Jerry Goldsmith - Alien

One of the most requested soundtrack restorations released at last. Earlier this year, Intrada issued the premiere release of Alex North's original recording of 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY, a score legendary for being replaced entirely from the film with preexisting music. The treatment of Jerry Goldsmith's score to Ridley Scott's ALIEN is legendary in its own right, and for very similar reasons. For this monster film set in deep space, Goldsmith composed one of his most complex scores, relying on acoustic instruments to deliver the chilling, otherworldly atmosphere of the alien ship and its monstrous occupants. It was akin to his approach to PLANET OF THE APES, where Goldsmith eschewed electronics in favor of unique acoustic instruments to illustrate the foreboding landscape and upside down society. To achieve this effect in ALIEN, Goldsmith augmented the National Philharmonic Orchestra with didjeridu, serpent, and conch shell, with additional eerie effects courtesy of the echoplex, a process Goldsmith deployed previously to great effect in his score to PATTON. The result -- a masterful sci-fi/horror score that would influence genre movie scores for years to come. Despite Goldsmith's artistic genius in creating a striking sci-fi score, the filmmakers severely tampered with his music. Much of the music was removed from the film or employed in scenes for which it was not intended. Several cues from Goldsmith's early score to FREUD were tracked in. Worse yet, his sublime main title, emphasizing the mystery and vastness of space, went unused. Under duress, Goldsmith, rescored the main title for a starker, more minimalist piece which is heard in the film. While Goldsmith wrote an end title featuring the same main theme in all its glory, it too was removed from the film in favor of a selection from Howard Hanson's Symphony Number 2. What is heard in the film is not Goldsmith's musical vision for ALIEN. A soundtrack LP released at the time of the film featured 35-minutes of highlights from Goldsmith's score, presenting it more as he intended, with the original main and end titles in tact. Sound quality of this release was dry and compressed, and there was still much music both used and unused that did not make it to the album. Now, nearly thirty years after the film's release in 1979, with the generous cooperation of Universal Music Group and 20th Century Fox, Intrada presents the complete original score as Goldsmith intended, rounded out with all the alternates and rewrites, providing everything Goldsmith recorded for ALIEN. The album was remixed from the recently discovered 1" multi-track masters, bringing a new depth, detail, and crispness not heard in previous releases. Michael Matessino spent many painstaking weeks to deliver the striking results here, and also penning some of the most comprehensive liner notes written for a soundtrack, chronicling the saga of the genesis of the ALIEN score and its final results. This release is the final word on the complete ALIEN score, giving it the exposure and attention it has always deserved and giving admirers the album they have been craving for years. Product Description

Long Overdue

The 1979 version of the Alien soundtrack was a truncated misfire, and the 1988 CD rerelease did nothing to restore the many, many missing parts (or even clean up the existing ones, which were hissier than a bag of angry cats). To hear this incredibly atmospheric, downright spooky original score, the one that practically /makes/ the film what it is, is a real treat and well worth collecting. A similar fate happened to another Ridly Scott film, Bladerunner, whose fans had to settle for a hacked-up cover of the far superior original score by Vangelis. Thankfully, this Jerry Goldsmith favorite was properly salvaged. I dare you to listen to it at night... alone... :) September 23, 2008

The definitive release of a classic film score

Finally, after years of waiting for an expanded release of Jerry Goldsmith's classic soundtrack, this two disc presentation has been graced upon us. And what an awesome release this is. Alot of soundtrack and Goldsmith fans have been put off by this particular score due to the fact that this is a harder listen than most of his other works and is not near accessible as say his Star Trek work. Yet, underneath the strange, dissonant passages contained here lies what is easily his most memorable and well crafted piece of work. I say memorable not because it is "catchy" by any means, but because it leaves a sense of melancholy and sheer wonder driven up from the powerful dark soundscapes. With that said, Alien might just be my favorite horror film score of all time. And it is by no stretch of imagination to call this soundtrack unlike anything else ever written for a film. It truly does sound alien.

Contained in the 2-disc set are the complete 1979 recordings, re-mastered from newly found 1-inch master tapes and a detailed look into the scoring process, including notes on each individual cue, in what is probably the most extensive set of linear notes I have ever seen on a soundtrack release. In audio fidelity, this is a huge step above the original 1979 Silva LP and the subsequent bootlegs released. The difference is almost night and day. The hiss and muffled sound of the LP and bootlegs is replaced by a vibrant and bright sound, which fully encompasses what is probably Goldsmith's most complex score.

Disc 1:

It is known fact that much of Goldsmith's original score had been tampered and re-mixed, yet I never fully realized the extent of the changes made by Ridley Scott (director of Alien) for the final cut. Just about every cue originally intended by Jerry for the film where either replaced, spliced, re-scored, or removed. Disc 1 chronicles the score as he originally meant it to be heard. Being able to hear these cues in re-mastered form and in the order as they where to appear really made wonder how much better some of the scenes from the film could have been. The rejected, "Main Titles" encompasses the loneliness and beauty of space in a sweeping, emotional opening that differs greatly to the cue used in the film (the Alien Planet theme). Then we have the quieter suspense pieces that utilize a great sense of creeping/rhythmic orchestration that builds into unexpected crescendos and stringers to create a very unsuspecting and tense mood. "Hanging On", another rejected and replaced cue written to play during Kane's examination, fully utilizes this intense atmosphere Jerry wanted to create. It's a shame it wasn't used. Another cue in the same vein, "The Shaft" (replaced by a cue from one of his past scores), is probably the most frightening and intense piece of music I have ever heard recorded for a film score. The alternate, rejected version of "Out The Door", used when the Alien is ejected from the bay doors at the end of the film, utilizes an unheard "action theme" with very rhythmic sensibilities. "End Title" is a highlight of the set, bringing back the "Main Title" theme to close the film in grand finale fashion. Sadly, it was replaced by a temp cue, Howard Hanson's "Symphony No. 2: The Romantic" (not included). Also on Disc 1 are the "re-scored" pieces that Ridley wanted changed.

Disc 2:

Contains the official LP release (re-mastered obviously) and provides for somewhat of a nicer listening experience. Also included are demonstration excerpts of a few of the cues, the film version of the "Main Title" (with added echoplexed percussion), and the recording of Mozart's "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik".

NOTE TO POTENTIAL BUYERS: I say this is the definitive version of his score, despite what people are saying about a few pieces that did not make the release, because this contains the complete 1979 scoring sessions. His cues from "Freud" and Howard Hanson's piece do not belong on here, because they were not recorded during these sessions and were not what Jerry intended for the film in the first place.

Final word, if you are a soundtrack fan/collector, it is essential to have a copy of a classic, beautiful score that will long be remembered. August 28, 2008

alien soundtrack

Thanks for the cd. This is one of my favorite movies and I really love the music. August 27, 2008

A word of warning: NOT as "complete" as you might think...

This is more of an "FYI" than a full-on review... for anyone who thinks they're getting the "whole shebang" with this 2-disc set (which consists of the original 1979 LP soundtrack; the complete original score written by Jerry Goldsmith; rescored alternate cues; and bonus tracks), one big piece of the whole ALIEN score is still missing, and could have easily filled a THIRD disc...

What's missing is the score AS IT APPEARS IN THE ORIGINAL 1979 RELEASE... meaning, if you've grown attached over the years to the musical cues that were notoriously swiped from 1962's FREUD, as well as Howard Hanson's "Symphony No. 2" (played after the demise of the alien and again over the End Credits), be aware that these pieces are NOT--repeat, NOT--on this 2-disc set (probably due to copyright/studio ownership issues).

Other than that, yes, it's fantastic, but the "Complete Original Motion Picture Soundtrack" moniker is more than a little misleading. Completists take note! April 30, 2008

One of the best movie scores

Atmospheric...tense...beautiful...

How many ways might we describe one of the best scores to one of the best sci-fi/horror films of all time? It is all of that and more - the work of a great composer who had a masterful vision of how to portray in music the overall feel of Ridley Scott and H. R. Giger's spectacularly nightmarish imagery. Perfect 10! March 25, 2008

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