Babylon 5
Christopher Franke

Review

Babylon 5, one of the best science fiction shows currently on television, owes its success as much to its computer-generated special effects and fabulous score by Christopher Franke as it does to its riveting plots. Utilising the full powers of both synthesiser and orchestra, he comes up with a score that can be easily used in science fiction settings.

The main difficulty of using this music in a campaign is each track contains a number of individual pieces or moods stitched together to form almost a story. It would be difficult to find a track that would flow exactly to your dialogue or scene (though it isn't impossible). Of course, this is the main reason for buying this CD in the first place, as it tells a story of its very own. Each track, however, seems to have its own mood or feeling. For example, track four is about love and loss.

Its main strength, however, lies in its suitability to be used as background music. It would be great to use when characters are exploring ruins, buying up at a space station or slumming it in their native cities. It is not a score to be used for descriptions or events, but to lay the foundation of the story.

Track Listing and Notes

    Chrysalis (18:21)

  1. (3:57) - climatic build up ~ majestic scenery (hint of mystery) ~ title music ~ danger ~ strange voices
  2. (4:45) - something beneath the surface ~ rumblings of war ~ quiet
  3. (5:51) - hidden in the shadows is waiting ~ your eyes open and see ~ chase into climax
  4. (3:48) - something lost (one of the few quiet, soft tracks)

    5. Mind War (6:25)

  5. (3:41) - calm before the storm
  6. (2:34) - storm

    7. Parliament of Dreams (18:02)

  7. (6:13) - strange things live on space stations ~ the pace heats up ~ the beat of the station
  8. (6:03) - the beat of the station ~ quiet reflections
  9. (5:46) - in space, no one can here you scream ~ marching off to death

    10. The Geometry of Shadows (15:29)

  10. (7:45) - attack ~ strike back ~ aftermath ~ something's afoot
  11. (3:27) - hope has a place ~ preparation for war
  12. (4:17) - confrontation ~ dining on ashes

Total Running Time: 58:12

Alternative Reviews

The Wanderer's Rest is currently undergoing a major overhaul. If you find any broken links or strange pages please e-mail the Webmaster at dschibeci@iinet.net.au

© 1997 - 2002 David Schibeci

Babylon 5 © 1995 Warner-Tamerlane Publ. Corp. (BMI).