I've been listening to the soundtracks for the past few days. I've heard TMP, TWOK, TSFS, TVH and TFF. What are your favorite ones? My personal favorite has always been TMP. I can listen to that all day, in my car, on my headphones or at home. I was just listening to TSFS today, and I was reminded by how great Horner was for the series. I particularly loved the stealing the Enterprise segment, but you know what? I just realized today that I don't think Horner is given enough credit for his Klingon theme. I think we're all used to the Goldsmith Klingon theme, and take it for granted that this *is* the Klingon theme, but Horner's is just as good!!! Growing up some of my friends didn't care for TVH soundtrack, but I love it. It's emanates the good vibes of the film, and it's distinctly 1980s, which mirrors the film as well, and reminds me of a fantastic time in my life for me. As much as I love TMP, I like but I'm not as crazy about TFF soundtrack. The Klingon theme in this film mirrors the Klingons in the movie: whiney, weaker not as hardened and badass as Kruge and his crew. Don't get me wrong, I like the soundtrack, but not as much as TMP. I gotta find me a copy of the ST-VI soundtrack.
It's the only music iI have in my car. When the radio gets boring (often) in goes TMP soundtrack. Some of that music is awesome to drive through dense fog to! I'm literally holding out watching ST IV again until some unspecified future date, to see if it will gain the same 'time travel' flavor that Tomorrow is Yesterday has, with years having passed the period by.
Oh, I like his Klingon theme. But it does sound very much like his theme from "Aliens" called 'Futile Escape'...which came 3 years after that Klingon theme. Kruge: Torg! We. Are. Leaving! (I'm sure there is another similar sounding theme I'm not thinking of right now). The thing about Horner is he can make a very 'sci-fi' sound for the Trek themes. His themes for Khan are ominous - perfect for the character - and his themes for the ship battles relate what is going on in the film. What I've always liked about James Horner (before he kinda disappeared after Titanic) is that he was able to bring emotion to his themes. I never really saw Legends of the Fall, but I always got emotional listening to that soundtrack. (And, if I ever write that western, I'll be playing that soundtrack...) A Beautiful Mind has bits I like (and I've never saw the movie) and Deep Impact (which I have seen, probably due to Leelee Sobieski) had some emotional themes. Now, in regards to Jerry Goldsmith: His soundtrack for TMP is pretty good. Like the movie, the soundtrack can somewhat drag (heavy emphasis on 'somewhat'). The sound gives the listener an idea of the size of V'ger, the danger that V'ger poses...as well as the mystery of the unknown. Moreover, what I like about the TMP soundtrack is the 1970s sci-fi sound. John Williams has it in his Star Wars theme; a sense of 'otherworldness' (where Empire Strikes Back would be more of a military soundtrack)....and a sense of inspiration that I personally didn't hear in the prequels.
Horner's Klingon theme first appears in a film called Uncommon Valor. The Star Trek VI album is available here: http://store.intrada.com/s.nl/it.A/id.7475/.f For that album we had to go back to the original digital multi-track tapes because they were the only tapes with choir. Neil
Horner is Excellent I also lean towards the soundtracks as actual listening fodder...Generations and Insurrection resonate with me, but emotions always run deep whenever any of it plays...I can "See" the scene as the music plays, and I really like that...
Horner is Excellent I also lean towards the soundtracks as actual listening fodder...Generations and Insurrection resonate with me, but emotions always run deep whenever any of it plays...I can "See" the scene as the music plays, and I really like that...
TMP will always be my favorite of all Star Trek soundtracks. I can never get enough of it, even the early versions and alternate takes. The score has a lot in common with what Goldsmith did 4 years earlier with John Milius' "The Wind and the Lion." Star Trek VI is a close second, followed by Star Trek V. I still think "The Mountain" from V is the best track Goldsmith ever wrote. Just a stunning piece of orchestration throughout.
I was watching a piece of Aliens about a year or so ago, and I think it was rather early in the film, and I half expected Khan to arrive in his desert gear. And I forgot what other part of the movie, but I also remember thinking of Kruge. It was crazy! I think some musicians do this. I'm a HUGE fan of the Bruce Lee movie, "Enter the Dragon", which was scored by Lalo Schifrin. Well, I was watching "Magnum Force", (the first sequel to Dirty Harry), and there are parts of the score that sound just like "Enter the Dragon". They were both scored by Lalo in 1973 (and both were distributed by Warner Bros.)
Yeah, many musicians have similar sounds or motifs in their soundtracks, but Horner kinda known for it. Jerry Goldsmith did the soundtrack for "Supergirl," but it still sounds like its own soundtrack. The same with Goldsmith's "Alien" theme, and his "Planet of the Apes" theme. As big as John Williams was at the time, his "Superman" soundtrack had its own separate sound apart from his themes for "A New Hope" and "Empire Strikes Back."
Tell me about it! The Trek II/III soundtracks similarity to some of the Aliens music is way too much. Like I said, I half expected Khan in his desert gear to show up. I love Goldsmith's Supergirl soundtrack. I know the movie is derided, but I think everyone agrees that the soundtrack was great. Goldsmith is definitely up there as one of my favorite musicians.
^^ Another recommend track is the theme Goldsmith did for "The Shadow." Not a favorite film of mine, but that theme is very cool....
I saw The Shadow years ago when I went to check out the dark horse superhero/comic films like "The Phantom", "The Rocketeer", and "The Shadow". I barely remember it, but I'll have to check out the theme.
Amen. I listen to "The Shadow" soundtrack all time. It's great music to write to. Trek-wise, my favorites are TWOK, First Contact, and Star Trek (2009). Honorable mention: Insurrection, if I want something quieter and less pulse-pounding.
The Motion Picture soundtrack is my favorite overall, with The Undiscovered Country next - for the finish if nothing else. I've loaded all the Star Trek music I have onto my computer and picked out my favorite tracks and burned them onto a CD. That's my Star Trek reading music . . . which ends up being on all night while we sleep. ME
Not sure why you think he kinda disappeared. He's scored over 30 films since then, one of his most recent was the excellent score for The Amazing Spider-Man.
TMP is my favorite and Like Horner's music. I can listen to any Goldsmith and probably my favorite piece by him is Soarin'
I know he scored over 30 films since then, but IMO none them are memorable as his themes from the 80s and 90s. Hence, he 'disappeared.' His "Amazing Spider-Man" score didn't do much for me, although I did like his 'Forbidden City' theme for "The Karate Kid"...and I did like bits of the soundtrack for "Iris." I can't really recall anything big, aside from "Deep Impact," that he did post-"Titanic." (Again, we can mention "The Karate Kid," but I don't remember any signature theme from that soundtrack).
...anyone know if there is one collection with all soundtracks and thematic music for the episodes, themselves...?
Yes, La-La Land Records released this 15-CD box set featuring every score from the original series. And since this thread is specifically about the movie scores, they also released Star Trek: The Motion Picture. Neil