Brainstorm
Reviewed by Josh Gizelt
January 03, 2007

Douglas Trumbull's film required a score that would touch on some of the same general concepts as John Corigliano's Altered States score, only in a more consonant setting. He turned to James Horner, who was in something of a creative peak in 1983, producing not only this score but Krull, Testament, Uncommon Valor, Something Wicked This Way Comes and Gorky Park. Heavenly choirs, beautiful melodies and aleatoric writing all blend together in this intoxicating early Horner score. While this may sound very diverse, it all gels quite well. In fact, it is more effective as a stand-alone experience than in association with the muddled film.

This is one of the last examples of a score being re-recorded specifically for the LP release. This makes for a very well-balanced, if rather short, album. The listener is gradually drawn into the musical vocabulary with the understated "Main Title," but any sense of repose is immediately undercut by the thundering intensity of "Lillian's Heart Attack." "Gaining Access to the Tapes" introduces an propulsive four-note motif that will return in an action setting in the exciting "Race for Time." There is also a gorgeous piano-based love theme introduced in the lengthy "Michael's Gift to Karen." All of the elements of the score culminate in "Final Playback and End Titles," bringing the album to a satisfying conclusion.

There are pieces here and there that would, of course, re-appear in future Horner projects, but as with most of his scores of this vintage, what they lack in originality they make up for in the boldness of the writing. The performance is first-rate, and Eric Tomlinson's early digital recording is very precise, if lacking a bit in presence. This is a very entertaining score, and well worth the investment.

  printer friendly version

Click here to discuss this article in our forum »»