Search - James Horner, London Symphony Orchestra :: Aliens: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

Bone Chilling and Terrifying

Alex Brouns | Cameron Park, CA United States | 03/25/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Before I start my review I thought I would get people's attention.I'd like to start off by saying that if anyone wishes to email please contact me at sndtrkfn@hotmail.com regarding the Aliens score.2nd I would like to let everyone know that there will be an expanded edition to the Aliens score by Varese Sarabande (Deluxe Edition)which will consist 74 minutes of uncut, longer and unedited music that everyone has been wishing for for at least over a decade now.Now as for my review. I did initially get the short 39 minute version that was released and bought a few years ago and thought it was 3 1/2 star soundtrack at best because I knew that a lot of music was missing but since then I did aquire the limited edition that was released a year or 2 ago and thought it was a definite improvement. Although some of the music is borrowed from an earlier composer which we all know and is again used in Patriot Games and Clear and Present Danger, the scary theme/Aliens alternative theme that is used throughout the movie for instance after Newt and Ripley are stuck in the one room with the facehuggers and once they go against the window before you hear Newt ask Ripley to brake the window (hopefully everyone knows which theme I'm talking about) it's not used pro-dominitely in the varese release but is released more in the expanded edition. Sorry I'm not a music major so please don't mind my non-music analysis.Anyway's many times especially the first time I heard this score I found myself in the dark with no lights on and just listening to Sub-Level 3 for the first few times and was scarred out of my mind because this track works so well like in the film itself.Now I know there are some tracks that don't reach out to music lovers but I still have to rank this soundtrack high on my list just like the movie itself just because it works so well in the scenes and because this is one movie I wish that could have been even longer. I love every minute of this movie and score that sometimes I seem to wear myself out. My favorite tracks are Going after Newt, Main Title, Sub-Level 3, Ripley's Rescue, Bishop's Countdown, Resolution and Hyperspace/ my favorite tracks from the expanded are included.."Where's the Darn(different word)Beacon?", Marines Prepare oh what the heck it's all good and for my favorite characters of the movie are Newt and Ripley although I like them all these 2 stand out the most for me.Well in Conclusion I'm very much looking forward to the 74 minute version vs. the 64 minute I have now and this soundtrack again like the movie is one of my top 15 choices of all time (by James Horner standards and movie)If they do decide to make Alien 5 I sure and hope they have Horner doing the score and who knows maybe Cameron will return the helm. At all costs for people who don't have the short 39 minute version you must buy the 74 minute because that will be the most complete of the score and you may change your mind about James Horners efforts of this score and if you like to be scarred this ranks among the best with Poltergeist.Thanks for reading, regards, Alex Brouns"

A classic sequel with a distinct sound of its own.

Chadwick H. Saxelid | Concord, CA United States | 07/20/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"ALIENS had little in common with its predecessor other than the return of Ripley, the Alien, and the production design of the first movie. So it is not surprising that James Horner's excellent score goes in a different direction. Using the spooky sound of Jerry Goldsmith's score as a starting point (with all the clicking and clacking of sounds in the background and the faint moaning of melancholy woodwinds and brass) the score has echoes of military motifs during the suspense cues and a fierce pounding rhythm for the action ones. Great stuff, no library would be complete without it. Highly recommended. But you might want to hunt out the expanded edition rather than this one."