Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
James Horner
" Horner defies the sound of science fiction, before, during Star Trek 2, and after it "Written by Thomas Glorieux - Review of the collector's edition
Several years after The Motion Picture and its illustrious score by Jerry Goldsmith, the Star Trek franchise really took off with The Wrath of Khan. Containing the ultimate baddie of outer space, Kirk and his crew have to battle an enemy Kirk thought he left behind. In between all this the Genesis project gives life to a new planet, while having the power to destroy a population. And that is exactly what Khan is planning to do with Kirk and the Enterprise.
Fresh of war adventures in Space with Battle Beyond the Stars, James Horner allowed himself a full shot chance with the second Star Trek movie. Not only the movie became a hot product with the audience but Horner received acclaim for his thunderous soundtrack as well, using tempo's the world wasn't ready for and beauty others didn't see coming, in other words the love many have today for Horner started all with Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. Essentially it is one of the best Trek scores to date, but the score wasn't exactly complete back at the time. Just like Star Trek III, many things were missing of Horner's music that could have given the original soundtrack a couple of warp drives more. But now this is corrected, with Film Score Monthly's full release of the first Star Trek Horner in outer space.
It all starts with the way you encounter it with a Star Trek motion feature, namely with a theme that links itself with the franchise, and this time Alexander Courage's theme receives the attention. After that, it is time to meet Khan, and his pets. And so "Surprise on Ceti Alpha V" and "Khan's Pets" create eerie, mysterious and dangerous music for the encounter with Khan and his methods of persuasion.
But the colour of Horner comes when Kirk is in command. First the blossoming main theme in "The Eels of City Alpha V / Kirk in Space Shuttle", and then the power of the main theme and Spock's theme in "Enterprise Clears Moorings", it is the start of Horner's magical pompous happy hour. Spock's glassy texture sounding theme in "Spock" and the atmospheric scoring on the "Genesis Project" deliver an antidote to Horner's orchestral music, only to reply back with the exhilarating bombast of "Surprise Attack" and "Kirk's Explosive Reply", or Horner's rhythmic crowd pleasers like we don't hear it from him anymore.
The sinister middle part doesn't compensate with what Horner has got in store for you after that. The mysterious beauty of "The Genesis Cave" only leads to "Battle in the Mutara Nebula", as Khan's theme battles the main theme in another crowd pleaser (just watch out for the brilliance around the 3rd minute).
The brilliance of action and drama exhausts your system in "Genesis Countdown", when we hear how emotional strings can counterbalance an epic action track, while totally new tracks like "Enterprise Attacks Reliant", "Spock Dies" and "Amazing Grace" (I just adore that flourishing statement of the Amazing Grace theme) deliver you unheard of treasures. The amazing finale is of course "Epilogue / End Title, or the perfect send off from a wonderful album.
Adding an impressive 30 minutes to the old release of GNP Crescendo, not everything is that impressive to justify this expanded release. However we have to be honest by saying, it doesn't bother one bit whatsoever. Most of the tracks add the suspenseful encounters around Khan's maneuvers and handlings, while some tracks just deliver the awesomeness that is known as Horner's defining moment in outer space. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan was long considered to be Horner's masterpiece of the Star Trek era. And while Star Trek III isn't a slouch whatsoever (now there's a score that deserves an expanded release as well), there's a point in mentioning that Horner has done the impossible. To continue a saga that was already established with the perfect score (Star Trek: The Motion Picture). The only thing that Horner did differently was, use Alexander Courage's main theme and add some orchestral presence to a showdown between 2 captains, one being Khan, the other being Kirk, or the one.
Tracklisting
1. Main Title * (3.06) Excellent track
2. Surprise on Ceti Alpha V (0.45)
3. Khan's Pets (4.19)
4. The Eels of City Alpha V / Kirk in Space Shuttle * (3.53)
5. Enterprise Clears Moorings (3.33) Excellent track
6. Checkov Lies * (0.40)
7. Spock (1.12)
8. Kirk Takes Command * / He Takes Me (2.07)
9. Genesis Project + (3.16)
10. Surprise Attack (5.07) Excellent track
11. Kirk's Explosive Reply (4.01) Excellent track
12. Inside Regula I (1.35)
13. Brainwashed (1.24)
14. Captain Terrell's Death (1.58)
15. Buried Alive (0.57)
16. The Genesis Cave (1.09)
17. Battle in the Mutara Nebula (8.07) Excellent track
18. Enterprise Attacks Reliant (1.29) Excellent track
19. Genesis Countdown (6.34) Excellent track
20. Spock (Dies) * (1.53)
21. Amazing Grace (1.26) Excellent track
22. Epilogue * / End Title * (8.41) Excellent track
Bonus Track
23. Epilogue * / End Title * (Original Version) (7.29) Excellent track
* Contains TV theme by Alexander Courage
+ Composed by Craig Huxley
Total Length: 75.28
Fresh of war adventures in Space with Battle Beyond the Stars, James Horner allowed himself a full shot chance with the second Star Trek movie. Not only the movie became a hot product with the audience but Horner received acclaim for his thunderous soundtrack as well, using tempo's the world wasn't ready for and beauty others didn't see coming, in other words the love many have today for Horner started all with Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. Essentially it is one of the best Trek scores to date, but the score wasn't exactly complete back at the time. Just like Star Trek III, many things were missing of Horner's music that could have given the original soundtrack a couple of warp drives more. But now this is corrected, with Film Score Monthly's full release of the first Star Trek Horner in outer space.
It all starts with the way you encounter it with a Star Trek motion feature, namely with a theme that links itself with the franchise, and this time Alexander Courage's theme receives the attention. After that, it is time to meet Khan, and his pets. And so "Surprise on Ceti Alpha V" and "Khan's Pets" create eerie, mysterious and dangerous music for the encounter with Khan and his methods of persuasion.
But the colour of Horner comes when Kirk is in command. First the blossoming main theme in "The Eels of City Alpha V / Kirk in Space Shuttle", and then the power of the main theme and Spock's theme in "Enterprise Clears Moorings", it is the start of Horner's magical pompous happy hour. Spock's glassy texture sounding theme in "Spock" and the atmospheric scoring on the "Genesis Project" deliver an antidote to Horner's orchestral music, only to reply back with the exhilarating bombast of "Surprise Attack" and "Kirk's Explosive Reply", or Horner's rhythmic crowd pleasers like we don't hear it from him anymore.
The sinister middle part doesn't compensate with what Horner has got in store for you after that. The mysterious beauty of "The Genesis Cave" only leads to "Battle in the Mutara Nebula", as Khan's theme battles the main theme in another crowd pleaser (just watch out for the brilliance around the 3rd minute).
The brilliance of action and drama exhausts your system in "Genesis Countdown", when we hear how emotional strings can counterbalance an epic action track, while totally new tracks like "Enterprise Attacks Reliant", "Spock Dies" and "Amazing Grace" (I just adore that flourishing statement of the Amazing Grace theme) deliver you unheard of treasures. The amazing finale is of course "Epilogue / End Title, or the perfect send off from a wonderful album.
Adding an impressive 30 minutes to the old release of GNP Crescendo, not everything is that impressive to justify this expanded release. However we have to be honest by saying, it doesn't bother one bit whatsoever. Most of the tracks add the suspenseful encounters around Khan's maneuvers and handlings, while some tracks just deliver the awesomeness that is known as Horner's defining moment in outer space. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan was long considered to be Horner's masterpiece of the Star Trek era. And while Star Trek III isn't a slouch whatsoever (now there's a score that deserves an expanded release as well), there's a point in mentioning that Horner has done the impossible. To continue a saga that was already established with the perfect score (Star Trek: The Motion Picture). The only thing that Horner did differently was, use Alexander Courage's main theme and add some orchestral presence to a showdown between 2 captains, one being Khan, the other being Kirk, or the one.
Tracklisting
1. Main Title * (3.06) Excellent track
2. Surprise on Ceti Alpha V (0.45)
3. Khan's Pets (4.19)
4. The Eels of City Alpha V / Kirk in Space Shuttle * (3.53)
5. Enterprise Clears Moorings (3.33) Excellent track
6. Checkov Lies * (0.40)
7. Spock (1.12)
8. Kirk Takes Command * / He Takes Me (2.07)
9. Genesis Project + (3.16)
10. Surprise Attack (5.07) Excellent track
11. Kirk's Explosive Reply (4.01) Excellent track
12. Inside Regula I (1.35)
13. Brainwashed (1.24)
14. Captain Terrell's Death (1.58)
15. Buried Alive (0.57)
16. The Genesis Cave (1.09)
17. Battle in the Mutara Nebula (8.07) Excellent track
18. Enterprise Attacks Reliant (1.29) Excellent track
19. Genesis Countdown (6.34) Excellent track
20. Spock (Dies) * (1.53)
21. Amazing Grace (1.26) Excellent track
22. Epilogue * / End Title * (8.41) Excellent track
Bonus Track
23. Epilogue * / End Title * (Original Version) (7.29) Excellent track
* Contains TV theme by Alexander Courage
+ Composed by Craig Huxley
Total Length: 75.28