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Rating: 
Summary: A love of film music and its composers
Review: Although clearly a labour of love by the author, this is also an entirely professionally written and produced book. Perhaps wisely, it doesn't set out to be a comprehensive, definitive guide to film music composers and their recordings - this would have been impractical both in terms of the writing and the eventual weight of the tome! But what Jon Burlingame has done is to include a mini-biography of just about every important film music composer there has been up to the present day, plus a selection of what he considers to be their best works. This provides both an invaluable reference guide not only to composers but also an interesting debating point as to which of their scores should have been included. It was pleasing to see a large number of photos of the composers and some record sleeve reproductions. Many potential readers will doubtless be familiar with the likes of John Williams, John Barry, Henry Mancini and Elmer Bernstein, but they'll also get the opportunity to see some 'golden age' composers, like Miklos Rozsa, Alfred Newman, Dimitri Tiomkin and Franz Waxman, as well as relatively unsung heroes such as John Scott, Christopher Young and Rachel Portman, and those more associated with classical music, such as Ralph Vaughan Williams, Sergei Prokofiev and Dmitri Shostakovich. The author's enthusiasm for the subject is very apparent and no stone has been left unturned in order to ensure this book becomes an essential purchase for all lovers of film music. An excellent effort, which is thoroughly recommended, not just to film music aficionados, but also to anybody with an interest in the cinema.
Rating:
Summary: A love of film music and its composers
Review: Although clearly a labour of love by the author, this is also an entirely professionally written and produced book. Perhaps wisely, it doesn't set out to be a comprehensive, definitive guide to film music composers and their recordings - this would have been impractical both in terms of the writing and the eventual weight of the tome! But what Jon Burlingame has done is to include a mini-biography of just about every important film music composer there has been up to the present day, plus a selection of what he considers to be their best works. This provides both an invaluable reference guide not only to composers but also an interesting debating point as to which of their scores should have been included. It was pleasing to see a large number of photos of the composers and some record sleeve reproductions. Many potential readers will doubtless be familiar with the likes of John Williams, John Barry, Henry Mancini and Elmer Bernstein, but they'll also get the opportunity to see some 'golden age' composers, like Miklos Rozsa, Alfred Newman, Dimitri Tiomkin and Franz Waxman, as well as relatively unsung heroes such as John Scott, Christopher Young and Rachel Portman, and those more associated with classical music, such as Ralph Vaughan Williams, Sergei Prokofiev and Dmitri Shostakovich. The author's enthusiasm for the subject is very apparent and no stone has been left unturned in order to ensure this book becomes an essential purchase for all lovers of film music. An excellent effort, which is thoroughly recommended, not just to film music aficionados, but also to anybody with an interest in the cinema.
Rating:
Summary: Bravo!
Review: Comprehensive and fastidiously researched, "Sound and Vision" towers over the competition. Written by Jon Burlingame, perhaps the most widely read and internationally respected writer in the field today, this book should be in the library of every film music buff. Unlike other books which contain reviews cobbled together from various non-professionals, this book was entirely written with a single knowledgeable voice. The comprehensive index of commerically available titles alone is worth the price of the book. When combined with rare photographs and a well written and perceptive history of music in films, this book becomes indispensible to both the casual and veteran fan of music in film.
Rating:
Summary: Essential for any film music devotee
Review: Finally bought a copy of Jon Burlingame's excellent reference work SOUND AND VISION, 60 years of Motion Picture soundtracks. This is a must have. I have been collecting film music since the early sixties and to have all this information between two covers is marvelous. The detail, the wealth of information and more importantly, the accuracy is astonishing. (I missed some real gems in my buying history!) This book is certainly authoritative, and at 244 pages crammed full of detail, it is a bargain. Highly recommended.... John
Rating:
Summary: An Excellent Sourcebook
Review: I really loved to read this book! I'm quite interested in movie music but I have no idea about the history and many other things before I had the book on my hands. Valuable reference guide for collectors.
Rating:
Summary: An indispensable, seminal, very highly recommended reference
Review: In Sound And Vision: 60 Years Of Motion Picture Soundtracks, Jon Burlingame has created an indispensable, seminal, very highly recommended reference guide featuring a detailed history of Hollywood film music on record and compact disc. Also included are up-to-date biographical sketches of soundtrack composers from the inception of the movies down to the present day. Annotated listings of the best-selling, award-winning, or otherwise memorable soundtracks of the past and present (original film scores as well as movie musicals and song-compilation scores) further enhance this marvelous compendium. Of special note is the "user friendly" and comprehensive index so that the reader can quickly reference whether a particular piece of movie music is commercially available.
Rating:
Summary: An exceptional guide by an exceptional writer
Review: Jon Burlingame is nothing short of a hero to many film composers, because in addition to the astounding depth of his knowledge about composers and their work, he shares a tremendous passion for what they do and effortlessly conveys that to his readers. "Sound and Vision" is an essential book for anyone interested in film music, not only because it contains fascinating information that can't be found anywhere else, but because it's written by a greatly respected and dedicated journalist whose enthusiasm for his subject is unparalleled.
Rating:
Summary: A Wonderful Book
Review: This is a wonderful book. It's lovingly researched and was obviously put together by someone who cares about film music. It's recommended for reference and pleasure alike. Plus, the book has the courage to discriminate---we don't waste our time reading about plagiarists,..... who are not included at all.
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