hile some folks loved the music and others despised it,
nearly everyone had an opinion about the unusual melodies heard on the Babylon 5
spin-off series Crusade. Yet few could argue that the
controversial tunes, generated by composer Evan H. Chen, failed
to contribute
highly eccentric sounds to the program. Although
behind-the-scenes production
conflicts led to the premature cancellation of the show, a new
album provides diehard fans with an opportunity to hear 16 works
culled from the short-lived but still talked about adventure.
The Crusade CD opens with the "Main Title" cue. This
track begins
with mysterious, murmuring ambient tones that, over a span of just 90
seconds, build to a rhythmic crescendo. Longer compositions like
"Sorrow,"
"Alwyn's Story" and "Visitors"--each of which lasts at least six
minutes--combine soft samples and processed noises with various
electronic
effects, showcasing an expansive range of emotions and motifs. Meanwhile,
succinct selections such as "Elizabeth," with its quiet keyboards, or
"Battlestation," which presents a menacing martial atmosphere,
reveal a more
traditional thematic approach. The disc concludes with the brief "End
Credits," although just prior to that number there's an unexpectedly
whimsical cut titled "My Way" that features snippets of a babbling baby
coupled with a scratchy, buoyant beat.
The liner notes contain numerous photos from the program, along with a
concise commentary on the music from series creator J. Michael
Straczynski
and a short biography of Chen. The text also includes an
extensive list of
acknowledgments to family, friends and colleagues of the grateful
composer.
Uncompromising compositions
When Chen's music debuted in A Call to Arms, the
made-for-television movie that essentially launched the
Crusade saga,
many longtime B5 buffs expressed dismay at the score's
minimalist and
sporadically atonal structure. However, as Straczynski bluntly
declares in
the liner notes, "A new show must have a new and totally different
sound." These
daring melodies unquestionably achieved that goal.
"Galen's Wrath" clearly exhibits Chen's extraordinary range.
Well-defined
notes--vaguely reminiscent of those heard during the closing credits of
The Twilight Zone--come and go throughout the piece,
intermingled with
sampled orchestral noises and eerie chimes. Combining odd
electronic elements
with unusual classical and jazz idioms, the cut cleverly hints at the
disquieting fury of the powerful technomage. Chen also draws
inspiration from
other sources, occasionally blending Far Eastern musical traditions in works
such as "Patterns of Soul," or incorporating indistinct but
expressive ethnic
chants on cues like "Rainbow." These multicultural components ingeniously
echo the show's overall story arc (finding the cure for a plague
threatening everyone on Earth) while simultaneously suggesting the exotic
civilizations encountered by the characters during their
interstellar quest.
In his observations, Straczynski accurately
states that "Chen created a sonic imprint unlike anything used on any
previous science fiction TV series." The inventive recipe may not appeal to
everyone, and in fact a couple of selections, including a cheesy number titled "Future Pleasure," are somewhat substandard. But SF fans seeking original,
uncompromising compositions that undeniably differ from run-of-the-mill
soundtrack fare should find the Crusade CD to be a genuinely
enlightening experience.
