CHiPs - Vol 3: Season 4
Alan Silvestri
" This CD got a good deal back that Volume 1 had, but which Volume 2 was almost completely missing. "Written by Justin Boggan - Review of the limited release
Volume 3 continues with Silvestri's scoring for the series CHiPs, this time for the 4th season. All the compositional tricks and ideas from the previous CDs are present, with some more experimental ideas. The orchestration and kick-beat are also a constant. While I did not have the best of words for Volume 2, it seems some fresh air was breathed back into the interest when we look at season 4. It can be hard to define what I am talking about, but this CD got a good deal back that Volume 1 had, but which Volume 2 was almost completely missing. If you did not enjoy either of the previous releases, no new ideas and writing will change your mind here -- meaning no need to read further.
Silvestri stretches his dramatic writing wings here and experiments with the orchestration. In fact, new ideas are present here, not in either previous CDs, including dueling saxophones, a -la "Cagney & Lacey" style, and in one suite scat-like female vocals. And with a larger orchestra on some cues. And somehow, in spite of fiddling away on the electric fretless bass guitar constantly in all cues, somehow new little tricks here and there are heard.
Like Season two, Silvestri composed an arrangement of Parker's theme, which was not used. One could say it was for the best, and it lacked the punch, energy, and overall sound the familiar arrangement from seasons two to six had. Likewise the end credits cue is in the newly arranged version lacking as well.
Track 6, "Cops", gives us dueling saxophones, almost in a swinging jazzy way, and foot-tapping egg shakers. While there have certainly been doubling sax's of various types in the previous Volumes, they were never done like this. Track 11, the first part, "Bad Boat", also brings some brief flute dueling, but in a softer, more pleasant way (but in other places in the suite), along with writing not typical of all the "CHiPs" music before, almost starting to indicate his change in style on another series, "Starsky & Hutch".
The entire first twenty-eight seconds of track 12, "Sharks / Disappear", in fact has no kick-beat. While some of it, combined with cymbal tapping, works in after that, for a full minute it is not at all disco in approach. In fact nearly the entire cue is unusually dramatic and different.
Track 19, "Mitchell & Woods", which was for an episode meant to lead to a "spin-off" TV series, features the scat female singing and style of scoring, while similar to "CHiPs", that is still trying to find its own voice. With the singers we also have prominent hand-clapping, and piano.
One could almost say the scoring at times, for dramatic moments, and even the kick-beat driven pieces, started taking on new stylistic aspects of types of music, no disco, bringing some fresh air to the listening experience. Track 8, "The Team" is a good example. Or the brief drama moments that just happen to have a kick-beat and cymbal tapping over them. The unusual parts, like the semi-foreign opening of track 16, "You Blew It" and the use of shakuhachi, and later in another part of the suite, knee-slapping with hands. If you've ever wondered what disco and shakuhachi would sound like together ... you'll still have to wonder -- it wasn't done here; but it would have been damn fascinating. And fun.
In the end I can easily say this, it's not the disco love fest that was Volume 1. It is superior in comparison with Volume 2. Where one might have skipped the second volume and blew off the third, they might want to stop and check out the samples at FSM's site for this, just to make sure they're sure.
The cymbal-tapping does start to wear thin on this third CD and makes one yearn for the varied, and good scores in the first season, particularly the efforts of John Parker and Robert Drasnin. One can only hope that if there is a Volume 4 in Film Score Monthly's future, it will give us a needed breather from Silvestri's kick-beat disco approach. It should bring us the goodies from Mike Post (& Pete Carpenter), John Parker, Robert Drasnin, Nelson Riddle, Brian May, and J. J. Johnson (and let us hear the never before heard rejected Mike Post theme, you know -- the guy who created world famous television themes?). The Finale volume, if and when FSM ever comes to that point, will be a hard one to do, I imagine; does one do only Silvestri, or include any of Luchi De Jesus's scoring?
In the meantime, fans can enjoy this varied latest installment in the thumbs-up, disco pursuit, California highway patrol world of Erik Estra ... I mean, "CHiPs".
Love the egg. You have no choice.
Tracklisting
1. Main Title * (0.17)
2. Late Night Snack / Not All the Way / Tie Rod (3.39)
3. You'll Find Out / Would You Believe (2.11)
4. Escort / Rescue (5.09)
5. Bumper * (0.07)
6. The Cops (2.06)
7. The Owner / Loaded Up (4.03)
8. The Team (3.27)
9. Taking a Nap / Step Aside / More Fire (4.43)
10. Will Assist / Sinking (3.54)
11. Bad Boat / Playtime / Just Kidding (3.48)
12. Sharks / Disappear (5.38)
13. What Truck (Source) / Arms in the Air (Source) (3.09)
14. Pile Up / Accident (3.29)
15. Let's Roll / I See 'Em (3.27)
16. You Blew It / Let's Do It / Freeze / Testify (3.37)
17. Backup / Go for It (3.48)
18. Late Model / He's Here (6.21)
19. Main Title / Let's Get Him (4.02)
20. Dials / Excuse Me, Sir / Mustang / Hey Mister (4.34)
21. Let's Race / Run By / I'm Sorry / Hold It (3.48)
22. The Rabbit / Get It (2.03)
23. End Title * (0.28)
* composed by John Parker / arranged by Silvestri
Total Length: 78.48
Silvestri stretches his dramatic writing wings here and experiments with the orchestration. In fact, new ideas are present here, not in either previous CDs, including dueling saxophones, a -la "Cagney & Lacey" style, and in one suite scat-like female vocals. And with a larger orchestra on some cues. And somehow, in spite of fiddling away on the electric fretless bass guitar constantly in all cues, somehow new little tricks here and there are heard.
Like Season two, Silvestri composed an arrangement of Parker's theme, which was not used. One could say it was for the best, and it lacked the punch, energy, and overall sound the familiar arrangement from seasons two to six had. Likewise the end credits cue is in the newly arranged version lacking as well.
Track 6, "Cops", gives us dueling saxophones, almost in a swinging jazzy way, and foot-tapping egg shakers. While there have certainly been doubling sax's of various types in the previous Volumes, they were never done like this. Track 11, the first part, "Bad Boat", also brings some brief flute dueling, but in a softer, more pleasant way (but in other places in the suite), along with writing not typical of all the "CHiPs" music before, almost starting to indicate his change in style on another series, "Starsky & Hutch".
The entire first twenty-eight seconds of track 12, "Sharks / Disappear", in fact has no kick-beat. While some of it, combined with cymbal tapping, works in after that, for a full minute it is not at all disco in approach. In fact nearly the entire cue is unusually dramatic and different.
Track 19, "Mitchell & Woods", which was for an episode meant to lead to a "spin-off" TV series, features the scat female singing and style of scoring, while similar to "CHiPs", that is still trying to find its own voice. With the singers we also have prominent hand-clapping, and piano.
One could almost say the scoring at times, for dramatic moments, and even the kick-beat driven pieces, started taking on new stylistic aspects of types of music, no disco, bringing some fresh air to the listening experience. Track 8, "The Team" is a good example. Or the brief drama moments that just happen to have a kick-beat and cymbal tapping over them. The unusual parts, like the semi-foreign opening of track 16, "You Blew It" and the use of shakuhachi, and later in another part of the suite, knee-slapping with hands. If you've ever wondered what disco and shakuhachi would sound like together ... you'll still have to wonder -- it wasn't done here; but it would have been damn fascinating. And fun.
In the end I can easily say this, it's not the disco love fest that was Volume 1. It is superior in comparison with Volume 2. Where one might have skipped the second volume and blew off the third, they might want to stop and check out the samples at FSM's site for this, just to make sure they're sure.
The cymbal-tapping does start to wear thin on this third CD and makes one yearn for the varied, and good scores in the first season, particularly the efforts of John Parker and Robert Drasnin. One can only hope that if there is a Volume 4 in Film Score Monthly's future, it will give us a needed breather from Silvestri's kick-beat disco approach. It should bring us the goodies from Mike Post (& Pete Carpenter), John Parker, Robert Drasnin, Nelson Riddle, Brian May, and J. J. Johnson (and let us hear the never before heard rejected Mike Post theme, you know -- the guy who created world famous television themes?). The Finale volume, if and when FSM ever comes to that point, will be a hard one to do, I imagine; does one do only Silvestri, or include any of Luchi De Jesus's scoring?
In the meantime, fans can enjoy this varied latest installment in the thumbs-up, disco pursuit, California highway patrol world of Erik Estra ... I mean, "CHiPs".
Love the egg. You have no choice.
Tracklisting
1. Main Title * (0.17)
2. Late Night Snack / Not All the Way / Tie Rod (3.39)
3. You'll Find Out / Would You Believe (2.11)
4. Escort / Rescue (5.09)
5. Bumper * (0.07)
6. The Cops (2.06)
7. The Owner / Loaded Up (4.03)
8. The Team (3.27)
9. Taking a Nap / Step Aside / More Fire (4.43)
10. Will Assist / Sinking (3.54)
11. Bad Boat / Playtime / Just Kidding (3.48)
12. Sharks / Disappear (5.38)
13. What Truck (Source) / Arms in the Air (Source) (3.09)
14. Pile Up / Accident (3.29)
15. Let's Roll / I See 'Em (3.27)
16. You Blew It / Let's Do It / Freeze / Testify (3.37)
17. Backup / Go for It (3.48)
18. Late Model / He's Here (6.21)
19. Main Title / Let's Get Him (4.02)
20. Dials / Excuse Me, Sir / Mustang / Hey Mister (4.34)
21. Let's Race / Run By / I'm Sorry / Hold It (3.48)
22. The Rabbit / Get It (2.03)
23. End Title * (0.28)
* composed by John Parker / arranged by Silvestri
Total Length: 78.48