LOST Season 4
Michael Giacchino
" It's one CD filled to the brim, and even though it has a running time of just under one-hour-twenty-minutes, it flashes past faster than you can say “Son of a….”. "Written by Anthony Cornfield - Review of the regular release
Unlike my last LOST soundtrack review, I’ll try and keep this one short and sweet – and that's exactly what the season four release is. Granted, it’s one CD filled to the brim, and even though it has a running time of just under one-hour-twenty-minutes, it flashes past faster than you can say "Son of a….".
Season four saw rescue arrive to the stranded Losties, however they quickly realized that the only thing more dangerous than the island itself might be the freighter folk that came to save them.
Once again, Giacchino has changed his writing style for the fourth season. While season three featured the most experimental and mysterious music in the series to date, season four has a much more bombastic nature to it, with punchy brass action and more epic string pieces.
Don't let the low-key opening of the CD fool you though. After a quiet start with the new flash-forward theme in "Giving Up the Ghost", and a final farewell to Charlie's theme in "Locke'ing Horns", the main course of the score starts getting served!
Fans will be glad to hear that the majority of the "epic" cues of the season have made it over to CD, and within the first ten minutes of listening you'll already have heard the massive version of Sayid's theme as he and Desmond take off in the chopper, the heroic but ominous freighter theme as the duo arrive on the boat, and the (admittedly over-hyped) Des and Penny phone call cue, aptly sharing the same name as the episode it's featured in.
Things then take a quick break with some of the more "fun" cues from the season, including "Maternity Hell" and "Michael's Right to Remain Wrong", and also some more emotional music in the form of "Ji Yeon" (featuring the life and death theme), and a sweet reprise of Rose and Bernard's theme from season two in "Karma Jin-itiative".
The music then starts getting violent in "Bodies and Bungalows", "Benundrum" and "Hostile Negotiations", before quickly switching back to the ominous in "Locke-about", which features one of the most beautiful but nail-biting variations of Locke's theme in the series to date. At this point, you'll have reached the half way point in the album (just under forty minutes), but trust me when I say it won't feel like it at all. For all I know the time-differences between the island and the freighter might be apparent with this CD too!
The second half of the disc features music exclusively from the three-part finale of the season, and if for some reason you're not completely immersed by the first half of the CD, the second half will definitely suck you in (hopefully not involving a smoke monster that drags you into the jungle however).
Starting off with the Oceanic Six theme in "There's No Place Like Home", the main thematic element of the finale is set from the get-go. This is arguably the best theme Giacchino has ever written for Lost, played tenderly on the piano to begin with before moving over to the strings for some of that epic treatment. "Nadia on Your Life" features the fan favorite traveling theme ("Hollywood and Vines" from season one), and is probably one of my favorite cues on the disc due to the great brass fall off at the end. Then you have some more bombast in "C4-titude" before another epic rendition of the O6 theme in "Of Mice and Ben", this time featuring the trombones as well!
"Keamy Away From Him" is an extended action track, weighing in at just under five minutes, and "Timecrunch" once again features the traveling theme. (Note to album producers: as good as this theme is, you have to stop putting it anywhere possible.) The big finale cue comes in the form of "Bobbing for Freighters", which showcases the freighter theme, as well as Sun and Jin's theme in all their glory. This is an adrenaline-fueled cue and is one of, if not the best action cue in Lost history.
But even after the explosive ending you still have a good twenty-something minutes left. "Lying for the Island" is essentially a reprise of "The Constant", underscoring Des and Penny's reunion, but on the whole is a much more satisfying listen, and "Landing Party" provides the emotional high of the album, featuring an extended version of the O6 theme. Gorgeous stuff, and I won't even try to describe it in words.
The only bummer of the album actually comes in the form of the last cue, "Hoffs-Drawlar". If you know the final scene of season four well, you'll know something is up when the cue starts with an incredibly cheesy (and unused) version of Jack's motif. Not only that, the middle part of the cue is missing; succumbed to mysterious editing for no apparent reason. Granted, the final cue can be overlooked, as by the time you've heard the O6 theme for the final time, you'll be satisfied the album has reached its conclusion.
So what else is there to say? So many highlights crammed onto a single disc. There are still tons of amazing cues featured in the fourth season of Lost, and it would be a shame to start trying to work out which ones could have been swapped out for others. If there is one season of Lost that deserves a two-disc release however, it's season four. Let's face it – most of the music on the second disc of season three could have been left off to little expense. I'm just starting to nitpick now, and eventually it all boils down to personal taste.
What Giacchino and Varèse have provided us here is a fantastic compilation of the music from season four, and even if you aren't familiar with the previous LOST music it's no reason to overlook this release. Most of the character themes and motifs take a back seat and only make "cameo" appearances here, as the solid thematic base of the CD is made up by the new freighter and Oceanic Six themes (and trust me, these are two brilliant themes!)
Admittedly I've failed in keeping my review short, and if there was still a button to push every 108 minutes I would have missed it by a long shot. But I will end here by saying that just like last years season three release, Varèse have got it spot on.
Tracklisting
1. Giving Up the Ghost (2.40)
2. Locke'ing Horns (1.52)
3. Lost Away — Or Is It? (1.41)
4. Backgammon Gambit (1.19)
5. Time and Time Again (2.42)
6. The Constant (3.52)
7. Maternity Hell (2.31)
8. Karma Jin-itiative (1.24)
9. Ji Yeon (3.09)
10. Michael's Right to Remain Wrong (1.54)
11. Bodies and Bungalows (1.23)
12. Benundrum (3.24)
13. Hostile Negotiations (2.21)
14. Locke-about (6.05)
15. There's No Place Like Home (2.35)
16. Nadia on Your Life (1.42)
17. C4-titude (2.00)
18. Of Mice and Ben (2.19)
19. Keamy Away from Him (4.58)
20. Timecrunch (2.06)
21. Can't Kill Keamy (1.48)
22. Bobbing for Freighters (5.20)
23. Locke of the Island (7.07)
24. Lying for the Island (4.53)
25. Landing Party (3.23)
26. Hoffs-Drawler (3.50)
Total Length: 78.18
Season four saw rescue arrive to the stranded Losties, however they quickly realized that the only thing more dangerous than the island itself might be the freighter folk that came to save them.
Once again, Giacchino has changed his writing style for the fourth season. While season three featured the most experimental and mysterious music in the series to date, season four has a much more bombastic nature to it, with punchy brass action and more epic string pieces.
Don't let the low-key opening of the CD fool you though. After a quiet start with the new flash-forward theme in "Giving Up the Ghost", and a final farewell to Charlie's theme in "Locke'ing Horns", the main course of the score starts getting served!
Fans will be glad to hear that the majority of the "epic" cues of the season have made it over to CD, and within the first ten minutes of listening you'll already have heard the massive version of Sayid's theme as he and Desmond take off in the chopper, the heroic but ominous freighter theme as the duo arrive on the boat, and the (admittedly over-hyped) Des and Penny phone call cue, aptly sharing the same name as the episode it's featured in.
Things then take a quick break with some of the more "fun" cues from the season, including "Maternity Hell" and "Michael's Right to Remain Wrong", and also some more emotional music in the form of "Ji Yeon" (featuring the life and death theme), and a sweet reprise of Rose and Bernard's theme from season two in "Karma Jin-itiative".
The music then starts getting violent in "Bodies and Bungalows", "Benundrum" and "Hostile Negotiations", before quickly switching back to the ominous in "Locke-about", which features one of the most beautiful but nail-biting variations of Locke's theme in the series to date. At this point, you'll have reached the half way point in the album (just under forty minutes), but trust me when I say it won't feel like it at all. For all I know the time-differences between the island and the freighter might be apparent with this CD too!
The second half of the disc features music exclusively from the three-part finale of the season, and if for some reason you're not completely immersed by the first half of the CD, the second half will definitely suck you in (hopefully not involving a smoke monster that drags you into the jungle however).
Starting off with the Oceanic Six theme in "There's No Place Like Home", the main thematic element of the finale is set from the get-go. This is arguably the best theme Giacchino has ever written for Lost, played tenderly on the piano to begin with before moving over to the strings for some of that epic treatment. "Nadia on Your Life" features the fan favorite traveling theme ("Hollywood and Vines" from season one), and is probably one of my favorite cues on the disc due to the great brass fall off at the end. Then you have some more bombast in "C4-titude" before another epic rendition of the O6 theme in "Of Mice and Ben", this time featuring the trombones as well!
"Keamy Away From Him" is an extended action track, weighing in at just under five minutes, and "Timecrunch" once again features the traveling theme. (Note to album producers: as good as this theme is, you have to stop putting it anywhere possible.) The big finale cue comes in the form of "Bobbing for Freighters", which showcases the freighter theme, as well as Sun and Jin's theme in all their glory. This is an adrenaline-fueled cue and is one of, if not the best action cue in Lost history.
But even after the explosive ending you still have a good twenty-something minutes left. "Lying for the Island" is essentially a reprise of "The Constant", underscoring Des and Penny's reunion, but on the whole is a much more satisfying listen, and "Landing Party" provides the emotional high of the album, featuring an extended version of the O6 theme. Gorgeous stuff, and I won't even try to describe it in words.
The only bummer of the album actually comes in the form of the last cue, "Hoffs-Drawlar". If you know the final scene of season four well, you'll know something is up when the cue starts with an incredibly cheesy (and unused) version of Jack's motif. Not only that, the middle part of the cue is missing; succumbed to mysterious editing for no apparent reason. Granted, the final cue can be overlooked, as by the time you've heard the O6 theme for the final time, you'll be satisfied the album has reached its conclusion.
So what else is there to say? So many highlights crammed onto a single disc. There are still tons of amazing cues featured in the fourth season of Lost, and it would be a shame to start trying to work out which ones could have been swapped out for others. If there is one season of Lost that deserves a two-disc release however, it's season four. Let's face it – most of the music on the second disc of season three could have been left off to little expense. I'm just starting to nitpick now, and eventually it all boils down to personal taste.
What Giacchino and Varèse have provided us here is a fantastic compilation of the music from season four, and even if you aren't familiar with the previous LOST music it's no reason to overlook this release. Most of the character themes and motifs take a back seat and only make "cameo" appearances here, as the solid thematic base of the CD is made up by the new freighter and Oceanic Six themes (and trust me, these are two brilliant themes!)
Admittedly I've failed in keeping my review short, and if there was still a button to push every 108 minutes I would have missed it by a long shot. But I will end here by saying that just like last years season three release, Varèse have got it spot on.
Tracklisting
1. Giving Up the Ghost (2.40)
2. Locke'ing Horns (1.52)
3. Lost Away — Or Is It? (1.41)
4. Backgammon Gambit (1.19)
5. Time and Time Again (2.42)
6. The Constant (3.52)
7. Maternity Hell (2.31)
8. Karma Jin-itiative (1.24)
9. Ji Yeon (3.09)
10. Michael's Right to Remain Wrong (1.54)
11. Bodies and Bungalows (1.23)
12. Benundrum (3.24)
13. Hostile Negotiations (2.21)
14. Locke-about (6.05)
15. There's No Place Like Home (2.35)
16. Nadia on Your Life (1.42)
17. C4-titude (2.00)
18. Of Mice and Ben (2.19)
19. Keamy Away from Him (4.58)
20. Timecrunch (2.06)
21. Can't Kill Keamy (1.48)
22. Bobbing for Freighters (5.20)
23. Locke of the Island (7.07)
24. Lying for the Island (4.53)
25. Landing Party (3.23)
26. Hoffs-Drawler (3.50)
Total Length: 78.18