David Newman Composer - Serenity (23 tracks) +Album Reviews

Fan, Disappointed

Wyatt Allbright | New England, USA | 09/30/2005

(2 out of 5 stars)

"You probably won't find a bigger fan of Joss Whedon's Firefly around. And I was physically stunned and emotionally drained after a preview screening of Serenity this past Tuesday evening - it was that good. That said, I am sorely disappointed by the contents of this CD.

I probably own over 100 movie soundtracks/scores. I am most fond of those that remind me of the movie, and which do so by collecting the various identifiable themes and presenting them in their cinematic context. My favorites stand on their own musically, independent of the visuals.

Sad to say that the tracks chosen for this CD are primarily ambience / orchestral sound effect tracks. The very few thematic passages, such as Track 3 / Serenity, are so short-lived that they're over before the theme itself is fully developed. There are, absolutely, some very nice passages but the bulk of the CD's roughly 50 minutes is essentially background music and little of what one would think of as contributing to the emotion of the film. I recall having this same reaction to a past Newman effort: The Phantom. So I'm left wondering if what I'm hearing is his style, his production choices, Whedon's choice(s) or some combination of these that left the music with the most emotional (as opposed to visceral) impact off the CD.

In looking at the selections, I note that roughly 2/3 of the tracks chosen are from the point in the film where things "start happening", essentially continuing sequentially from there to the end. This, of course, is where most of the action is, and where one would expect to have a lot of percussive, dissonant, frenetic motion. And that's pretty much what the listener gets, with the exception of a few very nice passages that are compelling not so much on their own, but in relation to their place in the film.

Regarding the various cultures, instruments and moods Whedon mentions demanding in his liner notes, they are all there. But Joss and I differ greatly on how they were handled. The fiddle, guitar and 'folksy' feel of Firefly's music are completely missing and even where the banjo is used, it's phrases are not banjo-like in any sense that would fit the 'space western' premise of Serenity. If my reaction to the film was any indication, the music must have been a powerful tension builder. But from a released soundtrack standpoint, the tracks chosen for the CD do not stand on their own and the mix of cultures, etc., are much more mishmash than concerto.

Finally, I have to wonder what boob cooked up the track names here. Tracks 9, 10, 15 and 20 are unconscionable spoilers for anyone who hasn't seen the film. As Producer, this falls on Newman again, I believe.

In all this CD, as produced, was not worthy of the film, IMHO."

It grows on you

Steve | Cheney, WA USA | 10/28/2005

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Most of the criticism above is deserved, but much of the music shows its charm with time and multiple playings. No big rousing pieces here, listening to this CD is like listening to a series of short percussion compositions, the sort you might hear at a student concert. The biggest, most disappointing failure is in the end credits. In the movie, they run 5:22, including a lovely solo guitar homage to the original Firefly theme. The CD carries 1:37 of uninspired audio wallpaper."

A mild Dissapointment to Fans

Dakota W. Nicolucci | CA | 10/17/2005

(3 out of 5 stars)

"The show Firefly was best known for its combination of Western and Sci-Fi. The music was a big part of getting that feel across. The movie however lacked that strong western sound. The opening piece of music when you see Serenity is perfect, but after that they go into techno beats and music that just isn't Serenity. I can't totally blame them as they probably needed a more main stream sound to attract more people, but as a fan it is a real bummer to see some of the soul music get sucked out. The pieces of music aren't bad, they just don't feel like Firefly. Worth the buy, but don't expect pure Firefly sound. If you want Firefly, just await the Firefly Soundtrack that will be coming out sometime next month"

Avid Firefly/Serenity fans will enjoy, but has disappointing

Gregory M. Wang | Pleasant Hill, CA USA | 01/31/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Like many fans I prefer Greg Edmonson's music from the original Firefly TV series, but David Newman's music of Serenity is nothing to complain about. It certainly does its job when I am actually watching the movie.

Here and there, you will catch some folk-music-like tones and melodies that help capture the "Wild Wild West" element of Whedon's future, with a hint of Asian influence which is essential once you understand the background of the universe he has created. Of course, mixed with that you will find a healthy dose of more powerful orchestral music which comes with a typical space opera.

I'm an avid enough fan of the Firefly/Serenity universe that I bought this soundtrack and it has its moments, giving me some of the feeling of satisfaction I get from actually watching the movie.

However, I have to wonder if the executives who were involved with putting the soundtrack CD together know anything about music or how to cater to the fan base that will buy a particular product. For while the actual music is great, the presentation of it on this disc is certainly not.

Other reviewers have mentioned that the original Firefly theme, which is played in the end credits of the movie, is missing. Like them, I agree it would have been a nice touch to include it on the CD, but perhaps there were licensing issues.

A far larger complaint I have about this soundtrack is the failure to have a longer track which is based on the movie's main recurring theme. This theme is played in tracks #3 and #23, but both are woefully too short. In particular, with track #3 (a mere 50 seconds!), the theme builds up beautifully from the beginning with a slow longing melody (cello?) that quickly transforms into a brisk and fluid jig of sorts which transports you into the world of Serenity... but just as the guitar/banjo gives way to a powerful horn section and you think the ride is taking off, you're left with 5 seconds of silence and then the next track!

Similarly, with track #23, the end credits, you are treated to less than 2 minutes of music (why not match the amount of music played in the theatre, at least up until the point where the original Firefly theme kicked in?).

Music of this type is for listeners who are in to ambience. It's the kind of music that you want to listen to while taking care of mundane tasks on the computer, or while driving through the hills, or while sitting comfortably on the couch with your eyes closed and your headphones on. You want to be in a certain mood, and you want to stay in that mood for longer than 50 seconds before an abrupt change! In this regard the soundtrack fails, which is most unfortunate.

2 stars for the production of the CD, but 4 or 5 for the music. With the addition of some Firefly/Serenity fan bias, I'll rate this at 4 stars.

"

Search - David Newman (Composer) :: Serenity

CD Details

Synopsis

Similarly Requested CDs

CD Reviews