SUMMARY: RUNNING TIME: 5:27 Min.
Recorded by Sunny Day Real Estate, it’s the thirteenth tune on 1995’s Batman Forever movie soundtrack.
REVIEW:
The track is frankly reminiscent of an U2 wanna-be. Though the song doesn’t sound all that original, “8” may well satisfy U2 enthusiasts seeking out a band with a similar creative style. Otherwise, it’s decent filler for the Batman Forever album.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 6 Stars
SUMMARY: RUNNING TIME: 4:06 Min.
It’s the eleventh track of Enya’s 1992 Shepherd Moons album.
REVIEW:
Although Enya’s elegant voice doesn’t disappoint, the tranquil melody drags at times. Further, there is isn’t anything remarkable about “Afer Ventus,” despite its thematic continuity with Shepherd Moons. The track seems middle-of-the-pack, as it neither bolsters nor weakens the album itself. For her fans, “Afer Ventus” will be worthwhile, but, for just casual listening, there are better choices available for an Enya download. Case in point: “Book of Days,” from this same album, (it’s Track 7) is a gem.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 6 Stars
SUMMARY: RUNNING TIME: 4:40 MIN.
Recorded as the love song for Disney’s 1993 Three Musketeers movie soundtrack (complete with an MTV video), Bryan Adams teams up with Sting and Rod Stewart. Among the albums this ballad later appears on is Adams’ second career retrospective: 1999’s The Best of Me.
REVIEW:
Deploying an upbeat approach, it treads the same chivalrous turf as Peter Cetera’s “Glory of Love” ballad, which serves as the love theme of 1986’s Karate Kid, Part II. Working off a catchy melody, the good-spirited harmony amongst Sting, Stewart, and Adams remains this track’s best asset. Mostly deferring to his two cohorts, Adams’ husky vocals deliver solid support in the choruses.
However, the Three Musketeer-themed lyrics, unfortunately, are so schmaltzy that the tune risks becoming a real eye-roller. There’s no doubt that the intent was to copycat Adams’ 1991 “Everything I Do (I Do It for You),” but Adams and co-writer/producer Robert “Mutt” Lange don’t come close to recapturing their hit song’s magic. The forgettable “All for Love” just isn’t in the same league, especially with a string of half-hearted clichés that the Sting-Adams-Stewart trio are stuck pitching.
If “Everything I Do (I Do It for You)” hadn’t already existed, this knock-off might have well taken its place as Hollywood’s best swashbuckling love song. Instead, “All for Love” only ages so well for an even more hollow reason than listeners practically tasting the syrupy lyrics. This mercenary tune plays like it’s the equivalent of Adams, Sting, and Stewart cashing their hefty paychecks.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 6 Stars
SUMMARY: RUNNING TIME: 5:53 Min.
Initially written for 1993’s Gary Oldman-Lena Olin crime thriller, Romeo is Bleeding, Jon Bon Jovi ultimately declined to release this song for the movie’s soundtrack. Retaining the film’s title in its lyrics, “Always” instead premiered on Bon Jovi’s 1994 Cross Road best-of album. It’s also appeared on the band’s 2010 Greatest Hits – The Ultimate Collection. The song is available as a digital download.
REVIEW:
Supported by a likable melody, Jon Bon Jovi’s vocals are in vintage form on this ballad, as are the instrumentals. The only detriment is that the romantical sentiments posed in the lyrics are a cliché-fest. One might even suspect that the tune is Bon Jovi’s rock answer to Bryan Adams’ lengthy 1991 “Everything I Do (I Do It for You),” including a similar six-minute running time. Still, Bon Jovi’s “Always” ages surprisingly well, making it a solid choice as a download.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 7 Stars
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SUMMARY: RUNNING TIME: 6:00 Min.
For her 2011 CD, The Road…, Japanese keyboardist Keiko Matsui teams up with musician Kirk Whalum on this instrumental jazz track. It’s Track # 8. The song is also available as a digital download (with or without the complete album).
REVIEW:
Talk about classy teamwork … the chemistry between Keiko Matsui’s keyboards and Kirk Whalum’s saxophone is flawless. Not only does this upbeat track have a contemporary jazz sound, there’s a distinctive gospel undertone adding extra dimension at the right moments. Considering its extended running time, Matsui and Whalum give listeners their full money’s worth. Absolutely well-played!
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 9 Stars
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SUMMARY: RUNNING TIME: 52 Min.
Released in 1995 by Elektra Entertainment Group, Tigerlily represents Merchant’s solo debut after she parted ways as lead vocalist of 10,000 Maniacs. In addition to her demure vocals, she also plays piano, organ, and vibraphone on the album. All written by Merchant herself, the eleven tracks are:
Track: Running Time:
REVIEW:
One shouldn’t judge Merchant’s Tigerlily solely on its three radio hits (and heavily-rotated VH-1/MTV videos): Carnival; Wonder; and Jealousy. These three songs are indeed superb. Yet, it’s the other eight tracks that explore Merchant’s duality as vocalist and insightful songwriter/storyteller.
Imbued with poignancy (i.e. Track 4 honors late actor River Phoenix), the low-key Tigerlily is reminiscent of spoken word poetry, as its mixture of rock, pop, folk, and bluegrass is first-class. Merchant’s elegant and often folksy ballads convey a welcome sense of artistic unpredictability, whether it’s urban commentary (Carnival); the loneliness of old age (Beloved Wife); the birthright into womanhood (Wonder); or romantic heartache (Seven Years). Merchant’s down-to-earth voice really does bring Tigerlily to life. In impressive fashion, her heartfelt effort is definitely worth experiencing.
PACKAGING:
The tracks and running times are listed on the CD’s back cover. The booklet consists of: each song’s lyrics; technical credits; and black-and-white portraits of her three primary band members: Jennifer Turner; Peter Yanowitz; and Barrie Maguire. Also included is a black-and-white photo of Merchant (and the dog, Gracie) casually collaborating with the three musicians, as well as four black-and-white head shots of Merchant.
BRIAN’S 10-STAR RATING: 9 Stars
SUMMARY: RUNNING TIME: 49 Min.
Released in 1992, this Laserlight Digital album consist of instrumental fifteen covers of mostly familiar sci-fi movie and television themes. The ‘synthesizer realizations’ are attributed to “G.S.O.” Its tracks, run times, and original composer(s) are the following:
| 1. Raiders of the Lost Ark 2:32 John Williams |
| 2. Blade Runner 3:19 Vangelis |
| 3. Alien 2:36 Jerry Goldsmith |
| 4. Return of the Jedi (aka Luke & Leia) 3:48 John Williams |
| 5. Star Wars 2:35 John Williams |
| 6. E.T. (The Extra-Terrestrial) 3:59 John Williams |
| 7. Silent Moon 4:47 ‘Wagener’ & ‘Löhmer’ |
| 8. Battlestar Galactica 3:52 Stu Phillips & Glen Larson |
| 9. The Unending Story (aka The Never-Ending Story) 2:29 ‘K. Doldinger’ |
| 10. Noah’s Ark 3:19 Not Credited |
| 11. Raumpatrouille Orion 4:46 P. Thomas |
| 12. Cosmic Wind 2:56 ‘P.Thomas/Wagener/Engelhardt/Löhmer’ |
| 13. Star Trek: The Motion Picture 2:58 Jerry Goldsmith & Alexander Courage |
| 14. Close Encounters of the Third Kind 2:17 John Williams |
| 15. War of the Worlds 3:00 Leith Stevens |
Notes: The flashy cover art montage is credited to “A. Backhausen” and “Köln.” Track 3 mistakenly refers to Jerry Goldsmith as ‘John Goldsmith.’
REVIEW:
For an upbeat movie/TV tunes album, its bag of tricks has some surprises. Tracks 1-3 are traditionally performed, sounding precisely as one might expect. Tracks 4-6, however, mimic Meco’s disco adaptations more than John Williams. Still, Track 4’s energetic take on Return of the Jedi (Luke & Leia) is more engaging than Williams’ yawn-inducing original. Despite its pleasant sound, the unremarkable Track 7 (as well as Tracks 11-12) evidently spawned from an obscure German TV series, Space Patrol Orion, which debuted in late 1966 (coinciding with the original Star Trek series).
Track 8, too, mimics a Meco-style cover of Battlestar Galactica. It’s pretty good, at least as compared to Track 13’s Star Trek, which is bubblier than champagne (again, think Meco). At the risk of a migraine headache, beware of the grating Track 14, which includes what oddly sounds like high-pitch bird-trilling. Hence, it’s one Close Encounter too many.
Like the first few tracks, Track 9’s The Unending Story impressively recreates the original version. Track 10 evidently originates from the mid-80’s German film, The Noah’s Ark Principle. While it delivers the album’s most unique theme, its sound is still reminiscent of background music one might overhear at an 80’s-era video arcade.
Rather dubiously, the only vocals (who is actually singing remains a mystery) are heard in Track 15. After a dramatic intro, War of the Worlds then kicks over to insipid disco vocals about invading “men from mars.” One can imagine Bill Murray’s Nick the Lounge Singer from a 70’s Saturday Night Live crooning this tune in a cheap bar somewhere. If anything, this tongue-in-cheek track belongs to those sci-fi aficionados who believe the moon really is made of cheese.
For its overall consumer value (at least, up through Track 12), Science Fiction Movie Themes allows listeners to experience some instrumental standards in a funky European disco-style.
PACKAGING:
The tracks and running times are listed on the back cover. The tracks are also listed on the disc itself. Though the cover artwork montage is stellar, its inclusion of a Poltergeist (1982) image is deceptive, as the film’s theme isn’t included. Despite its billing, 2001 – A Space Odyssey (1968) isn’t show up on this album. either. The album insert is a Laserlight catalog.
Note: The album’s advertised claim of a fifty-nine-minute running time is off by ten minutes.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 3 Stars
SUMMARY: RUNNING TIME: 38 Min.
Produced by Madacy Special Products in 2002, this obscure cover album is performed by the 101 Strings Orchestra. The ten tracks, original composer(s), and run times are:
| 1. The X-Files (TV Theme) Mark Snow 3:24 |
| 2. Men in Black Danny Elfman 2:38 |
| 3. Deep Impact James Horner & Will Jennings 4:19 |
| 4. 2001: A Space Odyssey Johann Strauss II 1:25 |
| 5. The Twlight Zone (Movie) Jerry Goldsmith 5:44 |
| 6. The Twlight Zone (TV Theme) Marius Constant 0:45 |
| 7. Cocoon James Horner & Will Jennings 6:28 |
| 8. Total Recall Jerry Goldsmith 2:20 |
| 9. Alien David Sylvian & Jerry Goldsmith |
| 10. Star Wars John Williams 8:04 |
REVIEW:
As an instrumental collection, it offers some good background. Bolstered by solid sound quality, the 101 Strings Orchestra isn’t hampered by any weak spots. The only drawback is an ultra-generic and slightly misleading album title (since a few TV shows are included). A few tracks, unfortunately, are too brief, but the compensation is Track 10’s extended Star Wars medley. Science Fiction Movie Music isn’t worth purchasing a new copy, but, as a garage sale or thrift store find, it’s nifty.
PACKAGING:
The CD doesn’t list the tracks or running times. No further information was available.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 5 Stars
SUMMARY: APPROX. RUNNING TIME: 42 Min.
Released by Interscope Records in 2012, this album consists of the eleven tracks below. The songs were written by Imagine Dragons, with Alex Da Kid and Josh Mosser as co-writers on Tracks 1, 4, 5 (Da Kid only), and 9.
Track: Running Time:
REVIEW:
Leading off with the catchy radio hit, Radioactive, Imagine Dragons are in excellent radio-friendly form on this album. Though some of their melodies aren’t too distinctive, the band smartly balances Night Visions’ generally upbeat tone with slower-paced tracks (i.e. Tracks 4, 6, 9, and 11). Along with Radioactive, the album standouts are most likely It’s Time, Demons, and Every Night. For road trips, workouts, or just a work playlist, Night Visions provides solid ear candy.
PACKAGING:
The tracks are listed on the CD’s back cover. The booklet consists of a two-page spread portrait of the band; each track’s lyrics; and, separately, the track credits. The track running times aren’t included. The CD case is standard-issue.
BRIAN & ROSCOE’S OOD MOON RATING: 7½ Stars
SUMMARY: RUNNING TIME: Approx. 78 Min.
Released in 2000 by Top Sail Productions through Time Warner, this collection assembles twenty vintage 80’s pop-rock hits by the original artists, as endorsed by legendary radio host Casey Kasem from America’s Top 40. Not in any sort of continuity, the tracks are the following:
REVIEW:
Reminiscent of an 80’s Top 40 radio playlist without the commercial breaks, this album is pure nostalgia. At nearly eighty minutes, consumers will certainly get their money’s worth and then some. In terms of a practical advantage, if one is looking for a particular 80’s radio hit by an 80’s artist, then this CD is a good place to start.
PACKAGING:
While my CD case, unfortunately, didn’t survive, it does have all the pertinent product information on the back cover. The disc itself also lists all of the tracks, artists, and running times. The album booklet-insert has the obligatory credits.
BRIAN’S 10-STAR RATING: 10 Stars
