Track Listing

1. Main Title 1st Season (Extended)
2. Messages From Earth
3. Main Title 2nd Season
4. Z' Ha' Dum
5. Main Title 3rd Season
6. Severed Dreams
7. Main Title 4th Season
8. Voices Of Authority

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #108796 in Music
• Released on: 1997-11-18
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Soundtrack

Customer Reviews

Exhausting
"Messages From Earth" is a second volume of the "compilation" series with music from the Babylon 5 TV series, containing sound tracks from 1995-1997 episodes, fused together and rerecorded. Although less differentiated than its predecessor, "Babylon 5" released in 1995, it is still packed full with themes, tunes and musical snapshots to successfully entertain (and tire) the listener. I must say though that this particular release is the weakest in the whole series. The heavy orchestration is a tad too aggressive, offerring little or no contrapunct, making the listening experience quite exhausting, as was the case with one of the previous releases by Christopher Franke, "Universal Soldier". "Messages From Earth" is divided into four sections, each opening with a shorter 'Season Main Title', followed by a longer piece fused from extremely short pieces that are featured on the episodic CDs available separately. The album totals in 58 minutes, representing supposedly the best music from the corresponding years. That fact alone prevented me from buying the episodic CDs from that era, simply because while I generally like that type of music, and I am fond of Franke's experimentation efforts, "Messages From Earth" simply leaves one way too cold to fret over. Fortunately, the three "compilation" CDs that followed brought a very welcome change, and you I strongly advise "Babylon 5: In the Beginning" over this release.

Epic Music Reaching Its Epic Potential
The most fantastic thing about Babylon 5 is its epic scope. The show was already planned out, and then some, for its five year run (and multiple TV movies) and though the 5th year music is somewhat missing on this CD (the final track, Voices of Authority, foreshadows the future opening title theme of Season 5), this collection of 8 tracks provides the listener with a musical explanation of the series. The 1st track, Main Title 1st Season (extended), gives us a sense of adventure; the first steps into a journey that will take us amazing places. It gives us the feeling of alien voices calling out from far away with its synthesized voices...but it also has a powerful "hero" tune giving Babylon 5 a heroic nature (that would be returned in Track 7) The second track, Messages From Earth, gives us clips from the episodes where Sheridan takes control and beats out the rebels going against him and Babylon 5. It has sounds of "oh no, we are gonna blow up" and then redemption music to close the track out confirming victory for the Babylon 5 heroes. The Main Title for the second season (Track 3) is mysterious...giving us a hint that "shadows" (no pun intended) will eventually show their face. The fourth track, Z'Ha'Dum is violent and bombastic, much like the violent turmoil that happens in the third season. The third season has many up and downs and the tone makes sense. The fifth track carries on Z'Ha'Dum's theme with very loud drum blasts and violent tones. The sixth track is the most haunting, starting out very slow and then pumping with energy and then ending with a creepy, what seems like, electronic piano, emphasizing the journey is far from over. It is by far the most beautiful on the CD and haunting. The wild guitars, strange clangs, and odd sounds are just a few of the sounds on this track. The seventh track, the Main Title for the 4th season, is both upbeat and disastrous (in tone, not composition...it is brilliantly composed) making us feel the triumph of Babylon 5 of President Clark and the loss of friends and gain of power. It is a great way to represent the sad and joyous 4th year. The final track foreshadows the 5th Season Main Title theme that would come after this soundtrack was produced. It is perhaps the second best track, being epic in scale (the first few minutes are amazing) and its abrupt ending making you want more...just like the show. Fortunately the 5th season was just around the corner. Christopher Franke, formerly of Tangerine Dream provides synthesized beauty, rocking beats, and epic tones and no one better would fit the same themes Babylon 5, the show, represented in story and character.

Worth buying
Christopher Franke's electronic/symphonic music simply *must* be listened to on a real stereo system--it gets quite lost on TV. The dynamics, the depth of sound--all quite incredible. The CD includes the first four seasons' main themes (with an extended version of season one) without voiceovers. It also includes suites from: Messages from Earth, Z'Ha'Dum, Severed Dreams, and Voices of Authority. Note that these are suites, and not full soundtracks. These pieces contain musical bits that are heard throughout the show--Z'Ha'Dum in particular has some very powerful moments, and the second half of Messages from Earth is fantastic. Voices of Authority is average--the main fanfare is now used as the beginning of Season 5's main theme--and Severed Dreams is little more than incidental music (which is why this CD didn't score a 10). All in all, *definitely* worth buying. END