Published on Jul 1, 2004
When I was in the Cub Scouts – a fact I’m not proud of – one of
our big field trips was when we got to go to a planetarium. We’d
sit back in the seats, stare at the ceiling – obviously in
preparation for some mind-numbing job we’d have at some point in
our lives – and watch as the darkess was illuminated by a light
show of stars while our ears were filled with trance-like music and
facts read by someone who fancied themselves to be the next James
Earl Jones. With all of that training in my youth, it’s a miracle I
didn’t become a serial killer.
Betcha never gave a second thought as to who created the music
you heard in the planetariums you visited – that is, unless you
were there for the laser show orchestrated to the music of Pink
Floyd. One such artist is Jonn Serrie, and from the notes I have,
he appears to be the top of his field, having been selected to
create music for events involving the likes of George Lucas,
Charlton Heston and Vincent Price. (What?!? No Shatner?)
Planetary Chronicles Vol. 1 is a selection of five musical
pieces from such works, all of them instrumental.
That’s about as descriptive as I can get in this review.
You see, such music isn’t of the kind you can put on, sit in
your favorite chair and drink a Smirnoff Ice to while appreciating
every note. Serrie’s work was created as background music, works
which are supposed to help make the listener feel like they’re
traveling in the cosmos and watching the interstellar light show up
close. It wasn’t originally written to stand out in the forefront –
and anyone who tries to listen to this disc while doing anything
else will quickly find themselves pushing it to the back burner,
taking it all in while doing their other tasks.
You can’t really fault Serrie for that – after all, the music is
still doing exactly what it was supposed to do. But it is a little
disheartening in my mind, especially when the purpose of such a
commercial release is to bring Serrie’s work to the collective
consciousness of the public. Maybe, just by associating Serrie’s
name to these works, that goal is accomplished.
I can say this about the five selections: while listening to
tracks such as “Mystery Road,” “Starmoods” and “The Straits Of
Madigann,” the listener does feel like they’re being taken on a
trip through space, not unlike the opening credits of
Cosmos with the stars swishing by. So, in that regard as
well, maybe Serrie’s goal is accomplished.
It’s hard to say whether you will enjoy a disc like
Planetary Chronicles Vol. 1, but it is pleasing enough to
give a few spins any place you need to use some mental floss – at
the office, at home once the kids are put to bed, what have you. It
might not be substantive, but it is peaceful.