Musings & Thoughts for Sunday, January 9, 2022, or: Update on My ‘Star Trek II’ Soundtrack Album Order (Cos There’s Not Much Else to Tell)

Hola, Dear Reader. It’s early afternoon here in Lithia, Florida, on Sunday, January 9, 2022. It’s a warm winter day here in the Sunshine State. Currently, the temperature is 79˚F (26˚C) under mostly cloudy skies. With the wind blowing from the east-southeast at 10 MPH (16 KM/H) and humidity at 63%, the feels-like temperature is 79˚F (26˚C). It’s going to be a stormy day; thunderstorms are expected to move through our area over the next few hours. The high will be 83˚F (28˚C).Tonight’s forecast isn’t any better. Thunderstorms will persist throughout the evening hours. The low will be 65˚F (18˚C).

This morning the U.S. Post Office emailed me to confirm that my order of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (Limited Edition 2-CD Set) shipped from La-La Land’s Burbank, California store – or is it warehouse? – and is in a Post Office Regional Origin Facility in Santa Clarita, California. Per the Postal Service’s Informed Delivery system, my package is scheduled to arrive by 9 PM on Wednesday, January 12.

I own the Crescendo Records compact disc (CD) reissue of the 1982 Atlantic Records soundtrack album, but as is the case with most commercially released soundtracks, Star Trek II: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is an abridged selection of tracks of music by composer James Horner and does not present Horner’s complete score. And since I’m a sucker for film scores, I pounced on this expanded edition despite its “limited edition” status (La-La Land Records will only make 10,000 units) and its cost ($29.99 plus shipping and handling).

I have several expanded edition soundtrack albums in my collection. Some I have had since the 1990s – I bought the 2-CD reissues of John Williams’ scores for the Special Edition re-releases of Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi as long ago as 1997, plus not one but two “complete score” recordings of Maestro Williams’ Superman score. (One was the Rhino Records/Warner Archives 2-CD release from 2000, the other is 2019’s 3-CD 40^th Anniversary Limited Edition, which was released as a cooperative venture by Warner Bros., DC Comics, and La-La Land.) I also have limited edition “complete score” albums of music from Apollo 13, Saving Private Ryan, The Great Escape – the first film I remember watching in a theater – and Schindler’s List.

I wish all soundtrack albums could be complete and unabridged, but the film score genre appeals to a smaller audience than, say, Taylor Swift, Drake, Olivia Rodrigo, or Morgan Wallen, and record labels will not invest lots of money in producing albums in a “niche” subgenre in the “classical music” category. So for me, these expanded editions are a treat, even though I only buy one or two per year since they are more expensive than the more common abridged soundtrack albums.

Other than that, Dear Reader, there’s not much to tell. I’m tired because I woke up way too early – at 4:20 AM Eastern Standard Time – and could not go back to sleep. As a result, I don’t even feel like gaming or hanging out on social media.

I had plans to write a Star Wars The Black Series action figure review, but even with three cups of coffee and a good breakfast, I just don’t have the energy to do so today. Perhaps tomorrow.

And on that note, Dear Reader, I’ll sign off. Until next time, Dear Reader, stay safe, stay healthy, and I’ll catch you on the sunny side of things.