Various Artists: Brain In A Box: The Science Fiction Collection - Disc 1 of 5 (Movie Themes) CD Track Listing

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Various Artists Brain In A Box: The Science Fiction Collection - Disc 1 of 5 (Movie Themes) (2000)
Released November 7, 2000\n\nAMG EXPERT REVIEW: It's hard not to look at Rhino's lavish five-disc set Brain in a Box: The Science Fiction Collection as it sits encased in a large metal cube covered with 3-D illustrations and wonder why does it exist and who is it for. This is an expensive set, retailing at nearly 100 dollars, and it's filled with recordings that aren't exactly designed for casual listening. Then again, this box is not designed for listening -- it's designed as a conversation piece, a piece of pop culture, and, most likely, a sure-fire Grammy nominee (and winner) for best packaging. And, if you ignore the fact that this isn't really that listenable, even though it covers nearly every base in its five designated categories -- movies themes, TV themes, pop songs, incidental/lounge music, and novelty tunes -- this is a pretty remarkable package, capturing much of the irresistible kitsch of sci-fi pop culture. Make no mistake about it, even if Ray Bradbury contributes an essay for the hardcover 200-page book, this is all about the wonderfully silly comics, B-movies, and dime store magazines that thrived in the '50s and '60s, then was recycled and ironically revived throughout the remaining three decades of the 20th century. Occasionally, Brain in a Box delves into the more measured, intellectual side of sci-fi -- not just by acknowledging that films like Planet of the Apes were very smart, but spending time on think-pieces as varied as 2001: A Space Odyssey, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and The Matrix. Still, when the second the set kicks off with Richard O'Brien's "Science Fiction/Double Feature," the incomparable opening salvo from The Rocky Horror Picture Show, it's clear that the compilers favored kitsch and camp. That's fine -- that's what makes this set fun. And, truth be told, the book is as much fun, if not more, than the discs, since not only are the essays strong, but the pictures of old movie posters, magazine covers and ads, comic books, ViewMasters, and action figures from '50s tin robots to Futurama's Bender are utterly enthralling -- at least if you're a pop culture junkie. Does that make Brain in a Box worth all the money? Well, if (and only if) you found that list of artifacts exciting and you like "Telstar," Esquivel, and Tim Burton's Mars Attacks, plus aren't annoyed by Dr. Demento and don't find Dr. Who strangely unsettling, it may be; you may not put it on much, but it looks nice on the shelf and there are all sorts of great geeky treasures inside. Which might mean that it's worth it, provided that you realize you're buying the package for the package, not the music. -- Stephen Thomas Erlewine\n\nAmazon.com Editorial Review\nIt doesn't take much rhetorical muscle to argue that science fiction was one of the dominant genre artforms of the 20th century, from the Lumiere brothers to Spielberg, from Wells and Conan Doyle to Asimov, Bradbury, and Clarke. This nearly exhaustive, lavishly packaged collection documents the genre's musical legacy across virtually every major genre on its five discs and 113 tracks. Each volume is divided by sub-genre--Movie Themes, TV Themes, Pop, Incidental/Lounge, Novelty--with each containing both the obvious contenders and some delightful surprises. The film disc alone contains a wealth of rarities, including music from Them!, The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms, The Andromeda Strain, Fantastic Voyage, and other notables. The packaging is brilliant kitsch: a 6.5-inch square, metal-lidded cube emblazoned on three sides with suitably tacky 3-D images of--you guessed it!--a floating brain. But the profusely illustrated, hard-bound, 200-page book (designed to emulate the Big Little Books of the 1940s and '50s) that's included gives the subject its serious due, with an introduction by Ray Bradbury and contributions from an array of other notables, including Forrest J. Ackerman, Billy Mumy, Joe Dante, Dr. Demento, and Matt Groening. Perhaps the best half-cubic-foot of sci-fi brain food every assembled. --Jerry McCulley \n\nAmazon.com Customer Review\nNostalgia at it's best., April 4, 2001 \nReviewer: Jayson Olson from Irvine, CA \nThe first thing you will notice is the beautiful box. Though not metal (decorated to look as if), it has a really cool hologram on three sides, with all track listings on the back. Decent construction, though some may not like the foam insert inside which holds the 5 discs and book.\n\nThe 5 discs are packaged with their own cardboard sleeve that is decorated in a 50's style retro design and categorized by a main theme: T.V., Movie, Lounge, Novelty & Pop. But the best part of the inserts is the small hard cover book included. It is chock full of old B-movie posters and artwork, news/articles, and information/history on 'space' related music over the years. This is truly a gem and adds quite a bit to this collection. You will spend hours marveling over the old retro designs and comic like appearance of all things sci/fi that are within this books covers.\n\nNow why only 4 stars? Well though you will be giddy to hear old show tunes like 'Lost In Space', 'The Outer Limits', and some of the movie themes and lounge, it does lack some heavy hitters. One can argue that Rhino probably had hundreds of tunes to sift through, and they picked what they could for licensing reasons and taste, but while others may enjoy some tunes, others will wonder how this made it into the collection. For me, I was a little let down by the Novelty disc....some songs were actually annoying to me.\n\nThe biggest let down, and I realize the issues behind it, were the absence of a few major players: There is no Star Wars theme, no Cantina, no Dune, no Klingon music, a few TV shows that were not represented, but you can't please everybody right?\n\nOtherwise a very good collection...and a stellar book. \n\nAmazon.com Customer Review\nThe brain, finally harnessed!, January 3, 2001 \nReviewer: A music fan from San Francisco, CA USA \nI have to admit, Rhino continues to impress me time and time again. It would be one thing to collect and repackage tunes from days gone by (like the History of Funk 6-CD anthology), but they do so in a way that leaves you bragging to all your friends: "Look at this BOX SET!"\n\nAnd indeed, the packaging is as impressive as the 5 cds in contains. A box with holographic brains? Photos of robots? Mad scientists? Cheezy science fiction film stills? And yet, without mocking it, the brain begs for us to revel in our love of this new frontier pondered so much over the last 50 years.\n\nThe music ranges from the insanely familiar (The Jetson's Theme song) to the curious buzzing of artists like John Zorn and the appreciation for the silly through, oh, I don't know... Lenord Nemoy? Throw in some rockabilly and theremin solos, really clever cd covers, and a book chock full of historical photos and you've got a classic. You'll want to bring the brain out to meet everyone. \n\nCD Now Review (December 8, 2000)\nThis five-CD set, devoted to science fiction themes throughout history, sprawls beyond all categories. The first disc in the set is Movie Themes; the second, TV Themes. Disc three is Pop, while four is the catch-all Incidental/Lounge, taking in everything from classical composer Gustav Holst ("Mars, Bringer of War" from The Planets) to Sun Ra ("Space Is the Place") to way more "space age bachelor pad music" by the likes of Rus Garcia and Les Baxter than any normal human will need. Amusingly, the final disc is Novelty -- which in a broad sense could certainly describe everything in the entire set. \nRhino admits in the lavish, colorful, 200-page book that comes with this set that it wasn't able to license all the items it would have liked to get (and includes a generous list of essential items), so complaining that the Bonzo Dog Band's "I'm the Urban Spaceman" is missing, for instance, would be mere curmudgeonry. There are so many angles from which to view this oddball project -- a lot of the instrumentals were fairly avant-garde in their day, while a lot of the pop and novelty material is hilarious -- that it would take a HAL-like computer to calculate all the levels on which this box operates. It's a success on all of them. -- Steve Holtje, CDNOW Senior Editor, Comedy\n\nHalf.com Album Notes\nBRAIN IN A BOX: THE SCIENCE FICTION COLLECTION is packaged in a foil-wrapped box, covered on three sides with 3D lenticular images of a brain floating in bubbly liquid.\n\nContains a 200 page book.\n\nIncludes liner notes by David Garland, Ray Bradbury, Dr. Demento, Arthur C. Clarke, Forrest J. Ackerman, David S. Goyer, Kevin Eastman, Julie Strain Eastman, and Welch Everman.\n\nEntertainment Weekly (12/01/2000)\n...A meticulous overview of sci-fi music through the decades, sliced and diced by movies, TV, pop and heavy-on-the-theremin '50s space lounge, and useless but hialrious novelty crap... - Rating: AReleased November 7, 2000\n\nAMG EXPERT REVIEW: It's hard not to look at Rhino's lavish five-disc set Brain in a Box: The Science Fiction Collection as it sits encased in a large metal cube covered with 3-D illustrations and wonder why does it exist and who is it for. This is an expensive set, retailing at nearly 100 dollars, and it's filled with recordings that aren't exactly designed for casual listening. Then again, this box is not designed for listening -- it's designed as a conversation piece, a piece of pop culture, and, most likely, a sure-fire Grammy nominee (and winner) for best packaging. And, if you ignore the fact that this isn't really that listenable, even though it covers nearly every base in its five designated categories -- movies themes, TV themes, pop songs, incidental/lounge music, and novelty tunes -- this is a pretty remarkable package, capturing much of the irresistible kitsch of sci-fi pop culture. Make no mistake about it, even if Ray Bradbury contributes an essay for the hardcover 200-page book, this is all about the wonderfully silly comics, B-movies, and dime store magazines that thrived in the '50s and '60s, then was recycled and ironically revived throughout the remaining three decades of the 20th century. Occasionally, Brain in a Box delves into the more measured, intellectual side of sci-fi -- not just by acknowledging that films like Planet of the Apes were very smart, but spending time on think-pieces as varied as 2001: A Space Odyssey, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and The Matrix. Still, when the second the set kicks off with Richard O'Brien's "Science Fiction/Double Feature," the incomparable opening salvo from The Rocky Horror Picture Show, it's clear that the compilers favored kitsch and camp. That's fine -- that's what makes this set fun. And, truth be told, the book is as much fun, if not more, than the discs, since not only are the essays strong, but the pictures of old movie posters, magazine covers and ads, comic books, ViewMasters, and action figures from '50s tin robots to Futurama's Bender are utterly enthralling -- at least if you're a pop culture junkie. Does that make Brain in a Box worth all the money? Well, if (and only if) you found that list of artifacts exciting and you like "Telstar," Esquivel, and Tim Burton's Mars Attacks, plus aren't annoyed by Dr. Demento and don't find Dr. Who strangely unsettling, it may be; you may not put it on much, but it looks nice on the shelf and there are all sorts of great geeky treasures inside. Which might mean that it's worth it, provided that you realize you're buying the package for the package, not the music. -- Stephen Thomas Erlewine\n\nAmazon.com Editorial Review\nIt doesn't take much rhetorical muscle to argue that science fiction was one of the dominant genre artforms of the 20th century, from the Lumiere brothers to Spielberg, from Wells and Conan Doyle to Asimov, Bradbury, and Clarke. This nearly exhaustive, lavishly packaged collection documents the genre's musical legacy across virtually every major genre on its five discs and 113 tracks. Each volume is divided by sub-genre--Movie Themes, TV Themes, Pop, Incidental/Lounge, Novelty--with each containing both the obvious contenders and some delightful surprises. The film disc alone contains a wealth of rarities, including music from Them!, The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms, The Andromeda Strain, Fantastic Voyage, and other notables. The packaging is brilliant kitsch: a 6.5-inch square, metal-lidded cube emblazoned on three sides with suitably tacky 3-D images of--you guessed it!--a floating brain. But the profusely illustrated, hard-bound, 200-page book (designed to emulate the Big Little Books of the 1940s and '50s) that's included gives the subject its serious due, with an introduction by Ray Bradbury and contributions from an array of other notables, including Forrest J. Ackerman, Billy Mumy, Joe Dante, Dr. Demento, and Matt Groening. Perhaps the best half-cubic-foot of sci-fi brain food every assembled. --Jerry McCulley \n\nAmazon.com Customer Review\nNostalgia at it's best., April 4, 2001 \nReviewer: Jayson Olson from Irvine, CA \nThe first thing you will notice is the beautiful box. Though not metal (decorated to look as if), it has a really cool hologram on three sides, with all track listings on the back. Decent construction, though some may not like the foam insert inside which holds the 5 discs and book.\n\nThe 5 discs are packaged with their own cardboard sleeve that is decorated in a 50's style retro design and categorized by a main theme: T.V., Movie, Lounge, Novelty & Pop. But the best part of the inserts is the small hard cover book included. It is chock full of old B-movie posters and artwork, news/articles, and information/history on 'space' related music over the years. This is truly a gem and adds quite a bit to this collection. You will spend hours marveling over the old retro designs and comic like appearance of all things sci/fi that are within this books covers.\n\nNow why only 4 stars? Well though you will be giddy to hear old show tunes like 'Lost In Space', 'The Outer Limits', and some of the movie themes and lounge, it does lack some heavy hitters. One can argue that Rhino probably had hundreds of tunes to sift through, and they picked what they could for licensing reasons and taste, but while others may enjoy some tunes, others will wonder how this made it into the collection. For me, I was a little let down by the Novelty disc....some songs were actually annoying to me.\n\nThe biggest let down, and I realize the issues behind it, were the absence of a few major players: There is no Star Wars theme, no Cantina, no Dune, no Klingon music, a few TV shows that were not represented, but you can't please everybody right?\n\nOtherwise a very good collection...and a stellar book. \n\nAmazon.com Customer Review\nThe brain, finally harnessed!, January 3, 2001 \nReviewer: A music fan from San Francisco, CA USA \nI have to admit, Rhino continues to impress me time and time again. It would be one thing to collect and repackage tunes from days gone by (like the History of Funk 6-CD anthology), but they do so in a way that leaves you bragging to all your friends: "Look at this BOX SET!"\n\nAnd indeed, the packaging is as impressive as the 5 cds in contains. A box with holographic brains? Photos of robots? Mad scientists? Cheezy science fiction film stills? And yet, without mocking it, the brain begs for us to revel in our love of this new frontier pondered so much over the last 50 years.\n\nThe music ranges from the insanely familiar (The Jetson's Theme song) to the curious buzzing of artists like John Zorn and the appreciation for the silly through, oh, I don't know... Lenord Nemoy? Throw in some rockabilly and theremin solos, really clever cd covers, and a book chock full of historical photos and you've got a classic. You'll want to bring the brain out to meet everyone. \n\nCD Now Review (December 8, 2000)\nThis five-CD set, devoted to science fiction themes throughout history, sprawls beyond all categories. The first disc in the set is Movie Themes; the second, TV Themes. Disc three is Pop, while four is the catch-all Incidental/Lounge, taking in everything from classical composer Gustav Holst ("Mars, Bringer of War" from The Planets) to Sun Ra ("Space Is the Place") to way more "space age bachelor pad music" by the likes of Rus Garcia and Les Baxter than any normal human will need. Amusingly, the final disc is Novelty -- which in a broad sense could certainly describe everything in the entire set. \nRhino admits in the lavish, colorful, 200-page book that comes with this set that it wasn't able to license all the items it would have liked to get (and includes a generous list of essential items), so complaining that the Bonzo Dog Band's "I'm the Urban Spaceman" is missing, for instance, would be mere curmudgeonry. There are so many angles from which to view this oddball project -- a lot of the instrumentals were fairly avant-garde in their day, while a lot of the pop and novelty material is hilarious -- that it would take a HAL-like computer to calculate all the levels on which this box operates. It's a success on all of them. -- Steve Holtje, CDNOW Senior Editor, Comedy\n\nHalf.com Album Notes\nBRAIN IN A BOX: THE SCIENCE FICTION COLLECTION is packaged in a foil-wrapped box, covered on three sides with 3D lenticular images of a brain floating in bubbly liquid.\n\nContains a 200 page book.\n\nIncludes liner notes by David Garland, Ray Bradbury, Dr. Demento, Arthur C. Clarke, Forrest J. Ackerman, David S. Goyer, Kevin Eastman, Julie Strain Eastman, and Welch Everman.\n\nEntertainment Weekly (12/01/2000)\n...A meticulous overview of sci-fi music through the decades, sliced and diced by movies, TV, pop and heavy-on-the-theremin '50s space lounge, and useless but hialrious novelty crap... - Rating: A
This soundtrack cd contains 28 tracks and runs 72min 37sec.
Freedb: 8b11031c
Buy: from Amazon.com

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