Lost

Review by Thomas Glorieux:

Michael Giacchino has really hit stardom when he met J.J. Abrams on Alias, the successful female bond series. Due to the success most of the same crew went on to make the hit series Lost. Lost is about a group of people who survived a plane crash and are stranded on a deserted island, far away from reality. Back to basics, the group figures out that each member of the island holds a history and a future, and in between they are attacked by what seems like a gigantic monster, a group of people known as the others and find out that the island holds many secrets, some don't want it to be discovered. I assume anyone has chosen a favorite character by now, whether its the hero Jack, the fugitive Kate, the drug addict Charlie, the friendly Hurley, the pregnant Claire, the cowboy Sawyer, the father Michael and his son Walt, the clever Sayid, the much "beloved" Jin and his wife Sun, brother Boone and sister Shannon or the clever Locke, they all will have captured one spark in your Lost heart by now. And due to the enormous success of the show, Season 2 is now showing all over the world while 3 is in the making. On board of that success is now Michael Giacchino and it has catapulted him into fame, receiving acclaim and awards for his music on the show. And while he has to combine the hefty scoring of Lost with filmmusic projects as Mission: Impossible III, its fair to say Giacchino has finally got what he deserved all along, a place in Hollywood stardom. With Lost, Var鋊e Sarabande has also answered the call fans all over the world were spreading, and it seems this will be just one of the many scores to come. Don't forget, with Alias we received season 1 and 2 separately. 24 was a spread season effort of 3 series while Lost is now released as a first season soundtrack. So its fair to say you can not expect any music you hear today appearing in the shows. But what you can expect is the music growing to one of the most accomplished television music finals ever heard on TV.

While the music isn't striking in the begin due to the thematic tunes, it grows to more emotional highlights near the end when you start to feel for the characters of the show as the sudden twists that strike fans all over the world by sadness. Starting the disc is the now famous eerie glassy opening that sets you unease within mere seconds before Giacchino follows that road in 'The Eyeland' with moody strings and gloom, followed in 'World's Worst Beach Party' with fast percussion and shrills of the orchestra, underscoring one of those amazing pilot openings. In the begin, Giacchino sets up a very unsettling tone, due to the unknowingness of the characters of what this island exactly has in store for them. Yet, Giacchino starts to toy with emotions the moment you don't expect it, like with an emotional theme that's used more then often, for instance in 'Credit Where Credit is Due' with cello's. The more exciting racing percussion at times freaks you out heavily, like in 'Run Like, um ... Hell?', 'Me and my Big Mouth' in an angry attack of the strings or in 'Run Away! Run Away!' where an ascending brass note rocks the island. However, as fierce and unsettling these are, its the emotion Giacchino paints with cello, viola and piano that purely amazes you. More as in any other show, Giacchino nails the scene down with his music and that's why many people demanded for the music from the very start of the show. 'Just Die Already' has the soft emotional theme partly stated, 'Win One for the Reaper' has a nice piano moment while 'Departing Sun' is cello and violin, based on the emotional theme. And from time to time there is a shift in direction, letting Giacchino set down diversity and unease. 'Hollywood and Vines' is a nice growing marching theme while 'Naval Gazing' is truly inspirational, where the emotional theme is played on a percussive exotic fun rhythm, making it truly delightful and ever charming to appear like that.

And while the unsettling eeriness of various viola's or percussion pounds you to scary encounters in 'Proper Motivation', 'Getting Ethan' or in the pleasing 'Monsters are Such Innnteresting People', any other time Giacchino throws in the wanted emotion. Superior highlights are without question 'Locke'd out Again' where strings continuously rise to amazing heights while 'Life and Death' separates itself with strings, solo cello and piano, bringing emotional sadness and soft joy together in one amazing piece. However, you have to realize that almost each emotional scene suddenly rises with shrieking violins or rising brass to an unsettling finish, due to the sudden climax of the show, meaning you have to accept that. The final tracks are once again pure gold in Television standards. 'I've got a Plane to Catch' is a fun and surprising flamenco piece of flutes (mimicking Hurley's character racing to the plane). However 'Parting Words' and 'Oceanic 815' are the wonderful finishers, the first is the orchestral mammoth affair where Giacchino brings movie music in Television standards, letting the brass and strings do its business while the emotional content of the theme with piano settles you down in the plane itself in the final track, until .... As said, for a fan and from a fan's perspective, Lost has I think everything you ever wanted from the first season. Naturally some material will be missing (I personally missed Locke's amazing music when we find out he's normally paralyzed) but this is compensated by the track 19. But in general Lost captures your interest strong and decisive, settling you into unknown territory by its shrieking viola's or at racing speed with the powerful percussion, or through pure emotional tears with piano and cello's, Lost has it all. Its without doubt the most pleasing Television music in history and more then ever a pleaser in every genre. Whether Jack or Sawyer fight it out, Locke protects Claire, or Kate has to choose between the 2 men in her life, Giacchino will be there to support it all. Lovely to the perfection, purely Original, Strongly enticing and a Treasure no matter what, you won't feel Lost but found.

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Tracks

Single Disc

1. Main Title * (0.16)

2. The Eyeland (1.58)

3. World's Worst Beach Party (2.44)

4. Credit Where Credit Is Due (2.23)

5. Run Like, Um ... Hell? (2.21)

6. Hollywood And Vines (1.52)

7. Just Die Already (1.51)

8. Me And My Big Mouth (1.05)

9. Crocodile Locke (1.49)

10. Win One For The Reaper (2.37)

11. Departing Sun (2.42)

12. Charlie Hangs Around (3.17)

13. Navel Gazing (3.24) Excellent Track

14. Proper Motivation (2.01)

15. Run Away! Run Away! (0.30)

16. We're Friends (1.32)

17. Getting Ethan (1.34)

18. Thinking Clairly (1.04)

19. Locke'd Out Again (3.30) Excellent Track

20. Life And Death (3.39) Excellent Track

21. Booneral (1.38)

22. Shannonigans (2.25)

23. Kate's Motel (2.07)

24. I've Got A Plane To Catch (2.37)

25. Monsters Are Such Innnteresting People (1.29) Excellent Track

26. Parting Words (5.30) Excellent Track

27. Oceanic 815 (6.11) Excellent Track

* Composed by J.J. Abrams

Total Length: 65.01

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

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