When Farscape was first broadcast many people like me thought it was going to be a complete failure and basically be muppets in space trying to be serious. Well it was produced by the Jim Henson creature shop so that assumption about muppets could easily be made.
After watching one episode however, (A Bugs Life) i fell in love with the show. The plots were dark and complex and gripping and the show could also be very funny. I swiftly left shows such as Babylon 5 (Which by that time was way past its best) and became an avid Farscape viewer right up to season 3 where something in the writing team was lost and the show deteriorated. The first two seasons are pure class and i recommend those more than i recommend the music.
The music for Farscape has for me always been an enigma. At times it is brilliant, at others it is worse than the earlier reviewed Enterprise score.
The first season suites, scored by the group Subvision are low cost orchestral/electronic mixes.
The second season suites are scored by Guy Gross who uses a full orchestra and limited electronics.
The Farscape theme is the defining sound of the first season with simple but effective orchestration as a background to the electronic rock beats and remixed voices. The theme has pace and a forcefullness that give Farscape attitude.
This then followed by "Wormhole!" are the vey best tracks on the album by Subvision. The "Wormhole!" track has several great cues. The first being the scene where Crichton's father says good luck to his son and Crichton tries to act relaxed. This scene is effectively scored with strings and flutes performing a simple motif of quiet courage with plucking chellos in the background giving the cue a sound of determination.
The rest of the track is full of frantic action music with a brilliant purely orchestral climax.
The first two tracks by Subvision are the most cinematic and solid. The rest of the Subvision cues although quite good are too similar to each other and lack the bombastic pace and excitment of "Wormhole!".
The Guy Gross tracks are even more similar track to track and seem to sound slightly muffled. The pieces are much more classical in style. This makes his action cues less bombastic and quieter to allow for more tune and so his quieter cues such as "Romance" from Home on The Remains are his best tracks as well as the mystery and atmosphere tracks like "Crichton x3" from My Three Crichtons. Here Gross uses a simple motif with strings and overlays bells and brass creating what is a very good haunting track.
Tracks such as "Parisite Hunting" have some good tension cues and bombast which follows a fairly ordinary and similar style that is still somehow fresh sounding.
This obvious difference from the Subvision pieces makes the ablum an interesting listen at the least with mostly all being good tracks.
The album itself is excellently packaged and contains some interesting comments from Guy Gross on scoring for Farscape.
***
1. Theme from Farscape (2:04)
Premiere
2. Wormhole! (5:18)
Back and Back and Back to the Future
3. Time Trouble (3:07)
Thank God It's Friday, Again
4. Tannot Grooves (3:02)
5. Fields of Joy (2:47)
PK Tech Girl
6. Goodbye (4:01)
That Old Black Magic
7. Maldis (3:32)
DNA Mad Scientist
8. Namtar's Magic (3:45)
Rhapsody in Blue
9. Delvian Dreams (3:32)
Jeremiah Crichton
10. Trouble in Paradise (4:56)
Family Ties
11. Parting Comrades (3:28)
Season Two (Guy Gross)
The Way We Weren't
12. Pilot Arrives (1:31)
13. Aeryn And Velorek (2:43)
14. Peace Keeping (3:28)
Home on the Remains
15. The Nogelti Crystal (2:14)
16. Romance (2:12)
Look at the Princess Part III: The Maltese Crichton
17. Crichton's Daughter (2:34)
My Three Crichtons
18. Crichton x3 (1:24)
19. Goodbye Caveman (2:46)
Beware of Dog
20. Vorc Arrives (2:54)
21. Parasite Hunting (5:02)
Look at the Princess Part II: I Do, I Think
22. Crichton's Wedding (1:30)
23. Theme from Farscape - Reprise (0:48)
