liens--the sequel to the 1979 movie Alien--was one of the few follow-up films that actually lived up to the promise and reputation of its predecessor. A key factor in the picture's success was undoubtedly the taut music of composer James Horner, who generated an incredibly emotional and intense score for the adventure. Aliens: The Deluxe Edition presents a comprehensive examination of Horner's passionate accompaniment, offering not only nine familiar cues from the original 1986 soundtrack album, but also 16 formerly unreleased works.
"Main Title" serves as an appropriately scary opening number, launching with a reverberant prelude before introducing a subtle yet haunting motif. That forlorn and slightly frightful theme is subsequently picked up and heard, in various incarnations, throughout the disc on tunes like "LV-426" and "Resolution and Hyperspace." "Combat Drop"--a previously unavailable composition that isn't in the final cut of the picture--has an anxious, martial melody that slowly builds in intensity, just as "The Queen," another track that wasn't used in the completed film, is composed solely of deep, droning electronic sounds. Meanwhile, dynamic selections like "Ripley's Rescue" and "Queen to Bishop" spotlight hair-raising horns and exhilarating drums.
The final five cuts on the CD are "bonus tracks" that include alternate renditions of "Bad Dreams," "LV-426" and "Hyperspace," along with percussion-only versions of "Ripley's Rescue" and "Combat Drop." In addition to the music, the exhaustive liner notes--written by Deluxe Edition producer Nick Redman--provide a detailed outline of the score's unusually fractured implementation within the movie.
Creepy, consequential compositions
Watching Aliens, it can be hard to understand why this particular soundtrack is considered so influential. For a variety of reasons, Horner's tunes were dissected and distributed piecemeal throughout the film, making it nearly impossible to comprehend the full complexity and potency of the melodies. Aliens: The Deluxe Edition presents the original renditions of the cues in chronological order, allowing listeners not only to thoroughly appreciate the splendor of each composition, but also to grasp why these themes are both remarkable and renowned.
"FaceHuggers" perfectly telegraphs the fear and horror engendered by the alien creatures. Screeching strings and resonant brass are juxtaposed with jittery, high-pitched noises and buzzing, sonorous sounds, all of which slowly build in intensity before exploding into a riotous and downright creepy clamor. "Newt" is another ominous work that, while significantly more subdued, intermingles apprehension and anxiety with a touch of tenderness. Conversely, "Going After Newt" is a robust, courageous number propelled by a martial drumbeat and resounding horns, just as the vigorous "Bishop's Countdown," as aptly indicated in the liner notes, "is a modern monument of action scoring [that] has literally spawned hundreds of imitations in countless movies."
As a listening experience separate from the motion picture, the album can at times be a bit jarring, with rumbling, low-pitched selections often interrupted by blasts of instrumental chaos. Yet there's little question that Horner's compositions are perfect for the adventure. Due to the mangled presentation of the music, the film may not have ideally showcased the score, but Aliens: The Deluxe Edition confirms that these tunes are truly exceptional.
