Alien Soundtrack CD
Alien
1979, 20th Century Fox
Jerry Goldsmith
Silva Screen, CD, 1988, FILMCD 003
Rating: 
One of the most effective sci-fi horror films ever made, ‘Alien’ kick-started Sigourney Weaver’s career, spawned three main sequels and countless imitations. Though the creature bursting from the chest of John Hurt’s character, Kane, has become one of its defining moments, its claustrophobic direction by Ridley Scott and top notch editing by Terry Rawlings make a simple creature feature into something far superior. Jerry Goldsmith’s score is equally effective, though large chunks weren’t used in the final print of the film, including the entire end title sequence, replaced by Howard Hanson’s Symphony No. 2 ‘The Romantic’. This aside, it is difficult to fault ‘Alien’ as a stand alone horror score. Apart from the atmospheric ‘Main Title’, expanded upon in ‘The Droid’, ‘The Landing’ and ‘End Title’. that lulls the listener into a false sense of security, most of the cues are cold, hard horror that barely let-up until the final note is struck. Percussive effects that mimic the alien threat are pretty disturbing, particularly in ‘Face Hugger’ and ‘The Recovery’. ‘Breakaway’ is a powerful, melodic cue driven by brass that is filled with intention and urgency; while ‘The Alien Planet’ builds from a sense of isolation to one of immediate threat. Whether Ridley Scott’s preferred composer, Isao Tomita, known for his re-workings of Holst’s ‘The Planets’ among others, could have done any better we will never know, but Goldsmith’s effort remains exciting, unsettling and highly original.
Alien Movie Soundtrack. Review: Tim Mowbray.
Track Listing:
1. Main Title.
2. Face Hugger.
3. Breakaway.
4. Acid Test.
5. The Landing.
6. The Droid.
7. The Recovery.
8. The Alien Planet.
9. The Shaft.
10. End Title.
Other Versions Available:
Silva Screen, LP, 1987, Film 003
Rating:
Side One:
1. Main Title.
2. Face Hugger.
3. Breakaway.
4. Acid Test.
5. The Landing.
Side Two:
6. The Droid.
7. The Recovery.
8. The Alien Planet.
9. The Shaft.
10. End Title.
Alien Complete Soundtrack CD
Intrada, CD, 2007, MAF 7102.
Rating:
This exciting two disc special edition incorporates Goldsmith’s original score in its entirety, including plenty of rescored alternate cues, along with the original soundtrack album (see above). Ridley Scott’s decision not to use certain sections of the score, most notably, the closing credit sequence, and to replace others with Goldsmith’s Oscar nominated music from ‘Freud’, against his wishes, caused rancour at the time, but listening to the music side by side, Goldsmith’s rescored ‘Main Title’, used in the film, with its unsettling noises and cold dissonance makes for a superior opener against the original, more thematic material. Though the original album is a strong, cohesive representation, the complete score is a far more varied offering, incorporating many of Goldsmith’s gentler, ‘spaces capes‘, such as the beautiful ‘Hyper Sleep’. Extensive liner notes, stills from the movie and a cue by cue breakdown make this an essential buy.
Alien: Complete original motion Picture Soundtrack. Review: Tim Mowbray.
Track Listing:
The Complete Original Score.
1. Main Title.
2. Hyper Sleep.
3. The Landing.
4. The Terrain.
5. The Craft.
6. The Passage.
7. The Skeleton.
8. A New Face.
9. Hanging On.
10. The Lab.
11. Drop Out.
12. Nothing To Say.
13. Cat Nip.
14. Here Kitty.
15. The Shaft.
16. It’s A Droid.
17. Parker’s Death.
18. The Eggs.
19. Sleepy Alien.
20. To Sleep.
21. The Cupboard.
22. Out The Door.
23. End Title.
The Rescored Alternate Cues.
24. Main Title.
25. Hyper Sleep.
26. The Terrain.
27. The Skeleton.
28. Hanging On.
29. The Cupboard.
30. Out The Door.
Disc Two.
The Original 1979 Soundtrack Album (see entry above).
Tracks 1-10.
Bonus Tracks.
11. Main Title (film version).
12. The Skeleton (alternate take).
13. The Passage (demonstration excerpt).
14. Hanging On (demonstration excerpt).
15. Parker’s Death (demonstration excerpt).
16. It’s A Droid (unused inserts).
17. Eine Kleine Nachtmusik (source).
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