LOST IN SPACE 40th ANNIVERSARY EDITION (2 CD Original Soundtrack Album)
A Review by Scott McIntyre

In 1964, Irwin Allen had scored on the ABC network with the undersea adventures of the submarine Seaview on Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea. For the following season, Irwin looked in the opposite direction for inspiration and produced Lost in Space. LIS (as it is known to the series’ fans) became Irwin’s most remembered and best loved show, thanks to the adventures (or antics) of Dr. Zachary Smith and the robot (Jonathan Harris and Bob May/Dick Tufeld, respectively). Now, coming at the tail end of the 40th anniversary of the series’ first airing, La-La Land Records released a Limited Edition, 2 CD set of some of best music scores of the classic show.

This set, available at the label’s website and other internet based soundtrack retailers, fills in many gaps left by the scores released ten years ago on GNP Crescendo Records. While those albums were, and still are, vital to LIS music fans, the new release crams over 70 minutes of never before released cues, and re-releases newly remastered GNP tracks. Keep in mind that a good amount of cues on the GNP albums were not re-released here. So, don’t toss out your old albums. The new set is a fine addendum to your LIS music collection, but it is not complete.

CD #1:
While Paul Sawtell provided a beautiful theme for Voyage the previous year, Sawtell’s music had a tendency to sound old-fashioned. For the futuristic adventures of the Space Family Robinson, a more modern and immediate sound was required. When Irwin hired the great John Williams, he could not have made a better choice. One of Williams’ strong attributes is his ability to weave a familiar, contemporary sound with an otherworldly feel. After years of providing jazz scores for television, this was a prime opportunity for him to expand on his writing in a more serious vein. Thankfully for fans, the series was very serious at its inception. The much loved music is a reflection on this. The scores (well represented here) have been burned into the minds of LIS fans for two reasons: 1) it was tracked repeatedly over all three seasons and 2) it was brilliant work. The first CD covers the John Williams scores.
The album begins with the opening theme, which was used for the first two years. It is a jaunty theme, addressing the subject matter in a fairly "spacey" manner, while managing to be very eerie. While there is an underlying menace in it, the theme still worked well against the later comedy backdrop of the series. The theme is instantly identifiable and memorable.

The Reluctant Stowaway is, of course, the pilot episode launching the series and the Robinson’s into space. The music presented here is a mixture of two sources: the original cues recorded for the episode and re-recordings done at the time for use as library cues (which were hardly used). Sadly, many of the original cues were lost over time and these library tracks were substituted. The tempo and instrumentation is off drastically and it is difficult to get a feel for the music since it doesn’t jibe with the tunes we are so familiar with. However, some of the re-recorded tracks are excellent (“Final Countdown” and “The Monster Rebels” for example). The surviving original tracks are wonderful, with upper register strings tapping out a danger motif like Morse code. The first previously unreleased track is "Walk in Space / To Be Continued." A long track, stretching over seven minutes, it is, alas, another re-recording. The brass is quite weak and lacking in the same punch as the original, but it is a close copy and is still a fine listen.

Next up is Island in the Sky, which begins with unreleased cues (all original, aired versions from this point on). "Strange Planet / John’s Descent" covers the opening of the episode and the episode titles, two cues which are longtime favorites among fans. "Helmet It" underscores the sequence where Smith has the robot crush a space helmet. While "Stranglehold / Landing" were already released, the sound quality here is amazing. Blast the crash landing music out of your car stereo next time you’re driving on the expressway. More newly released music follows with "Lil’ Will and the Robot." One of my personal favorite cues is finally on album, the sequence where John is pulled out of the electrified pit, and is called (get this) "Monkey’s Doo." Whatever, it’s a brilliant cue, full of tension, action and suspense.
"Operation Rescue" follows, providing a droning, slow underscore for the robot’s rescue of Smith from the freezing tube.

The Hungry Sea begins with the remastered "Earthquake." This blistering action cue is one of the most widely tracked pieces in the LIS library. In the third season, it was used often to score the previews for the following week’s episode. This was released before, but the new, quality presentation deserves mention.
"Temperature Rising / Boring Company / Don’s Rays" is new to us. It covers Smith’s decision to send the robot after the fleeing Robinsons and Don West’s disabling of the mechanical man with a laser. Sadly, the quick cue of the robot crossing the iced over Inland Sea was not included.
"Land Ho / Kid’s Play-Off" picks up after the Chariot has survived the hurricane and the whirlpool. It’s nice to have this music finally. With a little careful editing of the GNP and La-La Land albums, one can create a nearly complete library of episode cues. While the missing music isn’t vital, it would have been nice to drop a couple of the previously released track in favor of a complete presentation.

My Friend, Mr. Nobody is the last episode on this disc and it is a mere sampling of the beautiful score. However, the full score was released in 2000 coupled with the full score to The Derelict and is still in print (GNP Crescendo GNPD-8062).

CD #2:
While this is a predominantly a "other than Williams" disc, his presence was still felt. For the third season, he was commissioned to write an all-new title theme (which follows the first track, a wonderful announcement that "CBS Presents this Program in Color"). This theme reflects the decision to break away from the fantasy and overt humor of the storylines and embrace the adventure. While the stories quickly returned to fantasy, the music remained and it is a wonderfully dramatic and explosive tune. Starting with a countdown, the theme takes off (much as the Jupiter 2 did, as it was no longer stranded on a single planet) and doesn’t rest until the end. It’s a breathless cue, one that is very exciting and memorable. However, it does lack the "space" milieu of the original theme. For a straight action theme, however, you can’t top it.

The Derelict, like Mr. Nobody, is merely sampled here (again, see the full score from GNP). A single cue from There Were Giants in the Earth represents that episode. While there was more music debuting there, I am told that those were library cues not made for a particular episode and first used in Giants. While this may be so, I was hoping to have these cues on the album. Still, "Microscope / Pod Almighty" is a seminal cue familiar to any LIS fan. The tempo is a little slower than I am used to, but it doesn’t seem to be a re-recording.
Welcome Stranger is a fine score. Written by Herman Stein with an assist by Frank Comstock, there are some beautiful melodies in this suite. Especially the "Tall Story" cue as Jimmy Hapgood tells Will and Penny about one his adventure on the way to Travelin’ Man. There’s another, longer version of the “Family” cue here, followed by a quirky, humorous theme as Smith operates on the robot. A fistfight with Don is the basis for a very “cowboy-ish” tune, which keeps the fight lighthearted. The famous "Blast Off" cue was written, surprisingly, by Frank Comstock. A shame he never got credit, it’s one of my favorite series cues.

Lost in Space Season III Bumper (John Williams) accompanied the "station identification" cards in the middle of the episode. There were rarely shown in syndication and it’s a treat to hear it again.
Things really pick up with Blast Off Into Space, by Leith Stevens, as the series bursts into full color for the second season. The series had already begun its shift from serious tales of survival to science fantasy. Blast Off is a reserved story compared to later episodes of the season, but it is still far removed from the darkness of the initial episodes of the series. In keeping with that tone, Leith Stevens gave the show a lighthearted, but still exciting score. The “Quake” music bursts forth in a “Morse code” fashion, aggressively supporting the peril of the Robinson’s as their planet threatens to break up. The alien prospector responsible for the planet’s state is given a pleasant theme, which turns a few shades darker as he bilks a thruster control from Smith during a rigged card game. The excitement picks up with “It’s Alive” as a statue is brought to life thanks to some spilled “cosmonium.” From there, it’s all action and suspense with a brief stop with Stevens’ “Family” theme as everyone bolsters each others spirits before liftoff. The showcase cue in the score is the gripping sequence detailing the launch and thruster problems. It’s a memorable piece and some of the series’ best music.

Curse of Cousin Smith (Robert Drasnin) is an atypical score, more appropriate for a Mississippi Riverboat story than a space fantasy, but it’s serviceable.
Girl from the Green Dimension (Alexander Courage) is a fitting score for the sub-par sequel to Wild Adventure (GNPD-8045). Also by Courage, Cave of the Wizards is a better score for a marginally better episode. The series’ best music was mostly behind us, but there are a few gems in store for fans.

Collision of Planets is nobody’s favorite episode, detailing the arrival of rocket cycle riding space hippies. But composer Gerald Fried provides a bizarre and wild score. His theme for Smith as he acquires super strength is an off kilter march which adds some life to the otherwise dire proceedings.

“Space-A-Delic” from The Promised Planet (another hippie episode) was presented on a previous album and did not need to be regurgitated here.
Some music from the Fox library is next up. While these scores were tracked quite often in the second season, the first appeared in The Sky Pirate and Ghost in Space. While these cues by Cyril Mockridge, Leigh Harline and Lionel Newman was quite good, no effort was made by the album producers to identify the films from which these scores were first written. This is a shame, as LIS historians and film score fans would have appreciated the information.

Space Circus, another early second season farce, was given a grand score by Fred Steiner, one that was also tracked endless throughout the series. This one was always one of my favorites of the season.
The final episode showcased here is Forbidden World. However, the only cue is a 39 second piece for the lighthearted ending. Robert Drasnin’s short composition is familiar to any LIS fan as the “Klippity Klop Weee!” joke music used a number of times in the third season. Yes, it’s silly with the slide whistle and its clowning tone. Yet it’s wonderful to have and has become one of my favorite cues.
Warren Barker, who composed the theme to Bewitched, was hired to create a new theme for the second season. It was rejected and rightly so. It’s a horribly silly theme, one aimed directly at the three year olds in the audience. All I can say is, it’s a cross between My Favorite Martian and My Three Sons. This theme was presented on a previous album and, like Space-A-Delic, did not bear a repeat here.

The final track is the fantastic end theme for the series’ third season. There’s a surprise in store for listeners who wait a few seconds after the music ends. After a pause, Jonathan Harris and the robot give announcement about upcoming episodes and it’s quite amusing. It is a rare treat for those with a nostalgic bent, such as myself.
This is an all around fantastic album and a wonderful representation of the series’ music. Is there enough unreleased music to justify another volume? Absolutely, but for now, this will fill the need nicely.
Four Stars.

* With many thanks to Scott for a Great review!