Battle Beyond the Stars - Humanoids from the Deep

Review by Thomas Glorieux:

There was a time that I had the bootleg of Horner's much beloved Battle Beyond the Stars in my possession. Now that is history, the sad thing about the bootleg is that is was a downloaded version of the internet and that there were 2 tracks not fully complete ('Cowboy and the Jackers' and 'Love Theme'). Realizing now these two tracks insert even more magic to the complete release and it is the dream come true for any lover of good old fantasy music. This can only come from Horner's pen and sword. And for the fun, we receive Humanoids from the Deep, an equally early entry in Horner's horror list of movie scores. Now talking a little about Battle. Why do people enjoy the earlier scores of James Horner so much more then the latter ones, why are the newer releases more controversial then those he composed in the early days? Well, those early releases were also controversial but people simply didn't mind because they were so good to listen to. Horner in classic outer space resulted in some of the best efforts of him and for its initial film, Apollo 13, Aliens, Cocoon, Star Trek II and III, Krull and the one that all started it in full fashion for Horner, this highly enjoyable release of fantasy and adventure. Of course the score is equally controversial then the others but I as many persons will say in this instance: "Who Cares" because you reach the standards of fun when you hear this score, even if it takes you to other titles such as Krull, Star Trek II and let's not forget Star Trek: The Motion Picture of Jerry Goldsmith.

What distinguishes Battle Beyond the Stars from the others or what makes this one just so special is noticeable in several moments. It has the pace of Krull, the magic and style of Star Trek II and the use of some well known sounds of The Motion Picture, but as said before we don't care as listener because Horner still delivered the goods in full fashion with an excellent main theme, love theme and clearly enjoyed himself composing the overall science fiction and action music. Worth remembering are 'Main Title' and 'Epilogue and End Titles' for their main theme, "Malmori Rear Guard' resembling among other moments in the score parts of Goldsmith's The Motion Picture and simply fun cues like 'The Battle Begins', 'Cowboy and the Jackers', 'The Maze Battle', 'Shad's Pursuit', 'Cowboy's Attack', 'Love Theme', 'Heading for Sador' and 'Destruction of Hammerhead'. Just to mention, the score overall is a treat to listen to. At the end of the score, the 62 players of the orchestra were about to faint because the rhythm was amazing, especially at the end of the last track the notes sound out of tone or misplayed. That is the only remark about Battle Beyond the Stars, the performance of the orchestra which Horner no doubt already mentioned before. Strangely enough they offer lesser quality but on the other hand bring a personality of their own that makes it unique.

Well if Battle was reaching the limits of Star Wars and Star Trek in picture as sound, then what the hell is Humanoids from the Deep trying to recreate? Call it Aliens floating around in a pool of water while the one big boob after the other emerges on the screen. Corman's production was known for its Bimbos, Boobs and Beasts formula (recording to the liner notes) and while it wasn't good, Horner at least was again on board on a movie that people no doubt would see. Surely this isn't a good score, horror efforts are always the better accompanying music for the film itself, and while there are some better Horner moments, it doesn't hold its ground. Especially the main theme is deeply influenced by Jerry Goldsmith's Alien, in 'Main Title', 'Unwelcome Visitor' and 'End Title'. Unbelievable really, a young composer will take any opportunity he gets in movie scoring and will do what the producer and director want of sound, Corman wanted Alien influences. Now Horner is hated for using his influences of other scores, namely his. Small world. Furthermore, there are similarities between Battle and Humanoids and others will mention Aliens where the horror sound would truly flourish.

I can not truly mention that there are a lot of good moments. It is a horror soundtrack with its usual quieter parts, 'Jerry and Peggy' and several other indications but it remains the clang of the orchestra that needs to work, and even if Horner is inventive in the instrumentation with especially bells and the blaster beam, it is still the weaker score of the entire soundtrack. Of course, getting two scores of early success by Horner, with the main portion towards Battle Beyond the Stars, no fan will be sorrow for the inclusion of the Humanoids from the Deep selection. The Horner fan will especially thank GNP-Crescendo for its welcome release and for the perfect liner notes and various photos. With 76 minutes you receive everything a die hard fan wishes himself, in the best possible situations. The one sad thing about this release is the casualty rates of victims. Horner fans hunted people down who owned even a portion of the Battle Beyond the Stars music and those have now died for nothing. Please have a moment in respect for those people ..... just kidding!

Battle Beyond the Stars: ****
Humanoids from the Deep: **1/2

\ЕЕЕ1/2/

Tracks

Single Disc

Battle Beyond the Stars

1. Main Title (2.00) Excellent Track

2. Malmori Rear Guard (3.52)

3. The Battle Begins (4.33) Excellent Track

4. Nanelia And Shad (1.27)

5. Cowboy And The Jackers (3.36) Excellent Track

6. Nanelia's Capture (1.29)

7. The Maze Battle (3.11)

8. Shad's Pursuit (3.23)

9. Cowboy's Attack (1.45)

10. Love Theme (3.52)

11. The Hunter (1.40)

12. Gelt's Death (1.30)

13. Nanelia (1.32)

14. Heading For Sador (0.59)

15. Destruction Of Hammerhead (2.36)

16. Epilogue And End Title (5.03) Excellent Track

Total Length: 42.28

Humanoids from the Deep

17. Main Title (2.27)

18. The Buck - O (3.45)

19. Unwelcome Visitor (2.02)

20. Night Swim (1.47)

21. Jerry And Peggy (0.57)

22. Trip Upriver (1.58)

23. The Humanoids Attack (2.54)

24. Jerry's Death (2.04)

25. Search For Clues (1.56)

26. Strange Catch (1.07)

27. The Grotto (3.22)

28. Night Prowlers (2.08)

29. Final Confrontation (3.04)

30. Aftermath And New Birth (2.22)

31. End Title (2.12)

Total Length: 34.06

The use of artwork or photos is posted for non profitable reasons

=== Link to Composer Site: James Horner ===