Sliders
Dennis McCarthy
" McCarthy was a perfect choice for the series and the music worked quite effectively there in "Written by Justin Boggan - Review of the regular release
Fresh off concluding Star Trek: The Next Generation run and the first Next Generation feature film, McCarthy again made a foray into science fiction with Sliders. Sliders was a long lived series that like some shows today, was canceled, then brought back. The show had promise and some good episodes in the beginning, but ultimately became a joke down the road. About a student who opens a gateway (a wormhole) that people can enter and "slide" to alternate Earths where history took a different route, McCarthy was a perfect choice for the series and the music worked quite effectively there in.
McCarthy's music was in a similar vein to his Trek work, except laden with high amounts of synths (the synths sounding like the more un-dated stuff Ron Jones used to use in The Next Generation). The synths aren't used in a helping manner so much, like Goldsmith did, and were sometimes a little annoying. If the "Pilot" had a theme, I must have missed it.
The music itself is often droning strings and orchestra scapes; wherein a composer like Graeme Revell might make synth scapes, McCarthy does a similar thing, except using orchestra. In fact, many of the predominant instrument and solos are frequent TNG choices.
There are two scores on the CD, the "Pilot" and "Luck of the Draw", which I believe are the only two episodes that McCarthy scored. The CD also includes a bonus cue titled "Past, Present and Future Overture". I have no idea what this is. I saw an episode of the series that contained a cue that had the theme McCarthy used for the TNG trailer for "All Good Things...", so I had assumed he scored the episode too and this would be the track of the trailer music. But listening to it, it does not contain the theme, and it holds some kind of weird combo of work, including a rip from his "Generations" score. I have no idea where this comes from or why it was included.
Highlight tracks include: "Ice Tornado", with it's pounding beat and building tension, "The Rescue" which is quite rousing, reaching similar rousing heights his "Generations" overture did and familiar TNG action lines; the lovely string lines of "Interlude", "A New World" with the peaceful synth counterpoint and positive musical voicings. Sad to say, this concludes any cues worth a toot. For those who are a fan of his Trek work, even when not that interesting and an effort, this is a CD for you. For fans of sci-fi scoring, even if boring but written with by a veteran composer and with professionalism, this could be a CD for you. For the average score fan, you're basically taking a chance and may find yourself disappointed.
The only reason this CD gets three stars is that, as mentioned, though average music, it's still done professionally, has some good tracks, and we should encourage CD releases like this from composers (Joe Harnell's website, for example, has plenty to choose from).
The score is released on a silver-colored CD-R, with substandard printed art work; meaning don't expect glossy, smooth art that accompanies regular CD releases. The back art has no track times, and the front insert is no booklet, but rather folded, and containing a lengthy detailing on McCarthy's history, including details general fans may not know, including working for Alex North on various films. IT says on the Yahoo! store (that sells this CD), via McCarthy's website, that it is signed. Minor quibble, but ... I can't read the name. It looks like a "b", "I" and a lowercase "y", with a long line going threw it. It that's supposed to read "Dennis" or "McCarthy", then ... signature FAIL.
Tracklisting
Pilot Episode
1. Main Title (1.38)
2. The Wormhole (1.56)
3. The First Slide (4.42)
4. The Ice World (3.16)
5. Ice Tornado (4.11)
6. Strange Land (3.33)
7. The Rescue (2.23)
8. Wade's Death? (1.46)
9. Sliders Escape (2.27)
10. Interlude (1.11)
11. Finale / End Credits (1.38)
Episode: Luck of the Draw
12. Slide In (0.29)
13. A New World (1.15)
14. The Girl's Suicide (2.51)
15. Jail Break (2.26)
16. Wade In Danger (01:23)
17. Slide Out / Quinn Shot (3.12)
Bonus Track
18. Past, Present, and Future Overture (2.40)
Total Length: 42.57
McCarthy's music was in a similar vein to his Trek work, except laden with high amounts of synths (the synths sounding like the more un-dated stuff Ron Jones used to use in The Next Generation). The synths aren't used in a helping manner so much, like Goldsmith did, and were sometimes a little annoying. If the "Pilot" had a theme, I must have missed it.
The music itself is often droning strings and orchestra scapes; wherein a composer like Graeme Revell might make synth scapes, McCarthy does a similar thing, except using orchestra. In fact, many of the predominant instrument and solos are frequent TNG choices.
There are two scores on the CD, the "Pilot" and "Luck of the Draw", which I believe are the only two episodes that McCarthy scored. The CD also includes a bonus cue titled "Past, Present and Future Overture". I have no idea what this is. I saw an episode of the series that contained a cue that had the theme McCarthy used for the TNG trailer for "All Good Things...", so I had assumed he scored the episode too and this would be the track of the trailer music. But listening to it, it does not contain the theme, and it holds some kind of weird combo of work, including a rip from his "Generations" score. I have no idea where this comes from or why it was included.
Highlight tracks include: "Ice Tornado", with it's pounding beat and building tension, "The Rescue" which is quite rousing, reaching similar rousing heights his "Generations" overture did and familiar TNG action lines; the lovely string lines of "Interlude", "A New World" with the peaceful synth counterpoint and positive musical voicings. Sad to say, this concludes any cues worth a toot. For those who are a fan of his Trek work, even when not that interesting and an effort, this is a CD for you. For fans of sci-fi scoring, even if boring but written with by a veteran composer and with professionalism, this could be a CD for you. For the average score fan, you're basically taking a chance and may find yourself disappointed.
The only reason this CD gets three stars is that, as mentioned, though average music, it's still done professionally, has some good tracks, and we should encourage CD releases like this from composers (Joe Harnell's website, for example, has plenty to choose from).
The score is released on a silver-colored CD-R, with substandard printed art work; meaning don't expect glossy, smooth art that accompanies regular CD releases. The back art has no track times, and the front insert is no booklet, but rather folded, and containing a lengthy detailing on McCarthy's history, including details general fans may not know, including working for Alex North on various films. IT says on the Yahoo! store (that sells this CD), via McCarthy's website, that it is signed. Minor quibble, but ... I can't read the name. It looks like a "b", "I" and a lowercase "y", with a long line going threw it. It that's supposed to read "Dennis" or "McCarthy", then ... signature FAIL.
Tracklisting
Pilot Episode
1. Main Title (1.38)
2. The Wormhole (1.56)
3. The First Slide (4.42)
4. The Ice World (3.16)
5. Ice Tornado (4.11)
6. Strange Land (3.33)
7. The Rescue (2.23)
8. Wade's Death? (1.46)
9. Sliders Escape (2.27)
10. Interlude (1.11)
11. Finale / End Credits (1.38)
Episode: Luck of the Draw
12. Slide In (0.29)
13. A New World (1.15)
14. The Girl's Suicide (2.51)
15. Jail Break (2.26)
16. Wade In Danger (01:23)
17. Slide Out / Quinn Shot (3.12)
Bonus Track
18. Past, Present, and Future Overture (2.40)
Total Length: 42.57