Search - Giampiero Boneschi, Vic / Willis, Alan Elms, Barry / Elms, Vic Gray :: Space: 1999 - Year 1 [Original Television Soundtrack]

Fantastic Future Score

dep1701 | Florida | 03/31/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Space:1999 - the series - may be one of the most controversial SF shows ever. People either love it, or they hate it... there seems to be little middle ground. As a kid I was thrilled with the series, although even then I could see the weaknesses in science, story, and characterization. But from a purely visual and aural standpoint, the first series rarely disappointed.



Especially when it came to the music. As many fans know, Barry Gray scored only 4 episodes - the rest being rounded out by reusing his cues for those episodes, plus liberal doses of library music. This disc gives a good overview of the magnificent music written specifically for the series, as well as a sampling of some of those library cues. As a previous reviewer said, the ultimate soundtrack to the series was released several years ago by the Fanderson organization ( which one had to join as a member to be able to order ) and is sadly out of print. Copies can be found on the internet, often selling for prohibitive prices. Unless you are a diehard collector, willing to shell out a good sized portion of your paycheck, this single disc is the way to go.



Sound quality is superb, and in some cases surpasses the previously mentioned two disc set, as several of the tracks have been remastered to remove wow, flutter, and distortion that could be heard on the Fanderson set. The main title was remixed to make it truer to the on-screen version, and the tracks from the episode "Black Sun" are in stereo on CD here for the first time ever. The previous release featured the episode's complete score, but only as a monophonic version, as many of the multitrack masters for that particular episode have been lost. For that alone, this disc is worth owning, even if you have the Fanderson set.



However, it is Gray's music that is the true reason to own this soundtrack - regardless of your feelings about the series. Full bodied, sweeping, emotional and grand... not at all your typical seventies television soundtrack. Years before John Williams revived the popularity of orchestral scores for science fiction projects, Barry Gray was filling small screen speakers with epic music that would have sounded perfectly at home in a motion picture theatre.



"

Faith in humanity for a young boy

Thomas P. Cirillo | San Diego, CA | 12/26/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Dear readers,

I grew up in the late 60's through the 70's. A child of Star Trek, 2001, UFO and Space 1999. I saw up close how violent the world can be, but saw through the vision of of a young child watching shows like Space 1999 the hope that not only our species, but our generation could reach for and begin to explore space. It's sad to see 30 years later that there is no base on the moon. The planet embroiled in petty hatereds from race to social status. The music of this soundtrack had special meaning for me as it embodied the soul of the show. it was obviously written to underscore a plot, but was a character of the series just any any breathing character. The melodies woven into the action were just as important as the characters actions. I am sure my view of the show and perhaps life would have been different had the music used been bland or contrived. My thanks to Barry Gray for composing beautiful music.

Tom"