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Review of Lois & Clark (Jay Gruska)

FILMTRACKS RECOMMENDS:

Buy it... without hesitation if you are a fan of the show and own its DVD release, for Jay Gruska's music was a significant part of its success.

Avoid it... if you demand the production quality of a feature film ensemble and only John Williams' theatrical themes suffice for these characters.

FILMTRACKS EDITORIAL REVIEW:

Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman: (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 Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, 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 Lois & Clark 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 Lois & Clark, his credits included significant work on Beverly Hills, 90210 (before) and especially Charmed (after).

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.  ***

TRACK LISTINGS:

Total Time: 57:33

• 1. Main Title (1:06) • 2. The Mother Ship (2:02) • 3. Lois & Clark Courting (3:13) • 4. The Final Proposal (2:02) • 5. Clark in the Country (1:45) • 6. The Final Battle (4:36) • 7. Lois' Big Band (1:14) • 8. Clark's Salsa (1:47) • 9. Superman Says Goodbye (4:25) • 10. Lois & Clark's New Home (2:53) • 11. Baby Dreams (3:12)

• 12. The Villains (7:27) • 13. Superman Flies Home (1:26) • 14. Lois and Clark's First Love Theme (1:26) • 15. Virtual Reality (2:37) • 16. Tez Arrives (1:06) • 17. Zarah & Ching (3:51) • 18. Tempus (2:46) • 19. Clark Fun (1:25) • 20. Playing the Game (1:19) • 21. Main Title Theme (Extended Mix) (5:35)

NOTES & QUOTES:

The insert includes notes by Dean Cain and Jay Gruska about the series and music.

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The reviews and other textual content contained on the filmtracks.com site may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of Christian Clemmensen at Filmtracks Publications. All artwork and sound clips from Lois & Clark are Copyright © 1997, Sonic Images Records and cannot be redistributed without the label's expressed written consent. Page created 3/3/98 and last updated 4/23/06.