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Aliens: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
 
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Aliens: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack [SOUNDTRACK]

London Symphony Orchestra, James Horner, Alien (Related Recordings)
4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews) More about this product


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Product Details

  • Audio CD (October 25, 1990)
  • Original Release Date: July 18, 1986
  • Number of Discs: 1
  • Format: Soundtrack
  • Label: Varese Sarabande
  • ASIN: B000001542
  • Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #37,825 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

    Popular in this category: (What's this?)

    #85 in  Music > Soundtracks > By Decade > 1980s

 
1. Main Title
2. Bad Dreams
3. Dark Discovery/Newt's Horror
4. LV-426
5. Combat Drop
6. Complex
7. Atmosphere Station
8. Med. Lab
9. Newt
10. Sub-Level 3
11. Ripley's Rescue
12. Face Huggers
13. Futile Escape
14. Newt Is Taken
15. Going After Newt
16. Queen
17. Bishop's Countdown
18. Queen to Bishop
19. Resolution and Hyperspace
20. Bad Dreams [Alternate Take]
See all 24 tracks on this disc

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Customer Reviews

20 Reviews
5 star:
 (9)
4 star:
 (8)
3 star:
 (1)
2 star:
 (2)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.2 out of 5 stars (20 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Good proto-Horner; works well in the movie, February 24, 2000
To start off, I must say that I do not own this album. I've purchased the complete album (20 tracks), and it overshadows the commercial release by quite a bit. Many good tracks were left out of the release, and regrettably my favorite track (Preparing for the Drop) isn't even used in the movie.

Aside from the qualms about the CD release itself, the music is pretty good. Fortunately, Horner wrote this score early in his career, so he was forced to come up with as much original music as possible. Horner-bashers aside, you CAN recognize some themes in this release, most notably the Klingon theme from Star Trek III, and a litle of Khan's theme from Star Trek II. Both are not overused throughout the score, but you will notice other small Hornerisms here and there.

Horner captures the essence of the movie in his score. Suspense, action, terror are all conveyed to the viewer through the music. The main and end titles have a solemn, lonely feeling, as Ripley floats in space in hypersleep.

Near the end of Bishop's Countdown, Horner created a phrase that has been used in myriads of film trailers and scores by many composers. During the scene in the movie, Ripley and Company are desperately trying to escape the plume of fire from the nuclear blast on the planet below. The brass rhythm is repeated, with dissonant strings taking up the rhythm just before the whole planet explodes. The tension builds at a faster pace until Horner lets the whole orchestra explode with cacophony. It is a true delight to see coupled with the movie.

On the whole, Aliens is a good score from early in Horner's career. It is utilized very well in the movie and although it has been presented poorly on CD, it makes for an eerie, action-packed listening.

By the way, if you're wondering where to acquire this complete score, send me an email and I'll be happy to direct you to it.

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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars solid all around, December 23, 1999
There tends to always be a mixed response on this score from the Horner bashers and lovers. This was a score I longed to purchased many years ago for one reason only: the sequence of music composed during the Marines escape upon finally discovering the aliens for the first time. On the CD, this lengthy track is "Futile Escape." In the movie, the music is drowned out by the sound effects, but on your stereo the true nature of this amazing track depicting the terror of the marines and their desire to escape can be heard properly. Additionally, this CD has a track (Bishop's Countdown) which is routinely used in movie trailers because of it's adrenaline pumping climax. It's sensational. The CD overall is a great listen. It has very solid action pieces and very quiet moody moments that keep the suspense hanging. If you want wall-to-wall action cues, you won't get it. Some may also get annoyed with the handful of quieter tracks. But, it's a good balance. A great score to a great film.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars A classic sequel with a distinct sound of its own., July 19, 2003
ALIENS had little in common with its predecessor other than the return of Ripley, the Alien, and the production design of the first movie. So it is not surprising that James Horner's excellent score goes in a different direction. Using the spooky sound of Jerry Goldsmith's score as a starting point (with all the clicking and clacking of sounds in the background and the faint moaning of melancholy woodwinds and brass) the score has echoes of military motifs during the suspense cues and a fierce pounding rhythm for the action ones. Great stuff, no library would be complete without it. Highly recommended. But you might want to hunt out the expanded edition rather than this one.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

2.0 out of 5 stars Quite A Regurgitation
The "Main Title" of this, one of Horner's most lauded scores, exemplifies the derivative character of the entire work: the opening passage is a plagiarization of that of... Read more
Published 12 months ago by Robert Buchanan

5.0 out of 5 stars A Spine-Chiller
Aliens isn't considered completely original (in fact, I heard a small little part from the Rocketeer on Futile Escape for those with keen ears) but it sure sounds good. Read more
Published on April 22, 2001 by Robert Pollock

5.0 out of 5 stars Bone Chilling and Terrifying
Before I start my review I thought I would get people's attention.

I'd like to start off by saying that if anyone wishes to email please contact me at sndtrkfn@hotmail. Read more

Published on March 25, 2001 by Alex Brouns

4.0 out of 5 stars Boring in places, but mostly brilliant
I went to a place that sells stuff for practically nothing, like tomorrow never dies CD in good condition for three bucks. i got the tape of this for 1 buck. Read more
Published on December 26, 1999 by Dr. Gregory Daniel

4.0 out of 5 stars One Of Horners Best
Aliens is the best of all Alien Trilogy. And so is the music. The best trakcs are Futile Escape and Bishops Countdown. The only thing wrong with the CD is the front cover. Read more
Published on December 9, 1999 by A Score Fan

2.0 out of 5 stars Horner's Best Racket
It is one Horner's best put-together performances with elegant LSO playing. The much-fetishized score itself is the usual collection of rewrites of familiar repertoire, from... Read more
Published on October 8, 1999

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome
It had everything I hoped for except for the music from the first major attack.
Published on August 28, 1999

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing
This has got to be one of Horner's best works. From the creepy opening title to the fast paced action music, this soundtrack is nothing but good. Read more
Published on August 19, 1999

5.0 out of 5 stars my mommy always says...
There are no monsters, no real ones, but there are. My mother too
Published on August 8, 1999

4.0 out of 5 stars good, but not great
This is indeed a good CD. Let me explain, for even though the instruments and the suspense are great, its just copying and hearing the same parts of a song over in a movie's... Read more
Published on July 25, 1999

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