"this reissue is really quite lovely. for one, it's got a nicer cover than the former 1984 release. but anyway, the main reason you'd want to get this is for the previously unreleased material that wasn't available on the first release. the sound is also remastered so there's better spatial definition on most of the tracks. some irksome details though:1. brian eno's prophecy theme is NOT included! a real pity.2. the opening prologue by princess irulan (which opens the previous CD) is missing here. as is baron harkonnen's harangue against duke leto atreides. i've always liked dialogue from the film tastefully placed in the soundtrack. but here it's missing.3. depsite the remastered sound, the remastering engineer obviously ballsed up around one or two tracks. you can hear the sound go a little wavy. (actually this might be the problem of the source tape?) but if you're not too anal about this then it's quite easily ignored.despite these problems, this reissue is highly recommended. toto weren't exactly the best soundtrack composers but they pulled this off with grand aplomb. until a more definitive version is released, this is the best out there!"
"Riding The Sandworm"
Brian E. Erland | Brea, CA - USA | 03/21/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Why has 'Dune' the '84 released sci-fi classic had such a troubled history? This is true not only for the DVD release of the film, but of Toto's inspired musical score on CD as well.
If you're reading this review and wondering if this is the CD version to purchase look no further, this is the one for you! Containing -32 tracks-, sixteen of them previously unreleased, the ultimate 'Dune' musical experience awaits you! So turn up the stereo, turn off the lights, start your thumper and prepare to "Ride the Sandworm" once again!
WARNING: This CD is OOP so get it while you can!"
A brilliant score...
Ilker Yucel | Annapolis, MD United States | 06/28/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"David Lynch's film adaptation of Frank Herbert's classic novel is still considered to be one of the biggest failures in cinema, and it's no surprise why. While the three-hour televised version was a poor attempt by the studio to live up to Lynch's original vision of making a three or four hour long movie, it did have some remarkable scenes that could have greatly improved the film if they had only allowed Lynch to make the film he wanted to make. In my mind, it is still the one of the best film adaptations of a sci-fi novel ever produced. That said, on to the review of the soundtrack...To think that pop-rock band Toto are the composers of this soundtrack is almost impossible, but here it is. And it is perhaps one of the most brilliant scores ever composed for a film. The orchestration and arrangements are very well done, and the band integrate their own sounds in quite nicely (especially Steve Lukather's guitar which just adds a sense of depth and power to the songs...it certainly shows how rock and classical can co-exist in a single theme). The band really captured the mystical qualities of the story and provided an epic framework to augment the music. The music is so visual, you can picture the scenes in your head as you hear them. A previous reviewer said listening to this CD while reading the original novels helps the experience, and I will not disagree, for it does make it all the more enjoyable.The best tracks to me are the original demo version of the main title (it would have been interesting to see the band performing the soundtrack by themselves, without an orchestra, but...still), "Take My Hand" (the end titles which is probably one of the best score compositions/pop songs ever), "Dune (Desert Theme)," "Riding the Sandworm," "The Trip to Arrakis" (this one is eerie, and it plays in the film during what I think was one of the best visuals in the whole film), and "Paul Meets Chani." There are some flaws with the remastering of this CD, but I don't think it hurts the music at all.Aside from mastering flaws, the only other problem I have with this CD is the lack of Brian Eno's "Prophecy Theme," but it can be excused since this is Toto's score album, meaning all the music Toto wrote for the film. Therefore, it would not make sense to include a song they didn't write. Still...it would be nice to make it a complete score album, but I'm not complaining. All said and done, this is perhaps one of the greatest soundtrack albums ever produced for a film, and I think it deserves a great deal more appreciation than it receives. Fans of rock should like it, fans of classical should like it, EVERYONE should like it. Give it a listen! You won't be disappointed!"
Some of the best music EVER written.
Ilker Yucel | 11/10/1998
(5 out of 5 stars)
"The film, Dune, was not at all popular with critics, and still is not. Although I do not agree with this, and it would seem that a very large number of people don't, but there we go. Generally, critics are not too great at judging films, especially Sci-Fi. This criticism should not, however, spill over into TOTO's amazing score. This is one of the first examples of Electric guitars, etc, being incoroporated with classical music. The result is sweeping, it stirs emotions of suspense, horror and joy (among many others- most being undescribeable). The impression given is akin to what one might have watching a film of the Second Coming Of Jesus Christ. Paul Atreides truly seems to be the Messia. Such music comes about rarely these days. This is unlike any music you will have ever heard before. And this soundtrack has the added bonus of containing 13 previously unpublished tracks, many of which are the ones you would be buying the CD for anyway. The heavy theme music will be with you for a very long time, as will the lighter hearted Dune(Desert theme), as well as the powerful Big Battle. This is a sure winner, if you want something great."
A Very Classic Toto
Luis M. Ramos | Caracas, Venezuela | 03/03/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"After announcing Toto was going to compose the music for David Lynch's "Dune", I was not that happy because in a previous Dino-De-Laurentiis-sci-fi epic named "Flash Gordon", the music by Queen was not something that I really cherished; in fact, I think Queen's music was one of the flaws of that movie.
Gosh, how I loved being mistaken about Toto's "Dune". When I first saw the movie, and heard the music in the interim, I discovered a marvelous composition in the vein of old Hollywood film scoring tradition. I wasn't expecting to hear Toto in a classic mood, together with the Vienna Symphony Orchestra. What an incredible surprise!!!
The "Prologue/Main Title" is very mysterious and it covers the mysticism of Frank Herbert's wondrous world of "Dune". And to continue such mysteries you should as well listen to tracks like 'Guild Report', 'House Atreides', 'Departure', and 'The Trip To Arrakis'. There are nice moments like 'Leto's Theme' and the love theme as heard in 'Take My Hand'. And I don't want to forget the action music because 'Sandworm Attack', 'First Attack', 'Big Battle', and 'Paul Kills Feyd' are truly spectacular tracks. And this Toto score wouldn't be Toto at all if we don't have the pop-flavored tracks 'Dune (Desert Theme)' and 'Take My Hand'. Outstanding.
It's too bad that Brian Eno's 'Prophecy' does not appear in this "complete" score (it did appear in the original Polydor release). However, I'm pleased that Toto did such a superb job in creating the fantastic musical voice of the Atreides, the Harkonnen, the Fremen, all those fantastic characters created by Frank Herbert. Great CD!!!"