As an introduction to John Williams' music, this is a superb start. The tracks are all performed by The Boston Pops Orchestra, Williams conducting. The performances are exemplary and the selection is excellent. The highlights of this album are the Hook selections of which there are five tracks. The best of these is the concert arrangement of the Flight to Neverland which is one of my favourite Williams tracks and a perfect concert arrangement. The Banquet comes close with a concert arranged beginning and ending, the orchestration is a little more rounded too. The ET, Jurassic Park, Jaws etc. selections are performed with typical excellence. The concert arranged Jurassic Park theme track is particularly good, although the main theme lacks the choir and is perhaps a little fast. The Journey to the Island music is excellent though. The only slight fault is with The Lost Boy's Ballet from Hook and Jim's New Life from Empire of the Sun. Both of these are a little on the slow side, especially Jim's New Life, but had you not heard the originals, there would doubtless be no reason to complain. This album makes a more than worthy successor to the Spielberg/Williams collaboration CD.
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