Logan's Run

One year before Star Wars changed the look and sound of big-screen science fiction, Logan's Run gave viewers (arguably) the definitive depiction of a sterile, electronic future. Jerry Goldsmith mirrored these images with sharply abstract, atonal electronics; typically inventive percussion; and, contrastingly, warm, evocative orchestral passages as the film progressed from the stark, indoor city to the open countryside. This disc presents, for the first time, the complete score recorded for the film, all in pristine stereo sound. Unlike prior presentations, the cues here are arranged in chronological order, giving a better feel for the brilliant flow and unity of Goldsmith's score. Moving from the familiar electronic rumblings of "The Dome/The City/Nursery" to the dazzling orchestral burst of "The Sun" to the climactic "End of the City," this is a score that truly outshines the flawed and dated film for which it was written. Through his music, Goldsmith was able to forcefully underline some of the overarching themes that were only touched upon in the movie's dialogue. Listening to the score, one can truly feel the conflict between the enforced "perfection" of the city and the true perfection to be found in nature and free will. Featuring typically illustrative liner notes by Jeff Bond and Lukas Kendall, this is a landmark score finally given its proper due. ~ Neil Shurley