Best TOS movie soundtrack

[Ssosmcin]

The first 3 are, for me, equally great. TMP is a beautiful score that elevates the film tremendously. TWOK and TSFS are two sides of the same coin, hitting different buttons and making different points, but these feel like Star Trek scores. Horner matured a great deal in two years and his score for ST3 is more emotionally resonant and operatic. His Klingon theme rivals Goldsmith's and is almost never quoted in later productions. Yep there's a lot of Sergei Prokofiev in the music, but I love Russian classical music, so that's fine.

Interestingly, in Nick Meyer's memoir "The View from the Bridge," he says that the studio insisted that James Horner use the Alexander Courage TOS fanfare in his score. Meyer says he originally wasn't a fan of that decision, but that Horner found a way to make it work. Now, Meyer says it was "the studio" that wanted it, but the same studio people were there for TMP. So I wonder if it was actually Harve Bennett who wanted it, being that he was trying to be much more true to the feel of TOS with the second film.

Horner went on record also saying that he wanted it, feeling it couldn't be Star Trek without the fanfare. Success has many parents.

 

[CoveTom]

His Klingon theme rivals Goldsmith's and is almost never quoted in later productions.

Well, it's definitely quoted extensively in  Aliens.

 

[MarcKle1964]

I like TMP just a little more than TWOK, but they both inhabit my playlist permanently. That Leaving Spacedock always hits me right in the heart.

 

[Jeyl]

Interestingly, in Nick Meyer's memoir "The View from the Bridge," he says that the studio insisted that James Horner use the Alexander Courage TOS fanfare in his score. Meyer says he originally wasn't a fan of that decision, but that Horner found a way to make it work. Now, Meyer says it was "the studio" that wanted it, but the same studio people were there for TMP. So I wonder if it was actually Harve Bennett who wanted it, being that he was trying to be much more true to the feel of TOS with the second film.

It definitely sounds like it was a Harve Bennett thing, as he wrote in the Star Trek IV scrip that the film opens with the TOS theme (And even had it recorded!). I'm just happy Meyer said that James Horner managed to make the theme work for the film.

 

[Vger23]

It's a tough call. I picked Goldsmith, but primarily off the strength of TMP and TFF. I thought INS was completely unremarkable and while FC has an excellent "main theme" (it is an absolutely beautiful piece of music), the rest of it is pretty average.

Meanwhile, Horner's stuff is also pretty legendary for TSFS and TWOK, but not quite as grandiose as Goldsmith's stuff. Here's my ranking:

Movie Soundtrack Rankings:
1. TMP
2. TFF
3. TWOK
4. TSFS
5. GEN
6. TUC
7. FC
8. NEM
9. INS
10. TVH

Composer Rankings
1. Goldsmith
2. Horner
3. McCarthy
4. Eidelman
5. Rosenman

 

[CoveTom]

Composer Rankings
1. Goldsmith
2. Horner
3. McCarthy
4. Eidelman
5. Rosenman

I pretty much agree with this. Dennis McCarthy is a very good composer and very underrated. It's a shame how he was limited by Rick Berman in the TV series episodes. When he was allowed more freedom, he really did excellent work.

 

[tharpdevenport]

"Best" is really a poor way to phrase it and chose by, when you have great composers like Jerry and James in the mix.

As much as I love Jerry's score (with about 21 additional minutes by Joel Goldsmith) for Star Trek: First Contact, for sheer epicness, beauty, powerful cues, and music that at times makes you feel alive, I do have to go with Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.

Of the original ten prime-universe films, every composer did a good score. You may not like Rosenman's score, and yes he did reach way too much into his old bag of composing tricks, but it works and it's got a number of stand out cues (which I say in the general sense; aside from that annoying Yellow Jackets "Whale Song" cues not even in the film, all the cues for me are excellent).

 

[CoveTom]

"Best" is really a poor way to phrase it and chose by, when you have great composers like Jerry and James in the mix.

As much as I love Jerry's score (with about 21 additional minutes by Joel Goldsmith) for Star Trek: First Contact, for sheer epicness, beauty, powerful cues, and music that at times makes you feel alive, I do have to go with Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.

Of the original ten prime-universe films, every composer did a good score. You may not like Rosenman's score, and yes he did reach way too much into his old bag of composing tricks, but it works and it's got a number of stand out cues (which I say in the general sense; aside from that annoying Yellow Jackets "Whale Song" cues not even in the film, all the cues for me are excellent).

I agree with most of what you said. Goldsmith and Horner were both top-notch composers and both left us too soon. Goldsmith wrote some scores that I think were better than some of Horner's and Horner wrote some scores that I think were better than some of Goldsmith's.

Overall, I would put TMP a notch higher in my book than TWOK, but that's just my personal opinion. I think much of it has to do with the fact that I prefer Goldsmith's rousing brass-heavy theme to Horner's more "nautical" string-heavy theme. But I think the entirety of the TMP score is just a masterpiece and the best work that Goldsmith ever did. OTOH, I would agree with you that the TWOK score is better than the First Contact score, for example. And I don't hate Rosenman's score the way many seem to. I actually like the theme he wrote. A nice change of pace for a film that was a change of pace as well.

 

[CuriousCaitian]

I voted Goldsmith, because he just kept delivering, even when the films weren't great; his Nemesis score is, for me, far and away the best part of that film. Trek seemed to consistently bring out the best in his symphonic side. And I don't think any other composer could've come up with the wonderfully alien tone he did for V'Ger. One of the greatest film composers there's ever been.

Horner's close, because both his scores soar, especially TWOK.

Rosenman's Voyage Home score is my least favourite. Fun, but doesn't sweep me away like the rest.

Eidelman's work for Undiscovered Country is fantastic, atmospheric and moody and tense, and when the climactic battle gives him an excuse to finally cut loose, exhilarating. Emotional, too; the Sign Off cue gets me every time.

Since it's mentioned in the poll, have to note my love for McCarthy's Generations score, especially the choral touches, and most of all the spine-tingling main theme.

The scores seem to be the one mostly consistent aspect of high quality in Trek films, though Giacchino's work for the latest three, other than the odd cue, wasn't quite as potent, for me.

 

[TheAdmiralty]

Definitely TMP, but Horner's score and TVH's score are really good as well

There is absolutely no better score ever written for Trek than TMP and I daresay it ranks in the top 10 all time film score list. It really is Goldsmith's masterpiece.

Chinatown is up there as well for him, but yes, probably both top ten scores of all time for any movie.

I'm not a TMP fan but it would be completely unwatchable if you gave it an average score, Goldsmith's score isn't just beautiful to listen to, it does add a lot of atmosphere to the movie.