"Mmmmmmm, Promos."

The phrase "For promotional use only—Not licensed for public sale" can send soundtrack collectors into a trance, even though sometimes the phrase "not licensed for public sale" should be followed by "because it's crap." You see, it doesn't matter how good the music is on these discs. The fact that only 500 or so were made turns them into instant classics. I'll bet if a label made 100,000 copies of a score and put the aforementioned glorious phrases on the back, collectors would still think they had something special. Maybe these CDs give off subliminal messages like, "Hey, I'm desirable."

These are nothing more than my opinions on some of the most sought-after, highly coveted, promo CDs released over the last couple of years. Take it in the same spirit as Jeff Bond's column on rare soundtracks and whether or not they're worth the price. In all cases where one of these is recommended, if you decide to get it, please try to get it via a trade. Save your money! There are plenty of great scores still available in stores for $12.99.

Hocus Pocus (John Debney, 1994): Right now, this is arguably the highest sought-after promo CD, though I don't really understand why. The music itself is, to me, nothing more than stereotypical "witch" music, with some tender moments thrown in, most of which rely on what sounds like a variation of Carol Anne's Theme from Poltergeist. It's been said before, but I'll reiterate. If Hocus Pocus were commercially released, very few people would have bought it. But since its a rare promo, it's automatically something great. As you know, rare promo = great score (?). If you really must have the music, get someone to tape it for you. And for the record, Debney's Little Giants (also a promo) is a far superior score and should still be available from the mail order outlets for $25 or less.

Alan Silvestri: Selected Themes (2CDs 1995): This set was, at the time of its release, the most sought- after promo compilation. Some ads on the rec.movies.music newsgroup and other on-line sites showed offers as high as $300 for this 2CD set. Its high demand was due to the inclusion of many previously unreleased cues from Silvestri's wide range of work since 1984. Admittedly, the scores featured on the 2CD set offered quite an exciting compilation for collectors to salivate over. However, more than half of the material featured could be found elsewhere, either on the original soundtrack recording, or on some other compilation. Out of the 30 scores represented, 14 were previously unreleased. Furthermore, out of those, only a few (most notably Predator, Fandango, and Blown Away) had ever been seriously sought-after by collectors. Many of these excerpts run under five minutes and, to be honest, blend in with the rest of the music on the CDs (i.e. little or no of their own identity). My point here is that while its sure fun for collectors to have something otherwise unreleased, the said music featured here isn't really much to get excited about, considering its brevity. Don't get me wrong, if you should see this set in a used CD bin somewhere for $5, by all means buy it, as it is probably the best representation what Silvestri is capable of. But, please, save your $150-$300 and save it for something actually worth the amount (which doesn't necessarily have to be a soundtrack). I mean, come on, is it really worth $300 for 1:11 of Clean Slate?

Baby's Day Out (Bruce Broughton, 1994): Of the rare promos that collectors are after right now, this may be one of the only ones that even comes close to being worth it. Broughton's score is a light, melodic effort that is a delight to listen to. It also reminds us of how comedies should be scored, as opposed to the elevator music that is so common today. The score is superior to most of the rare CDs that can be traded for it, so it wouldn't hurt to try and obtain it.

Honor and Glory (Basil Poledouris, 1997): This is quickly becoming the new "I must have it/its ultra- rare/I'll trade my youngest child for it" promo. At first glance, the contents of the CD look like it should be worth the high price—cues from rare, out-of-print Poledouris CDs (Wind, Flesh and Blood, Farewell to the King) music from otherwise unreleased scores like Big Wednesday (7:38), White Fang (2:32), Amerika (3:22), and Zoya (1:51), as well the magnificent piece, "The Tradition of the Games," which Poledouris wrote for the Opening Ceremonies of the 1996 Summer Olympics. This piece alone makes the CD worth having. It's like Conan-lite. However, the downside to the disc is that fact that the cues from all the rare goodies are short (except for Big Wednesday) and don't really represent the best moments of the various scores. Also, the rest of the album contains suites and themes from other scores, all of which can be easily obtained (The Hunt for Red October, Conan, etc.). Still, there are enough good moments here for me to recommend it.

Fly Away Home (Mark Isham, 1996): I don't really consider myself a Mark Isham fan, but I do like this score. It has somewhat of a unique sound: a mixture of bluegrass/country-type music and traditional orchestra. It doesn't sound at all like what we normally get from Isham, so take that however you want to. Granted, the music is nothing new or outstanding, but it is, at the least, easy to listen to. However, it does not warrant the frenzy collectors have gotten into about it—some offers have been as high as $500. People! I hear there is a petition going to the studio to get the album commercially released. That would be nice for the people who want it because it is worth $12.99. However, if it is released, the rule applied to Hocus Pocus and people's actual interest (see above) could take effect.