n the leadoff paragraph, the liner notes to this CD accurately point out that less than a year after Logan's Run debuted in 1976, "it was relegated to relic status by the release of George Lucas' Star Wars." From a visual perspective, that assertion is essentially valid, but even today, the earlier movie's imaginative score, crafted by the inimitable Jerry Goldsmith, is noteworthy. This 23-track platter, which contains over half an hour of previously unreleased music, serves as a potent reminder of the power of his melodies.
"The Dome/The City/Nursery" offers a blend of electronic sounds and boisterous brass and percussion, forming an exciting overture that expertly sets the stage for subsequent cues like "The Assignment/Lost Years" and "Return to the City/Apprehensions." "Flameout," "On the Circuit" and other selections that are specifically associated with the City—a domed metropolis where every inhabitant is executed at the age of 30—are predominantly comprised of strings, keyboards or artificial noises, while those works principally devoted to the outside world, including "The Monument" and "End of the City," are primarily orchestral. The recording concludes with "Love Theme from Logan's Run," a pop instrumental based upon one of Goldsmith's main motifs.
A few compositions also supplement action cut from the final version of the film, especially the strangely sensual "Love Shop" and the suggestive "Ice Sculpture." The tunes are largely sequenced in chronological order, and are complemented by a colorful, 16-page booklet featuring extensive background information penned by Film Score Monthly magazine editors Jeff Bond and Lukas Kendall.
Outdated but still outstanding
From the liberties taken in adapting the short novel upon which the picture is based to the stagy and, at times, slightly stodgy acting, Logan's Run has over the years been knocked by many critics as trivial and passe. Fortunately, Goldsmith's inspired score rises above the problematic
elements, fashioning an ambience that, though somewhat archaic by today's advanced electronic-music standards, genuinely augments the film's rebellious attitude and ultramodern milieu.
The entirely synthetic "Fatal Games"—one of a dozen formerly unavailable tracks included on the collection—is absolutely chilling, incorporating weird echoes and high-pitched pings that build in intensity to an unsettling crescendo. It expertly encapsulates the excitement and emotion of a life-or-death chase through the spare, streamlined City. "The Key/Box" is equally evocative, utilizing such familiar organic instruments as violins, violas and piano to form an oddly electrifying air. Ensuing numbers like the orchestral "You're Renewed" and the artificial "The Interrogation" likewise
present eclectic and effective themes.
There's nothing inherently revolutionary about Goldsmith's contributions, yet his vision of the cold, utopian City and its inhabitants, suggested through icy electronic tones, and the hospitable but forbidden Outside, hinted at with warm orchestral melodies, is superbly executed and emotionally satisfying. The inclusion of so many heretofore unheard cues further establishes the composer's impressive aural palette. Although its out-of-date look may make Logan's Run little more than a guilty pleasure for many fans, this recording readily confirms that the music remains invigorating and meaningful.
