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Music Conducted By
Jerry Goldsmith

Orchestrations By
Arthur Morton

Recorded By
Bruce Botnick

Performed By
-

Album Produced By
Jerry Goldsmith

Label
Intrada Special Collection Volume 180


Previous Release(s)
Varèse Sarabande
VSD-5261
MCA 6148 LP


Year Of CD/Film Release
2011/1985

Running Time
77:28

Availability
Limited Release

Reviewed By
Brandon Moore


Cues & Timings

The Album

1. Main Title (Unused Version with “Wak’s Boogie”) 0:51
2. Main Title (Film Version) 0:47
3. The First Dream 0:58
4. Sticks And Stones 2:23
5. Lori/Intervention 0:50
6. Home 2:10
7. The Bubble 1:47
8. “Sci-Fi” Flick/The Roof-Top 2:04
9. Crazed Bubble/Fuse Box 2:44
10. Free Ride 3:43
11. Peek-A-Boo 1:53
12. The Prospect 1:40
13. The Construction 2:35
14. The Thunder Road 1:25
15. First Flight 3:03
16. No Air 2:34
17. I Want To Live 1:42
18. Time For Bed 1:36
19. More Dreams/Dreams 1:45
20. Let’s Go 1:44
21. Fast Getaway 4:58
22. Wait Up 1:00
23. The Spider 0:56
24. Alien Love Call 0:57
25. We Come In Peace 2:04
26. She Likes Me 2:39
27. Neek Chords 0:19
28. Looks Real 2:03
29. Space Pirates 0:32
30. Gifts/Home Flight 5:21
31. Have A Nice Trip 8:03

Total Album Time: 70:08

The Extras

32. Tannhauser Overture [Excerpt] (Richard Wagner) 4:04
33. Space Movie (Alexander Courage) 3:02

Total Extras Time: 7:09


Soundtrack Ratings

Disappointing

Functional

Average

Good

Excellent

Outstanding



Explorers
 

Original Album content review.

Only a year after the blockbuster success of Gremlins, Jerry Goldsmith and director Joe Dante would work together again on Explorers, their third feature film collaboration. Explorers did not enjoy the same success as Gremlins but it still provided Goldsmith a chance to compose another score filled with excitement and comic edge adding to Dante's unique directing style. Here we see Dante helming a story about three teenagers who build a spaceship in their backyard, again blending comedy, drama, and science fiction into a fun filled adventure. Goldsmith's score compliments this genre with a somewhat experimental approach using plenty of electronics but not without his orchestral voice and memorable themes.

The score contains a heroic main theme for string and horn chords over a heavy low string and brass ground bass. This is complimented by a beautifully lyrical five note theme often played in the violins and trumpets. Goldsmith lends this ground bass phrase for plenty of the action material which modulates throughout the score. Two other themes are provided for a couple of quirky characters, a comical descending flute melody for the nerdy scientist friend Wolfgang (getting full treatment in Free Ride) and a zany fifties style trot for the television obsessed alien Wak, who the teenagers finally meet when they blast off into space (Fast Getaway).

The short album contains some excellent action cues; No Air and First Flight but its the opening cue, The Construction, which remains the highlight, written for a montage where the three teenagers build their spaceship from old junkyard items with the help of Wolfgang's computer. The cue is classic Goldsmith with propulsive piano, swirling string figures, muted trombone and punctuation from the percussion. The finale curtain call and end credits, Have A Nice Trip, rounds out the score with one of the most lyrical endings to a Dante film, recapitulating the soaring five note main theme.

Unfortunately the album (originally released by MCA, then finally re-issued on CD by Varese Sarabande in 1990) was a little too commercial for the time, tacking on three source songs and in the process omitting some wonderful cues. In particular the haunting and mysterious music that underscores the Dick Miller character's discovery of the teenager's ship. The nice harmonica cues on the lyrical theme and the melancholy oboe music for the teenager Darren, near the beginning of the film, are also were not present. Thankfully this has now been rectified with a complete score release from Intrada.

Overall Explorers is an exciting and often lush score that defines the imagination and lyricism that has made the relationship between Dante and Goldsmith so successful.