Coming Attractions: 'Superman: The Movie - 40th Anniversary Limited Edition Remastered Soundtrack 3-CD Set'

On February 19, 2019, La-La Land Records, in a massive collaborative effort with DC Entertainment, Warner Bros. Entertainment, and Warner Music Group, unleashed Superman: The Movie - 40th Anniversary Limited Edition Remastered Soundtrack, a 3-CD album that features composer John Williams' complete Academy Award-nominated score, including previously unreleased cues that were found in Warner Bros. archives many years after Warner Records and Rhino Entertainment dropped the Superman: The Movie: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack  2-CD set.

According to La-La Land Records, producer Michael Matessino (who, with the late Nick Redman, produced many reconstructions of Maestro Williams' classic scores, including the ones from Superman, Star Wars, and Raiders of the Lost Ark), this reissue was made possible by a super-discovery in the studio's vaults:

A recent discovery of the score’s original 2-inch, 24-track music masters has led the way to a stellar, high-resolution transfer by Warner Sound. This first generation element has been restored, remixed, assembled and remastered by album producer Mike Matessino, resulting in a stunning presentation of this legendary score that is unparalleled in its sonic quality.

© 2019 La-La Land Records, DC Entertainment, Warner Bros. Entertainment, and Warner Music Group

 Interestingly, this 40th Anniversary Limited Edition re-issue (only 5000 units have been produced) is more than a cosmetic re-release of the already impressive Matessino-Redman 2000 Superman: The Movie soundtrack. Per La-La Land's product description page:

Discs One and Two present maestro Williams’ film score in its glorious, full form, while Disc Two also contains a bounty of alternate/additional cues (including an astonishing early version of “The Fortress of Solitude” that remained vaulted and unplayed for four decades), and Disc Three showcases the original 1978 soundtrack presentation, rebuilt and remastered from these newly restored recording elements.

John Williams personally supervised and okayed this new release, which will, for the first time since its 1990s-era release on compact disc, give fans a complete rendering of the 1978 soundtrack album as presented in the two-LP vinyl recording. Though that version of the score was also ported over to other formats (eight-track and cassette tape in the late 1970s, compact disc in the early 1990s), some tracks were omitted due to the storage limits of the different mediums.

Since today is my birthday, I decided to splurge on this set as soon as I found out about it. Superman: The Movie is still my favorite superhero movie of all time, and I am especially fond of Maestro Williams' iconic score. And even though it is similar to the Rhino/Warner Archives 2000 2-CD set, it does have new material, as well as the reconstructed 1978 soundtrack album produced by the Oscar-winning composer.

Stay tuned to this space, because you know I'll be reviewing this as soon as I listen to it.




TRACK LISTING:

Disc One

Score Presentation

1 Prelude and Main Title  5:06
2 The Planet Krypton and The Dome Opens  6:39
3 Destruction of Krypton (Extended Version)  7:57
4 The Kryptonquake  2:27
5 The Trip to Earth  2:33
6 The Crash Site  :39
7 Growing Up  2:01
8 Jonathan’s Death  3:27
9 Leaving Home  4:52
10 The Fortress of Solitude (Extended Version)  9:22
11 The Mugger  2:11
12 Lex Luthor’s Lair (Extended Version)  4:54
13 The Helicopter Sequence  5:59
14 The Burglar Sequence  and Chasing Crooks  3:21
15 Cat Rescue and Air Force One  2:17
16 The Penthouse  1:35
17 The Flying Sequence (Instrumental Version)  8:12
18 Clark Loses His Nerve  :51

Disc One Total Time: 74:34

Disc Two

Score Presentation Continued

1 The March of the Villains  3:37
2 The Truck Convoy Sequence  3:27
3 To the Lair  2:21
4 Trajectory Malfunction  1:21
5 Luthor’s Lethal Weapon  2:13
6 Superman Rescued and Chasing Rockets  5:01
7 Golden Gate Bridge and The Rescue of Jimmy  4:57
8 Pushing Boulders and Flying to Lois  5:26
9 Turning Back the World  2:06
10 The Prison Yard and End Title  6:41
11 Love Theme From Superman  5:03
Total Score Time:  1:56:36

 Additional Music

12 Prelude and Main Title (Alternate)  3:49
13 The Planet Krypton (Alternate Segment)  3:18
14 The Dome Opens (Alternate)  2:31
15 The Fortress of Solitude (Alternate Segment)  4:12
16 The Mugger (Alternate)  1:29
17 Prelude and Main Title (Film Version)  5:23
18 I Can Fly (Flying Sequence Alternate Segment)  2:15
19 Can You Read My Mind (Film Version)  3:04
20 Trajectory Malfunction (Alternate)  1:04
21 Turning Back the World (Extended Version)  2:20
22 The Prison Yard and End Title (Film Version)  5:48

Total Time:  35:13

Disc Two Total Time: 78:00

 Disc Three
Remastered 1978 Original Soundtrack

1 Theme From Superman (Main Title)  4:29
2 The Planet Krypton  4:49
3 Destruction of Krypton  6:03
4 The Trip to Earth  2:28
5 Growing Up  1:56
6 Love Theme From Superman  5:02
7 Leaving Home  4:52
8 The Fortress of Solitude  8:32
9 The Flying Sequence / Can You Read My Mind  8:14
10 Super Rescues  3:27
11 Lex Luthor’s Lair  2:37
12 Superfeats  5:04
13 The March of the Villains  3:37
14 Chasing Rockets  7:37
15 Turning Back the World  2:06
16 End Title  6:36

Disc Three Total Time: 77:55
Three-Disc Total Time:  3:50:29

Source:

La-La Land Records: Superman: The Movie 40th Anniversary Limited Edition 3-CD Set