hristopher Franke has had a hand in more soundtracks and albums than most people would consider possible. He was a member of the music machine known as Tangerine Dream, which released a staggering 37 albums and 30 movie scores between 1970-88. On his own, Franke has produced still more soundtracks and studio albums, including the scores for Universal Soldier, Raven and Tenchi Muyo. But to SF fans Franke is probably most widely known for his work on the television series Babylon 5, as well as the B5 CD he released in 1994.
Now that Babylon 5 has a few more seasons under its belt, Franke has come out with a second CD from the show, this one titled Babylon 5, Volume 2: Messages from Earth. Messages features eight pieces in all, including the main title from each of Babylon 5's first four seasons. These titles run about 1:30 in length, except for the season one title which has been extended to 3:17. Sandwiched between these are four substantially longer works: "Messages from Earth" (10:05); "Z'ha'dum" (12:20); "Severed Dreams" (15:37); and "Voices of Authority" (11:26).
Where Franke's first Babylon 5 CD was essentially one long composition, Messages is clearly made up of distinct works. Taken together they comprise what Babylon 5 creator J. Michael Straczynski calls "an audio journey that captures the soul of the series with breathtaking poignancy."
Been there, heard that
What any listener will pick up on right away is that this CD is meant for aficionados of Babylon 5 and few others. Unlike some soundtracks that can be popped into the CD player any old time for a good listen, Messages is hard-core Babylon 5 through and through. For listeners who can't get enough of the B5 theme this is great. Anyone else is pretty much out of luck.
This isn't necessarily a bad thing, though, especially considering the wealth of music here for Babylophiles. Having the titles from all four seasons on one CD is no small matter to the dedicated B5 fan, and revisiting the scourge of the shadows through track four's "Z'ha'dum" can be pure heaven (or hell) for those who were sorry to see the shadows depart the series. The main tracks (i.e. not the season titles) all have their own flavors and recall some of the show's finest moments, by and large successfully. They are all skillfully done, though listeners are sure to fasten on a favorite track of their own (the mostly likely candidates are the extended first-season title and, naturally, "Z'ha'dum").
In the end, this CD hits the mark for its target audience, and that's how it should be judged. While it's clearly permeated with Babylon 5-ness, it also manages to be quite different from the first CD, proving itself a worthy investment for the B5 fan. Non-Babylophiles might be better off checking out the soundtracks from other shows and movies.
