I don't think I truly knew what kind of treat I was in store for until I heard that familiar opening synthesized tune and a huge shit-eating grin came over me. I'll never forgive myself for not picking up the OOP vinyl Creepshow soundtrack when I saw it years ago at a use record store for about 10 bucks. What was I thinking? Up until now we've had to depend on the occasional mp3 or securing a fairly expensive OOP soundtrack. Well, leave it to the fine folks over at La La Land Records to hit us upside the head with a remastered CD soundtrack for Creepshow...and then some.

Romero was famous for using "library music" (free use tunes, no royalties) in his films and at first Creepshow was to be no exception to the rule. Lucky for us though he decided to enlist the help of friend John Harrison to score the flick. While there was some use of library tracks in the film, the bulk of Creepshow was scored by Harrison. Ironically enough, the library tracks are missing from this release (oddly enough due to rights issues of some sort) but Harrison's work is displayed in near mint digital clarity, along with a few delectable bonuses.

With 14-tracks in all (about 65-minutes) the first 8-tracks are representative of Harrison's work on Creepshow and let me tell you, these tracks are a real treat. The soundtrack to Creepshow has been anything but easy to come by (except for that vinyl I passed up, arrrghhh!) yet has remained a fan favorite throughout the years. It's quite simple and understated with mostly synthesized numbers, but still remains extremely catchy, creepy and effective. Each segment of the film retains it's own personality through the use of audio and visuals; any fan of Creepshow can hum that unforgettable opening theme.

Also included are 3-tracks (tracks 9 thru 11) from the unforgettable TV series Tales from the Darkside (sadly the opening tune is not present, shucks) scored by Harrison as well. Tracks 12 thru 14 represent two Romero projects that never made it off the ground. Track 12 is an interesting piece from something called Mansions of the Moon while tracks 13 and 14 represent something called Shoobie Doobie Moon. A direct farce of the 50's era drive-in featuring two bizarre musical numbers (the only two tracks with lyrics).

The packaging includes a fold out booklet, laid out in Creepshow era comic style of course. There are liner notes provided by the likes of Harrison and Romero and there are plenty of pics. The whole affair is quite impressive and easily a welcomed addition to any horror fans soundtrack collection.

Needless to say, I can't recommend this release enough. I've taken in La La Land's soundtrack releases of From Beyond and Creepshow thus far and color me impressed. Their dedication and chutzpah certainly deserves our attention. This is a fantastic release, I'm urging all horror fans to head on over to La La Land to secure their copy, we can only hope for more like this in the future from them.

Click here to visit La La Land Records online.