Search - Various Artists :: Dr Zhivago

Not bad for a budget label

J. A. Retzer | Phoenix, AZ | 02/04/2009

(3 out of 5 stars)

"THIS REVIEW REFERS ONLY TO THE CBS SPECIAL PRODUCTS COMPACT DISC [AK 45437]



Unlike 90% of the reviews on this page, I'm going to confine my comments to the product in question and not gush on about the film or the DVD or any other ZHIVAGO-related products. This is a review of this CD in particular.



I was not a particular fan of the CBS Special Products CD soundtrack line when it came out because it appeared to be almost intentionally calculated to make you NOT want to buy them. The cover art was singularly unattractive and downright amateurish (their Wizard of OZ CD was out-and-out UGLY), the liner notes seemed as if a high school student had written them and the running times were frequently very short.



What they were, for the most part, were digitally remastered editions of the original vinyl LPs, with maybe a bonus track or two thrown in and a few dialogue highlights. Their two-disc Ben-Hur release was probably their best work.



Their greatest asset was the improved sound quality compact discs afforded and the fact that often this was the only commercially available CD release of these scores (until the Turner Classics line came along).



The present Zhivago CD, at just over 40 minutes, presents the same tracks as the LP release in clear, wide stereo sound with a few seconds of bonus music and a snippet of dialogue.



If you're a film music fan on a tight budget, or if you really don't want all those themes and variations of the Lara Theme on the complete Turner Soundtrack CD release, this disc is a good way to go.

"