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John Williams. Steven Spielberg. Two great tastes that taste great together. Ever since Williams worked on Spielberg’s first theatrical film, The Sugarland Express, the two have been nearly inseparable. So, again they pair up for Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom, Spielberg’s 8th film (and Williams’ 47th).

This soundtrack album starts off, interestingly enough, with a Mandarin rendition of the famous Cole Porter song, “Anything Goes” sung by the Kate Capshaw, the female lead of the film. This is from an early part of the film where our hero sees her for the first time. Later on, in “Fast Streets Of Shanghai”, Williams employs Oriental influences (as the name suggests) and a dramatic flair that Williams is well known of. Bits of the Indiana Jones theme carry throughout the piece.

On the track “The Temple Of Doom”, chanting is used to give the song a dark, ominous feel as we come across the temple for the first time. “Bug Tunnel And Death Trap” has brief moments of dissonance, underlining the horror of the place. Melodies reach higher and higher, creating a sense of anxiety and confusion. On the other hand, the track “Slave Children’s Crusade” is loud and majestic, with booming cymbals and a strong string section serving as the anchor of the piece.

An interesting thing to note is that John Williams often employs leitmotif in his scores. That is to say, he composes and assigns themes to certain characters or ideas in the films. For example, in the Star Wars series, he composed separate themes for the characters Princess Leia, Yoda and Darth Vader as well as others (although it is Darth Vader’s theme that everyone usually thinks of). On this album, Williams downplays that aspect a bit. Even though the character Short Round has a theme, most of the music is incidental music and not specifically tied to a character. Even Indiana Jones’ own recognizable theme doesn’t make a full appearance until the finale. In my opinion, not having a “stand-out” piece detracts from the work as a whole.

The soundtrack carries a dramatic feel. One of the recognizable strengths of John Williams is that he very much as a unique styling in his music. You can listen to a piece by Williams and immediately sense that, even if you don’t know explicitly that it is Williams’ work, you know at least it’s meant for a film or a similar endeavor. Overall, a fine score that stands up well on its own apart from the movie.

1. Anything Goes (2:51)
2. Fast Streets Of Shanghai (3:44)
3. Nocturnal Activities (6:01)
4. Short Round’s Theme (2:32)
5. Children In Chains (2:44)
6. Slalom On Mt. Humol (2:26)
7. The Temple Of Doom (3:00)
8. Bug Tunnel And Death Trap (3:33)
9. Slave Children’s Crusade (3:29)
10. The Mine Car Chase (3:42)
11. Finale And End Credits (6:27)

Released by: Polydor
Release date: 1984
Total running time: 40:29

Released free by the composer as a downloadable online demo, this is basically the complete score from the first act of the three-installment semi-pro fan film Star Trek: Of Gods And Men. Composer Justin R. Durban has an extensive resume that includes film and video game work, and so, like many of the stars of Gods, he’s no newcomer to the business.

In terms of how Gods stacks up to other Star Treks musically, perhaps the best comparison I can draw - though I’m not saying they sound a lot alike - is Star Trek VI: dark, subdued music in an orchetral vein, with occasional choral textures and gutturally percussive moments of action. It’s not really like anything else in the Star Trek musical canon, but then neither is the movie it accompanies.

The musical intrigue and darkness pile up quickly in the opening scenes that depict a low-level Starfleet member’s death at the hands of a mysterious visitor. Things lighten up a bit for the visit to the museum ship Enterprise, but when the story’s timeline is altered and we wind up in something like the Mirror Universe a la the Klingon Empire, things turn dark and stay that way. The percussion and rumbling low brass aren’t a million miles away from the music the accompanied the Klingons in several Star Trek movies, though that theme isn’t quoted at all - we’re talking similar instrumentation and stylistic choices.

Everything sounds convincingly orchestral, and the choral vocals pass muster as well. If anything strikes me as something that even comes close to a weak point here, it’s that the music often drops back to a low drone, which is great for dialogue, but a drone is a drone. I’m the kind of guy who’d like the composer to keep something going in the background, and let the sound mixers worry about how much sonic space the music and the dialogue are occupying, but Gods’ director (Voyager star Tim Russ) and producers may have had different ideas during spotting, in which case the composer’s just following instructions/suggestions.

It’s an interesting contrast to most other music you’d associate with Star Trek - even compared to other fan films. Then again, that seems to hold true for everything to do with Of Gods And Men, not just the music.

1. Main Titles - Act I (1:15)
2. Data Clerk’s Demise (1:47)
3. Uhura’s Log (1:31)
4. Home Again (4:11)
5. Charlie’s Revenge (1:28)
6. Capturing The Fox (3:26)
7. The Needs Of The Many (2:59)
8. The Calm Before The Storm (2:57)
9. Approaching The Planet (1:58)
10. Vulcan’s Last Gleaming (1:58)
11. End Credits - Act I (2:30)

Released by: Edgen Music
Release date: 2007
Total running time: 26:00

Star Trek: Intrepid is a fan-made Star Trek spinoff, set in the post-Voyager 24th century and shot entirely in Scotland, which certainly gives it - quite literally - a unique voice. It also has a unique musical voice, with an original score for the pilot episode, Heavy Lies The Crown, by David Beukes - a score which doesn’t use one note of any established Star Trek themes, and it’s a half-hour of good music at that.

With everything from the death of the ship’s original captain, to big space battles, to moments of whimsy, to political intrigue, Intrepid would’ve forced anyone who was doing the music to run the gauntlet and prove themselves worthy. David Beukes passes the test with flying colors with music that would’ve done an actual televised Star Trek episode proud. The big fights are exciting, there’s some quiet menace going on as the plot thickens, the humorous scenes are well-done with an economy of plucked strings and woodwind samples, and there’s a kind of sweeping, panoramic, noble sound that’s almost a prerequisite if you’re going to put the words “Star Trek” on the cover.

One thing I do have to say about the Intrepid score is that Beukes knows how to get the biggest bang out of whatever sample library he’s using. With the fan-made Trek productions, it’s almost a given that your music is going to be done on synths, with samples, or a combination of the two, but in this case, there are very few places where I hear anything that instantly earmarks something as “not orchestral.” There are things you can do with samples - adding room reverb, etc. - that make them sound a bit more real, and the composer seems to have that technique down pat here. Tracks such as “Navar On The Bridge”, “You’re Making Fun Of Me” and “Conference” sound, for all intents and purposes, like he’s got real musicians and instruments miked up in the studio.

Two tracks that really mystify me a bit are “Battlestations” and “Garth’s Gambit”; they’re basically the same thing, only “Battlestations” has dialogue from the show included. I normally scream “argh!” at dialogue on a soundtrack album - even a free one! - but since the music is repeated without dialogue in the next track, I’ll let this one off the hook. I just thought it was a slightly odd choice to include a dialogue version at all, but thankfully the “clean” version is available too.

Overall, the Star Trek: Intrepid pilot score is a real treat for the ears (and at just the right price, too!). It manages to sound “big” in all the right places while being its own animal; there’s nothing here that sounds overly influenced by previous music under the Star Trek banner, aside from a sweeping orchestral sound. Composer David Beukes has, according to his blog, landed a real live composing/arranging/producing gig at a professional recording studio, and listening to this, I can see why. Here’s hoping he’s still got time to venture into the final frontier now and again in the future.

1. Theme From Intrepid (1:22)
2. Introduction (1:16)
3. Captain Talath (2:07)
4. Conflict / You Can Live With It (1:58)
5. Brothers (1:35)
6. Power Down (0:17)
7. Conference (2:17)
8. You’re Making Fun Of Me (0:54)
9. Heroics (2:42)
10. Wrong Again (0:22)
11. Sealed Orders (0:43)
12. Duty (1:58)
13. Five To Beam Down (0:33)
14. Chiron IV (0:58)
15. Navar On The Bridge (1:27)
16. Battlestations (2:13)
17. Garth’s Gambit (2:22)
18. Victory (0:37)
19. Consideration (1:04)
20. Intrepid Theme End Credits (1:16)
21. Intrepid Trailer Theme (1:35)

Released by: David Beukes
Release date: 2007
Total running time: 29:36

The latest real-time strategy PC gaming experience from Petroglyph Games is also the latest epic soundtrack from veteran game composer Frank Klepacki, and while I’ll admit I haven’t had a chance to check out Universe At War itself (something strange happens to my urges to blow stuff up when I have to bottle-feed a baby every few hours), the music alone makes me want to.

Which may be a big part of the reason why the game’s entire soundtrack - three CDs’ worth clocking in at over two hours - is available free online. As with many of the previous games scored by Klepacki, there are several factions with whom players can ally themselves, and each faction has its own robust selection of music, ranging from raging action to more menacingly low-key music while building up resources for the next attack (or the next last-ditch defense). And as with many of his past projects, the music for each playable side kicks butt in its own way.

The Hierarchy music is the sort of thing that Command & Conquer Players will remember well - crunchy guitars, percussion that doesn’t take prisoners, and driving beats aplenty. If that’s what you’re coming for, you won’t go home disappointed. The selection of music for the Novus faction is more electronica-driven, with a mysterious sound. There’s still plenty of distorted guitar in here, but the emphasis is on more obviously synthetic instruments and motifs. The dreamy “Technical Data” and the aggressive “Zap” are highlights here.

But by far the real meat and potatoes of the Universe At War score is the Masari music, which includes the game’s opening theme and end credits. The Masari tracks are blow-the-walls-down, theatrical orchestral-operatic epics - while listening to “Divine Intervention”, I was thinking “someone hurry up and make a great kick-ass action movie to go with this great kick-ass music.” This stuff knocks it out of the park repeatedly, and reinforces my total bewilderment as to how the man has managed to dodge a major movie assignment. Sooner or later, that’s gotta catch up with him. The end credits suite, combining elements from all three factions’ themes with a thundering techno beat layered in for good measure, makes me want to jump up out of my seat and empty a clip of ammo into something - it’s some of the best action music I’ve heard in years. (And I’m not prone to wanting to get up and fire away, so that should tell you something!)

It’s hard to go wrong with some free music, and for the sheer quantity of tracks that you get for a little bit of download time here, you’re almost certain to find something you like. Since this is a free download in support of a commercially available product, it’s only fair to recommend that you support the composer and developer by buying Universe At War: Earth Assault in theLogBook.com Store if you’re so inclined.

Hierarchy
1. Damage King (3:43)
2. Doom of the Aliens (3:26)
3. On Edge (2:20)
4. Anticipating (2:41)
5. Slithering (3:09)
6. Schematic (1:45)
7. Mechanical Brain (3:53)
8. Strangers Attack (3:22)
9. Impending Doom (2:58)
10. Prepare For Oblivion (3:09)
11. Surrounding (5:00)
12. Haunt (3:55)

Novus
1. Modern Design (3:53)
2. Act On Invasion (3:19)
3. Electrode (4:04)
4. Calculations (2:23)
5. Bass Case (3:43)
6. Moving Forces (3:05)
7. Technical Data (3:30)
8. Roots (3:38)
9. Hit And Run (3:05)
10. Fog Of War (3:44)
11. Composite (3:23)
12. Resources (3:08)
13. Zap (2:41)

Masari
1. Divine Intervention (theme for Universe At War) (3:26)
2. Reanimation (3:35)
3. Surveying The Land (2:34)
4. Resurfaced (3:00)
5. Mind In Motion (2:28)
6. Display Of Power (2:41)
7. Disturbance (3:48)
8. Dark Intrusion (2:52)
9. The Gathering (3:53)
10. Ancient Presence (3:06)
11. Masari Suite (Suspended, Architecture, Masari Victory) (3:45)
12. Credits: Universe At War Remix Suite (3:40)

Released by: Petroglyph Games / Frank Klepacki
Release date: 2008
Total running time: 121:45

Just as I was mightily impressed with the debut installment of the Star Trek fan series Odyssey (see that review here), I was also impressed with its music - and lo and behold, San Francisco-based composer/multimedia producer Dexter Craig has made it available for free. I find myself missing the sound of the final frontier from time to time, and the Odyssey soundtrack hits the spot nicely.

Though it’s synthesized, the music from Iliad is done in an orchestral vein, and nothing here is written in such a way that an orchestra couldn’t theoretically play it. About half a year ago, I reviewed Dennis McCarthy’s CD release of the music from the 1997 CD-ROM game Star Trek: Borg, and I commented on the quality of the synth-orchestral elements available at that time; the music from Odyssey is at least on the same level from a technical standpoint.

Musically, Odyssey is graced with a stately, noble main theme that can best be described as not a million miles away from the Star Trek: Voyager theme - not stunningly similar, but there’s a definite resemblance in terms of feel. The Odyssey motif permeates the entire score, and unlike the Voyager theme, it’s designed to play well in major or minor keys. As the ship’s fate gradually becomes more dire, so too does its music - it’s all done quite cleverly. One lengthy cue, “The Attack Begins”, clocks in at just under ten minutes and puts the theme through quite a few permutations, as well as adding percussion that’s both contemporary and feels a little “ancient” at the same time. “I’m In Command!” builds on that cue’s momentum and begins throwing dark choral textures into the mix. For music that was made for an amateur film, it’s not shabby at all.

The story’s lighter moments are played well too. “Ro And Aster Get Lucky” accompanies a humorous/romantic scene with a piece that eventually breaks out into a tango. At the opposite end of the scale, the music for the scenes on the Archein homeworld and that race’s ships is dark and brooding without going overboard.

Overall, it’s well worth a listen, and quite a commendable effort. There are a few places where the music’s synthetic nature is obvious, but as with the rest of Star Trek: Odyssey, this is a project done without millions of dollars, for the sheer love of it. In that context, it’s good stuff and well worth the download time.

1. Overture (0:14)
2. Archeina (1:08)
3. Odyssey Theme Opening Titles (1:16)
4. Locations; Archeina To DS12 (0:45)
5. The Briefing And In Quarters (1:45)
6. General Morigu And Seram (0:28)
7. We Need A Little Luck (0:39)
8. Majan Gets Bitchy (1:36)
9. Ro And Aster Get Lucky (1:37)
10. Coming Up On Odyssey (0:40)
11. Engineering And The Ceremony (0;58)
12. Departures (2:53)
13. I’m Dying, I Have A Headache (0:35)
14. Doc Vaughan And The Romulan (2:28)
15. The Attack Begins (9:10)
16. I’m In Command! (2:58)
17. The Conference Room (3:08)
18. T’lorra Gets Bitchy (0:35)
19. Stadi’s Mistake (0:41)
20. Personal Log (2:01)
21. End Titles (1:04)

Released by: DexFX.com
Release date: 2007
Total running time: 36:38

One final note, a sidebar to the above review: as I write this review of the Odyssey soundtrack, which was released free of charge, I’ve also been gathering other Star Trek fan films’ soundtracks to review - and I’ve been watching a controversy kick up around another fan-made series, Star Trek: New Voyages/Phase II, which disturbs me deeply, as it involves dancing around wording regarding whether or not the film project is making any money (if Paramount is to continue to quietly turn a blind eye to the project, it can’t make so much as a red cent). I have noticed - and I’m not going to drop names here - that there are a few composers who are charging for the music they’ve composed for these projects. I understand that sample libraries and the software and gear used to make music with them do not come cheap, but while I’m not going to try to tell them what to do, I would suggest that these composers - by flying in the face of the rest of the project of which their music is a part and trying to make a buck - may be recouping their money at the cost of putting the non-profit projects giving them exposure at risk. As an occasional amateur composer myself, I can tell you that the whole reason to attach oneself to a project such as a non-profit or student film - for which one isn’t being paid - is to gain valuable exposure, possibly including exposure to producers who will pay you to work on commercial projects. As such, I will not be reviewing any “paid downloads” of music from otherwise non-profit fan films. I’ll be happy to support the composers by giving them additional exposure through my reviews, but only if their music selections are, like the films themselves, free. - EG

I promised myself - and you - that I’d try not to have too much of a stick up my ass when it came to reviewing this CD, which includes the musical highlights and key dialogue moments of the Broadway musical revival of 1980’s Olivia Newton-John vehicle Xanadu, which is perhaps best remembered for its own soundtrack than anything it accomplished on the big screen. So up front, let me acknowledge that listening to the cast recording album of a stage musical is perhaps not the best way to gauge the entire production in terms of narrative or artistic value. But even bearing that in mind, and admittedly biased by my affection for at least the musical part of the source material, the cast CD for Xanadu On Broadway gives me a view of the show as a mean-spirited train wreck.

And there’s really no need for it to be. There are some renditions of the songs from the movie here that are quite surprisingly good, from a musical standpoint. The actress/vocalist who’s stepping into Olivia Newton-John’s shoes for this production has the pipes to carry it off (which is actually quite a compliment - if you weren’t around in the late 1970s and early ’80s, I’m not sure you can appreciate how omnipresent Olivia Newton-John was in pop culture, with a string of hits and, of course, Grease to her name. And she could (and can still) sing. Anyone stepping into a role originated by that lady had better be able to bring something to the table in terms of singing. This production’s actress does an admirable job…at least where the singing’s concerned.

Where I start to get seriously disgruntled with Xanadu On Broadway is with the dialogue that points toward the show being not even remotely fond of its source material, but still trying to make a buck off of it. I understood, going in, that this was a satirical take on Xanadu the movie. Where I was taken aback was with the album’s dialogue scenes making it very clear that it isn’t a well-observed, fond-but-funny satire. Whoever wrote the script to this thing seems to be making not-at-all-kind sport of the source material. It’s almost as if the writer felt that the original movie had caused intense pain, and they now wanted to repay it with interest. Jabs are made at everything from ’80s fashion to the addition of an Australian actress in an otherwise American cast (the actress stepping into the character of Kira proclaims “And I’ll sport an Australian accent!” in a stereotypical mock-Aussie accent of her own). Someone had an axe - likely an entire arsenal of axes - to grind with Xanadu, and this seems to be the payback. It reminded me of some of the low points of post-Joel-Hodgson MST3K, when the show’s satirical sense of humor seemed prone to going much darker than what I’d grown accustomed to.

But…I’ll admit that I’m judging a whole production from a few select slices of recorded dialogue that are only on the album to give context to certain songs, and Xanadu On Broadway seems to be a bona fide hit on stage, so maybe I should stick to discussing the merits of the music itself. “All Over The World” and “Magic” are competent enough live renditions, though in the latter the lead actress is trying to push the Aussie accent schtick a bit too much; that’s the only thing preventing “Magic” from being the best song on here, because other than the exaggerated accent gag, it’s almost a dead ringer for the original.

“Evil Woman” not only never had anything to do with Xanadu, but it’s done in an extremely silly style, though it can be rather entertaining if you’re in the right mood. The duet “Suddenly”, originally sung by Olivia Newton-John and Cliff Richard, is another runner-up for best performance on the album, except that the Aussie gag again rears its head both here and in another duet, “Whenever You’re Away From Me”. I realize that I’m really criticizing a requirement of the script - the actress is just doing what the script says - but it has a ripple effect on the musical performances themselves, so it’s a bit difficult for me to just let it go.

The strangest number on the original movie soundtrack, “Dancin’”, was a jarring but entertaining collision between a ’40s Andrews Sisters-style song and modern rock (provided by the Tubes in the original recording); it’s my runaway favorite from Xanadu On Broadway by miles. It had to be a difficult enough song to record with its wildly divergent styles, and if they do it this well on stage, it’s easily the highlight of the show.

Another unrelated-to-Xanadu ELO chestnut is up next, “Strange Magic”, given the same silly reading (primarily by the same two characters - two sister muses of Kira’s, invented for the play, who scheme against her - who sing “Evil Woman”). “All Over The World” follows this, and it’s one of the better performances on the disc, even if some of the ’80s studio effects from the original ELO song are exaggerated for amusing effect. I was equally amused to hear the lyrics’ reference to Shard End - the Birmingham neighborhood where Jeff Lynne grew up - remained intact. It was already a musical non-sequitur, and now it’s preserved on stage night after night. “Don’t Walk Away” is quite different from the original, but so help me, I actually like the adaptation and the performance - it’s done so well that it’s the kind of thing that almost makes me want to see the show.

“Fool”, a song featured in the original movie but not its soundtrack, falls victim to the Aussie treatment again - a pity because the rest of it is almost spot-on. “The Fall”, which in its original incarnation is one of ELO’s most criminally underrated songs, is actually a nice adaptation and well performed. “Suspended In Time” wind up being the Newton-John song least affected by the accent gag, and it’s easily the best solo piece on this album. That’s chased down by what may be the strangest song on the whole disc, the Olivia Newton-John chestnut “Have You Never Been Mellow?”, which - like “Evil Woman” and “Strange Magic” - had nothing to do with Xanadu originally. Wrapping things up is an instrumentally listenable version of “Xanadu” itself, but again, the stereotypical Aussie accent just blows it for me. Seriously, did anyone even listen to the original songs here?

In the end, I’m giving Xanadu On Broadway a very charitable 2 out of 4 stars. If I had a little graphical button ready for 1 1/2 stars out of 4, I’d give it that instead. The thing is, there are a few performances in here that do, in fact, sound like a good way to take the original songs - whether those were done by ELO or ONJ - to the stage. There are others that I’d describe as train wrecks if I was feeling particularly kind. But by all means, take this review with a grain of salt - the music may all play out spectacularly against the set and costumes and choreography (I mean, who can resist roller disco?) But purely as a listening experience - and given the snippets of plot imparted by the included dialogue - I came away from listening to Xanadu On Broadway on CD feeling like it’s a lamentable misstep - lamentable because one plot point (the Australian accent gag) derailed some otherwise damned fine performances.

I’ve admitted that I’m no great fan of musicals, and perhaps too close to the source material, but then again, I loved most of Lynne Me Your Ears, an ELO/Jeff Lynne tribute which put some of Lynne’s music through some startling transformations. But those reinterpretations were done in a spirit of genuine admiration, not a snarlingly sarcastic parody. And that, perhaps more than any silly voice you’ll here hear, is what mars Xanadu On Broadway the most.

1. I’m Alive (4:03)
2. Magic (3:03)
3. Evil Woman (2:41)
4. Suddenly (3:38)
5. Whenever You’re Away From Me (4:00)
6. Dancin’ (2:28)
7. Strange Magic (2:01)
8. All Over The World (3:17)
9. Don’t Walk Away (3:38)
10. Fool (1:27)
11. The Fall (2:02)
12. Suspended In Time (2:56)
13. Have You Never Been Mellow? (3:24)
14. Xanadu (4:23)

Released by: P.S. Classics
Release date: 2008
Total running time: 43:01