"After numerous listens to this album, I can agree with Robert Townson about the greatness of this score."

"It is a good score, but after the hype Varese gave it, I was expecting something better on CD."

"This was a good score. The themes were very good, but it seemed that Goldsmith didn't focus on a theme long enough for my likes, or revist some of the themes that I really enjoyed."

"The most disappointing score of the entire Star Trek series. Perhaps he was limited by the film itself, which was poorly-storied and horribly edited. Perhaps some of the best cues from the score simply weren't included on the CD. Or perhaps there were other reasons. But by and large, this soundtrack lacks any real main thematic component. The tracks (especially the end titles) are often subdued in quality (either in playing or in sound engineering), and the effect on the whole leaves the music sounding lifeless and dull."

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Originally posted by franz_conrad:
They're not worth dying for

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Traitor!

Grant when I first listened to Nemesis I found it a bit odd and it had to grow on me a bit. I then was able to get the full bootleg of the score (even though it's missing two cues GAH!) and when I listened to that quite it a bit it certainly helped with the listening experience. There were a lot of good cues left off the OST that I enjoyed. I divided mine up evenly and started Disc 2 out with "The Mirror". I mostly listen to Disc 2 since good portion of the best cues are on there.

1. ST:TMP
2. STV:TFF
3. Nemesis
4. First Contact
5. Insurrection

Actually, looking over my list, I find the placement of Nemesis rather interesting. Without it, the series would have been one slow decline. Such an impressive rally at the end of his career, and given his state of health, is really remarkable.

Much of what should have made the official release but didn't is the best music in the film, especially Goldsmith's stellar and heroic "Battle Stations" piece and the following "Battle In The Rift" action cues (somewhat represented on the official CD). The brightest momments for me are the paraphrase cues of the original Star Trek: The Motion Picture thematic material, with the "Enterprise Flyover" and "The Argo." For action, "The Mirror" and the awesome escape sequence aboard the Scimitar music "The Scorpion" both contain first rate, high-adventure scoring from the master; I love the resolution cue in "The Mirror" where Data cracks the Reman encription codes at 04:59, giving our heroes a slight breather; and the frantic rhythmic material at 01:10 in "The Scorpion," with a heroic rendition of the new Nemesis theme that resolves at 01:34—very cool!—and finishing with a martial performance of the Enterprise theme to close off the piece as she warps out. There's also some interesting and touching music for the B4 / Data relationship in the film, heard on the CD at the beginning of "Repairs," done with strings and synthesizers before melding into the Kirk / Picard captain's 5-note motif (first introduced in Star Trek V). If there are any short comings with this score it is with the Reman / Romulan centered evil music for Picard's nemesis, Shinzon: it has a been there-done that feel to it, even though it is quite effective, especially in the fourth act battle music. The more emotional bridge between Shinzon and Picard, musically, in "Ideals" and "A New Ending" are also stand-out pieces worth mentioning and reflect some of the hopeful material from Star Trek: First Contact and Insurrection, and yet there's a dinstinctly sad feel to the Nemesis theme that sets it apart from Goldsmith's other Trek outings.

As for inspiration that Jerry Goldsmith may or may not have needed for this unfortunately sub-par film, I believe Jeff Bond pointed out in his Goldsmith Buyer's Guide in FSM that Goldsmith himself felt that Nemesis was the best Star Trek film he'd scored; am I correct on that, Mr. Bond? And if that's true, than we probably got the best score we could get from Jerry.

The complete film score is a far more impressive listen when you counter it with whats included on the official CD. A great score for an average film.

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Originally posted by rkeaveney:
I must be alone here, but I think INSURRECTION is better than NEMESIS, but not better than FIRST CONTACT. INSURRECTION has that great love theme for Picard and his hundred-year-old babe, and Goldsmith's great action music (well, you sort of had to like that small U.S. MARSHALLS phase). The album seems more like a more complete listening experience than NEMESIS, which has that brutal synth bit for when Data's mangled body is discovered in the desert. That music made me cringe in the theater.

Ryan

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I felt NEMESIS on the otherhand was paced like an episode of MATLOCK.

I actually own all of the ST soundtracks (except Rosenman's and McCarthy's), but I wouldn't consider myself an expert on them. In fact, I have no right to be contributing to this thread! Ahaha.

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Originally posted by rkeaveney:
I wish I knew enough about either film to remember when and where what was happening. I remember more of INSURRECTION because it was the kind of cheesball ST feature that I like - reminding me of the old television show (plus it had F. Murray going apeshit).

I felt NEMESIS on the otherhand was paced like an episode of MATLOCK.

I actually own all of the ST soundtracks (except Rosenman's and McCarthy's), but I wouldn't consider myself an expert on them. In fact, I have no right to be contributing to this thread! Ahaha.

Ryan

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LOL! Very funny analysis!

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Originally posted by sean:
Originally posted by rkeaveney

I agree with that.

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Originally posted by nuts_score:
Doth Hell freezeth over?!

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Haha! Well, I have no personal grudge against that chap, and I agreed with what he said: funny stuff.

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Originally posted by sean:
Now, crazy_score, tell us all what your take on Goldsmith's Star Trek: Nemesis is.

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Dammit, you know I don't own it yet; but as my Goldsmith collection grows month by month, this is one of the top choices. If only my copy of The Blue Max would miraculously make it's way to my mailbox I could be a little happier in life.

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Originally posted by BigT1981:
That's your opinion.

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Originally posted by franz_conrad:
. . . and there's a great many other obvious things we could point out too.

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