The first of the two Williams - Spielberg Collaboration CDs is a great selection of very well performed excerpts from most of Spielberg's films up to 1990. Highlights include Out to Sea and The Shark Cage Fugue from Jaws, Parade of the Slave Children from Temple of Doom, the March from 1941 and Cadillac of the Skies from Empire of the Sun. These are all top notch performances of some good concert arrangements. All the others are performed well and are generally good concert arrangements. The only duds in terms of the way they are arranged are Adventures on Earth from ET which has some sections inexplicably removed in the arrangement compared to the original, mind you, the original was as close to perfect as you could get really so perhaps that sort of complaint is worthless. The theme from Jaws has an awful ending, which rather spoils it. The selection is recommended to John Williams fans as much as those who are new to film music since it has version of tracks from soundtracks which are notoriously difficult to get, or even unavailable. The Sugarland Express, 1941 and Temple of Doom are prime examples. I would suggest this compilation to anyone with an interest in film music since it brilliantly covers the early part of one of the most successful collaborations in movie history.
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