Alias

Review by Thomas Glorieux:

Michael Giacchino is known for his amazing scoring abilities on video games, but it should be more then just video games. While being superior at it, Giacchino needs to make a name in the other branches too, and finally we seem to get the answer to our patience. Television series and upcoming films (though just computer animated) seem to bring Michael more to the spot where he belongs recording to many fans of his work. For Television he worked on various films but also the popular Alias was scored by him. Alias tells the story of a female Bond like person, played by the ever so lovely Jennifer Garner and while being perhaps more then just courtroom drama, I hardly saw two episodes of it. Sad in a way but that's life I guess. Michael Giacchino also knew it was not wise to pass up the test of Alias, with creator J.J. Abrams wanting him desperately on the set to score the music. While Abrams only scored the main title, lasting for just 30 seconds, Giacchino was left with the task to handle a demanding Television pressure deadline. But he of course succeeded in handling it admirably and of course, Giacchino fans wanted to hear what he had in store for us this time. Of course Alias is far from the power, complexity and brilliance of Medal of Honor for one, and just like Stargate, it are the series that have to handle the size and scope just levels below the original outing. For Giacchino nonetheless, it was an important step in the right direction and just to hear glimpses of Medal of Honor in an otherwise straightforward Television spy score is what fans wanted I guess. While the main title doesn't really do much, it are various score cues of Michael that make an impact whether you like it or not.

For instance, 'Spanish Heist' is a wonderful track full of beats but also the Spanish flair with guitar and a solo vocal making it as authentic as it can be for the series, despite the electronics that wave through it. 'Anna Shows Up' shows a vocal too but here it are the brass and guitar appearances that make Bond seem like he was there assisting Jennifer. 'Sleeping Beauty' is despite its name a charged action track that shows the best of Giacchino's abilities, with Bond brass and a brief choral back up over a tempo charged suspension builder, one of the best of the bunch here. These are somewhat the highlights of the score, just others are noticed for various reasons. 'Looking For a Man' shows brief sings of the Medal of Honor darkness at the end while a brief returning theme states I guess Sydney's theme. While the brief signs of piano are lovely in 'It Was Anna', most fans will get a kick out of James Horner's evil four note motif appearing in 'Ball Buster', quite effectively I dare to say. At times the score changes somewhat its tone, with 'On to Paris' letting some techno vocals to the bond like mix and 'Bristow & Bristow' and the bonus track 'SD-6 Dance Party' show more signs of Bond fanfares in a beat like flavor, but at the end of the score its nothing we haven't heard before. Altogether, Alias confirms Giacchino's talents and with a Hollywood Symphony Orchestra and an array of electronics, he handles the situation very admirable and good at times. But it still stays Television music and you know Giacchino can do better, considering the power of the Medal of Honor scores. Just like the Stargate series, the Alias television pleaser is lacking what most video games scores of Giacchino contain. But not that this is a complaint to Giacchino, because he makes the most of the music with some wonderful tracks to prove it, and a total amount of music from the first year that will please most of the fans of the show, and of Jennifer Garner of course.

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Tracks

Single Disc

1. Main Title * (0.27)

2. Dissolved (2.07)

3. Red Hair Is Better (2.31)

4. Spanish Heist (4.30)

5. Double Life (1.53)

6. Tunisia (4.12)

7. In The Garden (2.29)

8. Looking For A Man (3.53)

9. Anna Shows Up (3.30)

10. Home Movies (0.40)

11. On To Paris (1.49)

12. Page 47 (1.54)

13. The Prophecy (2.10)

14. Badenweiler (5.11)

15. Arvin At The Poles (1.36)

16. Sleeping Beauty (3.08)

17. Blow'd Up (2.26)

18. It's Not The C.I.A. (1.38)

19. Oh My God!!! (3.18)

20. The Tooth Doctor (2.00)

21. It Was Anna (0.54)

22. Wet Suits (2.39)

23. Ball Buster (1.39)

24. The End? (0.57)

25. Bristow & Bristow (3.26)

Bonus Track

26. SD-6 Dance Party (3.18)

* Main Title written by J.J. Abrams

Total Length: 65.10

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

=== Link to Composer Site: Michael Giacchino ===