Expanded Score Album
COMPOSED AND CONDUCTED
BY BRUCE BROUGHTON
COMPOSED AND CONDUCTED
BY BRUCE BROUGHTON
2. Preparing For Space (2:31)
Broughton's main theme is introduced in this preliminary cue, in which
it's played as a hopeful, triumphant melody, first somewhat held back on
French horn, then let loose by a full orchestral tutti. The next
section introduces the slithering, malevolent motif for the villain of
the film, played on ominous woodwinds. A string rendition of his
theme rounds out the track, making for a more satisfying opening.
3. The Launch (6:22)
This track is one of the highlights of the score, playing off triumphant
versions of the main theme and soaring, blissfully evil strains of Dr.
Smith. The first minute is entirely based on this latter theme, eventually
gaining steam into a full march. Most of it, however, is a collection
of ominous string sections with woodwind flourishes. However, with
the arrival of a huge trumpet/woodwind run, the main theme jubilantly bursts
into the soundscape, first played as a jaunty pizzicato string piece, then
formed into a full brassy fanfare. Later this turns somewhat sinister
and, after an ominous woodwind fantasia on the melody, jumps into a desperate
action cue.
4. Robot Attack (3:21)
One of my personal favorite action segments, this is based upon a racing,
almost out of control string ostinato. After an ominous synth section
and trumpet fanfare, a 6/8 string section leads into the introduction of
this ostinato, punctuated by off-beat percussive hits. The virtuoso
brass writing in a few sections simply has to be heard to be believed,
and one part reintroduces Smith's malevolent woodwind theme.
5. Into the Sun (6:21)
Another brassy action cue, this opens with a percussive, exciting march
with a motif of bass clarinet arpeggios, as well as a few statements of
Smith's theme. Occasionally, the orchestration becomes oppressively
atonal, with a few uses of piled fifth interval chords in the brass.
For the majority of this cue, the main theme takes a back seat to the exciting
action writing, although it's referenced a few times in the background,
as well as a few mutated appearences in the strings and brass. Also,
one time in the last minute, it's played in full by the brass once before
disappearing completely to the tumultuously grand action writing.
6. Spiders (10:22)
This is actually a collection of a few cues strung together, which
makes it hard to get to the better parts, since a lot of it is tension
writing. The main theme appears a few times, but the bulk of the
beginning is a wonderous gothic chord section, complete with synth chorus.
After this superb opening section, the soundscape becomes less interesting,
using the aforementioned tension writing. To evoke the characterization
of the slimy, slithering alien spiders on screen, Broughton uses dissonant,
unstable, slithering string and woodwind orchestration. After this
disquieting section, another brassy action march erupts, which is some
of the best material we've heard so far. This action cue continues
throughout the next few minutes, later overtaken by a quieter atonal section,
only to come back in full to exhaust itself into a climax. Overall,
this is one of the best sections of the score, and its lengthy running
time hardly ever becomes wearing, except in a few of the more harrowing
dissonant passages.
7. A New World (1:25)
This is basically just a tension piece with a few moments of Smith's
theme thrown in.
8. Guiding Stars (1:37)
We now have a tender break in the tension, which makes use of an alto
flute, as well as a few more ethnic sounding passages, and there is later
a slow soaring woodwind section of the main theme.
9. The Time Bubbles (2:21)
Continuing in the more tender mold of the previous cue, this adds a
few noteworthy synth choir wonder moments, as well both a woodwind and
synth performance of the main theme. In the last 30 seconds, however,
it becomes more gothic and dissonant.
10. Smith's Plan (1:21)
A quiet recap of Smith's theme on clarinet, accompanied by strings.
11. Will & Smith Explore (2:00)
After a preliminary racing string and brass outburst, a tense section
comes in, punctuated by synth choir. Later, a snippet of Smith's
theme returns.
12. Will's Time Machine (4:24)
More of the same opens this track - the usual string tension section.
After a few seconds of this, however, another brassy action cue erupts,
intercut with dissonant woodwind moments. Highlights of the cue are
gothic string moments, punctuated by woodwind runs and chorus. Aside
from the 2 desperate permutations of the main theme towards the end, no
thematic material is utilized in this cue.
13. Spider Smith (2:39)
Like the other instances involving Smith, this uses his theme against
playfully malevolent orchestral coloring. There are a few desperate
brassy outbursts amid the slew of gothic, sometimes dissonant moments.
A single touch of the main theme on cello ends the cue.
14. Facing the Monster (8:46)
This is another apocalyptic action cue, much like Spiders. It's
nowhere near as dissonant however, even using a few triumphant outbursts
of the main theme, as well as the gothic string chords that have been used
a lot in this section of the score. The action doesn't really begin
until about the 2 minute mark, and from then on it's nonstop, using statements
of the main theme buried among exciting brass action moments, almost like
a more catastrophic version of Star Wars. Later, more of the dissonant
sections like the ones heard earlier in the score enter for a few minutes.
Broughton uses more synths than usual in the sequence, too. It should
be noted that this cue is more of an underscore cue than a stand-alone
extravaganza, although it's still quite exciting to listen to by itself.
15. Attempted Escape (1:26)
An uneasy permutation on the main theme opens this track, and it ends
up being one of the better ones on the album, using the theme in an utterly
epic fashion with full orchestra, which the pathetic movie definitely didn't
deserve.
16. The Time Portal (2:42)
This climactic cue begins with sweeping, epic grandeur with a soaring,
almost Lawrence of Arabia-like section for the orchestra. The last
section contains another exciting, moving rendition of the entire main
theme, much like track 15.
17. Through the Planet (2:31)
One of the last action cues on the album, this continues in the swashbuckling
form of "Robot Attack," and it's based upon that same ostinato, complete
with some of the virtuoso brass flourishes. Even though you may be
numb to all the exciting action by now, this is one of the better segments
on the album.
18. Back to Hyperspace (1:38)
For the last underscore track in the score, Broughton pulls out all
the stops, using grand statements of the main theme, and a small cameo
from both Smith's theme and the unheard Will fanfare, which won't really
become apparent until the next track.
19. Fanfare for Will (:27)
This gloriously epic fanfare, played entirely on brass, sounds a lot
like some of the composer's western scoring.
20. Lost in Space (3:24)
Broughton ends his score with these end credits, which weren't used
in the movie. It's a final fantasia on the various sections of the
main theme, and one of the better sections in this epic score.
Although some of the more nondescript sections of the score can become wearing, particularly just after the halfway mark, most of it is quite listenable and exciting, and fans of Broughton's westerns, as well as brassy sci-fi scores, will definitely enjoy this, one of his better works. If you love this score, be sure to check out his Tombstone score as well. BTW, this album is pretty tough to find in normal CD stores, so you may have to end up ordering it. PLEASE don't get the song compilation/score CD, because you'll probably end up hating it, since they left out most of the best parts.
| Music Rating | 9/10 |
| Packaging/Liner Notes | 7/10 |
| Orchestral Performance | 10/10 |
| Sound Quality | 10/10 |
| Length | 10/10 |
