Star Trek: The Motion Picture

Goldsmith seems a lot more adventurous in this score, unlike First Contact, etc. He throws in a bunch of sound effects, especially in 'Klingon Battle'. Those strange ones at 4:30, for example, are a lot of fun. The strangest one is at about 4:15 in 'The Force-Field'. I can't quite figure it out, but it adds a beautiful, almost saddish quality to the sequence.

The main theme of course is probably, thanks to TNG, the most recognizable theme in history. Probably even more than the Star Wars theme or the Imperial March. (!) It's performance in the Main Title here is great. It feels so fresh and new compared to the rehash of the fanfare and samey arrangement of Goldsmith's next three Star Trek efforts. It is used quite a bit throughout the film, unlike in the newer ones. The best performance is in 'The Enterprise' especially from 3:20 when the ship comes into view. The piano accompaniment is beautiful and inventive. Then, this track has the best finale on the cd as the space-pod docks. Simply beautiful! Other great uses are in 'Leaving Dry-dock' and 'Total Logic'. Ilia's theme is touching, especially from 1:20 on 'Ilia's Theme' when the theme comes out strong on a new key after a minor chord. The theme is not used too much in the score, but it is used well, which is just as good. It appears in a lush version in 'Games' and, interestingly, appears in a somewhat menacing minor version in 'V'ger Flyover' to signify Ilia's special link with V'Ger. The Klingon theme is great fun but only appears once. It would have been neat if it appeared in 'Spock Walk' when all the space stations and the machine planet appear (if the Klingon ships were in there). The theme is probably best near the end of the track 'The Klingon Battle' when the ship is going into evasive maneuvers. There are many sub-themes for V'Ger in the movie. Of course, the 'blaster beam' always appears in the V'Ger tracks, providing an otherworldly sound. The most common V'Ger motif is the first one you hear in 'Klingon Battle'. Another is the moody arpeggios first heard in 'The Cloud'. It's neat how this sub-theme is reworked in 'Spock Walk' at a faster speed. There is a "space station/ship" motif which is basically flutes and bells. Quite nice and appearing mainly in 'Floatin Office', but quite other times when Federation ships are around. These sub-themes are great and it's always fun to discover new ones woven into the score.

Highlights of the score include the sequence where Spock mind-melds with Ilia/V'Ger in 'Spock Walk; The finale to 'The Enterprise'; 'The Cloud'; And, the most beautiful section, the little sequence near the end of 'The Enterprise' with the strings over a horn background at 4:36.

This is definitely an epic soundtrack and is definitely worth the rather inflated price. The 20th Anniversary edition is definitely worth buying even if you already have the 1979 LP or 1986 cd. This version adds 50% more music, and it definitely sounds better than the LP. This one is definitely worth getting. Best Tracks: Main Title / Klingon Battle* The Enterprise*********** The Cloud** Spock Walk (despite the title)** The Force Field (from ~3:00 - ~4:30)** A Good Start (although it's basically a quieter remix of 'The Enterprise)*