Why is the music in star trek only classically.

[AstroSmurf]

And for me, that Beastie Boys song in the last movie just pulled me right out of the film. Don't get me wrong. I love that song. It just didn't work for me plopped in the middle of the 23rd Century.

IMO, the song worked very well to convey the rebellious mood of the scene.

I agree it does. I just still can't get my head around it.


And also agree about the music in "First Contact". I can almost live with "Magic Carpet Ride" but "Obie Doobie" makes me want to retch my spleen out through my nose. In my opinion, it was not one of Roy's best songs.

 

[Sci]

And for me, that Beastie Boys song in the last movie just pulled me right out of the film. Don't get me wrong. I love that song. It just didn't work for me plopped in the middle of the 23rd Century.

IMO, the song worked very well to convey the rebellious mood of the scene.

I agree it does. I just still can't get my head around it.


And also agree about the music in "First Contact". I can almost live with "Magic Carpet Ride" but "Obie Doobie" makes me want to retch my spleen out through my nose. In my opinion, it was not one of Roy's best songs.

I, on the other hand, thought that both music choices worked perfectly, and were perfect for that character. Zefram Cochrane is a rogue and a bit of a loose cannon; he's a drinker and a womanizer and he's not the sort of guy who listens to Mozart. Or the Beatles, for that matter.

"Magic Carpet Ride" was perfect for the first test of a Warp Drive -- it perfectly fits his sense of humor, and it perfectly fits the momentous nature of the new technology. And while "Oobie Doobie" isn't really a great song, it captures very well just how wild Cochrane is as a person, how exuberant and unconventional and goofy he can be, and nicely contrasts his chaos with the Vulcans' reserve.

 

[Sector 7]

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I now officially hate you both-- for mentioning "Oobie Doobie"! It took me ages to get that blasted song OUT of my head. Now you are pushing it right back IN!!!

 

[Nerys Ghemor]

And for me, that Beastie Boys song in the last movie just pulled me right out of the film. Don't get me wrong. I love that song. It just didn't work for me plopped in the middle of the 23rd Century.

IMO, the song worked very well to convey the rebellious mood of the scene.

I agree it does. I just still can't get my head around it.


And also agree about the music in "First Contact". I can almost live with "Magic Carpet Ride" but "Obie Doobie" makes me want to retch my spleen out through my nose. In my opinion, it was not one of Roy's best songs.

It's not the best song, but dang, it fit Zephram Cochrane's awful dancing!

But Magic Carpet Ride is just awesome.

 

[Sector 7]

^I agree: "Magic Carpet Ride" was a masterful choice for that scene.

 

[Itisnotlogical]

Classic music is the traditionally preferred style of music for sci-fi. Such things are kind of hard to change on a permanent basis. Also, it makes budgetary sense because one classical song is much the same as another and can be re-used multiple times.

 

[Sci]

Classic music is the traditionally preferred style of music for sci-fi.

The entire point of science fiction is to defy tradition.

Also, it makes budgetary sense because one classical song is much the same as another

Wow.

Wow.

I mean, wow.

The only way it makes the least hint of sense to say that one classical composition is pretty much the same as another is if you don't actually listen to them.

 

[DonIago]

In the poster's defense they said "budgetary sense", which suggests to me that they may have meant that one classical song doesn't cost significantly more than another.

 

[Deckerd]

In the poster's defense they said "budgetary sense", which suggests to me that they may have meant that one classical song doesn't cost significantly more than another.

Famously, Herbert von Karajan and the Vienna Phil were not given credit for Also Sprach Zarathustra on Space 2001 A Space Odyssey because Decca suits, in a mind-boggling shot to their own heads, decided the association would 'cheapen' Decca's marque. Since then, of course, famous recordings are as expensive in royalties as rock tunes, so usually an unknown band's recording is used for cheapness.

 

[Lonemagpie]

Two reasons -

1) Using contemporary music styles would date the show very quickly, whereas orchestral pieces are more universal and timeless.

2) The rights to songs would likely be expensive and short-lived, which would make reruns and home releases trickier and dearer at best, and potentially not possible without rescoring or chopping scenes out (as happened with several Dr Who episodes for that reason)

 

[DonIago]

^Also pretty much any series released on DVD by MTV (Daria, The State, Beavis and Butthead, etc.).

 

[Too Much Fun]

I can never remember the name of the episode since it's one of the ones I'll always skip when I watch the series again, but there's one where a boy is listening to what I assume is contemporary rock music for the 24th century. I'm not sure of the context, but for some reason, he was staying on the Enterprise temporarily and Picard walks into his room while the music is blasting and yells, "Would you turn off THAT DAMN NOISE?".

I just realized it's like that scene on the bus in "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home" . Anyone know what episode I'm talking about? I'm glad they never did that again, because it was absolutely awful. I love me some loud, hard music (I happen to dig a whole hell of a lot of punk rock actually), but that space rock junk was too much even for me.

 

[RandyS]

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I now officially hate you both-- for mentioning "Oobie Doobie"! It took me ages to get that blasted song OUT of my head. Now you are pushing it right back IN!!!

And thank you for pushing it back into my head.

That song ruined an otherwise excellent soundtrack, or would have. That, and Magic Carpet Ride are the only tracks on that CD (my favorite of all the movies' themes. The opening credits alone was the most beautiful piece of music every scored for Star Trek) that I never listen to.

But, it reinforces my belief that rock music had NO place in Star Trek, weither it's Oobie Doobie (ugh!), Magic Carpet Ride, or Faith of the Heart--which IS rock, I don't care what anybody says.

 

[Sci]

In the poster's defense they said "budgetary sense", which suggests to me that they may have meant that one classical song doesn't cost significantly more than another.

Ah, okay, fair enough then.

That song ruined an otherwise excellent soundtrack, or would have. That, and Magic Carpet Ride are the only tracks on that CD (my favorite of all the movies' themes. The opening credits alone was the most beautiful piece of music every scored for Star Trek) that I never listen to.

But, it reinforces my belief that rock music had NO place in Star Trek, weither it's Oobie Doobie (ugh!), Magic Carpet Ride, or Faith of the Heart--which IS rock, I don't care what anybody says.

In other words, you don't like rock music, and therefore it has no place in Star Trek.

(Which is really funny, since both rock music and Star Trek are, at their core, works of art from the same era that are supposed to be about rejecting arbitrary limitations and envisioning a freer world...)

 

[RandyS]

In the poster's defense they said "budgetary sense", which suggests to me that they may have meant that one classical song doesn't cost significantly more than another.

Ah, okay, fair enough then.

That song ruined an otherwise excellent soundtrack, or would have. That, and Magic Carpet Ride are the only tracks on that CD (my favorite of all the movies' themes. The opening credits alone was the most beautiful piece of music every scored for Star Trek) that I never listen to.

But, it reinforces my belief that rock music had NO place in Star Trek, weither it's Oobie Doobie (ugh!), Magic Carpet Ride, or Faith of the Heart--which IS rock, I don't care what anybody says.

In other words, you don't like rock music, and therefore it has no place in Star Trek.

(Which is really funny, since both rock music and Star Trek are, at their core, works of art from the same era that are supposed to be about rejecting arbitrary limitations and envisioning a freer world...)

I never said I don't like rock music, just that I feel it doesn't fit in with Star Trek. The classical scores are a better match.

In other words, I was expressing my opinion, which is what I assume you are doing.

 

[Nerys Myk]

No, "Faith of the Heart" is not Rock. Its a pop ballad. Rock music has a harder edge. I think the song worked in try to encapsulate the themes of Star Trek: Enterprise. Breaking free of the Vulcans, going out on their own and of course the line " I can reach any star". Not a style of music I usally enjoy or even listen to, but it worked. Music can be very informative to the nature of a character. "Magic Carpet Ride" and "Obie Doobie" help define Cochrane, as did "Sabotage" for young Kirk. Plus they were played "in the scene" as music chosen by the characters rather than as a score.

 

[CaptainStoner]

In the poster's defense they said "budgetary sense", which suggests to me that they may have meant that one classical song doesn't cost significantly more than another.

Ah, okay, fair enough then.

That song ruined an otherwise excellent soundtrack, or would have. That, and Magic Carpet Ride are the only tracks on that CD (my favorite of all the movies' themes. The opening credits alone was the most beautiful piece of music every scored for Star Trek) that I never listen to.

But, it reinforces my belief that rock music had NO place in Star Trek, weither it's Oobie Doobie (ugh!), Magic Carpet Ride, or Faith of the Heart--which IS rock, I don't care what anybody says.

In other words, you don't like rock music, and therefore it has no place in Star Trek.

(Which is really funny, since both rock music and Star Trek are, at their core, works of art from the same era that are supposed to be about rejecting arbitrary limitations and envisioning a freer world...)

Zefram's songs in FC did match the character portrayed. I think part of the point of "Oobie Doobie" was that its a somewhat annoying song. That's what makes it funny in contrast to the Vulcans. No other (or better) Roy Orbison song would have worked in that context. Other contenders might have been songs like "The Bird is the Word".
Hmmm so I think we have a historic rare occasion of someone changing their mind about something on an internet message board.
As long as the music matches the scene, any genre can work. However as much as I love rock, I don't view a rock approach to Star Trek as superior to a more classical or jazz approach as you appear to.
"If it sounds good, it is good" Duke Ellington

 

[zar]

In Star Trek, everyone prefers instrumentals because singing usually ends in disaster. Nobody wants a repeat of the Lullaby Incident.

 

[Nerys Ghemor]

No, "Faith of the Heart" is not Rock. Its a pop ballad. Rock music has a harder edge. I think the song worked in try to encapsulate the themes of Star Trek: Enterprise. Breaking free of the Vulcans, going out on their own and of course the line " I can reach any star". Not a style of music I usally enjoy or even listen to, but it worked. Music can be very informative to the nature of a character. "Magic Carpet Ride" and "Obie Doobie" help define Cochrane, as did "Sabotage" for young Kirk. Plus they were played "in the scene" as music chosen by the characters rather than as a score.

Yeah, regardless of what you think of the style of the song, one thing is for sure: "Faith of the Heart" fit Archer to a T.

 

[Sector 7]

In the poster's defense they said "budgetary sense", which suggests to me that they may have meant that one classical song doesn't cost significantly more than another.

Ah, okay, fair enough then.

That song ruined an otherwise excellent soundtrack, or would have. That, and Magic Carpet Ride are the only tracks on that CD (my favorite of all the movies' themes. The opening credits alone was the most beautiful piece of music every scored for Star Trek) that I never listen to.

But, it reinforces my belief that rock music had NO place in Star Trek, weither it's Oobie Doobie (ugh!), Magic Carpet Ride, or Faith of the Heart--which IS rock, I don't care what anybody says.

In other words, you don't like rock music, and therefore it has no place in Star Trek.

(Which is really funny, since both rock music and Star Trek are, at their core, works of art from the same era that are supposed to be about rejecting arbitrary limitations and envisioning a freer world...)

I never said I don't like rock music, just that I feel it doesn't fit in with Star Trek. The classical scores are a better match.

In other words, I was expressing my opinion, which is what I assume you are doing.

"Opinions are like belly buttons; some are in, some are out, but everybody has one." -Sector 7