: (Jay
Gruska) It's hard to argue with the popularity of DC's Superman
character these days. With multiple television series of immense
popularity and a franchise of films that received a rebirth in 2006, the
characters of Superman, Lois Lane, and Lex Luther have remained in the
forefront of mainstream entertainment for decades. One entry in this
legacy was
, a Warner
Brothers show that ran from 1993 to 1997 and garnered several Emmy
nominations during its run. After failed auditions by Gerard Christopher
and Kevin Sorbo, unknown football player Dean Cain was given the title
role opposite Teri Hatcher as Lois Lane, and their on screen chemistry
led to a very loyal following and significant name recognition (more for
Hatcher, of course). The 88-episode series had all the necessary comedic
and romantic elements that made the characters' on screen debut in the
1970's popular with women as well as men. Warner has since gone on to
profit from other incarnations of the story, but one of the more
popular, lasting aspects of
was its music. Written
by Jay Gruska (with additional material by William Kidd), the music for
the series required a broad range of genres, including the expected
fanfares of an orchestral ensemble. Gruska has made a living off of
songwriting for well known pop artists as well as his consistent work
for television series. Aside from
Gruska's introduction to orchestral music came after
his original songwriting talents had already filled his resume, and his
early experience included arranging and producing music for James
Horner's
Cocoon and
Commando scores. While mainstream
exposure is difficult for anyone involved heavily in television scores
(just ask Lee Holdridge about that), his music for
Lois & Clark
has experienced a second life on album, a worthy souvenir of sorts for
fans of the show forced to wait several years for its DVD release.
Nominated for an Emmy for his title theme for
Lois & Clark,
Gruska's music deceives you because it doesn't often rely on the concept
of the fanfare for its success. As a matter of fact, it can be argued
that the title fanfare is the biggest weakness of Gruska's music for the
series. Fans of the show will disagree, for it's certainly a catchy
brass piece. But you can't help but get the impression that Gruska was
attempting to bridge the gap between John Williams' popular theme for
the films and the expectations of audiences and producers for
Lois &
Clark. Unfortunately, the obvious restrictions of a smaller ensemble
and the rather trite progression of Gruska's title theme make it a
curiosity. For avid television viewers, the theme probably suffices, but
for film score collectors, it will sound sparse, underpowered, and too
fluffy in its attempt to capture the heroism of the character. However,
that said, the rest of Gruska's music for the series is not only
serviceable, but actually quite good. Like the show, the album provides
more comedy and romance elements than straight action, and in both
regards, Gruska succeeds in reaching the smaller expectations of a
limited orchestral ensemble.
One musical calling card for this series was the use of
solo woodwinds to carry a theme, and in the courtship cues, Gruska's
woodwind writing, backed by lyrical strings, is smooth and enjoyable. A
solo piano also offers strong performances of the love theme from the
series with delicate sincerity. The other interesting instrumental
identity of
Lois & Clark is Gruska's curious fascination with the
vibration of suspended cymbals. Nearly every cue in the score utilizes
different pitches of cymbals at some point or another, which is easy to
enjoy because vibrating cymbals are generally non-offensive, and Gruska
does successfully incorporate them as an element of "magic" in his music
here. The latter half of the album features them nearly constantly as
part of every cue. A few individual deviations should be mentioned:
Gruska uses a male choral effect in the cute "Baby Dreams" cue as well
as the impressively eerie, lengthy "The Villains." Occasionally, some
synthetic orchestral elements seemingly enter the equation, causing cues
like "Virtual Reality" and "Tez Arrives" to border on
X-Files
territory. Upbeat distractions include international rhythmic flavor in
"Lois' Big Band," "Clark's Salsa," and "Clark Fun." An extended remix of
the title theme is an odd end to the album. Overall, three cues from
this album were featured on the Sonic Images' "Prime Time" compilation a
few years later, but be aware that these are not among the best from the
original
Lois & Clark album. There is much good music to be heard
on this Gruska product, and it is indeed an outstanding souvenir for
fans of the show. General film and television collectors should know,
though, that the mood of the music will shift quite frequently, and that
title theme could very easily get on your nerves.
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