| Title | Babylon 5 Vol. 2: Messages From Earth | |
| Rating | 7/10 |  |
| Composer | Christopher Franke | |
| Awards | ||
| Label, Year | Sonic Images Records, 1997 | |
Review
Spectacular main title variations and suites from four episodes. The first half of “Messages From Earth” is average only, but the last 3 1/2 minutes are very well composed. You will notice when Franke adds the choir and the electric guitar to the synthesizer sounds.
“Z'ha'dum” is no composition as inventive as the second half of “Messages From Earth”. “Z'ha'dum” mostly sounds very dramatic, sometimes dissonant, and like war music. Probably highly appropriate for what happens on screen, but not an enjoyable listen. The middle part is much quieter, slower, and nicer.
“Severed Dreams” is another average Babylon 5 suite. It's only at about 8:00 that the music gets highly interesting.
“Voices Of Authority” has very themeful parts and is quite enjoyable.
I can recommend this CD to any fan of the TV series and to anyone who is interested in tasty synthesizer music.
Track Rating
| Title | Time | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Main Title 1st Season (Extended) | 3:17 |  |
| 2 | Messages From Earth | 10:05 |   |
| 3 | Main Title 2nd Season | 1:30 | |
| 4 | Z'ha'dum | 12:20 | |
| 5 | Main Title 3rd Season | 1:31 | |
| 6 | Severed Dreams | 15:37 | |
| 7 | Main Title 4th Season | 1:29 | |
| 8 | Voices Of Authority | 11:26 | |
| 58:00 |
| Criteria | Weight | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Composition | 50% | 7 |
| Multitude of themes | 10% | 7 |
| Continuity | 10% | 7 |
| Instrumentation | 10% | 8 |
| Sound quality | 10% | 9 |
| Score length | 10% | 8 |
| Final Rating | 100% | 7/10 |
Related Links
Christopher Franke's Equipment