Buy it... if all you know of Christopher Young is his plethora of horror and suspense scores, for Murder in the First is a superior and memorable venture into the historical drama genre.

Avoid it... if quiet elegies performed by strings and choir (and virtually nothing else) defy your need for more dynamic and extroverted music from the horror master.

Young

Murder in the First: (Christopher Young) Rarely referenced but quite memorable in its acting performances and examination of the penal system, Murder in the First was a failed 1995 historical drama starring Christian Slater, Kevin Bacon, and Gary Oldman. Bacon's character is sent to the gloomy Alcatraz prison in 1938 for stealing $5 to feed his sister, and after years of solitary confinement he commits murder and is put on trial for that crime. The attempt by his attorney, played by Slater, to gain the trust of the prisoner, as well as deal with the almost delusional torments of that man, are the focus of the film. While positive criticism met Murder in the First, especially in regards to Bacon's performance and outstanding art direction, the film fell into immediate obscurity. The same could be said of Christopher Young's music for the picture. Much praised, it too never gained mainstream appreciation. Young was best known in both the industry and the public eye as a master of the horror and suspense genres, bursting into the limelight a decade earlier with rowdy orchestral feats of terror. For fans exclusively familiar with this genre of writing from Young, Murder in the First is a striking change of direction. A dozen years later, sadly, the same statement still applied, with Young's career flirting with mainstream action films but never grasping heavy dramas in the way that he accomplished with Murder in the First. In the decades before or after, Young has rarely hinted at the same level of beauty and solace that is heard throughout this score, and a rare album release has added to the futility of the score's plight. The ensemble for the recording is non-traditional in that it features a massive string section but no brass or woodwinds. Solo contributions by harp, piano, and timpani are evident, but sparse. An adult chorus is a key factor in providing a gorgeous hint at salvation despite the film's dreary circumstances (much like the choral parts of James Newton Howard's Flatliners in terms of style). A few source cues utilize a smaller, more complete orchestra for mock newsreel material. In terms of ambience, however, the score's restraint is an asset that lends credibility to its dramatic aspirations.

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Young writes three themes for Murder in the First, though only two are easily identifiable. The opening cue, "Murder in the First" presents the respectful title theme for solo string layers during its first two minutes before launching into the "Redemption" theme that flourishes in the track of that name at the end of the album. The title theme receives significant treatment by solos from each sub-section of the strings, culminating in a poignant finale in the last minute of "Back to the Rock." The "Redemption" theme is first given its full string and choral rendition in "The Truth Be Known" before; the chorus only makes a few contributions to the score, but its presence is immensely powerful. Its performances aren't intense, but their grim respect matches, in many ways, the tones that John Williams achieved later with his hymn for Saving Private Ryan. The third theme is more of a longing motif on the layered strings that is used in the score's bleakest moments. Outside of the cues that offer the "Redemption" theme with the choral ensemble, it's difficult to pinpoint distinct highlights in the remainder of the underscore. Young so consistently maintains a very slight, but impressive presence of harmonious strings that the score has no distinctly weaker points. Interestingly, the grim moments of torture in the film are not represented by equally brutal cues, at least not as heard on the album. The listening experience is disrupted significantly by the two newsreel source cues, and despite Young's ability to very accurately imitate their style, their length makes them a daunting obstacle. The remaining forty minutes occasionally meander in barely audible depths, but otherwise are a thematic delight. Listeners who appreciate fine string solos will be pleased by Murder in the First, though the score's definition by some fans as a "classic" is perhaps promising too much. It's certainly a score of magnificence in several places, but its own understatement in performance depth restrains its dramatic potential. A rare commercial album from France has added to the mystique of this score through the years. Murder in the First remains a highlight in Young's career, though with stiff competition from a variety of great scores in 1995, it rarely receives the recognition it deserves. ****   Amazon.com Price Hunt: CD or Download

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For Christopher Young reviews at Filmtracks, the average editorial rating is 3.3 (in 23 reviews) and the average viewer rating is 2.99 (in 7,951 votes). The maximum rating is 5 stars.