Superman (1978)

Composer(s):
John Williams

Released in:
1978

Reviews

SENSATIONAL SUPERMAN SCORE
by Branko LaRusso (January 14, 2003)
John Williams was certainly in his prime, producing numerous, classic, memorable and monumental scores in the 1970's, through to the early 1980's, as is evident with the, "Superman:The Movie", score.
How he managed to have such a high output of fabulous and exemplary scores in such a short time frame, predominantly the period between 1975 through to 1983, is an achievement which has never ceased to amaze me, and I'm sure many other people.

This score in my opinion is one of his finest, and stands side by side in his impressive repertoire with one of my all time favourites of his works which is "Raiders of the Lost Ark"- another masterpiece.

It must be said that the Rhino release of the remastered and expanded edition of the "Superman:The Movie" soundtrack is an absolute godsend to soundtrack enthusiasts and collectors such as myself.
It can also be said that it has been a long time coming and Rhino have definitely produced the goods with this fabulous offering, which is almost faultless.
The only minor fault that I have - if you can call it that, is that there are no track times shown anywhere, other than that it is near perfection.

The 2 CD score/set is as comprehensive and meticulous as one could wish for. Rhino have done an outstanding job once more, as they usually do with soundtrack re-issues. The soundtrack itself has a plethora of tracks, many of which up until this re-release have remained unobtainable. Thankfully this has now been rectified.
The 2 CD set is also equipped with an impressive booklet, packed full of information, great photo's and an insight into the origins of the Superman character.

John Williams once again, has done a faultless job with this splendid work giving us some memorable and intricate pieces. The fun starts to commence with the "Prelude and Main Title March" which is a well known and prominent piece and chronologically leads us into other memorable moments. A few of my favourite selections would have to be "Prelude And Main Title March", "The Trip To Earth", "Growing Up", "Death Of Jonathan Kent", "Leaving Home", and last but not least "The Fortress Of Solitude", all of which derive from DISC 1, which for me contains most of the highlight's of the soundtrack.
My favourite selections from DISC 2 would have to be "The Flying Sequence", "Misguided Missiles And Kryptonite", "Turning Back The World" and "Love Theme From Superman" all of which make you feel as if you're
flying through the Stratosphere into world's unknown.

All in all, if you don't own a copy of this soundtrack, you seriously need to contemplate in purchasing one, it is an absolute must if you appreciate great scores.
This truly is a wonderfully crafted score, which any soundtrack collector would be proud of having in their collection, it is a superb listening experience.

Arguably John Williams greatest score
by Bret Wheadon (June 9, 2001)
"Star Wars" may have set the standard, but "Superman: the Movie" is arguably John Williams most fully-realized score of the 1970s. Lyrical and majestic, it has a sweep and unity that is best heard in complete suite form presented in the Rhino/Warner Archives set. Listen to the opening march with its instantly-memorable fifths, or to the triumphant "Krypton" fanfare for trumpet, firmly rooted in the Romantic tradition, and the melodic, lyrical "Can You Read My Mind" displayed prominently in the "Flying" sequence. Rhino Records has put out the supreme package for this set, with wonderful remastering. copious notes, and a plethora of previously unreleased material including alternate versions of "Can You Read My Mind", concert versions of the opening themes, and remarkable unreleased material like "Death of Jonathan Kent". Absolutely essential to any soundtrack collection.

Reviews on other sites:

filmtracks.com

Submit a link