Godfrey Reggio’s extraordinary film has become as famous for Glass’s remarkable music as for its visual imagery, which depicts the complex relationship between nature, technology and society. Having survived on the shortened soundtrack LP for 15 years, we now have a CD version which is at least closer to the original length of the film and which is a new recording (albeit with a slightly smaller orchestra – perhaps a little overdubbery here and there?). However, film music that has been expertly edited to fit on to a single LP can, paradoxically, work rather better as a piece of music than a more ‘authentic’ (i.e. longer) version, and this may be the case here. Furthermore, the CD has a peculiar ‘rounded off’ sonic quality, reminiscent of cack-handed compression. However, these are reasons not to ditch your vinyl copy, if you have one, rather than reasons not to buy the CD, which offers some of the most compelling music Glass has written. There’s the impossibly low bass voice of Albert de Ruiter in the funereal opening and closing sections, the manic arpeggios which were the composer’s trademark during this still-a-bit-minimalist period, some superb choral arrangements and, in all fairness, an opportunity to re-evaluate the music within its extended time-span, all of which make this disc worth having. However, the free sampler disc makes the whole package irresistible, containing as it does some genuine highlights such as the affectionate cod-revivalism of Father Death Blues and a lively slice from Glass’s Fifth Quartet, plus 13 other tracks.'