The Dark Crystal

A Retrospective and Review

By Boudicca Stevenson

There remain relatively few great soundtrack albums which have yet to be reissued on CD. That golden year of film music, 1982, has been well-represented on reissues during the 90s, with the expanded CDs of E.T., Poltergeist and Conan, as well as 1994's long-awaited release of Blade Runner.

One great 1982 score which has yet to emerge as a CD however (expanded or otherwise) is Trevor Jones' epic score for Jim Henson's The Dark Crystal. In the wake of a summer of fabulous scores by Williams, Goldsmith, Poledouris and Carlos, it would have taken a lot to for a score impress, but Trevor Jones did just that. Not only a great score, The Dark Crystal's LP packaging was itself a lavish affair, boasting an ornate cover, fold-out poster and detailed liner notes. But despite this red carpet treatment on the LP, and the great esteem in which the score is held (by both soundtrack collectors and fans of the film itself), The Dark Crystal has fared poorly on CD. Never given a legitimate release, two "pirate" CDs have emerged in recent years, both mastered from a pre-recorded cassette of the original album. One version was coupled with Tony Bank's risible "score" for The Wicked Lady; the other threw-in Jones' music cues from Labyrinth (which were readily available on CD already). CDRs of these abominations are still being peddled on ebay.

Few, if any of Jones' subsequent works are as arresting and thoroughly enchanting as The Dark Crystal. Both the subject matter and production conditions afforded the composer an ideal working situation. Although populated by puppets, the film is nevertheless an epic. Rife with heros, monsters, cataclysmic forces and a finale where an entire world is reborn, Jones had to address these story elements accordingly, and compose music of a larger-than-life scale. In addition, Jones worked for an unheard of *two years* on The Dark Crystal, and was dealing with a director, Jim Henson, who was both keenly interested in music, and a stimulating and inspiring collaborator.

Those wishing to hear this long out-of-print score will find some solace in the new DVD release of The Dark Crystal, which includes Jones' score isolated in stereo. I must however point-out that this is *not* the complete score, nor in any way a substitute for a real album (indeed, the original LP incudes a fair degree of music which is not even heard on the DVD). Before its theatrical release The Dark Crystal was cut to a 90-minute running time (from a length closer to two hours), and Jones' score with it. Many cues in the film are therefor incomplete, sometimes with awkward key and tempo changes from these cuts (and the isolated music suffers these same cuts). The isolated tracks are also taken from 35mm mag stock (used to mix the music into the film) and have less-than-optimum fidelity. The sound level rises and falls in deference to the dialog, and there is occasional "wow" and fluctuation in the pitch of the music.

Nevertheless, hearing more of Jones' score -- sans dialog and sound effects -- is a revelation. I have lost count of the number of times I have seen The Dark Crystal, yet even I was surprised to hear the isolated score, which offered new glimpses of cues never heard before. Some fascinating writing is buried under sound effects in the movie, particularly in the scene where Kira calls upon the caged animals to free themselves (and her) from the sadistic Skeksis alchemist. Likewise, the music for the Skeksis' banquet, hitherto smothered by sounds of chewing and copious belches, now reveals some exceptionally clever writing. The cue for the landstriders' attack on the garthim (one of the score's high points) is wonderful to experience sans dialog and effects, Jones violent music slashing and surging with percussive force.

Jones has a distinct style. His scores are often marked by passages of soaring melody (for Jones is a master melodist), and he is one of the best at evoking tragedy, passion and yearning. In contrast, in cues where the music must call less attention to itself, Jones bears the influence of Herrmann (and perhaps Barry) in constructing cues with short, repeated phrases, in an almost minimalist fashion, to sustain a mood, or feeling of tension. The music for The Dark Crystal is as visceral an evocation of the fantasy world as any of the film's images. In particular, Jones' palette of electronic timbres has a glassy, and yes, "crystalline" resonance, which evokes the crystal itself, and the strangeness of the film's setting. References to Psycho and Jaws permeate the Garthim cues, the then-young newcomer paying homage to the established greats (among whom Jones has since taken his place).

Seeing as a true soundtrack CD -- expanded or otherwise -- has yet to appear, this DVD certainly whets one's appetite to hear a proper, expanded CD of the score. The news that Trevor Jones has it in mind to release more of his scores on his Contemporary Media Music label only furthers one's sense of excitement. The Dark Crystal is obvious candidate for release (preferably expanded to include the cues for the landstrider / garthim battle, and the complete "Great Conjunction" at the film's finale -- the brevity of the LP format necessitated this cue be radically cut-down). Jones happily maintains his own archive of DATs of all his scores, and has expressed an interest in doing a Dark Crystal "promo", due to the many requests he has received form fans.

The release of the DVD does however raise one disturbing question. Will some crackpot out there now decide to do us all a "favor" (i.e. make a fast buck) by making his own pirate CD? I should certainly hope not. Aside from the fact that it would be illegal, the isolated music track, as stated earlier, is a less-than-optimum representation of the score. I would urge all collectors (and more specifically dealers) not to touch any bootleg CD should it appear! Prospective buyers of such a CD would do better to spend their money on stamps, and send letters to Trevor Jones, in request that this, his best score, see the proper release it deserves!

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