Search - Various Artists :: Music of Cosmos: Selections from the Score of the Television Series "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan (2-Disc)

More music than original LP release, but no Takemitsu!

John K. Bailey | SF Bay Area, USA | 07/14/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Unfortunately, this 2-CD set appears to be unavailable now. But if you can find it, don't hesitate to purchase it. If you loved the 80s TV series, this captures many of the musical moments that made the series so unique.



As many reviewers have mentioned - yes, Age of Aquarius does not fit in well; the segues between selections range from being odd to downright annoying; and yes there is much more music represented here than on the original LP, including the Vangelis track that he composed for the second Special Edition of Cosmos that aired as a mini-series several years after the original series aired.



One thing that reviewers so far have overlooked is that one track from the original LP somehow did not make it onto this 2CD set - Japanese composer Toru Takemitsu's short track "Inside the Heart of the Universe". A brief and somewhat odd piece of music, it still has a mystical beauty to it. It also gave me reason to know Takemitsu's name when I was six or seven years old, growing up watching the Cosmos series and enjoying the original LP. I grew up to be a professional musician, and tried to find out just where this track came from. It took a lot of research, but I found that it was from a soundtrack called Legacy For the Future. It was released on LP in the early 1970s, and was only briefly released on CD by Deutsche Grammophon in 1996 and I was lucky to find a copy (the whole CD is wonderful!). Anyway, this probably more info than most readers care for, but for any who remember this cool piece of music and lament that it did not make it to this 2CD set - you aren't the only ones who noticed this!



There is a CD release of the original LP tracks - right now there appear to be several copies available from Marketplace sellers. So those who are dissatisfied with the 2CD release, or wish to experience both on CD, can purchase it while supplies last. The artwork is different from, and not as breathtaking as the original LP, but the music is the same. And the Takemitsu piece is on that one!



John Kendall Bailey"

Great music from Cosmos, wish there were no interruptions.

Amateur Stargazer | 08/16/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This newer two CD soundtrack of Carl Sagan's Cosmos has more music than the old vinyl LP, which I liked, but I thought the old record arranged the selections in a more logical, listenable order. The "environmental" sound effects are not all musical The crane was the only bird's call I heard and unfortunately no songbirds were included, though the sounds of other not so musical animals were included (e.g., the lion and zebra). The saw and bulldozer were annoying. There was certainly an attempt at convey an environmental message, but why permit noise to intrude on the music?



There's a moving version of "Pachelbel's Canon", J. S. Bach's "The Sea Named Solaris", selecions from Holst's "The Planets" and Vivaldi's "Four Seasons". and many of the other classical music tracks used in the series. These works sound even better than they did on the old LP. This makes the album well worth owning, though it would have been better if those who designed it had followed the concept of the old LP more closely."

Simply, Excellent !

J. CALDERON | MEXICO CITY | 02/28/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Simply, excellent album, no more words !!!

A great souvenir from the TV series of the 80's and a great selection made by Mr. Carl Sagan.

The music of COSMOS is the music of all the world. Don't miss it if possible because this is a great treasure.

There is also the other version, only one CD, so good as the TV series."