Track Listing

Disc 1:

1. The Planets: I - Mars, The Bringer Of War
2. The Planets: II - Venus, The Bringer Of Peace
3. The Planets: III - Mercury, The Winged Messenger
4. The Planets: IV - Jupiter, The Bringer Of Jollity
5. The Planets: V - Saturn, The Bringer Of Old Age
6. The Planets: VI - Uranus, The Magician
7. The Planets: VII - Neptune, The Mystic
8. Close Encounters Of The Third Kind: Close Encounters Of The Third Kind - Suite

Disc 2:

1. Also Sprach Zarathustra: Introduction
2. Also Sprach Zarathustra: Of The Backworldsmen
3. Also Sprach Zarathustra: Of The Great Longing
4. Also Sprach Zarathustra: Of Joys And Passions
5. Also Sprach Zarathustra: Song Of The Grave
6. Also Sprach Zarathustra: Of Science
7. Also Sprach Zarathustra: The Convalescent
8. Also Sprach Zarathustra: Dance Song
9. Also Sprach Zarathustra: Night Wanderer's Song
10. Star Wars - Suite: I - Main Title
11. Star Wars - Suite: II - Princess Leia's Theme
12. Star Wars - Suite: III - The Little people
13. Star Wars - Suite: Cantina Band
14. Star Wars - Suite: IV - The Battle
15. Star Wars - Suite: V - The Throne Room And End Title

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #46518 in Music
• Released on: 1998-01-13
• Number of discs: 2

Customer Reviews

The planets are magnificent, and the cd is excelent
I love the Planets Suite, and I was looking for a cd of the Planets to buy. When I saw this one with the Star Wars Suite. Close Encounters of the Third Kind, AND Also Sprach Zarathustra at this low of a price, I was hooked

Lovely
I've thoroughly enjoyed both CD's. I do wish the Holst and Strauss pieces were a little louder, but I guess that's my radio's problem.

If you like John Williams soundtracks, you'll love this!
Okay, so the album isn't all John Williams. However, I think the selections to create this album were superb! You get the best of outer space soundtracks with this double CD set!

I should mention that I enjoy this album merely because of the works used to put it together. Some of the interpretations left a bit to be desired (hence, the reason why I give this only four, instead of five, stars). For example, I felt the horn player in "Mars" (the first movement of "The Planets") was too overbearing (I thought he/she overdid the vibrato, among other things), rather than subtle (as done in the Orchestre Symphonique de Montreal's version, ASN# B0000041S7 -- check out my review of that album). Additionally, I wasn't too crazy about "Cantina Band" in "Star Wars" -- it's not that I don't like the piece (I do!); rather, the fade out by the sound engineer was unnatural and inappropriate for an orchestral work. (C'mon, shouldn't a fine group led by the great Zubin Metha be able to perform a decrescendo ending without any electronic help?)

Criticism aside, let me say that I LOVE this album! Even though I might attack the performance quality, I loved how the works were selected and organized. If you're a fan of sci-fi or action/adventure soundtracks, you'll thoroughly enjoy what you hear!