ver the years, numerous speculative TV shows have debuted that, while
relatively successful in their heyday, are now largely forgotten.
Among those
overlooked programs is One Step Beyond, an anthology show
which, due to its
sponsorship by the Alcoa aluminum company, was also known as Alcoa
Presents. Beginning in 1959 and lasting through 1961, the series
showcased supernatural and occult tales supposedly based on
actual events.
Music From One Step Beyond presents the symphonic
accompaniment to
those scary stories. Written and conducted by Harry Lubin, the 11 tracks
intermingle traditional orchestral compositions with unusual effects and
occasionally eccentric instrumental elements. The main theme for
the show,
appropriately titled "Fear," features the wordless wails of a
soprano singer
juxtaposed with ethereal strings and eerie electronic noises.
Other cues are
extracted from specific narratives, such as the track "Bygone
Memories"--taken from an episode entitled "The Return Of Mitchell
Campion"--which utilizes haunting violins and mournful woodwinds
to elicit
strong feelings of love and loss. Meanwhile, melodies like
"Paris" and "Trip
To The Far East" strongly suggest exotic locales, employing familiar yet
still slightly foreign ethnic motifs to evoke mental images of faraway
lands.
The album was initially released in 1960, and most of the information
contained in the original liner notes is reproduced on this CD. Included are
concise profiles of Lubin and series host/director John Newland,
along with
single-sentence descriptions of each cut. Limited information about the
Berliner Symphoniker--the 75-piece ensemble which performed all
of the music--is also offered plus trivia concerning some of the non-traditional
instruments used in the recording.
Mysterious and memorable
Unlike the otherworldly narratives often seen on The
Twilight Zone
(which also debuted in 1959), One Step Beyond generally
concentrated
on unexplainable but decidedly earthbound psychic or paranormal
phenomena. To
a great extent, Music From One Step Beyond reflects that
terrestrial
focus, incorporating ordinary orchestral sounds that emphasize both
the setting
and sentiments of the various story lines. Yet on nearly every
composition,
Lubin also adds unusual and highly creative stylistic flourishes.
This fusion can clearly be heard in "Weird," a tune that was used in
numerous episodes to punctuate particularly spooky scenes.
Echoing the scary
strains of the main title cue, this quiet cut spotlights a doleful soprano
voice complemented by quivering strings and soft electronic whines. The
combination of peculiar and pleasing components consequently conjures
powerful feelings of fascination and fear. More boisterous
selections, such
as "Island Off Spain," with its intermittent classical guitar
riffs, the mock
castanets of "Bullfight" or the moderately Afro-Cuban beat of
"Jungle Aire,"
aurally transport listeners to destinations that, although reasonably
recognizable, embrace strange customs and mysterious beliefs.
The liner notes provide valuable information about the show
and its score,
although an updated section on both the composer and the program would
certainly have been helpful in placing the anthology in proper
historical
context. However, Lubin's creations, though rarely subtle,
wonderfully convey
the series' pseudo-science fiction storytelling formula. Music
From One
Step Beyond thereby serves as a wonderful memento of a bygone
television
era, allowing contemporary listeners to experience at least some of the
excitement audiences felt 40 years ago when they prepared, each week, to
explore "the amazing world of the unknown."
