{"id":5951,"date":"2012-12-30T18:39:44","date_gmt":"2012-12-30T23:39:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mondomark.com\/wordpress\/?p=3658"},"modified":"2012-12-30T18:39:44","modified_gmt":"2012-12-30T23:39:44","slug":"leith-stevens%e2%80%99-destination-moon-chapter-2-the-making-of-bsv-1172","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kqek.com\/mobile\/?p=5951","title":{"rendered":"Leith Stevens\u2019 Destination Moon + Chapter 2: The Making of BSV 1172"},"content":{"rendered":"
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This expensive LP is no longer necessary to acquire!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Sometimes one\u2019s sense of invulnerability is completely delusional, because after hearing how \u2018other people\u2019 were hit with tummy flu bugs, I got hit not once but twice with the bug. Low-level variety, but still punchy enough to yield pounding headaches and zero appetite for about two weeks. Amazing how the pants still fit. Must be all the carbs I devoured beforehand that have made the weight loss more subtle than glaring.<\/p>\n

In any event, first up is a review of Monstrous Movie Music\u2019s Destination Moon<\/a> <\/strong>[M<\/a>] CD, featuring Leith Stevens\u2019 complete score to George Pal\u2019s visionary and highly influential sci-fi film about space exploration. Musically, the score is perfect, and it\u2019s a wholly accessible yet evocative work that avoids many genre clich\u00e9s because it endures as one of the most engaging \u2018space scores\u2019 ever written.<\/p>\n

Stevens has been a personal favourite of mine for decades, so it\u2019s a treat MMM\u2019s disc finally brings out what was for the composer\u2019s fans, as well as fans of Pal\u2019s sizeable sci-fi film catalogue, a Holy Grail. Taken from acetates, the sound quality\u2019s perfectly fine, and shouldn\u2019t deter younger sci-fi fans from snapping up this non-limited CD. (Most CDs tend to be limited now, so it\u2019s nice to see MMM\u2019s decided to keep this one as part of its active catalogue.)<\/p>\n

Those unfamiliar with acetates <\/a>might be hesitant, if not adverse to listening to music sourced from what are archival LPs with audible surface wear. There\u2019s a limit as to how much you can clean up an LP \u2013 something with which jazz fans are well familiar \u2013 before the performances start to sound pinched, dry, or muddy.\u00a0Years ago, it was the habit by over-zealous producers to overuse a new technology or software\u2019s ability to \u2018clean up\u2019 and \u2018deepen\u2019 the sonic realm of mono recordings, if not simulate stereo, and those efforts don\u2019t sound so good today, given the best engineers and restorationists quickly realized there\u2019s a fine line between preservation, and mucking up what you\u2019re stuck with.<\/p>\n

Jazz fans will also be among the first to say that mono isn\u2019t bad<\/em>; there are many fine mono recordings that feature a wide sonic range, with good highs, mids, and deep bass; most of the vintage Savoy LPs remastered a good 10-15 years ago on CD are among my favourite jazz recordings.<\/p>\n

In any event, what\u2019s disappointing is when a score no longer survives in complete form rather than in a mono recording, and for 1950, Destination Moon<\/strong> sounds pretty fine. Ultimately, it\u2019s the music and the composer\u2019s skill that grab your attention, not pops & ticks.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m sure fans are equally less picky of La-La Land\u2019s 15-CD monster set<\/a> featuring the mono music from the original Star Trek <\/strong>TV series. Portions have appeared on LP and CD in the past, but this marks the first time whatever survives has been archived on disc for commercial release. The plus: it\u2019s limited to 6000 copies. The shock: it\u2019s $225, which does work out to $15 \/ CD, but is a major purchase not everyone can make. After (over)indulging in vintage camera gear this fall, it\u2019ll be a while before I can get my hands on the set for a review. Hopefully there\u2019ll still be a thousand copies around from LLL for another 6 months.<\/p>\n

Speaking of vintage camera gear, I\u2019ve uploaded the second chapter of the production diaries for BSV 1172<\/strong>, the short doc I filmed in Oct. + Nov. and is currently in post-production.<\/p>\n

Chapter 2 deals with burn spots and other aberrations that can happen during filming, or are already present when buying vintage gear. The blog is also accompanied by a short video showcasing a grievous boo-boo that occurred during filming, plus specific artifacts: dead pixels, black dots, and green splotches. Part of the video & blog\u2019s function is to collate comments which will hopefully offer some explanations of said aberrations, if not possible solutions. You can read & see more at Big Head Amusements<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Quick note: alongside the Moon<\/strong> CD review, I\u2019ve added mobile versions of related film reviews, including Destination Moon<\/a> <\/strong>[M<\/a>] (1950), The Phantom Planet<\/a><\/strong> [M<\/a>] (1961), and World Without End<\/a><\/strong> [M<\/a>] (1956).<\/p>\n

Coming next: reviews of the British horror series Chiller<\/strong> (Synapse Films) and the short-lived Ultraviolet<\/strong> (Palm).<\/p>\n

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Mark R. Hasan<\/strong>, Editor
\nKQEK.com <\/strong>( Main Site<\/a> \/ Mobile Site<\/a> )<\/p>\n

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