Hi, there, Dear Reader. It’s mid-to-late morning in Lithia, Florida on Friday, January 14, 2022. It’s a chilly winter day in the Sunshine State. Currently, the temperature is 61˚F (16˚C) under sunny skies. With humidity at 71% and the wind blowing from the north at 8 MPH (13 KM/H) the wind chill factor is 59˚F (15˚C). Today’s forecast for my area calls for sunny skies and a high of 72˚F (22˚F). Tonight, skies will be clear. The low will be 44˚F (7˚C).

Today, finally, I will receive my La-La Land Records Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan Limited Edition 2-CD set. I checked my U.S. Postal Service Informed Delivery account to check where my package is and saw that it is marked Out for Delivery. That means that if the mail delivery person is on schedule, it will be in our mailbox between 1 and 3 PM.

I was, of course, concerned that my order, which involves a pricey ($36.08, including shipping and handling) and hard-to-get (only 10,000 2-disc sets were made, and usually these limited edition soundtracks sell out fast), was lost in the mail. And since the status of my order was frozen on In Transit for three days (Tuesday, Wednesday, and yesterday), well, let’s say I was less-than-thrilled not knowing where my Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan album with an extended version of James Horner’s first classic film score was.

If you’re wondering why I want this album so badly when I already own the Crescendo reissue of the original 1982 Atlantic Records soundtrack (which I bought on cassette when I was in high school!), here’s the skinny.

From La-La Land Records’ Website:

Music by James Horner

La-La Land Records, Paramount Pictures and Atlantic Records proudly present a limited edition, remastered 2-CD release of legendary composer James Horner’s (FIELD OF DREAMS, GLORY, TITANIC) original motion picture score to the classic 1982 sci-fi blockbuster STAR TREK II – THE WRATH OF KHAN, starring William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy and DeForest Kelley, and directed by Nicholas Meyer. Considered to be one of James Horner’s finest scores, this deluxe reissue showcases this masterwork sounding better-than-ever and expanded with previously unreleased alternate tracks. Disc One features the score presentation, while Disc Two presents the re-mastered 1982 Original Soundtrack Album and additional music.

Produced by Neil S. Bulk and Mike Matessino, and re-mixed and mastered by Mike Matessino, this special 2-CD release is limited to 10000 units and features art design by Jim Titus. Disc One, and the additional score tracks on Disc Two, have been re-edited and remixed in hi-res from newly discovered 1^st generation analog 3-track stereo tapes. The original soundtrack album has been newly remixed from digital-to-analog 3-track stereo tapes made in 1982.

The exclusive, in-depth liner notes by writer and musical director/conductor Deniz Cordell feature new comments from Sara Horner, Nicholas Meyer, producer Robert Sallin, former Paramount Music President Joel Sill, and longtime Horner collaborators Jim Henrikson and J.A.C. Redford

Track List

Disc 1  65:52

Score Presentation

1. Main Title*  3:11

2. Surprise on Ceti Alpha V  :48

3. Khan’s Pets  4:23

4. The Eels of Ceti Alpha V / Kirk in Space Shuttle*  3:57

5. Enterprise Clears Moorings  3:36

6 .Chekov Lies*  :43

7. Spock  1:13

8. Kirk Takes Command* / He Tasks Me  2:12

9. Surprise Attack  5:10

10. Kirk’s Explosive Reply  4:05

11. Inside Regula One 1:51

12. Brainwashed  1:27

13. Captain Terrell’s Death  2:01

14. Buried Alive  1:00

15. The Genesis Cave  1:13

16. Battle in the Mutara Nebula (Film Version)  8:11

17. Enterprise Attacks Reliant  1:34

18. Genesis Countdown (Film Version)  6:38

19. Spock and Kirk*  1:56

20. Amazing Grace  1:29

21. Epilogue* / End Title* (Film Version)  8:45

Disc 2  72:33

Original Soundtrack Album

1. Main Title*  3:10

2. Surprise Attack  5:10

3. Spock  1:14

4. Kirk’s Explosive Reply  4:05

5. Khan’s Pets  4:22

6. Enterprise Clears Moorings  3:37

7. Battle in the Mutara Nebula  8:11

8. Genesis Countdown  6:37

9. Epilogue* / End Title*  8:44

Total Original Album Time: 45:09

Additional Music

10. Genesis Project**  3:14

11. The Eels of Ceti Alpha V (Discrete)  2:41

12. Kirk in Space Shuttle* (Discrete)  1:22

13. Kirk Takes Command* (Proposed Album Take)  1:43

14. Buried Alive (Alternate Take)  1:02

15. Amazing Grace (Alternate)  1:33

16. Epilogue* / End Title* (Alternate)  7:33

17. Wild Orchestra  1:37

18. Amazing Grace (Alternate Bagpipes)  1:30

19. Theme of Star Trek II* (Edited End Title)  4:51

Total Additional Music Time:  27:24

Total Collection Time: 2:18:25

*Contains Theme From Star Trek (TV Series) by Alexander Courage and Gene Roddenberry

** Composed and Performed by Craig Huxley

Considering that the original CD from the late 1990s or early 2000s has a running time of just over 45 minutes, $36.08 is a fair price for an expanded version, considering that it’s a 40^th Anniversary Limited Edition set that many Star Trek fans would love to get for their soundtrack collection.

Live long and prosper!