Quantum Leap: Music From The Television Series

A great leap to the past!

I loved Quantum Leap when it was on and wish it had continued much longer than it did. Scott Bakula is a wonderful singer and it sure would have been nice to hear more of him. Velton Ray Bunch wrote some gorgeous music for this show and most of it goes unnoticed when you watch the program. This is a great way to appreciate his talent. May 22, 2008

Enjoyable, but more of a curiosity

I really liked the song "Somewhere in the Night" ever since I saw the episode where it was featured. The way it was played with Scott solo at the piano was haunting & powerful--just a great song. When I saw that there was a CD of it, I considered getting it and finally did. Unfortunately I didn't do my homework and was very disappointed to find that the CD version takes a sweet piano performance and turns it into a less touching and more forgettable "easy listening rock" song that doesn't do his on-screen performance of the song justice. And apparently the only place to get the piano-only version is on the episode :(

The rest of the CD is a mixed bag. Scott Bakula is definitely multi-talented, and it is enjoyable and fun to hear him play some of the different songs from the show--but nothing fantastic. The only standout vocal song on the disc would have been "Somewhere"--and that was ruined for me by the "easy listening" chorus. The instrumental tracks are okay--I'm admittedly not a big fan of instrumental music, so take my review with that grain of salt included.

As opposed to many reviewers, I quite enjoyed the interview clip. It was fun to hear some of Scott's background and what he enjoyed about working on the show. And how great is it to hear straight from the star's mouth that he would love to take the role up again in the future? As a fan, that's really nice to hear.

So my take is--if you're a QL fan, and you can get it used for a decent price, it's fun for a listen. Non-fans should probably look elsewhere. February 8, 2007

Great Soundtrack

I collect soundtracks from movies and tv shows, and this one is my new favorite. I loved the episodes where Scott Bakula sang, and the soundtrack has some great tracks from those episodes. I especially love the "Man of La Mancha" medley. I recommend this to anyone who likes "Quantum Leap" or Scott Bakula himself. October 24, 2005

A Nice Surprise

I bought this CD on a whim after getting and watching Seasons One through Three DVDs of Quantum Leap. I'm glad I did. Lots of angst has been spent by QL fans regarding the exclusion from the DVD releases of certain period pop tunes included in the original episodes (notably, Ray Charles' "Georgia"). While this complaint may be valid, it overshadows the strong and beautiful original soundtrack of the series and the lovely collaboration between Velton Ray Bunch and Scott Bakula.
The vocal pieces are reworked versions of songs that appeared in the TV broadcasts. Most of us remember the TV version of "Imagine," which the character Sam sings to his sister, Katie. This CD contains a full version that is hauntingly beautiful. (Even my husband, a John Lennon groupie, was impressed.) "Somewhere in the Night," co-written by Bakula, gets a full background, while the three signature songs from Man of La Mancha ("Don Quixote," "Dulcinea," and "Impossible Dream") are smoothed into a nice (untheatrical) medley. Even "Fate's Wide Wheel," a glam rock power ballad, gets a sweet treatment, allowing you to catch the hidden meaning in the lyrics. (Thankfully, the CD does not include "Rock the Redhead.") Bakula sounds like he's having a load of fun singing in 50's-Elvis style on "Let's Play House" and "Blue Moon of Kentucky." The first time I played these two songs, I kept looking at the liner notes to confirm that it was Bakula, and not Young Elvis, singing.
On the instrumental side, the pieces are incredibly evocative. I'm amazed at the breadth of style here; essentially, Bunch produced a movie score for each episode, appropriate to the different time period and mood of each story, from the gothic "Bite Me" to the lonely and introspective "Sam's Prayer." The Suite from Lee Harvey Oswald (for which Bunch was nominated for an Emmy, and deservedly so) is by turns creepy, stirring, and pensive (like the episode), and the familiar haunting introduction that even the casual QL fan would recognize as Sam's Theme is done in such a poignant harmonica and strings combination in "Suite From the Leap Home" that it makes you homesick for your mom just listening to it.
The CD could have done without the interview with Bakula track; it sounds dated, considering what the actor has done since QL, and I would have preferred it being replaced by more music, maybe the gospelly, "He'll Be There," from Pool House Blues.
Of course, given the lush orchestration, the evocative original music, and the pleasure of a Broadway calibre voice singing Lennon and Elvis, it's probably ironic that my 4 year old insists on listening to Dean Stockwell's "Alphabet Rap" a thousand times. This version isn't as utterly awful as the episode version (kid voices carry it on the CD), but my CD player's next track button gets a workout when the 4 year old isn't around. Although, after about the hundredth time, it starts being more funny than annoying.
If you like soundtracks, this is a nice one to get. It's got a good balance of nice songs, done well. Even if you skip the spoken-word tracks (Saga Sell, Conversation, and Alphabet Rap), it's worth listening to. October 1, 2005

SO Glad I found this CD!

I have always loved hearing "Imagine" being sung by Scott Bakula. I still remember watching the episode when it orignally aired, and just being amazed by how beautifully Scott Bakula sang the song - and what a wonderful song it was. Until that moment, being just a kid then, I had never heard "Imagine"! It became one of my favorite songs after that. It is truly amazing how talented Scott Bakula is! Anyone that is a big "Quantum Leap" fan and a big Scott Bakula fan should buy this CD! August 20, 2005

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