A question regarding ST Soundtracks

[Jeyl]

I'll admit, I'm a soundtrack nut and when it comes to Star Trek, I just cannot get enough. However, when a film's score is released either through either CDs or downloads, what's presented is never quite as definitive as a movie per say. It's just hard to get a concrete view on how the movies score should be presented. Here's a list I've compiled to express my point.

Star Trek: The Motion Picture is one of the most complete soundtracks to any Star Trek film, but it still lacks some cues like the attack on Epsilon 9, Captain's log, Warp Speed, encountering the cloud, V'Ger attacks Earth and entering the orifice ect.

Star Trek II: Lost of missing pieces. It goes from Kirk's retaliation against Khan in their first encounter to the attack in the Mutara Nebula which also has some defining cues missing. The V'Ger cave piece is gone as is searching Regula One, "KHAAAAAN!", and Spock's death. Another little thing that stinks is that they included Spock's "Space, the final frontier" narration from the ending onto the actual soundtrack! Grrr. I guess this was just one of the soundtracks that more or less presents the music in it's own story telling fashion and not as it did from the movie.

Star Trek III: Oh, lots and lots missing. In fact, there's pretty much only six tracks of music from the movie an one of this is a very different version that was used in the film itself (Track #2 Klingons). A lot of good stuff like information exchange with Kruge, finding Bones in spock's quarters, Klingons plotting about Genesis, Sunset scene, Pon Far, Self-Destruct of the Enterprise, Destruction of Genesis. And to make matters more awkward, there's an odd remix at the end of the CD that looks like it was thrown in for filler purposes.

Star Trek IV: Weird bag here. While Star Trek IV is unique in it's style, it's shown here outright. While the music is in the movie, you have to sit through about more than half the tracks before it gets to the portions that were used. Not a bad thing, just awkward. And the ballad of the while is just strange.

Star Trek V: Ah, yes. One of the rare occasions where the soundtrack is excellent but not the movie (Another for me being "Hook"). While the music here is presented quite nicely, the placement of the tracks is way off! It will go to the opening title to the god planet.

Star Trek VI: Very nice collection here. What's missing is mostly tiny bits of cues and there are some tracks that dissolve into each other (Which I loath), but at least the final battle is presented in it's entirety (If a bit rushed when the Klingon ship is finally taken down).

Star Trek Generations: Not much to say other than I really miss the Enterprise D approaching the space laboratory after the holodeck scene. That was such a fantastic cue for the Enterprise entering the scene. Another nice piece that's gone is the stellar cartography scene which has some nice tense moments (Can be heard on the Bonus Disc main menu with a little SFX).

Star Trek First Contact: Nice and 'almost' complete. Wiki entries actually list bootleg copies to being more complete and even makes note that none of the profits go to Jerry Goldsmith.

Star Trek Insurrection: Pretty much the same with First Contact, some missing but most of it is all here.

Star Trek Nemesis: Lots of music here sounds like extended versions of the music heard in the movies while some are missing altogether. Stuff that's missing includes when the Enterprise E enters the screen for the first time, finding B4's source signal, the first half of the battle in the nebula and the wonderful homage to TMP with the Enterprise E in drydock. For not liking the movie all that much, I thought the space battle music was great, but it was a shame it wasn't all included.

Star Trek 09. Hmm... I wonder....

So I ask you, how do you think Star Trek's soundtracks should be handled? Should we get the whole nine yards with the complete recordings (Lord of the Rings CR, ALIEN intrada release, SUPERMAN Blue Box by FSM), a soundtrack release that has music sounding nothing like it does in the film (Batman Begins, The Dark Knight), or a soundtrack that's released before the films opening but feels a bit rushed (Star Wars prequels, Lord of the Rings standard). How would you like to hear Star Trek music?

 

[trekker670]

We haven't heard anything yet from the new movie, so assuming it has a good score, I would love to get the complete soundtrack with alternate cues and everything. I too am a huge music nut and particularly like the Star Trek soundtracks.

I will say that I have been disappointed with most of the officially released CDs, because of their lack of the complete soundtracks, so I have downloaded most of the complete scores that are available online, but would much prefer the option of being able to purchase them officially from Paramount/CBS.

 

[sbk1234]

I voted for complete score, but truth be told, much of the music written for movies is so incidental, that it doesn't really listen well. I don't need little assorted cues here from here and there. But all of the main music should be included. I agree that there were some - IMHO - major music left out of many of the Trek soundtracks. I think much of that has to do with how music was recorded and assembled back in the 80s when most of the soundtracks were recorded and released on vinyl. When they went to CD and digital, TPTB didn't see a financial reason to re-release extended versions of the soundtracks. Just my opinion.

 

[Jeyl]

I don't need little assorted cues here from here and there. But all of the main music should be included.

I'm a nut for little assorted cues and their tiny but memorable places in the score. Just because their tiny doesn't mean they're not soundtrack worthy!

Now, granted that some of the music doesn't really sound or listen well, I'd still be open to give them a try.

 

[RandyS]

I don't need little assorted cues here from here and there. But all of the main music should be included.

I'm a nut for little assorted cues and their tiny but memorable places in the score. Just because their tiny doesn't mean they're not soundtrack worthy!

Agreed, and I too voted for the complete scores. I still love the complete soundtracks for the Star Wars OT and Phantom Menace, and am disapointed there isn't one for the other two films. Particularly Revenge of the Sith. ALL that music was memorable.

I'd aslo welcome complete scores for all the Star Treks. I am particularly disapointed that ENTERPRISE"S Broken Bow CD has the series end credits, and not the instrumental version of Faith of the Heart that that episode had. Yes, I know the song is stupid, but only the singing version. I liked the tune itself.

 

[Drake]

I voted for the complete soundtrack. One the joys of my existence is the complete set of tracks from all three Lord of the Rings movies (LOTR, the book, being another of my obsessions). I would love to hear all those little cues from the various incarnations of Star Trek.

 

[Jeyl]

Ya. This is just screaming for a 'REDO!' isn't it? This was a project I did at Savannah College of Art and Design and the assignment was to come up with a CD case of anything we wanted and make the color in the artwork reflect the product. I decided that this would be the perfect opportunity to create my dream soundtrack of Star Trek II, the Wrath of Khan.

Since this was color theory, I wanted the look of the packaging to have that harsh reds and orange colors from the movie and have a row of screen shots below the titles showing off various bits from the movie that were catchy. I put the shot of the Enterprise in the Mutara Nebula in the center thinking it would provide a nice contrast with the rest of the screen shots. But as you can no doubt tell, the images aren't perfectly lined up and I have a HUGE problem with dissolving the images next to each other. If ONLY I went with my folks to all those photoshop courses they've attended over the years, I'd have this thing nailed.

The back cover is where the real fun came in. First thing I did was watch Star Trek II and identify where every piece of music is from the film because this soundtrack was going to contain all of it. I put one * for never before released music, and ** for the film version of that score which puts in missing cues and removes Spock's ending narration. The hardest task was coming up with names for these tracks. I got so into it that I ended up renaming some of the already existing tracks that were on the official release to coincide with what I did for the new tracks.

Make no mistake. There are errors in this packaging. Tracks 4 and 5 are pretty much the same track, and track number 18 should be labeled ** instead of just *. I would also change the title of the last track because I did this before I knew about the Enterprise "These are the Voyages" episode and the last thing I want fans to think about when they look on a Star Trek II soundtrack is that pitiful last episode from ENTERPRISE. Sorry if I offended you if you liked that episode, but as a Star Trek fan who stopped watching ENTERPRISE after episode 1, the idea behind "TATV" is so cold and barren I actually felt sorry for the fans of the series who were looking forward to a nice fitting ending for their series.

 

[Drake]

I'll buy it. When does it come out?

 

[Jeyl]

I'll buy it. When does it come out?

I so wish I could answer that with a "Soon! We're working hard on it!", but unfortunately, Jeyl Tunes doesn't exist.

I think when it comes to soundtracks of this stature of being complete, the only way the soundtrack distributers and studios can make a small profit from it is if the soundtracks are released in a "limited Edition" run. Why limited run? Well, the studios know that the market for complete recordings is limited, but it is there. So in order to get the word out and make a sell, they release the soundtracks in limited quantities. That way they get a set in stone profit while the soundtrack collectors have a soundtrack release that's value goes up as the years pass.

This has happened to a number of great soundtracks. Alan Silvestri's PREDATOR, Michael Kamen's Die Hard, James Horner's Commando, Elmer Bernstein's score for the Ghostbusters and Alexander Courage's work on Superman IV. All of these soundtracks have had a limited edition release and they are now out of print. These are all great collections and 'complete recordings', but they were limited. For me in aquiring the Die Hard and Predator soundtracks was not an easy decision. Die Hard was over $150 and Predator was a solid $100.

Right now, Star Trek might benefit more from the "Superman Blue Box" collection that was released sometime last year. The amount of material that was on that set was incredible. It had everything but was limited, Big price point but willing customers. A huge collection like that would work and throwing a 'limited edition' will most certainly get Star Trek music fans anxious.

Just pray that the distributers don't do to the set the way that one studio did for the Indiana Jones films...
...
...
...
the horror.....the horror....

 

[QuasarVM]

I prefer complete scores. They are few and far between, but um...yeah.

To those who complain about "listenability" -- that's why there's track skipping capability on your CD/MPEG player.

 

[Drake]

I'll buy it. When does it come out?

I so wish I could answer that with a "Soon! We're working hard on it!", but unfortunately, Jeyl Tunes doesn't exist.

I think when it comes to soundtracks of this stature of being complete, the only way the soundtrack distributers and studios can make a small profit from it is if the soundtracks are released in a "limited Edition" run. Why limited run? Well, the studios know that the market for complete recordings is limited, but it is there. So in order to get the word out and make a sell, they release the soundtracks in limited quantities. That way they get a set in stone profit while the soundtrack collectors have a soundtrack release that's value goes up as the years pass.

This has happened to a number of great soundtracks. Alan Silvestri's PREDATOR, Michael Kamen's Die Hard, James Horner's Commando, Elmer Bernstein's score for the Ghostbusters and Alexander Courage's work on Superman IV. All of these soundtracks have had a limited edition release and they are now out of print. These are all great collections and 'complete recordings', but they were limited. For me in aquiring the Die Hard and Predator soundtracks was not an easy decision. Die Hard was over $150 and Predator was a solid $100.

Right now, Star Trek might benefit more from the "Superman Blue Box" collection that was released sometime last year. The amount of material that was on that set was incredible. It had everything but was limited, Big price point but willing customers. A huge collection like that would work and throwing a 'limited edition' will most certainly get Star Trek music fans anxious.

Just pray that the distributers don't do to the set the way that one studio did for the Indiana Jones films...
...
...
...
the horror.....the horror....

Unfortunately, I knew you were kidding in a way about that. I didn't make my wishful, but unsatisfied, longing more clear in my post. Someday maybe.

 

[Jeyl]

Unfortunately, I knew you were kidding in a way about that.

Kidding about what?

 

[Steve Roby]

As a Blade Runner fan, I am familiar with the heartbreak and frustration of wanting a good soundtrack to a movie. For twelve years, all that was officially available was an orchestral rerecording of some of the music in the movie, sounding not much like it at all. Then in 1994 there was a single CD soundtrack put together by Vangelis -- leaving out a lot of stuff, adding music that was never in the movie, and adding random bits of movie dialogue here and there. Then last year there was a three-disc 25th anniversary set. Sounds great, in theory -- except that the first disc was the 1994 CD, the second was a selection of music that didn't make it there (with some changes and sound effects added), and the third disc was all-new music with celebrities reciting poetry in Polish and that sort of thing over the top of it. No real Blade Runner connection at all.

Then there was the Logan's Run soundtrack -- I don't know what was on the LP, but for a while the only CD I had was a few tracks from that and a few tracks from Coma, another Jerry Goldsmith score. Finally Film Score Monthly produced a really good, much more complete soundtrack for Logan's Run (and followed up with one from the TV series).

The Star Trek soundtracks have been frustrating at times, especially the ones released in the LP era and not expanded on CD (officially, at least). I would have liked more DS9 music on CD, too. But given the limitations on soundtrack CDs that are not going to sell anywhere near as well as Star Wars soundtracks, the Trek soundtracks aren't all that bad.

 

[Rarewolf]

I think the Nemesis bootleg's complete as well. They are amazing quality - I've always wondered how they got out.

I'd buy a 20 CD set of films 1-10 tomorrow if it was out. Doubt it will ever be possible; different composers, different record studios, bringing it all together would be easy said than done.

Would have been easier to do them as an alternate soundtrack option on the DVDs.

 

[Drake]

Unfortunately, I knew you were kidding in a way about that.

Kidding about what?

Kidding about that being a new commercially available score. But it's a nice thought.

 

[Jeyl]

Unfortunately, I knew you were kidding in a way about that.

Kidding about what?

Kidding about that being a new commercially available score. But it's a nice thought.

Oh, thank goodness. I thought you were talking about my dismay towards the Indiana Jones set. Whew.

Good post there Steve regarding Vangelis and Blade Runner. Let me tell ya, he's a different kind of beast. He falls under the category of "Awkward" where the music from the film is presented in a much different fashion than it was heard in the movie. That 3-disc set was a clear cut out 'DarkKnight" style release having no sense of structure or logic.

I actually chatted with a fan of his regarding the style and structure of his releases and this fan was completely oblivious to what a soundtrack nut is looking for. He says that these releases are meant to be heard as a more stylized rendition of what Vangelis makes, not what it's made for. He even had the galls to say that the consumer base for him is much larger than regular movie soundtrack collectors. This struck me as kind of awkward since the 3-disc Blade Runner set was only an Amazon exclusive. Boy was he in for a surprise. We were chatting around the time Intrada released their 2-disc set of ALIEN (Wonderful set. Pick it up if you haven't! It's got everything Goldsmith did for the movie!), and I told him that set sold out on it's first day of release and it's been available in numerous outlets, not just Amazon. He said he'd get me a drink if we'd ever met. lol.