THIS ISLAND EARTH (and other alien invasion films), contains world premiere music from four classic outer space films of the 1950s and ’60s. This Island Earth was Universal-International’s only big-budget color sci-fi thriller of the fifties, and it’s considered one of the classics of the genre.
Also on the CD is a 20-minute suite from Ron Goodwin’s masterful The Day of The Triffids, a 1962 British film about killer plants (presumably) from space. Goodwin’s music includes lovely pastoral cues, shock sequences, and one of the most powerful Main Titles in all of monsterdom! Shimmering strings, a plethora of woodwinds, an abundance of French horns, and a wide variety of percussion helps this unique score stand apart from most monster movie soundtracks. A wonderful listening experience!
The album also contains two Main Titles of note. 1958’s War Of The Satellites is Walter Greene’s breakneck excursion that propels this Roger Corman quickee. And the opening from Ray Harryhausen’s 1956 special effects extravaganza Earth vs. The Flying Saucers, which perfectly sets the stage for the alien menace that will follow. This Daniele Amfitheatrof piece will revive memories in every person who grew up watching this sci-fi classic.
War of the Satellites (1958)
1: War Of The Satellites 1:23
This Island Earth (1955)
2: Main Title 1:48
3: Jet West 0:42
4: Color Blind 0:55
5: From Unit #16 2:33
6: Interocitor Montage 0:35
7: Eerie Remains 0:47
8: Robot Plane 1:42
9: Haven’t We Met? 1:58
10: Exeter’s Mansion 1:30
11: Wrong Girl 0:33
12: This Way, Doctor 0:42
13: Secret Meeting 1:18
14: Neutronic Rays 0:51
15: Conversion Tube 1:00
16: Vermont Memories 1:34
17: Transformation 1:05
18: Shooting Stars 1:58
19: Meteor Battle 2:22
20: Metaluna Tunnel 0:37
21: Metaluna Transport 0:42
22: Metaluna Catastrophe, Pt. 1 1:53
23: Metaluna Catastrophe, Pt. 2** 2:23
24: Flight From Metaluna* 2:13
25: Amorous Mutant** 2:43
26: Down To Earth* 1:36
27: End Title* 1:10
28: End Cast* 0:19
Earth vs. the Flying Saucers (1956)
29: Main Title 0:47
The Day of the Triffids (1962)
30: Main Title 2:03
31: Greenhouse 1:46
32: A Sight For Sore Eyes 1:24
33: Hospital Awry 0:25
34: Doctor Steps Out 0:48
35: Plane Crash 1:23
36: Triff Riff 0:09
37: Lost 0:18
38: Susan And Bettina 1:18
39: Turning On The Lights 1:21
40: Fatal Foliage 0:52
41: Escape & Coker’s Death 1:38
42: Spanish Square 0:49
43: Here Come The Triffids! 1:03
44: Leaving Town 0:13
45: On To Cadiz 2:01
46: Triffid Attack 1:27
47: End Of The Triffids 1:04