Published on Aug 30, 1998
Quality is often a characteristic that is seldom found on TV.
For every one program that really tries to break the norm, you will
find channels full of junk. Now take a look at those programs that
you consider truly good and notice that most of them will have very
good music with it. This music has the ability to contain within it
all of the emotions portrayed on screen.
I bring that up to properly introduce the music of Christopher
Franke. While he has done music for movies, television, and on his
own, it is the music he has written for the sci-fi TV show,
Babylon 5, which stands up and proclaims his talents. (OK,
OK, I’ll cut it out with the pretty-talk and get to the
review).
In case anyone didn’t know,
Babylon 5 is a TV show (and a damn good one) that takes
place in the future.
In The Beginning provides background info on the heard-of,
but not seen, Earth-Minbari War–which prompted the construction of
Babylon 5. A huge story that deals with politics, mistakes,
sacrifices, courage, and the near-destruction of the Human Race,
the music for it has to fit it and add to it. It does not
dissapoint.
The music starts by telling us of a dark time and sweeps us back
35 years into the past. We hear moods change from simple–when a
brother and a sister say goodbye–to complex–making sense of all
of the carnage. In the music, there’s the story. It is simple and
it is complicated. (If I sound like I’m BSing, you’re wrong.)
I will give you one example. The final track details the worst
of this futuristic war–as the human race is pushed farther and
farther back and the chances of survival look grim. The music
slowly comes up and brings in bagpipes as the details of this gory
war are told. Then, the music changes beats to something more
determined and heroic–as this piece details the beginnings of the
last battle of this war and soldiers are called to make the
ultimate sacrifice.
This album is strong and touches you. As the show’s creator, J.
Michael Stracyzinski, says in the inside of the cover, “(Franke)
broke our hearts.”