To Boldly Go... Discussing The Score

[JacksonArcher]

Since I didn't see a thread on this, I thought there should be a thread discussing Michael Giaachino's brilliant score for Star Trek. For those unawares, Giacchino is the talented and ambitious composer behind such scores as The Incredibles, Mission: Impossible III, Speed Racer and has done music for Abrams institutions Lost and Alias as well as contributed the musical scores for the Metal of Honor games.

I purchased his score for Trek a few days ago and lately that's all I've been able to listen to. Yes, his score is suitably bombastic, but it is jam-packed full of emotion and excitement. I absolutely love how he incorporates Alexander Courage's original TV show theme very subtly in the track "Nero Death Experience" towards the end and then full-on for the "End Credits". His theme for the film, as heard in the first track, "Star Trek", and carried on throughout the score, is brilliant when played soft and gentle, and rousing when played loud and crass. In fact, the first few tracks of the score are probably the best, and like the film, it kind of slows down and lessens as the score progresses, but it still has enough memorable music to fill in the quieter tracks like "Nice To Meld You" and "That New Car Smell" to make it worth your listen.

So, what did everyone think of the film's score and how do you think it measures up to the works of Courage, Jerry Goldsmith, and other past Trek composers?

 

[TrekLost]

I think that his end credits score with the Courage Theme is surely the best part of the score, but "Enterprising Young Men" is also pretty good and really captures the sense of adventure and action that the movie has.

 

[JacksonArcher]

I agree. Sometimes if I am out or just walking, I'll listen to just that track, and I feel so (pardon the pun) energized and excitable, it really does summarize the score in general fairly well.

 

[Corran Horn]

I think that his end credits score with the Courage Theme is surely the best part of the score, but "Enterprising Young Men" is also pretty good and really captures the sense of adventure and action that the movie has.

Very much agreed.

 

[PKTrekGirl]

I loved the score. Usually, I only notice a score during a second or third viewing...but there were a couple of times during this movie when I got a bit choked up...and I suspect that the score really helped to bring emotion to these scenes.

 

[sttngfan1701d]

I liked a few things when I went to see the movie today, namely the "new" Trek theme that's a refrain throughout the film. But to be honest I found it to be mostly weak, IMO. It didn't jump out at me like the ones for TMP, TWOK, TVH and First Contact.

 

[Lythia]

"Enterprising Young Men" is my favorite of the bunch (it just broke into my top ten most listed to tracks on iTunes), then "That New Car Smell" and "Hella Bar Talk". I also enjoyed "Labor of Love". Overall, I really am enjoying it. The last ST soundtrack I bought was TVH, so it's been a while.

 

[Alpha Romeo]

I also like it. I believe Enterprising Young Men is the main theme at the beginning, isn't it?

There is some stuff from the trailers that wasn't in the soundtrack and I was disapointed. There is a site that has some of those tracks, damned if I can remember what it is...

 

[Broccoli]

Overall, I liked the score. Then again, I am pretty easy to please when it comes to movie scores to movies that I enjoyed (or probably will enjoy).

I like the "main theme" of the movie (Track 1). Although it sounds like it should be in a Batman movie, I think it fits Star Trek well. In other threads, people were bitching (surprise, surprise) that the theme is too short and simplistic. It may not be as complex as other themes out there, but it is still a beautiful piece of music that has an epic sound to it, imho.

I also love the "build up to something cool" theme (if it could be called that). To what I am referring to appears in "Enterprising Young Men" and at the end of "That New Car Smell."

I think it is too early to tell how it will stand up to the other great themes of the Trek movies (personally, I think all are pretty great and classic). However, just from my initial reaction, I don't think it can hold a candle to Goldsmith (particularly his TMP score).

 

[Broccoli]

I also like it. I believe Enterprising Young Men is the main theme at the beginning, isn't it?

There is some stuff from the trailers that wasn't in the soundtrack and I was disapointed. There is a site that has some of those tracks, damned if I can remember what it is...

Stuff from the trailers wasn't written for the movie, but taken from other movies/TV shows. For example, the first full trailer had "War Begins" from Children of Dune written by Bryan Tyler (who, incidentally, scored a few episodes of Enterprise, one of which, I believe, was "Regeneration").

You can probably find clips on You Tube.

 

[Gepard]

I liked a few things when I went to see the movie today, namely the "new" Trek theme that's a refrain throughout the film. But to be honest I found it to be mostly weak, IMO. It didn't jump out at me like the ones for TMP, TWOK, TVH and First Contact.

Agreed. The only really good piece of music, IMO, is the Vulcan/Spock theme that shows up throughout and the music that used under the evacuation of the Kelvin. The main theme is weak (a friend of mine described it as "constipated," and that seems as good a term as any), and both the main and Vulcan themes suffered from a total lack of development throughout.

Everything else sounded like Berman-era sonic wallpaper.

 

[TrekLost]

And "Enterprising Young Men" is a great title too. Really rolls off the tongue well.

 

[Agent Richard07]

Here's a thread about the soundtrack with almost 200 replies.

Anyway, I really liked "Labor of Love" as it played over ther muted Kelvin scenes along with the segue into the title sequence with "Enterprising Young Men".

 

[T'Baio]

I really like it, but I still think Cliff Eidelman's score from Star Trek VI is the best. His build up to the explosion of Praxis is my favourite musical moment in Star Trek. I also love Goldsmith's score for First Contact.

 

[Kpnuts]

It's a bit repetitive, but thankfully the main 'theme' of the movie is fantastic so hearing it over and over isn't so bad.

Enterprising Young Men is excellent, and I hope they use that theme for the sequel(s)

 

[Scotty]

My expectations for the score were high. When in 2006 it was announced that Abrams would direct, I immediately knew that Giacchino would score the movie and I have been a big fan of his work since Alias.

I liked the movie and it worked well within the movie. But as a standalone listen it so-so. It doesn't have the the sense of mystery that Goldsmith's TMP score had or the grandeur of Horner's work.

 

[Jeri]

After seeing the movie twice, I bought the soundtrack the next day to help with cravings; and it did help.

Here are the track names. Amazon shows 39 reviews with 3-1/2 stars so far. You can listen to the clips there to remind you -- or at iTunes, of course.

1. Star Trek
2. Nailin' the Kelvin
3. Labor of Love
4. Hella Bar Talk
5. Enterprising Young Men
6. Nero Sighted
7. Nice To Meld You
8. Run and Shoot Offense
9. Does It Still McFly?
10. Nero Death Experience
11. Nero Fiddles, Narada Burns
12. Back From Black
13. That New Car Smell
14. To Boldly Go
15. End Credits

 

[StarHarper]

I found the score, like the rest of the movie, to be heavy-handed and lacking in elegance. The main theme was wonderful, but I found the composer lacked the ability develop fragments of it into sub-themes which would tie the entire score together.

The treatment of the TOS theme in the end-credits was like being hit over the head with a bat'leth

While showing promise and having a wonderful gift of melody, this composer has yet to develop into a Hans Zimmer, Howard Shore or Jerry Goldsmith.

 

[maryh]

I think they needed to play mysterious music during the mind melds scenes, especially for the inexperienced new fans. Some of them will have no idea what is going on in those scenes. A properly scored mysterious music would alert them that some type of mental communication was going on. Always had it in TOS during the meld, and felt it is even more important to have if you are new to Trek.

 

[Warp Coil]

When I purchased the soundtrack, the film hadn't been released yet (the soundtrack came out a few days before). I listened to it a couple of times and it seemed okay, if not spectacular. Then I saw the film. What a difference! Now that I can put the music in context with the film, I've definitely grown to appreciate it much more. The film's main theme seemed a little to generic, but I'm quite fond of it now. My only complaint with the soundtrack is that there are a few moments from the film that had good music that didn't make it onto the album. This happens often with soundtracks and always drives me crazy.