An album had been released not long after the film came out which was an unsatisfying orchestral adaptation of the score, but the original tracks only would surface in bootlegs (a tape circulating at the time of the film's release gave way to an extremely well-produced and surprisingly complete CD from Off World Records, and now Bongo Records, albeit not with optimal sound quality).

Vangelis' score is generally considered one of his best efforts. His electronic sounds are more appropriate to the futuristic setting of this film than to that of his Oscar-winning Chariots of Fire, and the combination of his soundscapes and the film create a seamless whole.

The album, however, is a minor disappointment. One finds on it a mix of cues that were in the film, cues that were not used in the film, and new soundscapes Vangelis created for this album. While the tracks for the film, whether used or not, gel and either transport you immediately back to the dark, rain drenched, neon world of the film or create new and interesting sonic experiences, the newly-created tracks (such as "Blush Response" and "Wait for Me") have a slick, new age feel to them that doesn't sit well with the more dramatic material that the film inspired.

However, one finds much that illuminates the score here. "Tales of the Future" is a hypnotic piece, combining the Vangelis' trademark electronics with voice in a gritty and threatening synergy. Heard in the film only as snippets here and there (usually connected to Deckart's search for the replicants), hearing the piece in its original form is a unique and rewarding experience.

The title theme is also an arresting piece of music, and its appearance in "Tears in Rain" is one of the most moving you are likely to hear in a movie theater.

The saxophone love theme is a bit out of character for the rest of the score, sticking out from the rest of the film tracks, as does the Ink Spots rip-off "One More Kiss, Dear"* and the jarring contrast between the score and new material to boot give this album something of a disjointed quality.

An excellent remix of the end title track also appears on this album, which gives a much more satisfying edit of this track than the other excerpt available on the "Vangelis Themes" album (the full version has only appeared on the bootlegs).

A track that is used in the film to score Rachel's growing doubts about her identity is "Memories of Green," which was from an earlier Vangelis album "See You Later." This track is very consistent with the tone of the film, and, by extension, with the other score material on the disc. It can be guessed that it was used as a replacement for what "Rachel's Song" was composed for. This is a beautiful track, melancholy and restrained.

Another piece of material that seems to have been written, but not used in the film, is "Damask Rose," which is an Arabic-sounding piece that acts on the album as a sort of afterthought to "Tales of the Future," continuing much of the same tonalities and aesthetic, but taking other musical aspects into different directions.

Missing from this album, however, are some very significant parts of this score. The title sequence proper is not here, the "Main Title" track only presenting the Los Angeles landscape music that immediately follows the main title in the film blended into Deckart's Spinner ride with Gaff. Nowhere does the strident version of the title theme that is cue for the climactic redemption of Roy Batty (when he saves Deckart's life) appear. Also inexplicably missing is the apocalyptic quasi-choral cue used for Roy Batty's murder of Tyrell and Sebastian (all of these cues can be found on the bootleg CD).

Another major problem wi