Star Trek
Michael Giacchino
" Leave it to Michael Giacchino to pour some enthusiasm and power back into a filmscore "Written by Thomas Glorieux - Review of the regular release
Anticipation, sheer drooling anticipation! If you think of the movie or score, both are as hot as Zoe Saldana or Rachel Nichols. J.J. Abrams and Michael Giacchino are back and ready to infuse the new generation with an aged (but still very much alive) saga. The Star Trek movies never ended, but like so many franchises it needed a reboot, a new spin. The movie looks great and the trailer music of course aided the almighty anticipation for a razzle dazzle experience. But Michael Giacchino is not just razzle dazzle, but well considered razzle dazzle. Whether to expect Speed Racer / Lost / M:I-3 moves into its terrain, or the Medal of Honour style, Star Trek is hot no matter what.
Of course there was a lot to do about the main theme. Would there be a quote or homage of the Goldsmith theme? Would it be the Alexander Courage theme instead? Would it even use the theme or actors of the famous franchise? To be precise and specific, Giacchino and/or Abrams wanted the theme to be there and the honor fell upon Courage's outdated fanfare. I (like many others) would have loved to see Giacchino take a stab at Goldsmith's more beloved theme and it would have given us Star Trek quivers for sure. But alas or hooray is the fact at least A Star Trek theme was used to state the return of the Enterprise and its crew.
A noble theme establishes itself in "Star Trek" and soon you’ll realize this is the only theme that will enlist its services throughout the score. And soon the Giacchino of Mission Impossible and Speed Racer will inflict damages upon "Nailin' the Kelvin", a start of rhythmic procedures to come. The way it uses the main theme now as backbone to the rhythm is nice and by now typical Giacchino behavior.
We rest out with "Labor of Love", yet another track in the Lost tradition of soft strings bringing us a main theme variation and a throw to another theme. "Hella Bar Talk" continues the Lost way with stating yet another main theme version. We heard the main theme by now a few times, and yet I have the feeling it all comes together in "Enterprising Young Men", a track that brings us the true power of the main theme in a bold Giacchino manner.
From here on we blast off in "Nero Sighted" and there's no looking back. The frightened use of strings depict danger and the glassy effects and mood bring forth an alienating atmosphere. In here you'll notice a fanfare that works as a danger theme or villain motif for Nero. This Nero fanfare hides itself well during "Nice to Meld You" while a much more frightened variation of the main theme tries to restore balance on deck. Here some resemblances can be made towards earlier Trek scores (including Star Trek II).
"Run and Shoot Offense" starts ingeniously with the first notes of the Courage Star Trek theme but soon undergoes the Giacchino style, carrying both the Nero motif and main theme in a search offensive. While this is all clever scoring, paying much attention to the detailed composition of themes is something more for geeks than for the casual film music listeners.
I guess then it all comes down to aggressive power. "Nero Death Experience" brings forth fear, rage and emotion into a choral / orchestral battle. The rhythmic pace is only a decoy for the Nero fanfare which has now received an extra few notes to fuel this choral menace. The main theme by then sounds like a gift from the Giacchino gods itself. And surely you can't dismiss the other brief statement of the Alexander Courage fanfare.
The Speed Racer sound and main theme during "Nero Fiddles, Narada Burns", the explosive main theme during "Back from Black" sounding resolved and the love and main theme during "That New Car Smell" receiving an ethnic aftertaste (can we guess then who it will intermingle romantically?) is all it takes to get that final climatic experience. By then you receive the clearest statement of Courage's theme, and this time Giacchino intermingles them well.
The way he infuses the Courage theme with his theme is a little Star Trek magic for sure. It is brief but well considered magic and will enlighten whatever Trekkie mind still survives after all this time. The 9 minute "End Credits" is then the pinnacle of the score, with main theme, love theme and an amazing choral version of the Courage theme as highlight of the track.
Let's talk negatives and positives shall we? Star Trek is not a Star Trek score. For that it feels and sounds different. Another problem is, this is a very single-minded theme score at first. I think all tracks at least show the main theme once, and the other motifs are well hidden to secure them at first sight. All the other Trek scores didn't even use the theme, except at the beginning and the end. Their material around it was strong and important enough to not quote the theme. But the positive is, this score is still a lot of fun. Leave it to Michael Giacchino to pour some enthusiasm and power back into a filmscore, and for once let the orchestra be heard. If the main theme gets its best version, you still die in awe for the wonder. And once you reach the final track, you realize Giacchino is best of all when he composes something long. If you outweigh these negatives, Star Trek goes somewhere boldly allright.
Tracklisting
1. Star Trek (1.03)
2. Nailin' the Kelvin (2.09)
3. Labor of Love (2.51)
4. Hella Bar Talk (1.55)
5. Enterprising Young Men (2.39) Excellent track
6. Nero Sighted (3.23)
7. Nice to Meld You (3.13)
8. Run and Shoot Offense (2.04)
9. Does it Still Mcfly? (2.03)
10. Nero Death Experience (5.38) Excellent track
11. Nero Fiddles, Narada Burns (2.34)
12. Back From Black (0.59)
13. That New Car Smell (4.46) Excellent track
14. To Boldly Go * (0.26)
15. End Credits * (9.11) Excellent track
* contains theme from "Star Trek" TV Series, written by Alexander Courage & Gene Roddenberry
Total Length: 44.54
Of course there was a lot to do about the main theme. Would there be a quote or homage of the Goldsmith theme? Would it be the Alexander Courage theme instead? Would it even use the theme or actors of the famous franchise? To be precise and specific, Giacchino and/or Abrams wanted the theme to be there and the honor fell upon Courage's outdated fanfare. I (like many others) would have loved to see Giacchino take a stab at Goldsmith's more beloved theme and it would have given us Star Trek quivers for sure. But alas or hooray is the fact at least A Star Trek theme was used to state the return of the Enterprise and its crew.
A noble theme establishes itself in "Star Trek" and soon you’ll realize this is the only theme that will enlist its services throughout the score. And soon the Giacchino of Mission Impossible and Speed Racer will inflict damages upon "Nailin' the Kelvin", a start of rhythmic procedures to come. The way it uses the main theme now as backbone to the rhythm is nice and by now typical Giacchino behavior.
We rest out with "Labor of Love", yet another track in the Lost tradition of soft strings bringing us a main theme variation and a throw to another theme. "Hella Bar Talk" continues the Lost way with stating yet another main theme version. We heard the main theme by now a few times, and yet I have the feeling it all comes together in "Enterprising Young Men", a track that brings us the true power of the main theme in a bold Giacchino manner.
From here on we blast off in "Nero Sighted" and there's no looking back. The frightened use of strings depict danger and the glassy effects and mood bring forth an alienating atmosphere. In here you'll notice a fanfare that works as a danger theme or villain motif for Nero. This Nero fanfare hides itself well during "Nice to Meld You" while a much more frightened variation of the main theme tries to restore balance on deck. Here some resemblances can be made towards earlier Trek scores (including Star Trek II).
"Run and Shoot Offense" starts ingeniously with the first notes of the Courage Star Trek theme but soon undergoes the Giacchino style, carrying both the Nero motif and main theme in a search offensive. While this is all clever scoring, paying much attention to the detailed composition of themes is something more for geeks than for the casual film music listeners.
I guess then it all comes down to aggressive power. "Nero Death Experience" brings forth fear, rage and emotion into a choral / orchestral battle. The rhythmic pace is only a decoy for the Nero fanfare which has now received an extra few notes to fuel this choral menace. The main theme by then sounds like a gift from the Giacchino gods itself. And surely you can't dismiss the other brief statement of the Alexander Courage fanfare.
The Speed Racer sound and main theme during "Nero Fiddles, Narada Burns", the explosive main theme during "Back from Black" sounding resolved and the love and main theme during "That New Car Smell" receiving an ethnic aftertaste (can we guess then who it will intermingle romantically?) is all it takes to get that final climatic experience. By then you receive the clearest statement of Courage's theme, and this time Giacchino intermingles them well.
The way he infuses the Courage theme with his theme is a little Star Trek magic for sure. It is brief but well considered magic and will enlighten whatever Trekkie mind still survives after all this time. The 9 minute "End Credits" is then the pinnacle of the score, with main theme, love theme and an amazing choral version of the Courage theme as highlight of the track.
Let's talk negatives and positives shall we? Star Trek is not a Star Trek score. For that it feels and sounds different. Another problem is, this is a very single-minded theme score at first. I think all tracks at least show the main theme once, and the other motifs are well hidden to secure them at first sight. All the other Trek scores didn't even use the theme, except at the beginning and the end. Their material around it was strong and important enough to not quote the theme. But the positive is, this score is still a lot of fun. Leave it to Michael Giacchino to pour some enthusiasm and power back into a filmscore, and for once let the orchestra be heard. If the main theme gets its best version, you still die in awe for the wonder. And once you reach the final track, you realize Giacchino is best of all when he composes something long. If you outweigh these negatives, Star Trek goes somewhere boldly allright.
Tracklisting
1. Star Trek (1.03)
2. Nailin' the Kelvin (2.09)
3. Labor of Love (2.51)
4. Hella Bar Talk (1.55)
5. Enterprising Young Men (2.39) Excellent track
6. Nero Sighted (3.23)
7. Nice to Meld You (3.13)
8. Run and Shoot Offense (2.04)
9. Does it Still Mcfly? (2.03)
10. Nero Death Experience (5.38) Excellent track
11. Nero Fiddles, Narada Burns (2.34)
12. Back From Black (0.59)
13. That New Car Smell (4.46) Excellent track
14. To Boldly Go * (0.26)
15. End Credits * (9.11) Excellent track
* contains theme from "Star Trek" TV Series, written by Alexander Courage & Gene Roddenberry
Total Length: 44.54