(50) Years of Music of Laurie Johnson [Box set]

It is great to have the music from episodes of The Avengers on CD for the first time. Laurie Johnson's music is such an essential part of the TV series and it is gratifying to have his music recognised in its own right. CD1 has these tracks. There are standouts such as those from the episode "the Joker" with its haunting themes and others from the episodes "dead man's treasure", "what the butler saw" "A funny thing happened on the way to the station" and more. Upon hearing these the visuals from the series immediately spring to mind. Other tracks are of course "mood music" which were used in scenes to convey tension etc and are perhaps not ideally suited to be heard in isolation. But that is the nature of such soundtracks and it is still great to hear them. The only minor niggle is the use of the Patrick Macnee/Linda Thorson credit-title themes in place of the classic Macnee/Diana Rigg themes but i presume this was a personal choice of Laurie Johnson as, apparently, he chose the selected tracks himself. So a second volume perhaps...? Disc 2 contains other tv and film themes by Jonnson such as "the new Avengers" (which might have been better placed as the last track on disc 1 for continuity) Disc 3 is Johnson's music for military bands. But disc 1 is the one most will buy this for and if you are a fan of The Avengers this CD set is a must have.

Laurie Johnson is undoubtedly one of the most talented Composer / Arrangers this country has ever produced, and a man comfortable writing in any musical environment. Happily this quite frankly superb 3 disc release demonstrates such in spades. Arguably most famous for his gargantuan musical contribution to 'The Avengers' TV series, this is indeed the main driving force behind the release. In fact it's almost inconceivable to imagine that nearly 30 years after the series finished, this is the first genuine offering of Johnson's original recordings.

To disc one, and with Johnson heavily involved with the project it's not surprising that the music presented here is well selected, varied and amounts to a very pleasurable experience for the listener. The recordings, not surprisingly mono, have been remastered and sound excellent. Johnson has always engaged the very best musicians, and unlike most TV scores which are rushed and low budget, the performances and sound clarity are terrific. Also included are the Main and End title music from the Tara King series, each preceded with the Sound Engineer's take announcements. All in all an excellent disc, and very possibly this year's most important TV / Film music release.

Disc two brings us some of his most celebrated TV and Film themes. As previously mentioned, a great number are rerecordings, but it has to be pointed out rerecordings overseen by Johnson himself - possibly because he preferred his commercial offerings to be stereo, plus it also afforded him the opportunity to develop these short main title theme burst into more substantial and complete compositions. One also wonders if his original New Avengers and Professionals music is being held back for headline presentation in future volumes..... well, that's my hope, and I expect the same for a great many others.

The disc finishes with Johnson's 'Synthesis' a Symphony for Orchestra and Big Band in five movements which is best described as a fusion of classical and jazz styles. It's a significant composition without parallel, and one which Johnson pulls off with consummate ease. If you haven't heard or own this remarkable piece of work, this release is worth purchasing for it alone.

Disc three is very well summed up by it's description of 'Military Spectaculars'. A number of these compositions have been commissioned by the Armed Forces, and see Johnson nodding to Elgar, Walton and Bliss in some spectacularly composed and arranged Marches and Dances. Admitted, this isn't going to appeal to everyone, but in terms of writing, musicianship and execution it's truly stand-out in its genre.

So, in summary. It's a landmark release. It's an excellent introduction to Laurie Johnson for the unfamiliar. It's beautifully packaged with exclusive photos and liner notes from Johnson. It's embarrassingly good value for money. But, above all else, it ably demonstrates the stellar musical talent that is Laurie Johnson.

The music of the avengers

This is a fabulously rich release of music by British composer Laurie Johnson. There are actually three different releases by this record company Demon-Edsel. But this is the best of the three. The other two uses the tag of the TV series The Professionals and The New Avengers.
This is volume one and here on this three CD set we get a variety of music by Laurie Johnson.

Disc one is dedicated to the music he composed for the TV series The Avengers. It covers some of the music from the Diana Rigg, Emma Peel era of the popular TV show.
This is a most enjoyable disc. I feel there is room for more music from the Avengers but this is a good disc in its own right. Each episode required its own music landscape and atmosphere. Johnson did a great job of capturing the spirit of the bizarre world of the Avengers where there is a unique mixture of fantasy and reality where there is comedy and drama.
The musicians that helped to produce these recordings also did a great job and the compositions are rich, melodic, dramatic and exciting. The music to the Avengers is brilliant. And the arrangements are wonderful.
The booklet gives details of each piece and the episode it was featured in. This truly is a terrific release.

Music for TV and Film is often ignored as serious music. Possibly because of the nature of the music being a backdrop to the visual element. But the music is an important part of these films and TV shows because they are often the crucial things that create the atmosphere of the piece.
In the case of The Avengers the music was especially commissioned for this series. Composers like Edwin Astley, Barry Grey and Laurie Johnson created some very original music and deserve to be respected as serious composers. Laurie Johnson has his own unique style.

Disc two has some interesting selected main themes also by Johnson for TV shows like This is your life, The new Avengers, Animal Magic, The Professionals, Wicker's world and World in Action. These are all fabulously rich themes and have all been very popular. There is another section of themes from films and some singles but the disc ends with concert music in the form of the brilliant "Symphony (Synthesis)" This five movement composition shows what an great composer Laurie Johnson is in terms of his ability in musical development and range.

The final disc celebrates his music compositions with a military theme. There is the Falklands salute. A piece including a fanfare for HRH Prince of Wales arrival on horse guards parade. This incorporates the Royal Marines, the Band of Welsh and Scots Guards and the Bands from the Royal Air Force. Each has its own march that comes together at the climax.
There is also a three movement Royal Tour Suite, a piece called "Echoes" with the Massed Bands and Fanfare Trumpeters of the Royal Air Force, another piece called The "Few" composed for the 50th anniversary of the Battle of Britain and it is a piece in three movements.
Military music is not my most favourite style of music and this disc is the least favoured of the three in this set. But the music on this disc is rich in sound and originality. It also displays the wide ability of this very talented composer.