Logan's Run - Coma

Track List:
    Logan's Run

  1. The Dome 2:07
  2. On the Circuit 3:48
  3. The Sun 2:11
  4. Flameout 3:26
  5. The Monument 8:13
  6. You're Renewed 2:50
  7. Ice Sculpture 3:35
  8. Love Shop 3:44
  9. The Truth 2:06
  10. The Key/Intensive Care 4:00
  11. End of the City 2:24
  12. Love theme from Logan's Run

    Coma

  13. Love theme From Coma 2:38
  14. Study in Anatomy 3:13
  15. Jefferson Institute 1:58
  16. Disco Strut 2:33 Yeccch!
  17. A Chance Encounter 5:01
  18. Love theme from Coma (Disco Version) 4:28 Yeccch! Once again.
  19. A Free Ride 2:58
  20. O.R. 8 4:53
  21. The Long View 3:42
  22. A Lucky Patient 5:05

Total Time: (77:53)

Composed by:
Jerry Goldsmith

Orchestrated by:
Arthur Morton

Conducted by:
Jerry Goldsmith

Before today's somewhat mediocre Jerry Goldsmith, there was a fiercely talented modernist composer who knew what he was doing and hit the composing nail on the head almost each and every time that he touched his staff paper. Jerry's early career was fueled by incredible success with his avant-garde techniques, worked in with scores for more different genres than just about any other composer. Not even the venerated John Williams could handle so many genres so well (I really wonder if anyone else is as versatile as Goldsmith). This is why this Chapter III re-release of two classic Goldsmith scores is such a blessing, it contains the music of the master composer's most enthusiastic time.

Logan's Run is simply one of Jerry's most incredible scores, while Coma is mearly decent, but the coupling of the two makes for an extremely enjoyable seventy-plus minutes of listening. Then again, not all seventy minutes are that great, not because of the scores nessesarily, but because of the era in which they were done. Sadly, disco arrangements were put into the Coma section of the album, making it a little less listenable, but other than that, it's almost difficult to find fault with the CD. Even the short running-times of the separate scores make the listening more enjoyable as they present very well-rounded concert length works.

The most interesting aspect of the first score is probably the track "Flameout" which is made up of odd seventies synth sounds. It's actually rather corny, but it brings a smile to my face every time I hear it. The eight-minute "The Monument" is the centerpiece of the whole album, with brilliant composition from top to bottom. The obvious highlight of the second score is the love theme, another outstanding achievment.

Unfortunately, despite digital remastering, the sound quality is pretty lousy. While it's certainly acceptable, there is quite a bit of hiss and distortion left, but considering the quality of the composition, it is not a large drawback. Also, another problem is the fact that the track titles are only in the middle of the insert instead of the back of the CD case. While this is annoying, it's not as annoying a the placement of tracks on the CD alone, as was the case with Batman Returns and Independence Day.

In the seventies, Jerry Goldsmith was at his peak. Not to say he's gone down in quality since then, I simply like his earlier work better. Fans of Goldsmith's modern sound had best leave this disc for others to grab, but for fans of classic Goldsmith, I couldn't think of a better deal.


Logan's Run-Coma is Copyright 1976/1978/2000 Chapter III Records. This review is written by and is the property of Isaac Engelhorn and does not reflect the opinions of Tripod.