abylon 5 creator J. Michael Straczynski has frequently been lauded for writing nearly every script of his popular series. That's undeniably a praiseworthy achievement, but there is another relatively unsung individual who has also contributed to each chapter of the saga. Since the very first adventure (though not the original version of the two-hour pilot), Christopher Franke has generated the soundtracks for the show, creating more than 100 singular scores that both complement and, in many respects, propel the on-screen action.
While a few of these melodies have been made available on two full-length albums from Sonic Images, B5 buffs can now purchase 19 separate CDs that present the music in a significantly different format. Each recording is dedicated to a single episode of the series and offers cues in the order in which they were originally presented, with the majority of the selections coming from second-, third- and fourth-season shows such as "The Coming of Shadows," "The Fall of Night," "Into the Fire," "Lines of Communication" and "Endgame."
Although early editions of "Severed Dreams," "A Late Delivery from Avalon," "Walkabout," "Shadow Dancing" and "Z'ha'dum" came with a nondescript overlay featuring the B5 logo, the jewel cases for most of these CDs do not include cover booklets. The discs themselves are therefore designed with intricate geometric motifs. On each platter, much of the surface area is transparent, and the various black, white and silver patterns appear to float above multicolored images placed behind the clear inner tray. Every package also contains a short plot synopsis and a few behind-the-scenes details concerning the appropriate episode.
Capturing the soul of the series
In the liner notes to one of the earlier extended B5 releases, Straczynski noted that the program's music "captures the soul of the series with breathtaking poignancy." Whether listening to the haunting melodies of "Chrysalis" (the first-season finale) or the aural anguish of "The Ragged Edge" (the 100th episode), these short but stirring CDs readily exhibit Franke's consistently creative contributions to the show.
Altogether the discs contain almost 10 hours of music, and though it would be impossible for every tune to be flawless, most are surprisingly engaging. Particularly outstanding works include the score for "Interludes and Examinations," which spotlights beautiful choral effects on the cuts affiliated with Ambassador Kosh, and the pair of CDs devoted to "War Without End." The cues associated with this eventful two-part episode clearly show how the soundtrack helped keep the complex on-screen activities cohesive and compelling.
Each recording also contains B5's opening theme, with selected discs featuring the associated narrative vocals. This relatively consistent component serves as a subtle reminder that, while the scores may at times be quite disparate, the sweeping B5 story line remains an ongoing and interconnected adventure.
In addition to the aforementioned titles, other releases in the series include "Whatever Happened to Mr. Garibaldi?," "The Long Night," "No Surrender, No Retreat" and "The Face of the Enemy." While long-time fans are probably moderately familiar with Franke's compositions, hearing these episodic CDs offers a valuable opportunity to better understand how his creations genuinely enhance and embellish the overall Babylon 5 experience.
