Can You Read My MInd (Alternate performed by Margot Kidder)
Flying Sequence/Can You Read My Mind, The
Can You Read My Mind (Alternate Instrumental)
Theme from Superman (Concert Version)
Released during the era of leisure suits and pet rocks, the film Superman: The Movie has aged about as well. But the often-clumsy charms of Richard Donner's cartoonish, hit-and-miss take on the Man of Steel was blessed wit... more »h at least one superlative artistic effort: John Williams's epic score. The composer's Oscar-nominated music (coming on the heels of Star Wars and Close Encounters) was a wall-to-wall heroic symphony, rife with memorable melodies and ominous arrangements. Almost every original cut on this soundtrack appears in an expanded version, supplemented by nearly a dozen previously unreleased cues and alternate takes. Featuring a deluxe slipcase and extensive, new liner notes, this is the definitive release of one of Maestro Williams's greatest scores. --Jerry McCulley« less
Released during the era of leisure suits and pet rocks, the film Superman: The Movie has aged about as well. But the often-clumsy charms of Richard Donner's cartoonish, hit-and-miss take on the Man of Steel was blessed with at least one superlative artistic effort: John Williams's epic score. The composer's Oscar-nominated music (coming on the heels of Star Wars and Close Encounters) was a wall-to-wall heroic symphony, rife with memorable melodies and ominous arrangements. Almost every original cut on this soundtrack appears in an expanded version, supplemented by nearly a dozen previously unreleased cues and alternate takes. Featuring a deluxe slipcase and extensive, new liner notes, this is the definitive release of one of Maestro Williams's greatest scores. --Jerry McCulley
This complete version of Williams' score is truly Super, man
Alex Diaz-Granados | Miami, FL United States | 09/21/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"From the original 2 LP vinyl recording to the "special price" one-disc CD release, I've owned every available version of John Williams' 1978 score for Richard Donner's Superman: The Movie. And even though I enjoyed all of those versions, there always seemed to be something missing from the various tracks.Okay, so the London Symphony Orchestra (under the baton of the composer) still had that powerful timbre and the music was thrilling, but wasn't the main title music in the movie, well, a bit longer? And wasn't there a heckuva lot more music in the nearly three-hour movie than in any of the LPs, cassettes, or the first CD version? (At least in the first CD version the label warns consumers that two tracks had been removed!)Finally, more than 20 years after the premiere of Superman: The Movie, Warner Bros. and ace producer Nick Redman teamed up to present the complete score to this awesome comic book epic. At last, Williams'legions of fans can now hear the Prologue and Main Title as they were presented in the film, and several other previously unreleased tracks -- some never used in the final cut of the movie -- are heard for the first time. Also, as in other Redman-produced re-issues, the cues appear in chronological order, following the plot of Superman from beginning to end. In addition, alternative versions of the Superman March and the "Can You Read My Mind" vocal have been included.The Superman: The Movie 2-disc set comes in a jacketed slimline jewel case and includes an illustrated booklet of liner notes and commentary by Christopher Reeve and others.For Williams fans and lovers of film music, this version of the Superman score is indeed Super, man."
Finally!
NewFun#6 | 02/16/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Nearly 22 years ago I sat in a packed theatre (that doesn't exist anymore) with my father and two childhood chums and had an experience that was to forever change my destiny. We were seeing "Superman the Movie" for the first time. Listening to portions of this new release, many cuts of which have never been available before, moved me to tears because, for a time, I was that small boy again seeing his, and the world's, favorite Superhero really soar on the big screen. This recording is everything any fan of Superman, the Superman film, and/or John Williams could hope for. All the cues are here, even some I thought definetly wouldn't be as they are only heard in the "TV versions" of the film. It is most definetly worth the price and the long wait. Many fans may feel that since they have the original Williams CD (perhaps even the original record which had two extra cuts) and the John Debny recording, so why bother? Believe me, bother! You'll never regret it. This is the release for all fans who've always felt that this score was Williams' best alongside the Star Wars trilogy. Of special note are the "Misguided missles and Kryptonite" and "Star Ship Escapes" cues. Also the "Chasing rockets", "Superfeats", and "Super Dam and Finding Lois" cues that are FINALLY complete and in the proper sequence! Rhino has thrown in plenty of extras as well, from added "bonus" tracks to an actual book about the film and music filled with fascinating information and pictures. Finally, masterpiece treatment for a masterpiece!"
A Brilliant Work From Start To Finish
Dean Anderson | New York, New York | 04/28/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Hollywood's big secret about why you probably like a lot of films and television shows is in the MUSIC, and how the music fits into the story. Here, you have a fantastic example with the score prepared by the now legendary John Williams.Granted, music can take a bad movie and make it better, but in this case, it takes a brilliant movie and makes it phenomenal!Originally, the soundtrack recording offered for this classic film (on vinyl) was adequate... then a later CD version actually edited out some tracks to fit it all on one disc! What were they thinking?Finally, Rhino gives the music from this film the treatment it so richly deserves. This is a must for collectors of Williams's work, as it includes nearly every music cue from the film, and some bonus alternate recordings, all on two compact discs. The tracks are positioned well, and the included booklet has a lot more! The liner notes really help to paint the picture of what the music is doing in each scene. Chock full of photos from the film, and lots of behind the scene notes, and with a foreword written by the Man Of Steel himself, Christopher Reeve, It's like a visit to Metropolis!Where "Star Wars - Episode IV" started the Williams era, "Superman: The Movie" solidified it. Highly recommended."
Wonderful and necessary reissue, but where are the strings?
TishTash | Rockville Centre, NY USA | 05/29/2000
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Finally, someone's seen fit to release such long-overdue tracks as "The Big Rescue," "Lois and Clark," and the actual film version of the "End Title" sequence--music that's eluded frustrated orchestral-soundtrack lovers for decades.I can't say more than what's already been said here many times over about the timelessness and bravura tour-de-force of what's widely considered the best example of John Williams'--and the London Symphony Orchestra's!--vast collection of work. "The Big Rescue," for instance, is an absolute flawless piece of composition and orchestration inextricably entwined with Richard Donner's reverent and awe-filled lensing of Superman's spectacular maiden appearance, aided immensely by Christopher Reeve's dead-on rendition of the Man of Steel.Producers Nick Redmond and Michael Matessino are to be roundly applauded for their painstaking research and restoration efforts in the face of neglected, deteriorating source tapes and--shockingly-- disposed-of original orchestrations. (This is apparently why even John Williams currently conducts a reconstructed version that's somewhat unfaithful to the original, and a major reason John Debney's commendable re-recording with the Royal Scottish Orchestra sounds just plain different.)However, here's the most minor of quibbles: Whatever happened to the violins? The high string section is distressingly absent or muted from the entire soundtrack. The original LP/CD release had muted strings as well, but not to the extent as on the "restored" versions. Proof of their existence rests in the original film tracks (on VHS or cable), which feature bold violin glissandos somehow lost in the transition to CD; ironically, Ken Thorne's adaptations for Superman II and III, as well as several re-recordings, likewise highlight (to a fault) the high strings. Their disappointing exclusion (in addition to several disappearances of oboe and English horn passages) spots a small blemish on an otherwise excellent and highly commendable restoration."
Far and Away Williams' Best
Pat Harris | Maine | 03/09/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This is simply an unbeatable score; it amazes me again every time I hear it. In the late 70s, John Williams really proved himself a master of thematic material and dynamic orchestrations, and this effort is the shining example. There are as many themes woven into this one film as there are in the entire Star Wars trilogy. The main march is a certified classic, as is the sweeping love theme. However, all of the material underscoring the sequences involving Smallville, Lex Luthor, and the planet Krypton is equally great. (The opening fanfare for Krypton is especially stunning, and the alternate version provided on this album is a real treat.) As a whole, Williams' music is a joy from start to finish, and this expanded release is the first to really do it justice. The restored music really fleshes out the continuity of the score, and the audio quality is perfectly acceptable (frankly, I think it's a small miracle that all of the original materials still exist). Definately a must-own for soundtrack collectors, and I imagine non-soundtrack-fans will find this worthwhile as well. The march alone is worth the price of the album, and there are no less that five different versions of it on there!"