The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: The Original Albums: Two full-cast audio dramatisations

For me, the radio series will always be the definitive version of Hitch Hiker, but this is an interesting riff on it. The cast isn’t quite the same, and there are a few odd deviations from the original versions, but this is a highly entertaining listen.

This CD collection contains all the complete radio version of the Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy. Worth having if you are a fan like me!

Probably the best CD I've ever bought.

I came to The Hitch-Hiker universe in a roundabout way.I read the book first, then listened to the second radio series, then the second album (included here), then the TV show, then the First album (also included here) and finally the original radio show.Still with me? Good. This circuitous route means that the albums in this collection were my first exposure to the original material in an audio form. Because of this, I think of these as the definitive versions, an opinion shared by BBC Television it seems - after all, this is what they used as the basis for their TV adaptation.These recordings feature most of the original cast... but not everyone. Presumably a couple of actors were unavailable during the recording sessions. It's no big deal - you really don't notice. Everyone is comfortable in their familiar roles, the script has been fine tuned by Adams, John Lloyd and Geoffrey Perkins and the music is exceptional from Tim Souster and Paddy Kingsland. Everything sounds as fresh and funny as it did 40 years ago(blimey, I'm old).I have some issues with this presentation of the albums, though.I already own the original recordings on vinyl, but like so many of us I no longer have a stereo system to play them on. This CD re-issue was a dream come true and an instant purchase. However... The track listings are wrong.They are presented in a similar manner to the original vinyl release, with side 1 and 2 listed separately. Adding up sides 3 and 4 gives a total of 19 tracks - two more than are actually on the disc. Similarly, the third disc, The Restaurant At The End Of The Universe, has a total of 14 tracks listed - three fewer than are on the disc.I assume that the printed material included in the booklet is taken directly from the original album track listing (i don't have access to my albums to confirm this) and that this is some sort of error in the encoding process. It doesn't affect the recordings in any way. It just annoys the perfectionist geek in me.At last I can listen to these again with ease.

I was so pleased to get the original version back in the day but left it at an ex girlfriend’s house and never went back. Now my life is complete again, I have missed it!

The original vinyl albums.....transferred to CD.Different (slightly) from the early radio shows...But a blast from the past.Loved hearing the section with Hotblack...at Milliways......which doesn't feature on the radio show CDs.

Turned up on time and sealed always loved hitchhiker's and this is absolutely awesome without a doubt I'd recommend this to anyone definitely

An interesting remix that i had on vinyl when it came out, and it was good to hear again