Customer Reviews

The Best Of Star Trek: 30th Anniversary Special

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

My wife, Kitty, was not a Trekkie when we met four years ago. She's come around a bit... she still doesn't like frightening foam faces (e.g. Klingons, Ferengi), but she enjoys Janeway's combination of humility, empathy, and reasoning. She also sees some virtue in Tuvok's near-pure logic, while wrestling with inner emotions.

But despite the foam faces, whenever DS9 or Voyager airs, she is just like me: During the opening score, DROP EVERYTHING; unplug the phone, turn down the lights and raise the volume.

The Star Trek scores and orchestration goes way beyond the power and imagery of each television series. They evoke tears as sure as Paganini or Brahams. Which contemporaries can match the classical emotion and orchestral presence of Voyager and the hauntingly beautiful, deeply emotional DS9!... John Williams of Star Wars/ET fame? Andrew Lloyd Webber (JC Superstar/Cats/ Evita/Phantom)? Perhaps.

For more than 5 years, I have searched for a single collection of ALL Star Trek TV themes (even when there were only 2 or 3 shows). Still, the Boston Pops has not released all 4 themes on one CD. But now we have all four, and there are two CDs to choose from! (The other is Telarc 8038 - Cincinnati/Kunzel). But this 30th Anniversary Special is much truer to the opening season orchestrations - the ones still used by DS9 and Voyager. I'm not certain why it is not the EXACT performance used on the series, but it is certainly close enough (and slightly longer; after all there is no TV commercial to deal with).

I bought this CD when I was engaged and in the process of planning the wedding. My wife and I were looking for a "walk down the isle" song that would be beutiful but not typical.

I was playing the CD in my Jeep when Orchestral Suite from THE INNER LIGHT came on and I just went slack-jawed at how beautiful and appropriate that would be. My wife agreed and we walked down the isle at our wedding to that particular selections. It's just long enough for that purpose, too.

Later in the ceremony my wife's sister read a story that she chose for a reading, and she knew nothing about the music my wife and I chose for the wedding. My wife's sister read a story called something like "The Inner Light" about a man searching for valuable rubies and being told by a jewler to look for the "inner light" in the stone that shows that it's genuine.

How's that for spooky-cool?

Anyway, this is a great CD full of a lot of music that stands on its own apart from the Star Trek context. Buy it and be surprised.

This is a compilation of ST music from the various TV series. Music from the movies is not included in this CD. It starts out with the incidental music from the original series. As ST fans know, this is not the most listenable music in the world (in fact, it can get down right annoying at times). However, it is a bit nostalgic (so long as you're a ST fan).

About midpoint, the themes become more "musical." The main themes from "ST: The Next Generation," "Deep Space 9" and "Voyager" are included. I did not like the version of the fanfare from "DS 9," however; it was apparently from the final season & had a superfluous drumbeat which I found tacky. Most of the remainder of the album is episodic music from "TNG."

The gem of this CD, however, is "Suite from the Inner Light" (you may listen to a sample of this). It is an elaboration of the "TNG" episode of the same name (and moreover just so happens to be my all time STepisode); Picard's lute playing accompanied by orchestra. I had a friend of mine who hates ST listen to it & she could not believe how beautiful it was.

I probably would not suggest this album for non-Die Hard ST fans. However, for those who are, it's an almost can't miss. The "Suite from the Inner Light" is worth the price of the CD all by iteslf.

This enhanced CD is one of the best releases of Star Trek music ever. It contains music featured in all four of the series and the respective choices are examples of the exemplary creativity of the composers. The highlight is the "Suite from The Inner Light," a beautiful selection that is almost new age in its structure. Another outstanding cut is the suite from the DS9 episode "The Visitor." The only downside is the selection from what many Star Trek purists feel is the best from that series, "The Trouble with Tribbles." Unfortunately, the music like the particular episode was not up to par with standards set in such episodes as "The Corbomite Manuever" and "The Doomsday Machine." To have included "tribbles" was a mistake. Otherwise, this disc should be in the library of anyone with a passion for filmscoring.

I've been waiting to get the tv themes and have found it in this CD. I especially like the voyager extended play theme. A must for trekkers

Whenever my friends look through my music collection and find this cd, the comment is always, "Ah, you Trekkie," accompanied by head shakes and eye rolls. They're incredulous when I tell them that I own the cd for the beautiful music, rather than for the show it's from.

For those who love orchestral music, Star Trek is a hidden gem. From the powerful, high-charged main themes to the episodic score, Star Trek delivers...and the 30th Anniversary Special is a sample of some of the best. While the music from "The Trouble with Tribbles" is most definitely campy, I can't help but smile when I hear the wailing of the violins (the sounds of the tribbles) or the music that accompanies the bar fight. "Heart of Glory" from The Next Generation varies from contemplative to warlike, with the Klingon theme clacking at the beginning of the suite. And EVERYONE enjoys "The Inner Light" and the Ressikan flute.

For me, though, the highlight of this cd is not "The Inner Light," but the music from "The Visitor." The achingly moving score is one of the most powerful pieces of music I've ever heard, with the mournful flute intro to track #13, the strings theme and the plaintive cry of the oboe -- mirroring Jake Sisko's desperation as he searches his entire life for a way to rescue his father.

While the selections from Voyager can get a bit tiring after a while (though Voyager certainly has produced its share of good music) and "The Trouble with Tribbles" isn't something that pops up often on my cd player, there's something for every Trekker -- and every music lover -- in this cd. 4.5 stars in my book.

This CD combines music from all of the series. I'm a Trekker myself, and I do! I've always considered Star Trek music the greatest, and it always mangages to move me in some way. It captures the spirit of adventure.

but a good CD for musicians. I enjoyed hearing most of my favorite themes from the Star Trek series with the exception of 2 of the tracks. First of all...Screw "the Tribbles". 2nd, I didnt find the DS9 track as tasteful as the TV version...the drums make it too "Yuppyish". Other than that, its an easy 5 stars.

This cd is at best adequate. It acomplishes what it set out to do, combine all four series on one cd, with some success. There are several faults. One, the inclusion of heros and demons. Its to slow and boring. Two, the arrangement of the Theme to Deep Space Nine. The melody is hauntingly beautiful but the accompanyment is to complex and overwelms the melody. Also, the drums are to much. Other than that the CD is great. When I first got this CD I would only have given it two stars but then slowly, it grew on me. I started to enjoy the farce-ish suite from "The Trouble with Tribbles", the orchestrated version of "The Inner Light" ( though a better version can be found on star trek original soundtrack recordings by Jay Chattaway), and the dark "Heart of Glory". The theme to voyager is just as powerful as ever. A good buy. Don't give up on it if you don't like it right away, it grows on you.

I have to admit that apart from being a Trekker, another reason that compelled me to buy this album was to hear the original recordings of Jerry Fielding's "The Trouble With Tribbles", one of the best episodes of the original "Star Trek" show. The remastering is virtually clean, and it's one of the most enjoyable in this CD.
Another great plus is the orchestral suite from Jay Chattaway's "The Inner Light" from "Star Trek: The Next Generation", a concert piece showcasing a beautiful theme played mostly on piano, with the orchestra making good support. It's so touching that you can't help but weep. Also from "The Next Generation" is one of the few musical moments that best represent Klingons, and Ron Jones virtually pays homage to Jerry Goldsmith's Klingon theme on "Heart Of Glory"; there are certain notes that you start thinking "Hey, this is music for Klingons, so why complain?"; another great suite.
On the minus side, Dennis McCarthy's music for "The Visitor" is kind of annoying because it is such a dramatic episode, with little action, that you crave so much for some of McCarthy's action writing. Unlike "The Inner Light", this "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" episode lacks of a unifying musical theme that you feel like wanting more.
Also, the multimedia portion of this expanded CD doesn't sport much either: only a teaser for "Star Trek: First Contact", and some previews for Trek video games. So I've got to tell you, own this CD only because of what I say on the first half and you won't feel sorry.