ver the past 50 years, science fiction has become an integral part of
popular culture. Among the most telling clues that the genre has been
incorporated into modern-day life is the plethora of pop tunes, television
shows and motion pictures devoted to futuristic subjects. An elaborate
five-CD boxed set titled Brain in a Box: The Science Fiction Collection
presents a sonic survey of these works, providing listeners with an immense
time capsule of SF-oriented melodies.
Each of the discs is devoted to a separate musical category. "Movie
Themes" features both original and re-recorded compositions from 26 different
films, including 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Day the Earth Stood
Still, Fantastic Voyage, Planet of the Apes, Close
Encounters of the Third Kind and The Matrix. The second CD, dubbed
"TV Themes," presents 22 cuts from such small-screen favorites as The
Twilight Zone, Lost in Space, Doctor Who, The
Jetsons, The Outer Limits, Star Trek, Babylon 5 and
The X-Files.
"Pop" spotlights 22 rock songs, including "Telstar" by The Tornadoes,
"Spaceman" by Harry Nilsson and "For Science" by They Might Be Giants. Mellow
tracks like Billy Mure's "Guitars in Space," Dick Hyman's "Moon Gas" and Les
Baxter's "Saturday Night on Saturn" are the focus of the fourth
"Incidental/Lounge" platter, while the final album, simply named "Novelty,"
showcases oddities such as "Beep! Beep!" by Louis Prima, "Planet Claire" by
The B-52s and "The Purple People Eater" by Sheb Wooley.
All five discs are packaged in a foil-and-metal case adorned on three
sides with lenticular images of a floating cerebrum. The collection also
includes a diminutive 200-page book with dozens of vintage photographs and
commentary from such renowned SF personalities as Ray Bradbury, Forrest J.
Ackerman, Arthur C. Clarke and Bill Mumy, among others.
Impressive sounds, but incomplete
Compilation albums devoted to SF songs--especially works from popular
movies and TV shows--are quite common. What sets Brain in a Box: The
Science Fiction Collection apart from the majority of audio anthologies
is the integration of a variety of musical styles into a single offering. The
package has some glaring omissions, but overall the 113 cuts are an enjoyable
aggregation of memorable melodies.
The most interesting compositions are those tracks on the
"Incidental/Lounge" and "Novelty" discs. Sun Ra's archetypal jazz jam "Space
is the Place" presents an exhilarating percussive racket, just as "On the
Dark Side of the Moon"--a soothing mix of strings and eerie electronic noises
from Frank Comstock--provides a more subdued but equally impressive example
of classic "space-age bachelor pad" music. It's also pleasant to hear
time-honored entertainers like Ella Fitzgerald ("Two Little Men in a Flying
Saucer") and Jimmy Durante ("We're Going UFO'ing") warble sweet, innocent
ditties about benevolent extraterrestrials.
Although there are a few rarities on the "Movie Themes" and "TV Themes"
CDs--such as cues from the film First Men in the Moon and the
television series Men into Space--works from influential productions
like Star Wars and Battlestar Galactica are altogether absent.
Meanwhile, the "Pop" disc largely showcases entertaining but little-known
songs such as Stan Ridgway's "Beyond Tomorrow" and Webb Wilder's "Rocket to
Nowhere," but lacks key contributions from bands like Styx, who've penned
such popular SF hits as "Come Sail Away" and "Mr. Roboto," and space-rock
pioneers Hawkwind.
These shortcomings blemish an otherwise splendid product. Long-time SF
music aficionados will certainly wish the folks at Rhino Records had put a
bit more thought into Brain in a Box, but casual fans should covet
this incredible--albeit incomplete--collection.
