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| Goldsmith |
Star Trek: Insurrection: (Jerry Goldsmith) For
Star Trek: Insurrection, 1998's embrace of the "Star Trek"
concept's historical affinity for socio-political commentary, actor
Jonathan Frakes returned for his second turn in the direction of the
film franchise, an entry that toned down the suspense and gave the
series a breath of fresh air and comedy. The plotline of
Star Trek:
Insurrection is a lightweight compared to those that came before and
after, lending more credibility to the informal rule that odd-numbered
films in the franchise tend to be flightier affairs. In what essentially
amounts to a bloated 2-hour version of a story best sculpted for an
episode of "Star Trek: The Next Generation," this movie tells a
feel-good tale of the people of a heavenly planet being forced to
relocate because of a natural resource that an alien race needs in its
vicinity (insert wry comments about parallels between this and the
history of America... "Star Trek" writers can never resist such
inspirations). When the "Next Generation" crew of the glamorous new
Enterprise (apparently rid of its unsightly Borg alterations in
Star
Trek: First Contact) try to intervene, they discover that the story
is far more complicated. Both Starfleet and the protagonists end up
doing what audiences love most: violating the "prime directive" with
parallels to Western motifs of an era past. Unfortunately,
Star Trek:
Insurrection marked the franchise's transition from special effects
based upon model photography to those solely reliant upon digital
renderings, and the movie suffered from several awful ship-related
effects sequences as a result. Less embarrassing, of course, is Jerry
Goldsmith's music. While the quality of
Star Trek: Insurrection
as a whole is universally considered far less than that of
Star Trek:
First Contact, Goldsmith's score for the ninth film is arguably
stronger than the highly stylistic and overbearing tones of the previous
film's score. "I think this film is a more romantic film than any of the
others have been," Goldsmith stated at the time. "I think that the
subplots include a very lovely romantic story. So that makes it a little
different for me." He also commented that "there's more action in this"
than in the previous entry, a true statement about a work that has many
close ties to one of the composer's most popular action and
science-fiction triumphs,
Total Recall.
The score for
Star Trek: Insurrection is, in sum,
more satisfying in its romantic and action elements because of the
simplicity of both modes and, on album, it's among the better in the
franchise. It remains leagues ahead of Goldsmith's disappointing
departure from the concept in
Star Trek: Nemesis. For the
purposes of this review, the track titles and times referenced will
refer to the expanded score as it appeared on the numerous bootlegs that
have existed on the market for a long time, with some comparisons to the
2013 track assemblies that belatedly followed in official expanded form.
Goldsmith claimed upon writing
Star Trek: Insurrection that the
score only uses three themes, which unfortunately sells him a bit short.
He said he explicitly avoided writing an overarching theme to cover the
entire film, as well as anything major to represent the Son'a villains,
the former correct but the latter prompting some argument. He also
stated that he constructed only one theme for the peaceful Ba'Ku people,
which is a curious statement because of its blatant falsehood. The
primary, general idea for the Ba'Ku is heard in lieu of a traditional
overture, and a suite-like format exists at 1:05 into "Ba'Ku Village" as
well as in the role of the usual interlude during the "End Credits." It
also anchors the finale of the story at 6:00 into the film version of
"The Healing Process." This pretty and unassuming theme is reminiscent
of the kind of lofty strings and woodwind identity in
Rudy and
several other tender Goldsmith character scores. Among these works, this
theme for
Star Trek: Insurrection is somewhat generic despite its
pleasant tones. Far more beautiful is the second theme for the Ba'Ku,
one which critics (and Goldsmith himself, apparently) seem to lump in
with the previous theme. In reality, this second clearly delineated idea
is more prevalent in the score, and represents both the magical elements
of the Ba'Ku's civilization (rather than simply the innocence, which the
first theme addresses) and the relationship between Captain Picard and
the leader of the Ba'Ku. This theme is far lovelier that the more
generic Ba'Ku one, touched upon briefly in "Warp Capability" and "The
Ba'Ku Planet" before occupying almost the entirety of "New Sight." A
downright magical reprise of the theme on whimsical strings highlights
"A Perfect Moment" and one last performance graces "Into the Caves" at
the 1:10 mark.
The two soft Ba'Ku themes of
Star Trek:
Insurrection together make for a significant amount of extremely
relaxing material, a trait that you wouldn't expect from a "Star Trek"
score, but it's still welcomed for its uniqueness in context. Goldsmith
adds a touch of complexity to the love theme, interestingly, first in a
secondary phrase that seems to generally represent the rejuvenation
process experienced by the main characters (an ascending line with
synthetic tingling effects). More intriguing, however, is the composer's
choice to base the main phrase of the love theme after his recurring
four-note theme of friendship in
Star Trek V: The Final Frontier
and
Star Trek: First Contact, an identity sometimes referred to
as the "quest motif." Whereas this idea was dominant in the prior two
aforementioned scores, its applications here are smartly masked. Not
only does it inform the love theme, but its only actual representation
in prior brass form at 1:20 into "Admiral Dougherty" (or 2:06 into "Lost
Ship/Prepare the Ship" on the 2013 album) signifies once again that the
motif also has firm connections to Starfleet. In this instance, a somber
rendition of the theme represents the admiral's ordering of Captain
Picard to abandon Starfleet's principles, and the latter's decision to
go rogue. This singular moment in the score, uninhibited by dialogue in
the film, stands out as a surprising highlight of the entire work. There
exist two other major identities in
Star Trek: Insurrection, the
most memorable of which representing the villains and the rambunctious
action of the tale. The first is the quick, rising action motif
returning from the previous score, previewed at 0:41 into "Ba'Ku
Village" and used to punctuate moments of specific suspense or action
throughout the story. The main new action theme of the film is often
accompanied by this stirring motif (as in the many references in the
first half of "Not Functioning"), often established by a thunderous
piano base line emphasizing minor third force. This roaring and
surprisingly long and fluid brass construct makes great use of trademark
Goldsmith rhythms of pounding piano and timpani; the rhythm is
formulated in "Dogfight" ("Come Out") and matures in "Not Functioning,"
where (at 0:50) the tenacious theme joins it for several extremely
satisfying capitulations. The idea is reprised in "The Drones Attack"
and, more dramatically, in "The Collector" (at 0:35). Those exploring
the 2013 album will find the "Photon Torpedo" statement of this idea,
representing Data's attack on the Son'a flagship.
A faint manipulation of the villains' theme from
Star
Trek: Insurrection is strung out in "The Same Race," though one of
the truly unfortunate missed opportunities of this score would have been
some explicit measure by Goldsmith to tie together the Ba'Ku and Son'a
with precise similarities in their musical constructs. While not
devastating to the score, the lack of such a connection is a bit of a
head-scratcher in retrospect. It has been reported that the ambitious
piano rhythm and accompanying theme for the Son'a and their actions were
instead based off of an unused cue written by Goldsmith for the
"Massacre" scene in
Total Recall, which would make sense given
the close stylistic similarities between the works. Among the other
themes in
Star Trek: Insurrection is, as discussed already, the
rising, spirited, and heroic submotif that originates in
Star Trek:
First Contact. It has a passing resemblance to the start of Randy
Newman's main theme for
The Natural, though this similarity seems
completely coincidental. Two of the slower, more melodramatic statements
of this theme exist at 0:55 into "The Hidden Ship" and 3:45 into the
film version of "The Healing Process." It's a versatile motif, like the
friendship/Starfleet one, and it continues in the mould of Goldsmith's
distinct style for the films. Despite what the composer says about the
lack of any theme for the villains, there does seem to be yet another
minor, more ominous motif for them. Referenced throughout the score, its
most prominent and lengthy usage is during the entirety of the
"Countdown" cue, though an argument can be made that it serves a more
general purpose of extending suspense rather than represent the Son'a
specifically. Either way, it's effective despite being somewhat typical
to Goldsmith's habits and therefore generic in style. To his credit, the
composer maintains strong continuity in
Star Trek: Insurrection
due to his constant use of at least one of these ideas in every cue.
Thematically, several old favorites persist in
Star Trek:
Insurrection. Alexander Courage's original television show theme is
heard directly at the outset of the score and in its usual role in
Goldsmith's "End Credits" format. The theme for the Enterprise and the
"Next Generation" crew is only heard in that same standard suite and
once during the film itself (as the Enterprise is first seen at the
start of the film). The composer throws a bone to die-hard fans with two
small references to his famous Klingon theme as a representation of Worf
(at 8:10 into "Phaser Blast" and 2:25 into "The Drones Attack" on the
bootlegs).
Throughout
Star Trek: Insurrection, Goldsmith
allows his usual stylistic tendencies to make more connections to the
franchise's past, and this sound remains very effective. Outside of his
recognizable thematic structures and orchestrations, the employment of
his array of synthetic sound effects is put to fantastic use in this
work. As in
Total Recall, the electronic rhythms and singular
sound effects receive a major role in
Star Trek: Insurrection,
perhaps the greatest of any of the composer's five scores for the
franchise. A handful of specific, individual moments in the score should
be recognized due to that electronic usage, including the opening
moments of "The Hidden Ship" (alternately "The Holodeck," the sole truly
comedic aside in the whole) and the rather unique rhythm in "Exodus"
("Send Your Ships"), another awkwardly cute break in the action. Other
specific points in the score are worth mentioning for various reasons.
The progression of the "Main Title" sequence, after the conclusion of
the statement of Courage's theme and the heroic subtheme, mirrors the
majestic descending notes of the opening to
Star Trek: First
Contact, an interesting thread of consistency. The climax of the
original version of "The Healing Process" offers the score's only short
burst of choir in a remarkably powerful crescendo (at 4:05), a cue
replaced for a shorter, non-choral re-arrangement by Goldsmith to
accommodate the less thought-provoking ending chosen for the film (the
lead villain was originally supposed to rapidly de-age to death rather
than get blown up). A singular, lightly stepping rhythm in the latter
half of "The Children's Story," along with other Ba'Ku-related material,
is a foreshadowing of the innocent side of Goldsmith's forthcoming (and
underrated) score for
The Haunting. The performance of the "End
Credit" suite is still not as strong as the one for
Star Trek V: The
Final Frontier, which endures as the best version of that format
produced by Goldsmith (regardless of the improvement in sound quality
over the years). In general,
Star Trek: Insurrection will be
remembered for its enjoyable romantic elements and superior action
material that raises more ruckus than most of Goldsmith's scores since
the composer's
Rambo days. For some listeners, it may be less
recalled as a distinct "Star Trek" entry, however, despite its many
subtle connections to its older siblings. Strictly in terms of quality
of enjoyment, the score ranks near the same level as
Star Trek V: The
Final Frontier and remains a step above
Star Trek: First
Contact and two steps above
Star Trek: Nemesis.
One aspect of
Star Trek: Insurrection worthy of
extended praise is its sound quality. The composer's scores of 1998 and
1999, beginning with
Small Soldiers, feature fantastic aural
presentations, the recordings by Bruce Botnick mixed with a perfect
blend of instrumental clarity and ambient reverberation. In
Star
Trek: Insurrection, the resulting wet sound causes cues like "Not
Functioning" and "The Drones Attack" to be stunning listening
experiences. Unfortunately, occasional mistakes in the brass section
can't be washed away by the mix, and they particularly flub a portion of
"End Credits," which is why, along with the awkward transition to the
Ba'Ku material halfway through, it's not among the better "Star Trek"
suites. Upon the release of the original 1998 GNP Crescendo album of the
spectacular-sounding score, fans of the film noticed immediately that a
substantial amount of good music did not make the cut on the 41-minute
product (nor did it include the enhanced-CD capabilities of GNP's
release of the previous score). Over the three years following
Star
Trek: Insurrection, both of the remaining "Star Trek" series on
television ended and
Star Trek: Nemesis was seemingly taking
forever to reach completion, giving fans of the 24th Century "Star Trek"
franchises more time to reflect on Goldsmith's work for
Star Trek:
Insurrection. Whereas the music for
Star Trek: First Contact
hit fans at breakneck speed, immediately exploding in popularity, the
music for the ninth film took longer to endear itself to the same
audience. However, as the years have shown, a growing respect has
evolved for
Star Trek: Insurrection. Those two "Star Trek" films
received albums from GNP Crescendo that, though making a strong
presentation of both works, lacked several key cues from their
respective wholes. Credit must be given to GNP Crescendo, which will
defend its budgetary restrictions and Goldsmith's personal album
selection choices to the bitter end, but as with the eighth "Star Trek"
score, everyone knew that a more complete bootleg of
Star Trek:
Insurrection would eventually surface on the secondary market. It
took surprisingly little time to do so, too. Within just a matter of a
year after the film's opening in the theatres, single-CD bootlegs of the
nearly complete score began making the rounds. It's not uncommon for
recording sessions of "Star Trek" scores to be leaked to the collector's
market (in some cases, as with
Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered
Country, it took a while), and regardless of your feelings about the
legalities of the matter,
Star Trek: Insurrection really is a
score better appreciated in a fuller form.
In 2013, GNP Crescendo finally appeased the market and
released the complete score for the film, along with several alternate
takes. For most listeners, the bootlegs and the 2013 album will be
interchangeable, with similar contents arranged slightly differently.
These albums make available more of the music you heard in the film with
the same stunning sound quality as the 1998 product. The bootlegs
contain an additional 25 minutes of score while the 2013 official
expansion appends another dozen or so minutes on top of that. Both add
short filler cues and lengthy action sequences to the listening
experience, the 2013 album combining many of the odds and ends into
longer tracks (but thankfully not cross-fading them). Addressing the
cues unreleased on the original 1998 album, the opening credits are
supplemented with over four minutes of the "Phaser Blast" and "Dogfight"
("Come Out") cues, the first of which presenting a performance of the
Klingon theme for Worf and the latter providing an action cue of
considerable length. The filler cues "Warp Capability" and "Ba'Ku
Planet" ("The Planet") are not overwhelming, but they do offer lovely
renditions of the secondary romance theme for the Ba'Ku. The four and a
half minute "The Hidden Ship" ("The Holodeck") is a considerable
omission from the commercial album. As Picard and Data discover a
cloaked ship in a Ba'Ku lake, Goldsmith composes several minutes of
dancing electronics and woodwinds that come directly from the pages of
Total Recall's mind alteration scenes; it's a neat reference for
those who enjoy parallels in Goldsmith's work. The compelling "Admiral
Dougherty" ("Lost Ship/Prepare the Ship") not only features the
friendship/quest/Starfleet theme, but some hints of
Capricorn One
for the conspiracy and deception aspect. The tension continues to build
in "Lock & Load" ("As Long As We Can") until a noble blast at the end
signals the Enterprise crew's readiness to win the day. Several short
cues then represent pivotal scenes in the heart of the film; "Exodus"
("Send Your Ships") introduces the aforementioned, unique string-plucked
motif of movement. The cues "Data's New Friend" and "A Perfect Moment"
build upon the delicate Ba'Ku themes until a short, but beautiful
rendition of the secondary romance theme punctuates the latter. The
stunningly broad music for "The Collector" presents the action theme in
full, elongated glory, and redundant Son'a material of brooding suspense
exists in "Countdown" ("Tractor Beam"). The 2013 album also adds the
film version of "The Healing Process," among two or three other notable
cues, all decent but not overwhelming. On any album, the crystal clear
sound quality is the ultimate selling point, allowing you to hear the
strengths of Goldsmith's last solid "Star Trek" score down to every
last, wall-rattling detail. Seek the longer albums with confidence.
@Amazon.com: CD or
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- Music as Written for the Film: ****
- Music as Heard on the 1998 GNP Crescendo Album: ***
- Music as Heard on the 1999 Bootlegs: ****
- Music as Heard on the 2013 GNP Crescendo Album: ****
- Overall: ****
| Bias Check: |
For Jerry Goldsmith reviews at Filmtracks, the average editorial rating is 3.26
(in 125 reviews)
and the average viewer rating is 3.29
(in 153,510 votes). The maximum rating is 5 stars.
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