Superman: The Music - Box Set Review
The Definitive Presentation of Classic Superhero Music
Aug 22, 2008
Inexplicably, many musical masterpieces fall through the cracks when it comes to record presentation and sales. Nowhere is this more prevalent, overlooked and lamentable than in the field of film music.
Whether this neglect is due to studio mishandling, ignorance of artistic significance, or technical unfeasability, a welcome movie has been made to place previously neglected compositions in the hands of collectors. Among the companies spearheading this movement are Varese Sarabande (with their ambitious re-recordings of classic golden age scores), Intrada Records, La La Land Records, Silva Screen Records, and Film Score Monthly, the eminent film music online publication. A significant recent publication by this last organization is a fabulous box set of music from the Christopher Reeve Superman films.
A History of Neglect
Although John Williams’ score for Superman: The Movie took some time to get a satisfactory album release, both Varese Sarabande Records and Rhino Records solved the problem by issuing some very fine albums in 1998 and 2000, respectively.
The Varese album was a re-recording, featuring the Royal Scottish National Orchestra conducted by Joel McNeely. The Rhino edition was the complete original recordings, remastered from a variety of second-hand sources. There was little or no reason for collectors to cry foul regarding the music of Superman after these albums were released.
The other three films in the Christopher Reeve Superman franchise, however, never fared as well. Poor mixing and abysmal album presentation plagued these scores for many years, and because the music was simply adapted from Superman: The Movie, many film music collectors simply shrugged them off: there was no reason to acquire an inferior imitation of Williams’ work, especially when so poorly presented.
New Definitive Release
Now, however, things are different. Film Score Monthly has produced a lavish boxed set of music from all four of the Christopher Reeve Superman films, as well as the 1988 animated series, and the attention to detail in this product allows one see this music in a whole new light, so to speak.
The complete score for Superman: The Movie is here, of course, spread over the first two discs in the eight-disc set. As it is considered a classic score and a well-known masterpiece, its inclusion here only merits further mention because of its sound quality.
The original source tapes for the score were finally discovered before the production of this album and these provide the score with a vibrant new life: the improvements in the sound quality are certainly evident, and perhaps reason enough for owners of the earlier editions of the score to consider this new set.
Superman II & Superman III
The next two discs feature Ken Thorne’s scores for Superman II and Superman III. Although the scores are indeed cut-and-paste jobs, and feature smaller ensembles performing them, they are much more entertaining now due to FSM’s remixing and remastering of the scores, and they are impressive when presented in their complete forms, without pop songs to break up the majesty of the orchestra, as was the case in the original records.
Superman IV: The Quest for Peace
Discs 5 and 6 feature a wonderful surprise: Alexander Courage’s score for Superman IV: The Quest for Peace. Courage’s score is impressive and effective. John Williams himself wrote three new themes for the film and had them incorporated by Courage into the body of the score. The result is a completely fresh experience for the musical world of Superman: Courage masterfully orchestrates and arranges Williams’ original themes, and while the orchestral ensemble still doesn’t match the London Symphony Orchestra for size, the recording is noticeably splashier than those of Superman II & III.
The score’s inclusion and full release here is particularly fitting, as Alexander Courage regretfully passed away in early 2008. This presentation of one of his best works is a wonderful memoriam of one of Hollywood’s unsung musical heroes.
Extra Material
Discs 7 and 8 feature Ron Jones’ score to the animated 1988 Superman series (a fun surprise!) and source cues and alternate recordings by Williams, Thorne and Courage. And as if that weren’t enough, the whole thing is boxed together with a 160-page hardcover booklet with extensive notes, pictures, and illustrations. All in all, the set is a loving, thorough presentation of a fantastic collection of majestic music.
Summary
The price of the set is a little steep: it sells from retailers for about 120$. But for fans of John Williams and his powerful Superman music, as well as collectors of Superman memorabilia, the price won’t be a huge obstacle. The set is incredibly comprehensive and exhaustive, and is one of the most impressive soundtrack products ever produced.
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