I finally got the time to listen to Disc One tonight, and man am I ever glad I went ahead and bought this!
In hindsight, I probably should've listened to it without reading the liner notes at the same time, since it was my first time hearing it, but it's all good. I know I'll be listening to it a lot more!
I was surprised at how listenable and enjoyable I found the more unorthodox sections of the score. I admit, when I first heard the samples, with all the excitement over this score, I had a bit of a "meh" reaction. But it has all really grown on me. The stranger stuff is extremely interesting, and the more traditional elements are wonderful. Cues like "Main Title," "Hyper Sleep," "The Landing," and "End Title" are straight wondrous, at times reminiscent of the sound of Goldsmith's Star Trek: The Motion Picture ("The Enterprise," particularly, which is now joined by "Main Title" and "The Landing" as far as my appreciation goes) in their grace and sense of awe--presumably rooted in Goldsmith's perspective on space as mentioned in the fantastic liner notes (more on that later). Additionally, even in the midst of the darker elements, there are some beautiful moments, such as the passage for Kane's funeral in "Nothing to Say," and in "To Sleep." I was also surprised at the resolution in "Out the Door." Though I haven't seen the film (horror films aren't really my cup o' tea), from what I had heard of it, I expected a more sober, moody resolve, but it is actually a wonderful ending, giving relief after the trauma of the story.
It is only as I write this that I'm really processing what a masterful score this is. In lesser hands, there could easily be dead spots in boring "suspense" music, but even the quietest parts have something interesting in them. It's all around just well done. Bravo, Jerry!
The only regret I have with this album is the lost material: the unused "Cat Nip" and the missing choral sections. It's sad that we couldn't hear the original intents. It would be neat to hear alternates of the cues with choir, even if the choir was only a synth mock-up. But, sad though it is, it's a minor loss in light of what we do have. Mike Matessino did a great job on the notes, shining light into the crazy mess that was made of the score, and making sense of everything. Mike, Nick Redman, Roger and Doug, you guys have done a fantastic job with this set. It is an exemplary release in the world of film scores, and film score lovers owe a debt to you guys for what you have accomplished this past year. I look forward to digging into disc two of this great release, as well as finally getting into The Wind and the Lion. Thanks a million!!!
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