Hush...no harmonica
- Thread starter RobertScorpio
- Start date
TNG had its music stand out one time: The scene in The Best of Both Worlds where Picard says "We have engaged the Borg."
DS9's music stood out once as well: The Siege of AR-558. Sadly, though I remember the music during the climatic fight being good, I don't really remember the tune itself.
Voyager's piece of good music is the theme for Species 8472 used throughout the Scorpion two-parter. Also, there was an action theme in the later seasons which although not bad eventually got annoying due to constant overuse.
Enterprise's best piece of music was the opening theme for the MU two-parter.
So then, in the 18 years of Modern Trek you have five good musical tracks. Meanwhile, everything heard in TOS's three years was musical perfection.
I didn't like it when the TOS theme incorporated that wailing woman's voice. I liked the theme better without that bit. She's not even singing *words* for cryin' out loud...just going oooooaaaaaooooOaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA and all that...
RobertScorpio
Pariah
Yes...Third Season Music was kind of goofy. That episode with the mute girl? I HATE THAT goofy mushy music they play in that episode...I hate that episode ...is that the episode you are talking about? Damn, I think so...well I totally agree!!!
Rob
Actually, thinking back, there were a few times I found the music distracting.
Trials and Tribble-Ations. During the barfight they recorded a new piece of music which was just as bland and forgettable as any other modern-day Trek piece of music as opposed to using the music that originally accompanied that scene in The Trouble With Tribbles. I understand this was done for legal reasons, but when you're used to seeing a scene with a certain musical score with it, to suddenly see the same scene again but with new music is very jarring.
Similar situation to Flashback. The scene where the Excelsior is struck by the Praxis shockwave is once again accompanied by new, bland, and forgettable modern-Trek music. And, since this is different to how I'd seen this countless times prior in TUC, it was very distracting.
Trials and Tribble-Ations. During the barfight they recorded a new piece of music which was just as bland and forgettable as any other modern-day Trek piece of music as opposed to using the music that originally accompanied that scene in The Trouble With Tribbles. I understand this was done for legal reasons, but when you're used to seeing a scene with a certain musical score with it, to suddenly see the same scene again but with new music is very jarring.
Similar situation to Flashback. The scene where the Excelsior is struck by the Praxis shockwave is once again accompanied by new, bland, and forgettable modern-Trek music. And, since this is different to how I'd seen this countless times prior in TUC, it was very distracting.
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RobertScorpio
Pariah
I totally agree on the DS9 episode. While a great episode, that new music totally ruined atmosphere. I mean, crap, how much could it have cost to PAY the person, most likely dead anyway, who made that original piece. Paramount's cheapness always shows up in the strangest places..doesn't it???
Rob
Nope, that's the one with the blind girl.
I originally watched TOS in the '70s, when loud, kind of intrusive soundtracks were par for the course, so as a general matter, it never bothered me. Except: the doodly-do flutes of hilarity. Hate that music. It's the musical cue in episodes like Shore Leave, where they might as well have added lyrics along the lines of "Look at us! Look how absolutely wacky we're being!" If you have to tell me, musically or otherwise, that something is comical, it isn't.
On the other hand, ENT's Silent Enemy soundtrack stands out in my memory as being very effective, really subtle and creepy - unsettling in that horror movie way without resorting to "Be scared now!" musical cues.
On the other hand, ENT's Silent Enemy soundtrack stands out in my memory as being very effective, really subtle and creepy - unsettling in that horror movie way without resorting to "Be scared now!" musical cues.
I really liked the music in TOS, for the most part. For instance, the Spock/Chapel clip from "Amok Time" is on Youtube and some people commented that the music was too intrusive. I didn't feel that way at all, for me the music is really memorable and fits perfectly with the scene.
By contrast, I can't even remember any tunes from any modern Trek episodes. I don't think that this kind "subtlety" is a sign of modern TV - look at BSG. There's nothing wrong with having strong, relatively loud and memorable music, during the scenes - and BSG is the best example. Many times it was the music that gave the right atmosphere and strength to the drama, as much as, or perhaps sometimes even more than the writing and acting. Modern Trek series really could have used some stronger music in the episodes, the way BSG or Lost do.
The only problem with TOS was that, as the same themes used over and over, it felt repetitive at times. Again, there's nothing wrong with using the same themes connected to certain situations and characters - again, something that BSG and Lost do well - but that's the case when you have a good composer who gets to decide which theme fits which scene, and who gives it variety by writing different versions of a theme for different scenes and situations. In TOS, although the music fit well many times, sometimes it did not, and you felt they were using 'stock tunes'...
Well, actually, I had no problems with the use of most of the themes - the only one that bugged me was the comical theme that was used to signal 'funny scene'. But that is probably largely because I hated many of those 'funny' scenes at the end of the episode - ending so many episodes on humorous banter between Spock, Bones and Kirk, or with everyone laughing at Spock, etc. felt cliche and cheesy, and it's one of the things that annoyed me the most about TOS. So when the comical music would start, it would annoy me even more.
By contrast, I can't even remember any tunes from any modern Trek episodes. I don't think that this kind "subtlety" is a sign of modern TV - look at BSG. There's nothing wrong with having strong, relatively loud and memorable music, during the scenes - and BSG is the best example. Many times it was the music that gave the right atmosphere and strength to the drama, as much as, or perhaps sometimes even more than the writing and acting. Modern Trek series really could have used some stronger music in the episodes, the way BSG or Lost do.
The only problem with TOS was that, as the same themes used over and over, it felt repetitive at times. Again, there's nothing wrong with using the same themes connected to certain situations and characters - again, something that BSG and Lost do well - but that's the case when you have a good composer who gets to decide which theme fits which scene, and who gives it variety by writing different versions of a theme for different scenes and situations. In TOS, although the music fit well many times, sometimes it did not, and you felt they were using 'stock tunes'...
Well, actually, I had no problems with the use of most of the themes - the only one that bugged me was the comical theme that was used to signal 'funny scene'. But that is probably largely because I hated many of those 'funny' scenes at the end of the episode - ending so many episodes on humorous banter between Spock, Bones and Kirk, or with everyone laughing at Spock, etc. felt cliche and cheesy, and it's one of the things that annoyed me the most about TOS. So when the comical music would start, it would annoy me even more.
RobertScorpio
Pariah
The only 'good' music I can recall from the modern treks I saw were the episode INNER LIGHT and THE VISITOR. Other than that? I can't remember any of the 'wallpaper' music, except for the awful synth stuff of TNG-s first two seasons...
Rob
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