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Filmtracks Editorial Review:
Gene Roddenberry's Earth: Final Conflict: (Micky Erbe/Maribeth Solomon) After three successful years on television, the music for this cult sci-fi show finally receives album treatment. The team of Micky Erbe and Maribeth Solomon have lended their talents to the show from the start, and continue to compose diverse sounds for current episodes. The album from Sonic Images is a compilation of pieces from numerous episodes as well as the opening and closing titles. At almost an hour long, the album provides a relaxing, uninterrupted feel for the show and its plethora of styles. While the compilation effect works for the album, it is also detrimental in occasional choppiness. Because of the MIDI style of composition that Erbe and Solomon use while writing for the show, several bits and pieces of music (some very short) needed to be edited together to provide a good flow for the album. In some cases, the edits are barely noticable, while at other moments, a very good sequence of music can come to an abrupt ending and suddenly take a completely different course. The very best track on the album is the second. It features the sum of the soloists who perform regularly for the show, with a distinctly Irish style for that particular episode. Unfortunately, the edits can sometimes leave the hauntingly ethnic cues shorter than desired. Aside from its construction, the album remains an impressive piece of work considering the budgetary restrictions of such a show. The longer suites on the album, including the fourth and nineteenth tracks, contain the most melodic and enjoyable music. Unlike the scores for many other sci-fi shows, Earth: Final Conflict features less of the militaristic percussion and banging. In these regards, it's easier to enjoy than, for instance, Seven Days and Babylon 5. In its favor, the Earth: Final Conflict scores include unique solo performances both in female vocals and the Chinese string instrument erhu. Along with the occasional woodwinds, the orchestral elements (though few) add great depth to the music. In particular, I would have loved to hear more from the two soloist performances mentioned above. On the side, with a slightly different mixing sound than the rest of the album, are the opening and closing titles. The erhu and vocals mix with a hip beat, at a pace that the rest of the score lacks. A longer rendition of this theme (perhaps even just for the album's sake) would have been greatly welcomed. Although the main theme is quoted a few times in the episodic scores, it never is allowed to fully develop, and this is a shame. In the end, however, the music for Earth: Final Conflict is still more enjoyable than many others in its genre, and this CD will be a delight to its fans. Only available through the label and specialty outlets in its first three months of release, the regular stores will begin offering it by June, 2000. ***
Featured Musicians: • Keyboards: Ray Parker, Donald Quan, Tom Szczesniak, Lou Pomanti • Programming: Micky Erbe, Ray Parker, Donald Quan • Solo Vocalist: Leah Erbe • Erhu: George Gao • Violin: Lenny Solomon • Flutes: Ron Korb, Ernie Tollar • EWI, Saxophone: John Johnson • Oboe: Cynthia Staljes • Trumpet: Robert Venables "The initial premise of Gene Roddenberry's Earth: Final Conflict was to create a not-too-distant future and a world where humans had been visited by an enigmatic extraterrestrial race; one with a hidden, perhaps sinister, agenda. Unlike Gene's previous creations dealing with the exploration of outer space by people from the Earth, this new series would explore our own planet and the social, political and emotional ramifications of contact with an advanced alien culture. The task of scoring an ongoing program such as this is no small feat. The scope of the series is such that one episode might take place in an industrialized American city, while the following week's adventure concentrates on a rural European village. Maribeth, Micky and their assembly of talented musicians have captured the essence of this global drama, and have created a sound that is alternatively as exciting and intriguing as the concept itself. It is a great pleasure to bring to you this compilation of music from Earth: Final Conflict. I think Gene would have been happy with what they have accomplished."
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