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    • Brain in a Box: The Science Fiction Collection

    11/07/2000

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    All Music Guide Review

    It's hard not to look at Rhino's lavish five-disc set Brain in a Box: The Science Fiction Collection as it sits encased in a large metal cube covered with 3-D illustrations and wonder why does it exist and who is it for. This is an expensive set, retailing at nearly $100, and it's filled with recordings that aren't exactly designed for casual listening. Then again, this box is not designed for listening -- it's designed as a conversation piece, a piece of pop culture, and, most likely, a sure-fire Grammy nominee (and winner) for best packaging. And, if you ignore the fact that this isn't really that listenable, even though it covers nearly every base in its five designated categories -- movies themes, TV themes, pop songs, incidental/lounge music, and novelty tunes -- this is a pretty remarkable package, capturing much of the irresistible kitsch of sci-fi pop culture. Make no mistake about it, even if Ray Bradbury contributes an essay for the hardcover 200-page book, this is all about the wonderfully silly comics, B-movies, and dime store magazines that thrived in the '50s and '60s, then was recycled and ironically revived throughout the remaining three decades of the 20th century. Occasionally, Brain in a Box delves into the more measured, intellectual side of sci-fi -- not just by acknowledging that films like Planet of the Apes were very smart, but spending time on think-pieces as varied as 2001: A Space Odyssey, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and The Matrix. Still, when the second in the set kicks off with Richard O'Brien's "Science Fiction/Double Feature," the incomparable opening salvo from The Rocky Horror Picture Show, it's clear that the compilers favored kitsch and camp. That's fine -- that's what makes this set fun. And, truth be told, the book is as much fun, if not more, than the discs, since not only are the essays strong, but the pictures of old movie posters, magazine covers and ads, comic books, ViewMasters, and action figures from '50s tin robots to Futurama's Bender are utterly enthralling -- at least if you're a pop-culture junkie. Does that make Brain in a Box worth all the money? Well, if (and only if) you found that list of artifacts exciting and you like "Telstar," Esquivel, and Tim Burton's Mars Attacks, plus aren't annoyed by Dr. Demento and don't find Dr. Who strangely unsettling; it may be, you may not put it on much, but it looks nice on the shelf and there are all sorts of great geeky treasures inside. Which might mean that it's worth it, provided that you realize you're buying the package for the package, not the music. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

    Track Listing

  • Track#
  • Title
  • Artist
  • time
  • 1
  • The Rocky Horror Picture Show
  • OBrien, Richard
  • 4:29

  • 2
  • 2001: A Space Odyssey
  • 1:50

  • 3
  • Forbidden Planet
  • 2:22

  • 4
  • The Day The Earth Stood Still
  • 4:14

  • 5
  • It Came From Outer Space
  • Jacobs, Dick & His Orchestra
  • 1:44

  • 6
  • Creature From The Black Lagoon
  • Salter, Hans J. And His Orchestra
  • 3:04

  • 7
  • The Incredible Shrinking Man
  • Jacobs, Dick & His Orchestra
  • 2:55

  • 8
  • The Time Machine
  • Garcia, Russell Orchestra
  • 1:52

  • 9
  • Them!
  • Warner Bros. Orchestra
  • :53

  • 10
  • The Thing
  • 1:49

  • 11
  • First Men In The Moon
  • 2:38

  • 12
  • The Beast From 20, 000 Fathoms
  • Warner Bros. Orchestra
  • 1:14

  • 13
  • Fantastic Voyage (Radio Spot Announcement)
  • Radio Spot Announcement
  • :53

  • 14
  • Fantastic Voyage (Main Title)
  • 1:43

  • 15
  • Planet of the Apes
  • 2:13

  • 16
  • The Andromeda Strain
  • 4:12

  • 17
  • Close Encounters of the Third Kind
  • 2:21

  • 18
  • Aliens
  • 3:17

  • 19
  • E.T. Extra-Terrestrial
  • Williams, John & the Universal Orchestra
  • 3:00

  • 20
  • Robocop (Robo Vs. ED-209)
  • 2:07

  • 21
  • Robocop (Main Title)
  • :40

  • 22
  • Terminator 2: Judgement Day
  • Ayres, Mark
  • 1:37

  • 23
  • Outland
  • 3:54

  • 24
  • War Of The Worlds
  • 1:32

  • 25
  • Predator
  • Twentieth Century Fox Orchestra
  • 3:27

  • 26
  • The Fly
  • 1:54

  • 27
  • Mars Attacks
  • 2:23

  • 28
  • The Matrix
  • 8:07

  • 29 (2)
  • The Twilight Zone
  • CBS Television Orchestra
  • 2:10

  • 30 (2)
  • Lost In Space
  • 1:59

  • 31 (2)
  • My Favorite Martian
  • :51

  • 32 (2)
  • Doctor Who
  • Winstone, Eric And His Orchestra
  • 2:24

  • 33 (2)
  • The Jetsons
  • ABC Television Orchestra
  • :59

  • 34 (2)
  • The Time Tunnel
  • :40

  • 35 (2)
  • One Step Beyond
  • 5:24

  • 36 (2)
  • The Outer Limits (Control Voice Introduction)
  • Perrin, Vic
  • 1:08

  • 37 (2)
  • The Outer Limits (Main Title)
  • Frontiere, Dominic & ABC Television Orchestra
  • 1:25

  • 38 (2)
  • Men Into Space
  • Morrow, Buddy Orchestra
  • 2:44

  • 39 (2)
  • The Thunderbirds
  • Gray, Barry
  • 2:33

  • 40 (2)
  • Stingray
  • Gray, Barry
  • 1:56

  • 41 (2)
  • Astro Boy
  • 1:13

  • 42 (2)
  • Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea
  • ABC Television Orchestra
  • :31

  • 43 (2)
  • Land Of The Giants
  • 1:03

  • 44 (2)
  • Star Trek
  • 1:20

  • 45 (2)
  • Star Trek: The Next Generation
  • 2:56

  • 46 (2)
  • V (The Series)
  • ABC Television Orchestra
  • 1:04

  • 47 (2)
  • Babylon 5
  • 1:31

  • 48 (2)
  • The Simpsons
  • Twentieth Century Fox Orchestra
  • 1:36

  • 49 (2)
  • The X-Files
  • 3:24

  • 50 (2)
  • Changing Channels
  • 4:54

  • 51 (3)
  • Telstar
  • Tornadoes [1]
  • 3:18

  • 52 (3)
  • Blast Off
  • Haskell, Jimmie And His Orchestra
  • 2:05

  • 53 (3)
  • Out of Limits
  • Marketts
  • 2:07

  • 54 (3)
  • Have You Seen the Saucers
  • Jefferson Airplane
  • 3:37

  • 55 (3)
  • Waiting for the UFOs
  • 3:08

  • 56 (3)
  • Spaceman
  • Nilsson, Harry
  • 3:34

  • 57 (3)
  • Space Child
  • Spirit [1]
  • 3:42

  • 58 (3)
  • Flying Saucer Safari
  • Suburban Lawns
  • 2:16

  • 59 (3)
  • Ufo
  • Soul, Inc.
  • 2:44

  • 60 (3)
  • Rocket
  • 2:05

  • 61 (3)
  • Rocket to Nowhere
  • Wilder, Webb
  • 4:10

  • 62 (3)
  • For Science
  • They Might Be Giants
  • 1:17

  • 63 (3)
  • Machines
  • Lothar & the Hand People
  • 2:39

  • 64 (3)
  • Beyond Tomorrow
  • Ridgway, Stan
  • 6:45

  • 65 (3)
  • Theme For The Creature From Under The Sea
  • DeLugg, Milton
  • 2:38

  • 66 (3)
  • Humans from Earth
  • Burnett, T-Bone
  • 2:47

  • 67 (3)
  • Fear
  • Ventures
  • 2:24

  • 68 (3)
  • Rocket Ship
  • 3:08

  • 69 (3)
  • Radar Blues
  • Conner, Chris
  • 2:42

  • 70 (3)
  • Creature with the Atom Brain
  • Erickson, Roky
  • 4:14

  • 71 (3)
  • Rocket Ship
  • McCarty, Kathy
  • 4:13

  • 72 (3)
  • After the Gold Rush
  • Prelude [1]
  • 2:07

  • 73 (4)
  • Frozen Neptune
  • Garcia, Russ And His Orchestra
  • 5:55

  • 74 (4)
  • Lunar Rhapsody
  • 3:10

  • 75 (4)
  • Man from Mars
  • Ferrante & Teicher
  • 2:26

  • 76 (4)
  • On The Dark Side Of The Moon
  • Comstock, Frank
  • 2:18

  • 77 (4)
  • Saturday Night On Saturn
  • Baxter, Les
  • 1:43

  • 78 (4)
  • Welcome To Tomorrow
  • Mineo, Attilio
  • 3:06

  • 79 (4)
  • Space Reflex
  • Hyman, Dick
  • 3:16

  • 80 (4)
  • Mars, Bringer Of War
  • 8:07

  • 81 (4)
  • Theremin Solo
  • Hoffman, Samuel J.
  • 1:33

  • 82 (4)
  • Guitars In Space
  • Mure, Billy
  • 1:59

  • 83 (4)
  • Nova
  • Garcia, Russ And His Orchestra
  • 2:26

  • 84 (4)
  • Space Is the Place
  • Ra, Sun
  • 4:24

  • 85 (4)
  • Twilight Zone
  • Scott, Raymond & His Orchestra
  • 2:25

  • 86 (4)
  • Cosmic Ballad
  • Perrey & Kingsley
  • 3:26

  • 87 (4)
  • Moon Gas
  • Hyman, Dick
  • 2:17

  • 88 (4)
  • Monsters Of Jupiter
  • Garcia, Russ And His Orchestra
  • 3:07

  • 89 (4)
  • She Likes Me
  • Goldsmith, Jerry
  • 2:38

  • 90 (4)
  • Tone Tales From Tomorrow
  • Coe, Frank
  • 4:27

  • 91 (4)
  • Alien
  • Nimoy, Leonard
  • 1:59

  • 92 (4)
  • On Planet X
  • 3:28

  • 93 (5)
  • The Flying Saucer
  • Buchanan & Goodman
  • 4:19

  • 94 (5)
  • Beep! Beep!
  • Prima, Louis
  • 2:12

  • 95 (5)
  • The Blob
  • Five Blobs
  • 2:41

  • 96 (5)
  • Martian Hop
  • Ran-Dells
  • 2:13

  • 97 (5)
  • Music to Watch Space Girls By
  • Nimoy, Leonard
  • 2:21

  • 98 (5)
  • Planet Claire
  • B Fifty Two's
  • 4:36

  • 99 (5)
  • Gigantor
  • Dickies
  • 2:40

  • 100 (5)
  • Two Little Men in a Flying Saucer
  • 3:25

  • 101 (5)
  • Flying Saucer Attack
  • Rezillos
  • 2:51

  • 102 (5)
  • Flyin' Saucers Rock & Roll
  • Riley, Billy & His Little Green Men
  • 2:01

  • 103 (5)
  • Ufos, Big Rigs and BBQ
  • 3:51

  • 104 (5)
  • We're Going UFO'ing
  • Durante, Jimmy
  • 2:26

  • 105 (5)
  • Surf Trek
  • Rubinoos
  • 2:41

  • 106 (5)
  • Mr. Spaceman
  • Holy Modal Rounders
  • 1:53

  • 107 (5)
  • Meet Space Pilot Jones
  • Satellite Singers
  • 1:22

  • 108 (5)
  • The Purple People Eater
  • Wooley, Sheb
  • 2:14

  • 109 (5)
  • Knocked Out Joint on Mars
  • Trail, Buck
  • 2:29

  • 110 (5)
  • Tiny Space Man
  • Carlisle, Bill
  • 1:54

  • 111 (5)
  • (When You See) Those Flying Saucers
  • 2:28

  • 112 (5)
  • Unfunky UFO
  • Parliament
  • 4:26

  • 113 (5)
  • You Came From Outer Space
  • Stone, Kirby Four
  • 3:54

    • Credits



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