Television soundtracks tend to be something of a mixed bag. Composers are
often required to provide music which 'blends' with the overall ambience of
the show, meaning that many soundtrack albums can be incredibly dull. Those
who try to rise above the norm can also find themselves out on their ear
(as with Ron Jones on Star Trek The Next Generation. Without his music the
series was never the same). Fortunately for Xena : Warrior Princess, Joseph
LoDuca is definitely among the latter group and this CD goes a long way
toward proving it.
If there is a complaint to be made, it is the lack of information provided
by the accompanying booklet, which wholeheartedly fails to provide a list
of episodes from which the thirty tracks are lifted. XWP is unusual among
today's abundance of fantasy and SF television in that LoDuca is not called
upon to compose a unique soundtrack for every episode. Instead, as with the
original (classic) Star Trek, cues are composed for certain sequences or
episodes and are then re-used in other segments. In an odd way this adds to
the series' charm, as familiarity with the music can often give you a hint
as to what is about to happen on screen. However, this only makes trying to
determine in which episodes the tracks first appeared even harder. Bear
with me whilst I try to make some sense of the chaos!
Firstly, the Main Title has been slightly altered for this release. There
are two versions provided ('normal' and extended) neither of which is
identical to that used in the show. The changes to the former involve the
addition of lyrics to its first section plus a slight pause in the middle,
which is lengthened and elaborated upon in the latter. Changes such as
these always annoy me (after all, if it ain't broke don't fix it) and the
absence of the closing titles version, sans vocals, is disappointing.
The recovery is swift, however. The Warrior Princess follows immediately
and is one that we must surely all know by heart since its first airing in
the Hercules episode of the same name. It's a rousing cue, although singing
along proves to be awkward given the origin of the lyrics, despite the
translations provided. The idea came, apparently, from Robert Tapert, who
particularly liked a chant that LoDuca had composed, in an Eastern European
style, for one of the Hercules movies. LoDuca's decision to use both ethnic
instrumentation and a Bulgarian women's chorus adds a unique flavour to the
soundtrack and, consequently, the show.
Other tracks to make excellent use of these techniques are The Gauntlet
(The Gauntlet), Glede Ma Glede (Sins of the Past) and Burying The Past (the
first section of which debuted in Sins with more following in Chariots of
War).
That is not to say that he doesn't make use of more traditional methods.
Cues such as Xena And The Big Bird (Prometheus), Barn Blazers (Chariots)
and Fight On The Heads (Sins) are straightforward action-oriented
orchestral pieces which add welcome variety to proceedings.
The quieter, more emotive tracks provide many of the highlights. Burial
(The Path Not Taken), composed and performed by Lucy Lawless, Roll In The
Leaves (Unchained Heart) and The Oracle (Cradle of Hope) are among the best
on offer, whilst Going To Kill Me (The Royal Couple Of Thieves) amusingly
echoes Autolycus's own words when he catches sight of the half-drowned
Xena. Watch out for those grapes, Bruce!
The final section of the album is reserved for a trilogy of cues from
Callisto. The teaser is represented here by The Wrath of Callisto and is
quickly followed by Bloodlust, a deceptive title for one of the quietest,
most emotional moments in the series to date - the campfire scene.
Both set the stage perfectly for LoDuca's tour de force, Ladder Fight,
which really needs no further introduction as it pounds breathlessly from
the speakers. Ironically, this cue made it's debut in the series before the
stunning set-piece finale for which it is named, first heard as Xena chases
Callisto from The Oracle at Delphi. Since then it has been used numerous
times but it's true worth can only be witnessed from the moment Xena grabs
hold of that first ladder.
It's hard to argue with the quality of a soundtrack such as this. Boasting
well over an hour of music from the series' first season this is, to date
the best piece of Xena-related merchandise currently available in the UK.
Miss it at your peril!
Steve Damarell © August 1997
Now if I were Lucy Lawless, I would sue for this truly horrid photo of her gracing the back sleeve of the cd. Couldn't they have got a better one, she looks like a melting waxwork here!
A slightly out of date interview with composer Joe LoDuca includes interesting comments about the tracks
Send Steve your comments here
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