Original Album Review

The Star Trek: First Contact score is quite simply the best Star Trek score since Star Trek The Motion Picture and contains one of the most beautiful themes Jerry Goldsmith ever wrote. When Jerry accepted the job to score First Contact he didn’t have enough time to complete the whole score himself due to commitments on The Ghost And The Darkness, so turned to son Joel Goldsmith to provide some extra music. While Jerry composed most of the score Joel composed a number of key cues for the film. The album contains three of these; Locutus, Retreat, and 39.1 Degrees Celsius. According to the recent First Contact DVD, Jerry believed Joel’s style would be right for writing the musical sound of the Borg and is contribution is seamless throughout the score.

The two main musical ideas to the film are the symphonic and metallic, which perfectly captures the mechanical Borg and their disregard for mankind. While the symphonic approach perfectly emphasizes the humanity of the Federation.

I can’t say enough about the Main Title/Locutus, here Goldsmith opens with an elegant rendition of Alexander Courages' fanfare then segues into his own new theme to complement his Motion Picture theme. Goldsmith creates a theme full of wonder but also emphasises melancholy, in particular Captain Picard's emotional battle with the Borg and what they did to him. Goldsmith’s theme grabs your emotions, and creates so many images while listening to it, juxtaposing  the wonder of space travel with the bond of friendship. The second part of the cue introduces the ominous, metallic signature of the Borg.

Red Alert begins with a dynamic rendition of Goldsmith's own Motion Picture theme, replete with sumptuous cymbal crash for the Enterprise E as it enters warp and heads to the aid of the Federation and their battle with the Borg. Low end brass underscores the arrival of the Borg Cube, immediately setting up the attack by Lt. Commander Worf in the Defiant with Goldsmith referencing his popular Klingon theme from The Motion Picture. As the Enterprise E enters the battle, Goldsmith heroically responds with the main Motion Picture theme.

Temporal Wake develops an ominous metallic tempo as the Enterprise E follows the escaping Borg sphere, while also referencing the Klingon theme for Worf's arrival on the Enterprise bridge. As the pursuit continues and the crew realise the Borg are returning to Earth's past to change its future, Goldsmith creates an intense but haunting atmosphere as briefly the crew see the Earth's population transformed into Borg.

Welcome Aboard references Goldsmith’s First Contact theme to underscore the friendship between Picard and Lily. Goldsmith perfectly emphasising  wonder and beauty as Picard shows Lily the view of the Earth from an Enterprise airlock. The second portion of the cue reveals Picard's second sense as he realises the Borg are planning to make contact with other Borg by modifying the sensor array.

Fully Functional opens aggressively as Data briefly escapes from the Borg but is quickly captured and introduced to the sexy Borg Queen who in turn introduces him to sexual emotions by way of a passionate kiss. The second portion of the cue deals with frantic attempts of the crew to fight the Borg.

Retreat composed by Joel Goldsmith utilises metallic sounds and low end brass and strings for the crew's fight with the Borg and the desperate hand to hand fight as crew members are abducted and transformed. Joel also initiates the Klingon theme several times as Worf, in his element, fights the Borg face to face and sees the abduction of Data.

Evacuate returns with the low end brass as Picard finally gives the order for the crew to evacuate the Enterprise and set it to self destruct. The First Contact theme returns in a warm and sensitive mode as Picard apologises to Worf for calling him a coward and resigns himself to the fact he will stay onboard and face the Borg.

39.1 Degrees Celsius is Joel Goldsmith's second major cue for the film  for an earlier sequence when Picard first realises the Enterprise has been boarded by the Borg and crew members are attacked. Joel introduces some typically 'Goldsmithian' motifs throughout including a perfectly captured moment as Data locks out the Borg from accessing the computer. The cue also contains some effective military inspired snare drums as the crew is armed and heads into battle.

The Dish underscores Picard’s attempt to prevent the Borg from using the Enterprise as a communication device to contact other Borg in the current time. Here Picard and co change into space suits and battle the Borg on the hull of the ship. Goldsmith provides one of his best action cues, albeit a lot less robust than usual. Metallic percussion provides the tempo for the orchestral cue as Goldsmith builds slowly to a cue bristling with brass and riveting percussion. The cue triumphantly includes quotes from the Klingon theme for Worf and the First Contact theme as the Dish is destroyed.

First Contact is the finale of the film as the humans meet the Vulcan’s for the first time in one of the most memorable parts of the film. Goldsmith creates a finale piece bristling with awe emphasising thoughtful woodwinds and strings for this historic Star Trek moment. The second portion of the cue deals with Picard saying goodbye to Lily. Goldsmith closes the cue with a touching moment and an heroic flourish as the Enterprise warps back to their own time.