Official Star Trek music discussion

The Reason the Varese re-recordings have bad covers is because they're not allowed to use the actual logos, poster art, etc. Like Patton or Superman. Good disks, but no actual use of the logo or original art for the covers. Not really their fault.
M.

 

Nemesis- is completed and will be released by Varese Sarabande instead of GNP Crecendo.

Well I hope to GOD they do better than GNP. Their package design is awful, they put hardly any score on the CD and the sound quality of the mixing and mastering job (done by GNP guys) sounds like CRAP. Anything is better than GNP.... But then I hope I don't eat these words when Nemesis comes out on CD

 

I just want to add to what someone said about the First Contact soundtrack being boring. I agree with you a little - and I'm quite upset with the fact that some of the best music was left off the soundtrack all together. I'm talking about the music cue used when Picard and his team, and Worf and his team walk down to Engineering; very little dialogue (the bit just before Data gets "nervous").

I love that bit.

 

There is a lot of great score for First Contact that was left off the CD. But HEY we got the two rock songs that can be found on 247 other 50s rock CDs...

*rolls eyes*

 

What are your favorite Star Trek tv themes? I like the Voyager theme.

 

Any theme BUT Enterprise...it's not a theme. My FAVORITE would have to be the theme that Jerry Goldmsith wrote for TNG (yes, I know it was actually the theme from TMP and it was altered to include some of Alexander Courage's theme).

Ron Jones is my favorite composer of the underscore for the episodes themselves. TNG's "The Best of Both Worlds" was my favorite episodic score, as well as "Scorpion Part I" by Jay Chattaway.

 

I like the main theme to First Contact.

 

Best TV theme would have to be for TNG. Best film theme would have to be for STVI:TUD.

 

I would have to say best Star Trek TV theme is the one from Voyager. TNG is disqualified cuz it was written for the Motion Picture, so...

 

Star Trek II probably had the best music because a) it had pretty much all the good music that was reused for the next few movies. Had everything.

First Contact had some great music as well, I love how they threw in Steppenwolf's Magic Carpet Ride, that's such a great song. However, the themes for First Contact are more memorable than the others.

THe problem with Trek music is there isn't enough memorable music, whereas Star Wars is full of them.

 

I LOVE the Voyager theme. (Even though I hate Star Trek. Yes, I feel obligated to inform you of that.)





Rick McCallum loves you!

 

For the record, James Horner did the score for Star Trek II: The Wrath of Kahn, as well as Star Trek III: The Search for Spock. The scores for those films were heavily influenced by Prokofiev's "Alexander Nevsky". Horner practically (and sometimes DIRECTLY) copied parts of Alexander Nevsky. In Star Trek III, Horner directly copied "The Death of Tybalt" from Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet suite. Horner ONLY did those two films. The themes were never used again after those two films.

-"THe problem with Trek music is there isn't enough memorable music, whereas Star Wars is full of them."

Have you ever poped a Trek score into a CD player and listened to it in its entirety? Probably not. I suggest, before you bash Star Trek, you listen to the ENTIRE score for Star Trek: The Motion Picture. Who here can remember the 4 opening notes of TNG's theme or the theme for The Original Series? I bet almost everyone (who has owned a TV or EVER been exposed to pop culture) can. You cite a "problem" with Star Trek music. There is no "problem". There is just a large difference in style between Trek and Wars. Goldsmith (I mention him because he is the most prolific Trek composer) and Williams are lightyears apart in style. Star Wars is much more operatic than Star Trek. No fault lies there.

-"I LOVE the Voyager theme. (Even though I hate Star Trek. Yes, I feel obligated to inform you of that.) "

You feel obligated to tell me (and the rest of the board) that you hate what I like? I don't remember a question "do you like Star Trek?" EVER posted here. If you feel obligated to tell everyone that you hate Star Trek, then I feel obligated to inform you that I hate Star Wars. This is not a discussion about Star Trek as a whole, but rather the discussion of Star Trek music. If I posted on every thread "I hate Star Wars", what kind if reaction would I get? If you "hate" Star Trek, then you are not allowed to like the music.

Once again, this thread is not for Star Trek bashing. This is not a thread for composer competitions (JG is better than JW, Elfman is better than JW, etc.). This is not a thread for Star Wars promoting. This is a thread for serious discussion of Star Trek music, so, if you have a comment that ventures close to "Star Trek sucks", don't post it!

 

Have to agree with Rik_Duel OTF, that TMP is one of the best scores from ANY sci-fi film ever! (The Klingon scene-music is so cool...)

The music from the original ST eps still holds up pretty well (much better than the effects ever did).

 

I can certainly agree with you on what you've written, but I've always tended to pass up I, and don't know exactly where the "Battle for Peace" is.

I do also believe that parts of IV are good, and the themes for V, while all are reused at some point in the music in some way, are all arranged in a nice way, especially the "Main Theme".

 

I suggest, before you bash Star Trek, you listen to the ENTIRE score for Star Trek: The Motion Picture.

Easy, tiger, I'm a Trek fan. It has SOME memorably music, the opening titles being the main ones. But it just isn't full of them.

 

"The Cloud" is defiently a memorable piece of music. In fact, I used it as the backing track to a short film I made back in University, which fitted the tone of the film perfectly, and was commented upon it, but everyone was shocked to know where it came from (not a lot of Trek fans in the class).

I think that Goldsmith is brilliant, and I have heard that the score for Nemesis is supposed to be Goldsmiths "BEST WORK SINCE TMP!!!"

Now, that's a bold statement, but it's encouraging!

 

I've been a fan of film music since I was young. Much of that affinity is due to the soundtracks from both Star Wars and Star Trek. There's just something attractive about the idea of music - something intangible - associating itself with the moods and themes generated from visuals. And the high adventure of the SW and ST universes perfectly convey that spirit.

Unfortunately, I think the latest Star Trek TV series' have been SEVERELY missing the mark. And it's interesting to note how it affects your viewing. The music is just plain b - o - r - i - n - g......zzzzzzzzzzzzz......The producers - and I blame mainly Berman for this - have driven the franchise into the ground. And the music is partially to blame. There is no pizzazz. I always envision what it would be like during a major space battle if they brought in someone other than McCarthy, et al., to pep things up rather than rehash the same slow ho-hum strings and brass notes that go on for eternity without any melody. It's so predictable. I think it actually started midway through The Next Generation when they started to hire McCarthy full time. He cornered himself with his big, fat paycheck, into his little comfort zone knowing he'd be there for some time. No risks equal no melodies.

I get so frustrated watching Voyager or Enterprise and hear the same boring soundtrack week in and week out. They need to hire fresh blood. Anyone remember the fight theme from the original series (used - among other places - when Spock fights Kirk on Vulcan)?

"Ba-ba - Bah - Bah - Bah - Bah - Bah - ba-ba-ba-ba. Ba-ba - Bah - Bah - Bah - Bah - Bah - ba-ba- BAH-ba"

Where's the FUN anymore?!

 

The person to blame for the downright terrible music (yes...it is terrible!) in Voyager and Enterprise is David Bell. He had been scoring Voyager episodes (they alternate composers every so often) since (I think) season 4 of Voyager.

I remember the first time I recognized his music: it was for the Voyager movie Dark Frontier (or was it Dark Horizon? I can't remember). The opening sequence before the beginning credits showed the inside of a Borg vessel. A drone was walking around and they were doing an attempted assimilation from the Borg's perspective (the Borg eventually failed). All the while, staccato brass, diminished 5ths, and timpani accompanied the scene. I thought the music was fitting, until I heard the next episode.

Then, I heard the episode after that. Bell has created a "library" theme that he inserts whenever he sees fit. Not only did his work drive Voyager into the ground (it was NEVER good), but it is ruining Enterprise.

The lack of a Goldsmith theme for Enterprise buggs the heck out of me. I've even gone to the lengths of avoiding Enterprise because of that song!

 

The guy who does Enterprise music doesn't even put in that building climactic music at the end of the teaser or before commercials! Lazy!

And the music lately has been very flat. Come on, one theme for dialogue, high intense action, emotional outpouring, and boredom?

 

Not sure if anyone has heard, but there are rumblings from those in the know that Jerry Goldsmith's composition for Star Trek Nemesis is perhaps his best work since Star Trek: The Motion Picture.

He's ahead of schedule and has completed the score already. Apparently he had his own orchestra moved by his music. Among the many ovations throughout the scoring sessions, he also received a huge applause when it was complete.

I'm really looking forward to hearing this score. It should be a good one!

Here's an announcement from Varese Sarabande:
Varese Sarabande have wetted the appetites of Goldsmith - Star Trek fans proclaiming it to be greatest Star Trek music since the 79 classic. Soundtrack due November 26th with hopefully a generous playing time!

"When it comes to STAR TREK music, Jerry Goldsmith rules the galaxy. The epic tale of NEMESIS has inspired what may be Goldsmith?s greatest STAR TREK score since his best-selling STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE. The score for NEMESIS is as epic as anything the legendary composer has ever written. Even the musicians themselves gave Goldsmith repeated ovations during the recording sessions and a triumphant round of applause on completion. This is unquestionably the most aggressive STAR TREK score ever. Ingeniously dark textures are mixed with action music that soars to apocalyptic heights. Classic Goldsmith!"

 

Just a bit of news. The Nemesis soundtrack is available to preorder at Amazon.com, and will be released on Nov. 26th.

Yay!

 

Sounds cool. I look forward to the soundtrack.

Varese Sarabande have wetted the appetites of Goldsmith - Star Trek fans proclaiming it to be greatest Star Trek music since the 79 classic. Soundtrack due November 26th with hopefully a generous playing time!

UGH! It's whetted, you fools!

 

Okay, who brought, Mr. Speak-And-Spell along?

 

Actually it should be: "Varese Sarabande has wet the appetites of..."

See, the company Varese Sarabande is singular, not plural; so it should be has wet . But then that both passive voice and very cliché, which screws the whole thing up.

Sorry, I'm just in my english class frame of mind.


Ana hoo...
I'm looking forward to the release.

 

Who says Star Trek fans aren't geeks?