Search - Various Artists - Soundtracks, Jerry Goldsmith, Patrick Williams :: The Twilight Zone: 40th Anniversary Collection (Television Series Scores)

DO NOT LISTEN WHILE DRIVING OR WALKING ALONE AT NIGHT!

YUSUF LAMONT | NEW YORK, NEW YORK United States | 06/26/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"About sixteen years ago I bought the original vinyl releases of this music (on Varese Sarabande) because some friends and I had landed a radio show in that would feature radio dramas and skits written by us that would desperately need scoring. I could never forget the haunting music I'd heard a million times while watching The Twilight Zone on television even through the archaic little 3-1/2 inch speaker on the old black and white Philco. After buying all five volumes auditioned them to mark them for mood, time, cues and such...but I soon realized that I was absoulutely enthralled by the music itself. It was so evocative, so distinct and well done that it inspired me to collect soundtracks in general, for work purposes as well as enjoyment. Imagine my dismay when I found most others could not measure up even with orchestras armed with three or four times the players! Years went by. The radio show continued. The Twilight Zone scores were magical. Nearly anything we tracked them to that matched the particular mood of a cut seemed to work PERFECTLY! Sometimes we'd make it a game, dropping the needle on a cut that fit the mood and damned if it didn't score out correctly, with pauses falling as needed. People called and asked who scored this piece or that one. We'd respond "Oh...Bernard Herrmann, Jerry Goldsmith and Nathan Van Cleave". We got lucky. Our radio work helped us to get into television as writers. We wondered what it must have been like for these composers when they made that leap decades before. And then...some time later...as is always the case with something you covet...I noticed one of my albums was missing. Traveling around with them finally caught up with me. I'd lost one. Volume five, I believe. Frantic, I checked every store in New York that would have it...new, used, collectors, but no dice. Out of print and out of luck. I turned my attention to the remaining four volumes. They were vinyl. They wouldn't last forever in spite of my babying and maintenance. And then I said, "Wait...perhaps the CD age would bring them all to me again in beautiful digital sound. Why worry?" The wait would be for years. When I thought I would finally have to go on e-bay, pay some ridiculous price for Vol. 5, then get the whole batch together, clean them up and burn them onto CD, the Varese CD came out...BUT IT WAS ONLY A BEST OF! ONE LOUSY CD! A TEASE! I e-mailed them "Are you going to put out the rest?" I heard back "Thank you for contacting us about our products, blah, blah, blah". I stopped looking. Until a friend at work saw the crummy Varese single disc on my desk and asked if I'd gotten the "boxed set". "Boxed set?" After I was revived, I went online and lo and behold, there it was! I listened to a sound sample...my God ! Here it was! Chock full of even more than the vinyls had. I ordered immediately. And in one of the rare occurences in American life, I got more than I bargained for! Stellar mastering and sound! The groupings by composer! Rod's openings! Truly informative liner notes. And of course...Bernard Herrmann and Jerry Goldsmith (Rivaled only in my mind by Ennio Morricone as film and TV composers) in easy to transport digital audio. I listened to them on the way home that night on the LIRR and their power remained. Was the next stop Jamaica station...or "gasp!", Willoughby? The walk home was even better! (or worse if you're a true scaredy-cat) The wind's usual tepid moan and the local mutt's howl merged with this music seemed to signal the coming apocalypse! If you are a fan of great music, and great soundtrack music, this collection is a must. Trust me, you've heard and *enjoyed this music and will enjoy it again. (*Did you know that SCTV used the two-note cue from Goldsmith's "Nervous Man In a $4.00 Room" as John Candy's "Dr. Tongue's" 3-D music cue? If they were hip enough to use Twilight Zone music, you know it's great stuff!)"

Fantastic....

William Lee | 03/04/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is a phenomenal set...a dream come true for any fan of the series...The compositions are fantastic. Other reviewers have done a better job than I can at pointing out the subtleties of this collection...I just had to write this review to rebuke the mistaken reviewer who criticized the sound quality. The quality is more than adequate considering the source material and does not take away from this collection at all. If you are a fan of the series, this is a must have and a bargain to boot!"

Imagination is RIGHT!

Larry G. | 05/22/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"...These things are so good. Wish I had them years before, but they are here now and it is worth every penny. Your imagination will RUN WILD as you listen to these CDs. Beware! DO NOT listen late at night by yourself or in a car late at night by yourself on a lonely out-of-the-way road. Get the picture?! Yes, they are that thought provoking and spooky.It's about time that the Twilight Zone series was honored in this way. Congrats to those who put it together!"