The Omen [Soundtrack]

This CD is an essential item to own in your Goldsmith score collection. It's the perfect introduction for Goldsmith's Omen score trilogy. Yes, it's true the scores develop and become more "thematic" as the movies go on, but that's the whole point really. A Omen 3:Final Frontier score for this movie would of been utterly incorrect. The trilogy had to start slowly and innocently without drawing too much attention to itself. So its odd to say its lacking in some way (like many seem to say). This is the very beginning of the Omen story, and hence it had to be like the wheels of a cart gathering speed until the massive orchestral development we hear in "The Final Conflict". Btw, if you have been searching Amazon, then it's absoloutely "essential" to purchase the 25th anniversary Varese Sarabanda "Deluxe" releases of all these Omen scores (such as this one) instead of the original releases (which are displayed most prominently). The "Deluxe" are remastered and have many more cues included (some of which are very important in my opinion). Anyway. We are introduced to this Omen score with "Ave Satani" a soft choral and piano growing into a brooding trundle then full blown choral Omen. I'm sure that after you hear just this track you'll be hooked for life. It's slightly longer than than in the movie, but much better for it. Goldsmith has the choir doing some really freaky things even in this opening track (listen to it on headphones and you'll hear a nasal croaking in your left ear). This kind of wacky and twisted choral experimentation is the very thing that makes these Omen scores superb and stand out from all the other horror scores ever made since. Tracks like "The New Ambassador" are a case of a cue that is actually more welcome and beautiful "outside" of the movie, where it often seemed to be quite out of place "in" the movie itself (imo). A small cue which is still missing (even on this release) is the "Happy Birthday" jingle that accompanies the slideshow photos of Damien growing up over the next few years. It's a creepy little inclusion to the movie which is unfortunately still excluded here. It would also be nice to have the deep synth warble where Damien and his nanny look the black dog in the eyes. But you can't have 'everything' i guess. I certainly find little else to complain about.

I cannot comment on all the tracks as it would just take far too long. So i'll just choose a few. Starting with "Safari Park" which begins on a normal theme as the car is driving to the park, but in the background has a wonderfully bizzare twisted and slightly out of tune childlike piano tinkle. It's a nice little cue which hints at the distorted prescence behind this apparently normal childhood. This then develops further into a track which gives us a taste of the multiple forms to come on this soundtrack. Happy theme, distorted piano, chanting choral and screaming "Satani". A notable cue called "Beheaded" is just superb and a great example of how Goldsmith squeezed the last drops out of the choir to make this is a truly disturbing score (i bet they all needed some cough mixture after that take). We are bombarded with flailing and screaming chants of "Satani" which just make your skin crawl even without the scene itself (and make anyone next door who happens to overhear this being played...most likely avoid you for weeks). Truly great scoring.Another example of the genius of this score is the falling sound from the choir which became a trademark Omen score sound. Listen to the last few seconds of "The Fall" and you'll hear what i mean. Another disturbing cue later on is "The demise of Mrs Baylock". Beginning with a squeeling psycho homage, it develops into full blown chant and stabbing orchestra. This track also includes the mass whispering (which would characterize the later Omen scores and be used in them more liberally). A later wonderful cue is "The Altar" (which is infact an alternative cue not used in the film but thankfully later ressurected in "Damien : Omen 2" in the form of "Fallen Temple"). Apparently the master tapes for the music used in the final cut of the Omen movie for this end scene are missing, so on both releases we've had this version take its place (which in my opinion is far superior anyway to the cue chosen instead). The cue "The Dog's Attack" (which takes place in a grim and dark derelict italian cemetery as the reporter and Thorn retrace the stories steps) sums up the whole score with all the little gems i've mentiond so far. The choir fall, marching chant, brooding male choral drone, wild strings, squeeling "Satani", everything. It's a real "condensed" piece of the highlights of the score. The final track on this Deluxe score "Pipers Dream" (sung by Goldsmith's wife) is indeed unusual and a bit of novelty (like the previous reviewer said). But i have to say that the more i listen to it, its actually quite beautiful after the assault on your senses from the rest of the score..LOL. A lullaby comes to mind (or the ending love theme from a James's Bond movie perhaps, with Sean Connery switching off MI5's spy camera so they can get down to business). Interesting anyway. She certainly has a nice voice. The CD sleeves themselves detail each cue in detail with occasional screenshots from the movie. We also get interesting facts about the movie. Overall, you really must obtain this CD if you are interested in classic scores that are a "must own".