion pictures on DVD and its continue series of STAR TREK television episode DVD's, as we look back to the STAR TREK lore...includes some of the most famous music ever composed for television or motion pictures, a "movie-music" collectors dream come true...album is dedicated to cover artist Bob Peak: The Art of Star Trek (1927-1992) and his memory!

Total Time: 52:05 on 12 Tracks...Varese Sarabande 066163...(2000)

Kudos to the record label and the person who thought up this great idea. I love the idea of having every bit of the various Star Trek worlds on one disc. Even if I wasn't a Trek Geek, I would probably check this CD out because Star Trek the movies and TV shows uses such great composers and orchestras that it puts other series to shame. I hope Varese digs up more stuff for an Ultimate Star Trek Volume 2!

Read the song titles before you buy this. I bought it thinking it was all the opening songs, but it's mostly the closing ones, with the first movie's theme music repeated 3 or 4 times. I gave it 1 star because the only openeing song was IV, which I like. If you really like the end credits music, then by all means get this. Otherwise, don't bother.

This CD was a good idea, poorly executed. The problem is the performances themselves. We have the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic, and the Seattle Symphony, all with varying results. Particularly rough in this recording is the Scottish orchestra, whose principal trombone player sounds like he's out to draw blood, though the Seattle and Royal performances are also lackluster. There is a much better compilation by the City of Prague Philharmonic with Nic Raine conducting. Spare yourself this mess and go for the best.

I bought this album via iTunes primarily because it has the overtures for the post-numbered Star Trek movies (First Contact in particular). The selection of songs is good, which is what saves my review rating.

Sadly, the recordings are not good, and most of my negative reviewing lands firmly on the lead trumpet, who plays with poor tone control throughout the entire album. Noticeable flubbed notes in particular are on trumpet melodies in Star Trek IV, Star Trek VI, and Deep Space Nine, where the trumpet audibly cracks and falls off the note. The rest of the time, the trumpet blatts most notes, just off key or just off pace. For Star Trek, in which the trumpet carries a lot of melody (think about it for a moment - how many times is the famous eleven note opening riff played in some variation in a Trek soundtrack? And almost all times, the trumpet is responsible for playing it). Very surprising for what supposedly is a professional level recording. It comes off more like my high school band concerts, sadly.

Save your money and get the originals.

I love the re-recordings of the star trek themes, Telarc released one of Erich Kunzel and the Cincinatti Pops in 1996, Varese Sarabande released this one in 2000 and Silva America released "The Star Trek Album" in 2003. They are all great, and they all rival the OST. And in some cases are superior. This album: all of hte jerry goldsmith tracks are available on Varese's Goldsmith "Frontiers" album. The 2 steiner tracks are on Star Trek Volume 2 from the 80s when they re-recorded TOS episode suites. Everything else is new. The tracks by the seattle symphony orchestra conducted by cliff eidelman (who composed star trek 6's score) are great.

recommended.

I'm not sure this is the "Ultimate" compilation but it is a great addition to your Star Trek theme music collection. Has a couple of tracks that don't appear on other Star Trek music CDs.