Intrada released today what I have been waiting over 25 years for: a real Alien soundtrack, complete with history and liner notes. I say real, not because it is truly a complete score for the film. It lacks the cues taken by editor Terry Rawlings for Goldsmith’s previous score “Frued” (1962), and it does not contain “The Romantic” by Howard Hanson, part of which was played at the end of the film moving into and including the end credits. It would probably have been wrong to include them here, anyway, as this soundtrack was pressed in honor of Jerry Goldsmith, and it is indeed a score release he would have been very proud of.
Every music cue Goldsmith conducted is on this two disc set, a massive compilation that includes even test music- tracks that let you hear the raw instruments before they were post-processed through an echoplex to become so otherworldly. I have heard many state they believe that Star Trek: TMP is his best score, and perhaps lyrically that is so. The music in that movie is sweeping in the way that Star Wars is, and it deserves much credit. Some would argue that Patton is his greatest, with the fantastic military adventure sound that literally crashes into your living room upon hearing. It is at this point I should note that the echoplex is used in this score as well. He won his only oscar for The Omen, and it was a dark and brooding score. Planet of the Apes was perhaps his most experimental score. I could go on and on: Chinatown, Outland, Boys from Brazil, Innerspace, The Last Castle, etc. Alien is without a doubt his BEST score ever, period.
I won’t divulge more of the history of the score; it is included in an excellent booklet that comes with the CD. It is impressive, and literally takes you into the mind of the composer, what he was thinking, his arguments with Scott, why certain instruments are used, etc. It is one of the best reads on the subject of Alien I have ever read, and believe you me, I’ve read absolutely everything. It’s not just a few liner notes about Goldsmith; it’s a lengthy article that really blew me away.
The cue list is documented in great detail, how and when every cue should have played out in the film, what the original scenes were, how they were changed, spotted, etc. It is very granular, down to which instruments and why were used to highlight or pronounce what is going on in the film.
The set is sprawled across 2 cds and includes the originally produced by Goldsmith score as well as his massive complete 30+ track score, and a dozen or so alternate takes and tests.
The CD is not cheap, it’s a stiff 29.99, and is only going to be available for a limited time from intrada.com. It was pressed from originally recorded 1” masters, and sounds better than it ever has; very rich and full. It’s worth every penny, even for the only casual Alien fan.
I’m not going to lie; I think the music Rawlings used for the final cut of the film was the correct choice for the movie. I have since tracked down the Freud score on CD, as well as the original source material for the romantic, and have pieced together music for a more extended version of the score. But there are MANY tracks here that I have never heard before. I will definitely be incorporating this into my mix. The bottom line: GET THIS SCORE NOW!
Label: Intrada MAF 7102 Date: 1979 Tracks: 47 Time = 126:20 Intrada 2-CD set offers world premiere complete release of Jerry Goldsmith soundtrack to legendary Ridley Scott sci-fi horror movie. Every note of composer's intense, terrifying masterwork appears in dynamic stereo sound from newly-discovered actual 1" multi-track session masters! Generous set has complete score as originally intended, all re-scored sequences & alternates, demo mixes showcasing unusual sounds of serpent, didjeridu, giant conch plus original 1979 LP assembly, also fully remixed, remastered! Deluxe booklet offers definitive behind-the-scenes look at score controversy plus track-by-track analysis with slates, scoring changes, recording dates, more. The final word on ALIEN comes courtesy of Universal Music Group, 20th Century Fox, ace album producers Michael Matessino & Nick Redman plus enthusiastic crew of Intrada. Remember: in space no one can hear you scream! Lionel Newman conducts National Philharmonic Orchestra.
DISC 1 The Complete Original Score 01. Main Title 4:12 02. Hyper Sleep 2:46 03. The Landing 4:31 04. The Terrain 2:21 05. The Craft 1:00 06. The Passage 1:49 07. The Skeleton 2:31 08. A New Face 2:34 09. Hanging On 3:39 10. The Lab 1:05 11. Drop Out 0:57 12. Nothing To Say 1:51 13. Cat Nip 1:01 14. Here Kitty 2:08 15. The Shaft 4:30 16. It's A Droid 3:28 17. Parker's Death 1:52 18. The Eggs 2:23 19. Sleepy Alien 1:04 20. To Sleep 1:56 21. The Cupboard 3:05 22. Out The Door 3:13 23. End Title 3:09 Total Time 57:06 The Rescored Alternate Cues 24. Main Title 4:11 25. Hyper Sleep 2:46 26. The Terrain 0:58 27. The Skeleton 2:30 28. Hanging On 3:08 29. The Cupboard 3:13 30. Out The Door 3:02 Total Time 19:48 Total Disc Time 76:54
DISC 2 The Original 1979 Soundtrack Album 01. Main Title 3:37 02. The Face Hugger 2:36 03. Breakaway 3:03 04. Acid Test 4:40 05. The Landing 4:31 06. The Droid 4:44 07. The Recovery 2:50 08. The Alien Planet 2:31 09. The Shaft 4:01 10. End Title 3:08 Total Time 35:44 Bonus Tracks 11. Main Title (film version) 3:44 12. The Skeleton (alternate take) 2:35 13. The Passage (demonstration excerpt) 1:54 14. Hanging On (demonstration excerpt) 1:08 15. Parker's Death (demonstration excerpt) 1:08 16. It's A Droid (unused inserts) 1:27 17. Eine Kleine Nachtmusik (source) 1:49 Total Time 13:45