Music Reviews

This superb collection of music from Babylon 5’s second, third and fourth years could not be more different from its predecessor. Very like the show itself, Christopher Franke’s musical scores on his second B5 album grow darker, harder-hitting, more avant-garde, more epic and even a little more unnerving and disturbing. Beginning with a nicely extended version of the first season’s main title theme, the album switches gears abruptly as the first track of score music – kicking off with the first notes heard in the fourth season’s premiere episode – immediately waxes apocalyptic and much more action-oriented than volume one’s mystic passages. Still adhering to the first album’s leanings toward long orchestral suites with seldom-accurate track titles, Messages From Earth does make a concession to the more traditional discrete division of cues on soundtrack albums by including each season’s different theme song on its own track. This album’s ominously lovely choral textures will have an addictive effect on any Babylon 5 fan, though I highly recommend it to anyone. Unusual juxtapositions of percussion, orchestra, electronics, and choir, along with Franke’s tendency to disregard western major and minor tonalities with reckless abandon, make this a gripping listen, especially track 4, “Z’Ha’Dum”, which is actually mostly comprised of music from an intense episode called The Long, Twilight Struggle a year earlier.

1. Main Title – season 1 / extended (3:16)
2. Messages from Earth – music from Severed Dreams (10:05)
3. Main Title – season 2 (1:30)
4. Z’Ha’Dum – music from The Long, Twilight Struggle 12:19)
5. Main Title – season 3 (1:31)
6. Severed Dreams – music from Messages from Earth (15:37)
7. Main Title – season 4 (1:29)
8. Voices of Authority – music from A Late Delivery from Avalon (11:26)

Released by: Sonic Images
Release date: 1997
Total running time: 57:30

Why, you ask, would anyone want to listen to this oddball variety of the usually simplistic comedy numbers written and performed by a handful of outrageous characters who are usually associated with poking fun at really lousy movies? Well, I dunno. I suppose because it’s a proverbial hoot. I also suppose one listening to this album would have to be a big fan of Mystery Science Theater 3000 in order to even care about these songs, which form one of the biggest recorded musical in-jokes ever pressed on CD (aside from whatever album Michael Jackson released most recently). Join orignal MST host Joel Hodgson, current host Mike Nelson, the lovable robots Crow, Tom Servo and Gypsy, and mad scientists Dr. Forrester and TV’s Frank as they warble, croon and sometimes croak their way through a variety of humorous tunes from various installments of the show. My favorites on this album have to be “Master Ninja Theme Song”, “Toobular Boobular Joy”, “Tribute To Pants”, and “The Greatest Frank Of All”, Much as I liked Joel and still do, I have to confess that after hearing nearly an hour of both hosts, Mike comes out as the better singer of the two. And as much as I liked TV’s Frank, I think his singing is mentioned in the Geneva Convention in the “please don’t” section, somewhere between chemical weapons and torture! If I have but a couple of tiny complaints, I would have liked a little more dialogue (a complaint I have never made before, because I normally cannot stand dialogue on soundtrack or music albums such as Apollo 13), and maybe the Torgo theme from the truly wretched movie Manos: The Hands of Fate, though I realize that’s not under their copyright. But these are minor nits to pick. If you too want to hear these particular voices in your head, you’ll need to order it through the MST 3000 Info Club (see the link below).

1. MST 3000 theme: 1989-1993 Joel version (1:23)
2. My Creepy Girl (2:22)
3. Godzilla Genealogy Bop (1:56)
4. If Chauffeurs Ruled the World (2:22)
5. Music from Some Guys in Space (1:47)
6. Tibby, Oh Tibby (2:44)
7. The Plate Spinning Song (1:04)
8. A Clown in the Sky (2:11)
9. The Waffle Song (0:50)
10. Let’s Have a Patrick Swayze Christmas (3:21)
11. Master Ninja Theme Song (1:14)
12. Tribute to Pants (1:33)
13. Gypsy Rose Me! (0:37)
14. Kim Cattrall (1:03)
15. Ode On Estelle (3:32)
16. Gypsy Moons (2:04)
17. Hired! Original Broadway Cast (3:21)
18. What A Pleasant Journey (1:46)
19. MST 3000 theme song: 1993-1995 Mike version with Frank (1:24)
20. The Janitor Song (2:17)
21. NummyMuffinCoocolButter (1:37)
22. Merry Christmas…If That’s OK (2:04)
23. The Greatest Frank Of All (1:27)
24. Livin’ In Deep 13 (0:48)
25. Bouncy Upbeat Song (1:31)
26. Whom Shall I Kill? (2:20)
27. Tubular Boobular Joy (1:08)
28. MST 3000 theme song: 1995-1996 Mike version with Pearl (1:36)
29. Mighty Science Theater – closing theme (1:02)

Released by: Best Brains
Release date: 1996
Total running time: 52:04

It’s appropriate enough that the controversial Oliver Stone would call upon John Williams to underscore the director’s newest retelling of a deceased American President’s life story. Where Williams’ treatment of JFK seemed experimental, electronic and appropriately unsettling, his take on the life of Richard Nixon (as told by Stone) seems much more serene and traditional in comparison. There’s also some outstanding solo trumpet work. Interestingly, two tracks actually do bear a strong resemblance to Williams’ JFK soundtrack, one being a recap of the decade leading up to Nixon’s presidency (which includes 1963), the other piece accompanying the Watergate break-in itself. And somewhat more pleasingly, the Nixon soundtrack contains only one non-original piece – a brief statement of the “Battle Hymn of the Republic” – and the rest of the album consists of the movie’s score (as opposed to JFK‘s 1960s hit parade). Highly recommended, and the best Williams movie score in years.

1. The 1960s: The Turbulent Years (5:04)
2. Main Title…the White House Gate (4:17)
3. Growing Up In Whittier (2:42)
4. The Ellsberg Break-In and Watergate (2:43)
5. Love Field: Dallas, November 1963 (4:51)
6. Losing a Brother (3:18)
7. The Battle Hymn of the Republic (1:03)
8. Making a Comeback (2:20)
9. Track 2 and the Bay of Pigs (4:47)
10. The Miami Convention: 1968 (3:19)
11. The Meeting with Mao (3:09)
12. “I Am That Sacrifice” (4:49)
13. The Farewell Scene (5:01)

Released by: Hollywood Records
Release date: 1995
Total running time: 68:13

An atypically anachronistic score for a medieval-fantasy movie, this album was composed by Andrew Powell, longtime orchestra arranger/conductor for Alan Parsons. Which brings us to why I even sought this album out, not having seen the movie – Parsons produced the soundtrack album, and the band which comprised the core of Parsons’ Project circa 1984 or so is prominently featured on many tracks. So it’s no exaggeration to say that this album sounds like a missing page from the Alan Parsons catalog, and in many cases the music was inspired by earlier Project instrumentals. Ladyhawke director Richard Donner listened to Alan Parsons Project albums all during the production of the movie, and had several specific requests and suggestions regarding the film’s music, based on existing Project pieces such as Powell’s long “Fall Of The House Of Usher” orchestral suite from Parsons’ first album, among others, so the resemblance is no mere coincidence. The Project rhythm section is, as always, incredibly precise and intricate, and the music would sound perfectly natural played next to anything from Parsons’ Vulture Culture or Stereotomy. I like this album a lot, because it combines some nice – if occasionally predictable – orchestral passages with the signature Parsons sound, but I’d really only recommend it to diehard Parsons fans, or diehard fans of this movie in particular.

1. Main Title (2:59)
2. Philippe’s Escape (1:40)
3. The Search for Philippe (3:25)
4. Tavern Fight – Philippe (2:08)
5. Tavern Fight – Navarre (2:38)
6. Pitou’s Woods (4:04)
7. Philippe Describes Isabeau (1:11)
8. Bishop’s Procession (2:50)
9. Wedding Music (1:41)
10. Navarre’s Ambush (4:53)
11. Imperius Removes Arrow (1:33)
12. The Chase / The Fall / Transformation – album version (2:06)
13. Cezar’s Wood (5:29)
14. She Was Sad At First (2:06)
15. Navarre Returns to Aquila (1:36)
16. Turret Chase / The Fall – film version (2:46)
17. Wolf Trapped in Ice (2:34)
18. Navarre and Isabeau’s Dual Transformation (3:23)
19. Navarre and Marquet Duel (4:22)
20. Marquet’s Death (1:59)
21. Bishop’s Death (2:26)
22. Final Reunion / End Title (8:14)
23. Ladyhawke Theme – single version (3:35)

Released by: GNP Crescendo
Release date: 1985 (issued on CD in 1996)
Total running time: 70:06

Released simultaneously with the Star Trek: First Contact soundtrack, this disc is a sort of stellar sampler, with music from at least one episode of each of the Star Trek series. Representing the original series, and again beautifully remastered as was the case with GNP Crescendo’s second and third albums of original Trek music, are the Alexander Courage signature theme and several minutes of whimsical music from 1967’s all-time-favorite The Trouble With Tribbles. The sound quality is so clear that it’s hard to believe these sessions were recorded three decades ago. Star Trek: The Next Generation gets a double dose of episodic scores after its own rendition of the combined themes of Courage and Jerry Goldsmith. First up is a synthesizer-heavy and action-packed selection of music from 1988’s Heart Of Glory, in which future Best Of Both Worlds composer Ron Jones flexes his melodic muscle in a way that future Trek music makers would not get to enjoy for a long time. Then, the very popular flute-solo theme from 1992’s Inner Light episode is given a lavish, never-before-heard treatment with an orchestral backing, a kind of solo concerto waltz with the flute in the audio foreground. Jay Chattaway’s other music from that episode is not reflected in this piece, but the sheer beauty of it is more than satisfying. Dennis McCarthy then strikes up a more percussive revival of the Deep Space Nine theme, even more rhythmic than the current version on which it is based, and then continues with cues from the sentimental and well-loved episode The Visitor. Then, the terrible edit version of Goldsmith’s Voyager theme – the same version which appeared on the Voyager CD single – introduces the Voyager portion of the album. McCarthy more than makes up for the horribly edited theme with his boisterous, heraldic music from the Viking-influenced story Heroes And Demons. This is an album from which Trek fans should find at least one piece of music to love, either in the more recent material’s subtle textures or the action cues from the original Trek and early Next Generation. There is not a refrigerator magnet with this disc, sorry. I’d buy most any album of Star Trek scores, but the chance to hear yet again the remastered music of the original series and some belligerent Ron Jones action cues is enough for me to recommend this one.

1. Star Trek original series main title by Alexander Courage (1:03)
   Suite from Star Trek – The Trouble With Tribbles by Jerry Fielding:
2. Bartender Bit / They Quibble Over Quibble / Kirk Out / Barrel of Trouble /
   Tribble Hooks Kirk / Poor Jonesey / A Matter of Pride (5:19)
3. The Muzak Maker / The Scherzo Maker (1:37)
4. A Matter of Pride / No Tribble At All / Big Fight (4:05)
5. Star Trek: The Next Generation main title (1:49)
   Suite from Star Trek: The Next Generation – Heart of Glory by Ron Jones:
6. Moment of Decision / Battle Signs / Geordi Vision / Lookin for Life Signs /
   Imminent Destruction (8:29)
7. A Klingon’s Feelings / Let’s Make a Phaser / Heart of Glory (6:30)
8. Orchestral suite from Star Trek: The Next Generation – The Inner Light by Jay Chattaway (6:36)
9. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine main title – 4th season version (1:55)
   Suite from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine – The Visitor by Dennis McCarthy:
10. Rainy Night (1:08)
11. Steve O’s Cue / Freaked Out (3:07)
12. Dad Admonishes (3:12)
13. One Last Visit (2:58)
14. Second Chance (1:14)
15. Star Trek: Voyager main title (extended edit)

by Jerry Goldsmith (2:22)
Suite from Star Trek: Voyager – Heroes & Demons by Dennis McCarthy:

16. Last Hope (2:32)
17. Dr. Schweitzer (1:20)
18. Armagonnen (1:48)
19. Where’s Freya / To The Rescue (6:45)

Released by: GNP Crescendo
Release date: 1996
Total running time: 63:51

Honestly, my first impressions of the music from First Contact were less than favorable, but I realize now that this came from how poorly the score was mixed into the rest of the movie’s sound. I have to remind myself that the producer of the current Trek movies and TV series is Rick Berman, who seems as likely to have the bleeping, roaring, atmospheric sound effects on top of the mix as he is to put the music there. Berman, preparing to produce his second Trek feature, chose Goldsmith to score it, and may have been displeased with how prominent a sound the acclaimed composer can deliver. Even if you’ve seen First Contact ten times, you haven’t heard the music, because it’s hardly even present in the film’s sound mix. Tagging along with dad is son Joel Goldsmith, who demostrates that he can actually do better than the infamous Star Trek: Voyager theme CD single by providing some percussive Borg cues firmly based in the musical tradition of horror movies. Even though the elder Goldsmith slavishly quotes his own Star Trek: The Motion Picture theme, some small motifs, and most ridiculous and annoying of all, the Klingon theme (now heard whenever Worf walks into the frame), he introduces several fascinating new thematic elements, including metallic percussion and the famous “Blaster Beam” sound not heard since Star Trek II for the Borg, as well as an alternately reverent and wistful theme for the movie’s first contact between mankind and aliens. Even if you, like me, were unimpressed with the music in the movie, fear not – because you weren’t given a fair chance to hear it. This album offers a chance to hear the music without dialogue and sound effects, and a chance to add to your collection of refrigerator magnets as well. (You probably think I’m joking, don’t you?)

1. Main Title / Locutus (4:17)
2. Red Alert (2:13)
3. Temporal Wake (2:07)
4. Welcome Aboard (2:40)
5. Fully Functional (3:18)
6. Retreat (3:59)
7. Evacuate (2:19)
8. 39.1 Degrees Celcius (4:44)
9. The Dish (7:05)
10. First Contact (5:52)
11. End Credits (5:24)

    Featured songs:

12. Magic Carpet Ride – performed by Steppenwolf (4:25)
13. Ooby Dooby – performed by Roy Orbison (2:08)

Released by: GNP Crescendo
Release date: 1996
Total running time: 40:31

I’m always happy when a Star Trek movie comes along and breaks free of traditional or overused treatments. James Horner, in two Trek movie outings, recycled the same handful of themes over and over (somewhat excusable, since the second and third films in the Trek catalogue were very closely intertwined); Jerry Goldsmith reiterated his famous Star Trek: The Motion Picture theme in no less than three movie projects (and we won’t get into how tired that theme got after seven years on TV with Star Trek: The Next Generation). So when someone comes along and completely sheds all nods to previous Trekkie fare – though Eidelman and later Dennis McCarthy made brief quotes of Alexander Courage’s themes in their respective scores – I’m all for it. The sixth Trek movie is graced by a dark, rumbling, near-operatic reminder of menace, extremely appropriate for the movie’s events which threaten to break down into certain doom for all involved. Some listeners and moviegoers – particularly those fans who are far too set in their ways – couldn’t grasp this very different musical treatment of what seems to be everyone’s favorite fictional universe at the time, but I still encourage anyone interested to go and give this one a second listen.

1. Overture (2:57)
2. An Incident (0:53)
3. Clear All Moorings (1:39)
4. Assassination (4:45)
5. Surrender for Peace (2:46)
6. Death of Gorkon (1:10)
7. Rura Penthe (4:22)
8. Revealed (2:38)
9. Escape From Rura Penthe (5:34)
10. Dining on Ashes (1:00)
11. The Battle for Peace (8:03)
12. Sign Off (3:13)
13. Star Trek VI Suite (6:18)

Released by: MCA
Release date: 1991
Total running time: 45:18

Many people thought that the first Star Trek movie was a bad film which was saved by an incredible musical score. The first Star Trek movie was not a bad film. This, however, was. And perhaps fully conscious of this, the producers of Star Trek V opted to bring Jerry Goldsmith back to the Trek fold to score William “Captain Kirk” Shatner’s first foray into feature directing. Goldsmith himself didn’t exactly reinvent the wheel. His second Trek movie score rehashes the main theme and the Klingon signature tune from Star Trek: The Motion Picture, and the original music that was composed specifically for this movie just doesn’t seem to be up to the standard of Goldsmith’s previous outing. (Maybe he lacked inspiration from the source material. I’d buy that explanation.) Some of the more tranquil passages are certainly up to a few listens, including the movie’s opening scenes of Kirk scaling a mountain, and some ethereal music to accompany the initially benign appearance of a being that purports to be God. And the album is ended by a tune from Hiroshima, which was performed briefly – though not by Hiroshima – in the film.

1. The Mountain (3:53)
2. The Barrier (2:54)
3. Without Help (4:21)
4. A Busy Man (4:42)
5. Open the Gates (3:03)
6. An Angry God (6:58)
7. Let’s Get Out Of Here (5:15)
8. Free Minds (3:20)
9. Life is a Dream – end title (3:59)
10. The Moon’s a Window to Heaven – performed by Hiroshima (4:00)

Released by: Epic
Release date: 1989
Total running time: 42:25

You know, it seems like a lot of people, particularly die-hard Star Trek fans, have a great distaste for this soundtrack album from the fourth (and arguably most popular) movie, but I’ve always had a soft spot for it. As you may have read in my critiques of the movie scores by Dennis McCarthy and Cliff Eidelman, I like it when a Star Trek movie’s musical sound isn’t just a repetition of previous scores, but has something new to say. I will be the first to admit that this movie, in venturing into 1986 San Francisco, made it easy going on the composer by allowing him to come up with contemporary, less orchestral music, but the tidbits of movie score that are present on the Star Trek IV soundtrack aren’t bad at all. From the more-celebratory-than-usual opening title (which plays almost like a Christmas carol) to some more menacing cues to accompany things like time travel and Earth-destroying alien ships, there really is no decline in quality compared to other Trek films where the music is concerned. And even the fusion jazz source music cues are good, performed by the Yellowjackets, a small jazz ensemble. For those fans put off by the lighthearted sound of this score, I can only say it’s not bad at all.

1. Main Title (2:39)
2. The Whaler (2:00)
3. Market Street (4:39)
4. Crash-Whale Fugue (8:15)
5. Ballad of the Whale (5:03)
6. Gillian Seeks Kirk (2:42)
7. Chekov’s Run (1:19)
8. Time Travel (1:29)
9. Hospital Chase (1:13)
10. The Probe (1:17)
11. Home Again / End Credits (5:40)

Released by: MCA
Release date: 1986
Total running time: 36:16

I praise Horner for his Star Trek II soundtrack, but I have to take issue with how he managed to score the next movie. A lot of the music – indeed, starting with the opening titles – is simply lifted from Star Trek II. Now, to some degree, this is understandable, as Trek III picked up directly where its predecessor left off and quite a bit of continuity is to be expected, but there are places where you’d swear the film was being tracked with music from Star Trek II. There are exceptions to this rule – Horner created a different musical vision of the Klingons than Goldsmith’s popular theme, and there are some interesting passages in the eight-and-a-half-minute “Stealing The Enterprise” cue. There’s another surprise in the form of a synth-pop rendition of the main theme, titled “The Search For Spock”, which is the first concession to a pop music audience that the Trek movie series made, but it wouldn’t be the last.

1. Prologue and Main Title (6:27)
2. Klingons (5:55)
3. Stealing the Enterprise (8:33)
4. The Mind Meld (2:30)
5. Bird of Prey Decloaks (3:37)
6. Returning to Vulcan (4:49)
7. The Katra Ritual (4:29)
8. End Title (6:12)
9. The Search for Spock (3:43)

Released by: GNP Crescendo
Release date: 1984
Total running time: 46:15

This, along with Goldsmith’s music for Star Trek: The Motion Picture, seem to have entrenched themselves in the minds of the public and Trek fans alike as the definitive Star Trek movie scores…by virtue, I suspect, of having been the first two. There are lovely passages – and a beautiful main and closing theme – in this action-packed score, but in a few places the sound is just too thick and too boisterous, and it’s hard to keep up with it all. Still, it’s one of everyone’s favorite soundtracks, and it is good. It’s a much better entry than Horner gave us for the Star Trek movie that followed this one. Also noteworthy was the use of that instrument/sound/thing called the Blaster Beam – a distinctive tone that distinguished the first two Trek films and then seemed to disappear completely until the eighth movie – in some new and different ways than it had appeared in Goldsmith’s score.

1. Main Title (3:03)
2. Surprise Attack (5:06)
3. Spock (1:10)
4. Kirk’s Explosive Reply (4:02)
5. Khan’s Pets (4:18)
6. Enterprise Clears Moorings (3:32)
7. Battle in the Mutara Nebula (8:08)
8. Genesis Countdown (6:36)
9. Epilogue / End Title (8:40)

Released by: GNP Crescendo
Release date: 1982
Total running time: 44:35

I really wish Crescendo would go back, remaster this album and re-release it up to the standards of the more recent releases. The excellent music from the first two produced examples of 1960s Star Trek, as reproduced here, comes across as heavy on the treble frequencies and rather shrill. With some equalization, it makes good speaker listening, but it’s not headphone material. Still, the mysterious music from The Cage and the rather more typical action music for William Shatner’s debut as Kirk in Where No Man Has Gone Before survives the test of time well. It just needs a little remastering.

The Cage
1. Star Trek theme (0:50)
2. Doctor Bartender (1:16)
3. Survivors (1:37)
4. Prime Specimen (3:08)
5. Bottled (1:46)
6. Probed (0:45)
7. Monster Illusion (1:13)
8. Monster Fight (1:37)
9. The Kibitzers (0:36)
10. Vena’s Punishment (1:44)
11. Pike’s Punishment (0:33)
12. Picnic (2:09)
13. True Love (1:17)
14. Vena’s Dance (1:49)
15. Torchy Girl (0:12)
16. Under the Spell (0:26)
17. Primitive Thoughts (0:24)
18. Wrong Think (0:40)
19. To Catch a T. (1:19)
20. Going Up (1:06)
21. Max’s Factor (2:04)
22. Star Trek end title (1:29)

    Where No Man Has Gone Before

23. Main Title (0:14)
24. Star Date (0:34)
25. Episode Titles (1:18)
26. Force Field (2:17)
27. Silvery Orbs (1:49)
28. Crippled Ship (0:53)
29. Speedy Reader (0:50)
30. Hit the Button (0:03)
31. On Delta-Vega (0:37)
32. When Your Eyes Have Turned To Silver (0:58)
33. Instant Paradise (2:50)
34. End title and credits (0:21)
35. Additional credits (0:20)

Released by: GNP Crescendo
Release date: 1986
Total running time: 41:04

There’s nothing quite like an Alan Parsons project, whether it’s called that or not. After the sometimes morbid theme of 1993’s Try Anything Once, this album’s focus on flight is a welcome change of pace. The theme is stretched in all directions, from the legend of Icarus to skydiving to altophobia to an instrumental, reminiscent of the Project’s sound circa 1985, constructed around John F. Kennedy’s 1961 speech that initiated the Apollo program. There’s also a song sung by Christopher Cross which could be interpreted as a tribute to astronauts, both fallen and otherwise, everywhere. For many years, I’ve heard numerous critics accuse Parsons of imitating the sound of Pink Floyd (a sound Parsons himself helped establish when he produced and engineered Pink Floyd’s Dark Side Of The Moon, which doesn’t lend the PF imitation criticism much credibility), but for once I have to admit that Parsons has turned out an album which is exceedingly Floydian – or, more accurately, very much like the sound Parsons bestowed upon PF all those years ago. The sound of On Air is driven by guitars, well-harmonized vocals and dreamy sound effects, and not quite so many of the symphonic textures of Parsons projects past. Suffice it to say you should enjoy On Air if you’re a Pink Floyd fan. Featured vocalists include the aforementioned Christopher Cross (yes, the same Mr. Cross of “Sailing” fame), 10cc’s Eric Stewart, Neil Lockwood (late of ELO Part II – aha! There is at last a tenuous connection between Parsons and ELO!), and Graham Dye. The album art is similar to that of Try Anything Once, but features hot air balloons instead of people hanging upside-down from ropes!

One truly unique feature of On Air is the second CD in the package – a CD-ROM with all sorts of interesting information on the band and on the history of aviation. Aggravatingly, the CD-ROM is formatted in such a way that you can barely tell what you’re doing – after a title screen and some psychedelic sound, a fleet of colorful balloons wafts lazily across the screen. Clicking on larger balloons will take you to sundry bits of information, but you can hardly tell where you’re headed – the balloons seem to sorta-kinda-vaguely follow the order of the song titles. For example, the “Brother Up In Heaven” section of the CD-ROM contains some sombering statistics on air-related deaths in peacetime and in war; “Fall Free” leads to a tribute to a deceased world champion skysurfer; “Cloudbreak” includes an interesting selection of historical aircraft with photos and diagrams; “Blue Blue Sky” part one contains literary, mythological and other references to flying (including Freud’s take on flying dreams); and part two of the same piece will show you very interesting bios and photos of the band, an Alan Parsons Project trivia game (I only got a little over half of them right, it’s tough!), and more. That last section also contains a stripped-down, looped instrumental of “Blue Blue Sky”, which would be worth the price of the second disc alone. But I’m happy to report that both disks will only cost you as much as a single CD. The CD-ROM’s format and user interface, however, are irritating and seem to offer no hints on how to get around. Where you wind up is almost a random selection, and several smaller balloons will simply explode and lead you to a silly message on a screen with a big pink fish (red herring, get it?). The people who put the CD-ROM togther must have been tripping at least some of the time they worked on it! There are also relatively silly and useless sections of the CD-ROM – “So Far Away” plays a few seconds of the song and displays an endless, monotonous loop of an ersatz NASA-like space mission patch. “Apollo”, a selection which could have linked to a wealth of spaceflight information, is instead a long series of psychedelic graphics and other odd bits. “Too Close To The Sun” plays a snippet of that song and then invites you to design your own wings (!?). I haven’t even found a section for “Can’t Look Down”, I keep encountering the dreaded fish! Overall, both discs are enjoyable, and it’s still good to hear new music from Parsons and friends.

1. Blue Blue Sky (0:46)
2. Too Close To The Sun (5:12)
3. Blown By The Wind (5:22)
4. Cloudbreak (4:41)
5. Can’t Look Down (4:32)
6. Brother Up In Heaven (3:57)
7. Fall Free (4:20)
8. Apollo (6:05)
9. So Far Away (4:05)
10. One Day To Fly (6:13)
11. Blue Blue Sky (4:23)

Released by: River North
Release date: 1996
Total running time: 50:50

This was the last real album recorded by ELO, and don’t let Bev Bevan – who now fronts ELO Part II – tell you otherwise. This modest album, as aptly described in the liner notes of the Afterglow box set four years later, doesn’t sound a whole lot like what you’d come to expect from ELO. It is as different from the mid-70s ELO signature as the group’s classical-heavy-metal-fusion first album was, but moves steadily into the 80s. The great vocal harmonies are still there, but the orchestra is not (unless emulated by keyboards), and the sound just doesn’t seem as full as it once did. The songs aren’t bad, though – “Without Someone”, “Is It Alright” and “Calling America” sticking out as my favorites and the most authentically ELO-ish – but perhaps this should have been Jeff Lynne’s first solo album instead of the last ELO album.

1. Heaven Only Knows (2:54)
2. So Serious (2:41)
3. Getting To The Point (4:29)
4. Secret Lives (3:28)
5. Is It Alright (3:24)
6. Sorrow About To Fall (4:03)
7. Without Someone (3:51)
8. Calling America (3:29)
9. Endless Lies (2:58)
10. Send It (3:39)

Released by: Epic
Release date: 1986
Total running time: 34:56