Michael Giacchino - STAR TREK BEYOND (2016)

[Dixon Hill 4,233]

What about the mix disappoints you?  It sounds to me like the most natural one Giacchino's received so far.

[Will 2,215]

Question for those who have seen the film:

 

Does the end of the film go "Par-tay for the Course," fanfare as heard in 2009 OST "To Boldly Go," and then end credits which start the same way 2009 OST "End Credits" does? 

[BLUMENKOHL 1,068]

8 minutes ago, TheWhiteRider said:

What about the mix disappoints you?  It sounds to me like the most natural one Giacchino's received so far.

 

Highs are too boosted

8 minutes ago, TheWhiteRider said:

What about the mix disappoints you?  It sounds to me like the most natural one Giacchino's received so far.

 

Highs are too boosted

8 minutes ago, TheWhiteRider said:

What about the mix disappoints you?  It sounds to me like the most natural one Giacchino's received so far.

 

Highs are too boosted

[Will 2,215]

2 hours ago, TheWhiteRider said:

Can't say I'm getting any "best action cue of the year" vibe from Crash Decisions though... not even best action cue of the score.

 

Yes, it's good but even within this score it has quite a bit of competition of equal or even greater stature. 

[Dixon Hill 4,233]

On the strings, maybe.  They're spotted a little bit in certain places.  But the winds and especially brass, for one of Mikey G's scores, sound quite organic.  And I love how airy the choir is.

[BLUMENKOHL 1,068]

Just now, Will said:

 

Yes, it's good but even within this score it has quite a bit of competition. 

 

Yep 

[crocodile 7,988]

13 minutes ago, TheWhiteRider said:

What about the mix disappoints you?  It sounds to me like the most natural one Giacchino's received so far.

Film mix.

 

Karol

13 minutes ago, TheWhiteRider said:

What about the mix disappoints you?  It sounds to me like the most natural one Giacchino's received so far.

Film mix.

 

Karol

[BLUMENKOHL 1,068]

None of the action is that great. I do like the motorcycle one. It's actually got range. 

 

 

[Dixon Hill 4,233]

I think that's the one that jumped out at me too.  And maybe some Jaylah scenes too.

 

More genuinely butt-kickin' gals in movies, please.

[BLUMENKOHL 1,068]

Taunting Jaylah or whatever it's called had a fun opening. All the Jaylah cues have a TOS Gorn fight vibe I enjoy nostalgically. 

[Dixon Hill 4,233]

Exactly!

[Jay 37,312]

Odd, the Jaylah action cues were my least favorite in the score and I prefer all the others.

[MedigoScan 324]

I appreciate what each action cue has to offer really

some are relentless carnage like Swarm Reception/Hitting the Saucer

others are more fun like the Motorcycle cue or heroic like Crash Decisions

 

if I had to cut one, it would be one of the final Krall clashes

 

44 minutes ago, Will said:

Question for those who have seen the film:

 

Does the end of the film go "Par-tay for the Course," fanfare as heard in 2009 OST "To Boldly Go," and then end credits which start the same way 2009 OST "End Credits" does? 

 

yeah after ParTay for the Course you immediately get the ToBoldlyGo fanfare. But then it goes straight into the Rihanna song for the black screen/white text credits

and it only uses the last part of the Star Trek Main Theme to end the credits. The rest is material from Night on the Yorktown(I think, it uses the 3 year mission theme)

[Disco Stu 15,495]

I'm actually really glad "Star Trek Main Theme" is a track that finally exists.  A presentation of just Giacchino's central theme for the nü-Trek movies all by itself.  Very convenient to have.

[BLUMENKOHL 1,068]

2 minutes ago, Jay said:

Odd, the Jaylah action cues were my least favorite in the score and I prefer all the others.

 

Crash Decisions is him channeling goldsmith's Red Alert. 

 

It's good, but not Goldsmith good. 

[Will 2,215]

2 hours ago, Not Mr. Big said:

I think the action music is the clear weak point of this score.  

 

Yep. Giacchino continues to write action cues that are complex in orchestration and superficially might even seem like Williams cues. Yet, it's hard to really describe, but Giacchino's action writing still usually lacks a certain "spirit" present in many similar Williams cues. Perhaps more listens will provide some enlightenment about how enjoyable it is, but at this time I really don't find most of it exciting to listen to. Again, it's hard to describe, but it often seems as if Giacchino writes complicatedly orchestrated action material just for the sake of making it complex, whereas for Williams there is always a life, a vitality, that comes out of the orchestrations. There are exceptions, of course; Giacchino has written some action stuff I enjoy very much, although my favorite action moments of his came in Into Darkness, so it feels to me like he took a step back here. I keep hoping Giacchino will finally burst onto the action music scene with consistently fun, exciting writing, but that moment hasn't come yet.

[Giftheck 916]

3 minutes ago, Disco Stu said:

I'm actually really glad "Star Trek Main Theme" is a track that finally exists.  A presentation of just Giacchino's central theme for the nü-Trek movies all by itself.  Very convenient to have.

 

It was a track in the original OST for Into Darkness.

[Dixon Hill 4,233]

9 minutes ago, Blumenkohl said:

 

Crash Decisions is him channeling goldsmith's Red Alert. 

 

It's good, but not Goldsmith good. 

 

I think it's the weakest track on the album.  The string motor thing is bland, the brass motif is flimsy and characterless, and the whole sequence has no real arch to it.  It's just a few musical episodes strung together.

[Faleel 5,340]

22 hours ago, leeallen01 said:

You don't like Red Alert Blume?

[Disco Stu 15,495]

14 minutes ago, Gistech said:

 

It was a track in the original OST for Into Darkness.

 

Ahhhhh, I didn't realize that.  I didn't buy that one until the deluxe version came out.  Well...nevermind then.

[Perrinzki 8]

To those that really like Giacchino's new major theme (a vast majority, it seems), I urge to either listen to or revisit his score for the video game "Medal of Honor: Underground", as the main theme he wrote for that one will most likely be reminiscent of the '5 year mission' theme in its lyrical quality and elegant melody.

[Will 2,215]

1 hour ago, Blumenkohl said:

None of the action is that great. I do like the motorcycle one. It's actually got range. 

 

1 hour ago, TheWhiteRider said:

I think that's the one that jumped out at me too. 

 

Same with me. The beginning of the cue especially. Great minds think alike! 

 

The end of "Mocking Jaylah" is great, too. And speaking of that cue, has anyone else noticed the conspicuous similarity between some of the action figures and Finn's theme (starting at 1:29 in the Trek track)? 

[Will 2,215]

3 hours ago, TheWhiteRider said:

 

I think it's the weakest track on the album.  The string motor thing is bland, the brass motif is flimsy and characterless, and the whole sequence has no real arch to it.  It's just a few musical episodes strung together.

 

You know, I didn't like it initially, but it's already growing on me. I probably should have studied the score further before making such sweeping judgments on the action material.

 

------------

 

My God, that mission theme is incredible. My favorite part is the longing bit at the end of the melody, and then the transitional couple notes that move us from the theme to other stuff. It's really too bad we only hear the theme three times on the OST (although Jason LeBlanc suggested there might be at least one more in the film, which I hope to see by next week).

 

It's almost like Giacchino realized us Williams fans were craving a massive, extended, emotional thematic statement and boy did he give us one in "Night on the Yorktown." 

[Dixon Hill 4,233]

25 minutes ago, Will said:

 

You know, I didn't like it initially, but it's already growing on me. I probably should have studied the score further before making such sweeping judgments on the action material.

 

There isn't much to study there.  It's a weak cue, but familiarity can often breed fondness regardless.

[Will 2,215]

I should add that, as of this time, Beyond's score sits far, far below that of the BFG (the year's best to date) in my book. That could change, though. We'll see.

[Dixon Hill 4,233]

Interstellar > Star Trek Generations > Star Trek Beyond >>>>>>>>>>>>>>> The BFG

[KK 3,307]

So is this score any good?

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

We're not sure yet!

[Cerebral Cortex 3,357]

For those who like their cover art a little old school:
 

Alternates:

Spoiler

Spoiler

 

[Dixon Hill 4,233]

1 hour ago, KK said:

So is this score any good?

 

I think you may find some things to like.

[KK 3,307]

Good. I am cautiously optimistic.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

There are things that are good, and things that are not so good.

 

We'll let you know.

[publicist 4,643]

I tried it today but after 'Motor Cycles of Relief' i felt the irresistible urge to listen to 'Star Trek V' instead and doubt that my interest level after doing so ever reaches the point of listening to the whole 'Beyond' album again.

 

It's not at all bad, though. Just a bit tiring.

[MedigoScan 324]

clearly 60 minutes is still not enough music~!

 

[Will 2,215]

6 hours ago, TheWhiteRider said:

The BFG >>>>> Star Trek Beyond

 

Fixed.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

2 hours ago, publicist said:

I tried it today but after 'Motor Cycles of Relief' i felt the irresistible urge to listen to 'Star Trek V' instead and doubt that my interest level after doing so ever reaches the point of listening to the whole 'Beyond' album again.

 

It's not at all bad, though. Just a bit tiring.

 

It's bland, ultimately.

Like much of Gia's output when listening to it on it's own it just lacks a certain something. A certain sense of drama, or dramatic build-up. There's never a strong sense of narrative, or that Gia is purposely building toward something. There are good moments throughout, but they seem almost incidental, and they arent followed through.

 

It's not a bad score by any means, and it really works well in the film. I rather enjoyed listening to the album and would enjoy it if I listened to it again. But I don't particularly feel the urge. There's no hook that beckons you to delve into this score further.

[crocodile 7,988]

3 hours ago, publicist said:

I tried it today but after 'Motor Cycles of Relief' i felt the irresistible urge to listen to 'Star Trek V' instead and doubt that my interest level after doing so ever reaches the point of listening to the whole 'Beyond' album again.

 

It's not at all bad, though. Just a bit tiring

 

How does it rank among his other Trek scores?

 

Karol

[Quintus 5,399]

52 minutes ago, Stefancos said:

 

It's bland, ultimately.

Like much of Gia's output when listening to it on it's own it just lacks a certain something. A certain sense of drama, or dramatic build-up. There's never a strong sense of narrative, or that Gia is purposely building toward something. There are good moments throughout, but they seem almost incidental, and they arent followed through.

 

It's not a bad score by any means, and it really works well in the film. I rather enjoyed listening to the album and would enjoy it if I listened to it again. But I don't particularly feel the urge. There's no hook that beckons you to delve into this score further.

 

Classic Giacchino! 

[Quintus 5,399]

So I've just listened to 'Night on the Yorktown'. Is this supposed to be Beyond's equivalent to The Enterprise? Presumably you have to be a bit of a trekkie to think this is awesome? Because as a non trekkie I thought it was completely average. 

 

Any other recommendations then? 

 

Lonnegan - trying with Gia once again 

[Disco Stu 15,495]

He either clicks with you or doesn't I guess.  To me, Giacchino is like eating my favorite candy.  It's sweet and pleasurable but it's not a meal and if I eat too much I don't want to see that candy again for a while.

 

Which is to say, he's one of my 4 or 5 favorite composers working!

[Jay 37,312]

Quint you won't like any of it.

 

But for me, a good 20 minute representation of the score would be

 

Thank Your Lucky Star Date (2:14)
Night on the Yorktown (5:36)
Hitting the Saucer a Little Hard (6:09)
Motorcycles of Relief (3:17)
Crash Decisions (3:15)
 

[Quintus 5,399]

I'll give them a go. 

[Giftheck 916]

16 hours ago, Disco Stu said:

 

Ahhhhh, I didn't realize that.  I didn't buy that one until the deluxe version came out.  Well...nevermind then.

 

Yeah, much like this OST, they didn't include a full end credits suite to finish it out, only the Star Trek Main Theme.

 

Speaking of End Credits, is it me, or does Giacchino record one piece more than is used in each film:

2009: Courage Theme (Used), Spock's Theme PT1 (Used), Spocks Theme PT2 (Unused), Matter I Barely Know Her Reprise (Used), Star Trek Main Theme (Used)

Into Darkness: Courage Theme (Used), Spock's Theme PT1 (Unused), Star Trek Main Theme (Used)

Beyond: Just going off what was said before but it seems the only part recorded and used was the Courage theme.

[Offline 29]

As someone who typically adores most Giacchino's scores, I am sort of disappointed by this one. I don't love it nearly as much as Star Trek 09 and definitely not as much as Into Darkness. Really unfortunate. 

 

Also: "Star Trek Main Theme" is especially bad compared to most other renditions of it. The best descriptor of it would be sloppy.

[MedigoScan 324]

having seen the movie again (because yeah)

I can say that a lot of the missing music is just background stuff from transitionary scenes in the middle act (about 7 of them)

the big pieces we are missing are

-The admirals talk with Kirk 

-About 5/6 minutes from the first battle scene, from when Krall enters until Kirks tells everyone to abandon ship (I really wish we got the part where the Enterprise gets its neck cut through).

- Sulu and Uhura sneaking out

- The action piece in the wreckage of the Enterprise

- Pretty much every scene Uhura has with Krall

- Spocks discussion with Bones about the death of Spock Prime

- Spock and Bones being rescued, and Spock being treated for his injury

- Everything from the crew seeing the swarm leave the planet up until they blow the swarm up at Yorktown (about 3/4 themes here)

- A short battle/main theme segment that goes in between Shutdown Happens and Crater Krall

- And the scene where Spock sees Spock Prime's foto of the old crew

[Giftheck 916]

I would really love to have heard this film's version of "To Boldly Go" cleanly. Particularly to see if it's just a copy of the 2009 live-to-projection as the Star Trek Main Theme is (that elongated ending was in more recent versions of the live to projection, omitting the crescendo in the film) or whether he re-recorded both To Boldly Go and End Credits Part 1 exactly as originally written.

[Damien F 1,742]

Does Jaylah have any thematic material at all? If so, it has gone right over my head after seeing the movie and multiple album listens.

[TheUlyssesian 2,473]

Liked the film. Liked the score. Gia is of course quality.

 

One thought - I am wondering now if the theme is as good as it is considered to be. Its a memorable theme and is certainly instantly recognizable whenever it comes on. But it seems rather simplistic and I think there is not much variation in the main melody. I am glad he's using other parts of the theme or else it would be a bit stale. I think it already might be.

 

On the other hand, the Vulcan theme is a beauty. Why is it  used so sparingly.

 

 

[Faleel 5,340]

How many Vulcan s are featured on screen?

[publicist 4,643]

17 hours ago, crocodile said:

How does it rank among his other Trek scores?

 

I'm no expert but i say it's less tedious than the second and on par with the first. Album could've used a trim to 45 like the first one, too.