Graeme REVELL
Dune - Music from the Sci-Fi Channel Mini Series
GNP CRESCENDO GNPD 8071 [67:03]
Supercollector
If you check out my review of Toto's score for David Lynch's
1984 incarnation of Dune, you
will know how highly I rate their work on that film and as a result I suppose
it's fair to say that I approached Graeme Revell's new musical take on this
epic tale with both anticipation and a little wariness. The one thing that
alleviated any potential uneasiness however was my growing appreciation of
Revell's music, right through from the way above the call of duty Child's
Play 2 (1990) to more recent offerings such as the punchy The Negotiator
(1998). Sadly though, with this new soundtrack the composer takes a definite
step backwards as far as I'm concerned.
The score is actually broken up into three sections to reflect separate parts
of this ambitious production, opening with a 'Main Theme' that makes very
little impression and remains steadfastly unmemorable. Even so, at least
this piece is melodic, which is more than can said for the majority of what
follows. For the most part the music is dominated by either abstract atmospherics
('Navigator Advises', 'Pain Box', 'The Killing of the Innocent' etc) or Middle
Eastern styled ambience ('Desert Trek' etc. etc. etc.). And it's this latter
influence that pervades the entire score, an artistic choice which I have
to say I feel was rather obvious and unadventurous. I would have far preferred
something more imaginative than simply equating lots of sand (ie: Dune) with
Middle Eastern desert music. There are of course also a few action/suspense
cues like 'Worm Sign/Escape the Worm' and 'Up the Ladder/Battle', but they
really are no more than adequate at best and the score only very occasionally
grabs the interest with anything remotely dynamic on tracks such as 'Travel
with Fremen', which features a rare melodic line and the subtle choral work
of 'Paul Drinks'. But the truth is these moments are few and far between.
Unfortunately, ethnic percussion does not make a very compulsive listen and
pieces like 'Seduction-Part 1' and 'Jihad Begins/Last Fight' are very trying
to say the least. Indeed, part two of the score, which reflects time spent
on the desert planet itself, is sorely testing and I really cannot imagine
anyone wanting to sit through it a second time, unless perhaps as a meditation
aid! The sleeve notes tell us that the composer also utilised some Asian
instrumentation for the villainous Harkonnens and a loose adaptation of a
classical minuet for the Emperor and his court. Well, perhaps I did detect
a slight Asian influence in there somewhere, but the classical elements must
have just passed me by. And to be frank, all I can hear echoing in my mind
right now are those interminable Middle Eastern atmospherics!
This is a score that goes for a distinctive permeating effect, with exotic
sounds swelling and rising to depict alien landscapes and otherworldly
encounters. Or that's the intention anyway. But the music simply fails to
elicit even the slightest emotional response, leaving it dull and passionless.
Nothing came close to moving or stirring me. This is more a case of music
as sound effects and as an aficionado of melodic film scoring it all just
leaves me icy cold.
A very great disappointment
Mark Hockley
