Alien Nation ome ideas seem like naturals – Caan and Patinkin are wonderful to - The differences between the scores are and the idea for Alien Nation was gether. Patinkin’s character, called fascinating. First of all, Curt Sobel’s score Sdefinitely a natural – aliens (New - George Francisco (Caan calls him Sam fits the finished film like a glove. It’s oc - comers) land on Earth (in Los Angeles, Francisco) was originally to be called casionally heavier on the atmosphere naturally), and are being integrated into George Jetson, but at the last minute, than the Goldsmith score, playing up the the population of the city, which makes Hanna-Barbera, the creators of The Jet - noir-ish aspects of the story (especially the population of the city a little uneasy. sons, refused to give permission and the the main title), but still with the requisite It’s not that far-fetched, really, if you think character had to be rechristened. action cues. It, like the Goldsmith score, about it. And aliens co-existing with peo - Patinkin was very upset by the change is mostly electronic, but with some great ple would naturally bring out certain peo - and insisted that at the very least the guitar work from Tim May. Goldsmith’s ple’s prejudices just like, well, just like, name George be kept. The look of the score is very propulsive, and it has a you know, real life. The 1988 film takes aliens was a key decision – as producer great and memorable theme – that place in 1991, three years after the aliens Hurd said, “We wanted the aliens to be theme was originally written for but not have arrived, and while it may have more like a different ethnic race rather used in Oliver Stone’s film, Wall Street . seemed fanciful back in 1988, all one than like lizard people. We didn’t want our When the Alien Nation score was dis - need do today is look around them at audiences thinking, ‘Gee, look how dif - carded, Goldsmith recycled the theme people texting the person sitting next to ferent these aliens are.’ Rather, after one more time and the third time was the them, people walking down the street about five minutes we wanted the audi - charm – for the film The Russia House. talking loudly on their cell phones without ence to accept them as different from us, a care who hears them, people sitting in but not so different that no one is buying The Jerry Goldsmith score was originally restaurants either texting or talking but the storyline. We wanted the aliens to be released by Varese Sarabande as a lim - not actually relating to the person they’re characters – not creatures.” ited edition. While Goldsmith was praised dining with and it’s not such a leap to in the liner notes for that release, both think that we are indeed living in a world The alien makeup posed huge problems film and Curt Sobel were given short filled with aliens, especially in Los Ange - for cameraman Adam Greenberg, but shrift, which is a little unfair. The film is les. after some disastrous camera tests, he extremely entertaining, and Mr. Sobel, learned what worked and what didn’t, given a time-sensitive and difficult as - Directed by Graham Baker, produced by and his work on the film is really terrific, signment, delivered what he was asked Gale Anne Hurd, with a script by Rockne as is the set and production design. The to deliver. The scores are, as noted, very S. O’Bannon, Alien Nation stars James pace is brisk and the film runs a tight 91 different, but both work well on their own Caan as a police detective and Mandy minutes, which is about 86 minutes with - terms. The Curt Sobel score has never Patinkin as the first Newcomer to be - out the end credits. The reviews were been issued on CD – this is the world come a detective. So, we have a sci-fi middling, but the film was a modest suc - premiere release and it’s nice to have film cross-pollinated with a buddy cop cess and enough of one to spawn a TV both Alien Nation scores available in one film and it’s a surprisingly good fit. The series the following year. That ran but a package. Sobel prepared an album mas - future L.A. circa 1991 isn’t that different single season (22 episodes), but be - ter back in the day, and that is what we from the L.A. of today. The Newcomers, cause the film had developed a popular used for this CD. The Goldsmith score is called “slags” by many of the racist hu - cult following as had the TV series, there basically the same as the Varese, al - mans, live in a ghetto called Slagtown, followed five Alien Nation TV movies. though certain dropouts and other anom - are treated like second-class outcasts alies have been fixed. and, like other minorities, tend to fre - The legendary Jerry Goldsmith was quent their own neighborhoods, their hired to provide the score for Alien Na - There are no heroes or villains when a own clubs and bars and have their own tion . As he’d already done a handful of score is replaced in a film and it’s hap - underground. The film’s structure plays times before, he wrote an electronic pened to some of the biggest film com - out like a standard detective thriller, but score, which was produced by his son, posers ever. Whatever side one takes, the alien angle keeps it interesting and Joel. It was a dynamic synth score, but it’s the producer or director’s decision off-center – plus the character details for when the film underwent considerable and they do what they feel is best for their the aliens is fun. They eat only raw food reediting, Goldsmith was either busy with film. It’s rarely about quality; it’s about fit. and seawater is like acid on their alien other things or disinclined to revise what In this case, we have two excellent skin – that and their rather large, bulbous he’d written. Rather than chop it up and scores for one film. heads with the brown spots. And like with try to make it fit the new, leaner version any race of people, there are good New - of the film, his score was discarded and — Bruce Kimmel comers and bad Newcomers. composer Curt Sobel was brought in to compose a new one.