FSM Board: Horner's "Aliens" - Favorite Cues? (2025)

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FSM Board: Horner's "Aliens" - Favorite Cues? (28)Posted:May 5, 2011-11:19 AM
By: Avatarded(Member)

I have to say that I happen to know a pretty big amount of repertoire and so I happen to be pretty much aware of the amount and extent, and I think it is not exaggerated. It is inexusable.
FSM Board: Horner's "Aliens" - Favorite Cues? (29)
But I'll stop that, I just get upset about the fact that some guys just get honors others should get because it is not possible to shield mind achievments...

Yeah you and many others here buddy. If you like beating that horse every chance you get, well whatever makes you happy. Some of us fans aren't nearly as stupid / ignorant as you probably think we are.

-The more intense "Bad Dreams" (with 'screaming' brass)
-Combat Drop (both versions)
-FaceHuggers
-Futile Escape (second half)
-Queen to Bishop (love that title)

I want to mention something about "Ripley's Rescue that I don't think many people have noticed:

The "Deluxe Edition" version of this cue is unlistenable for me because the album's producers / mixers decided to play around with the percussion, I suspect doubling the snare drums by overlaying the "percussion only" version over the orchestral cue, and completely ruined the detail in the snare drum hits.

Listen to the original 1987 Varese release of the same cue, and you'll notice it's as clear as it is in the film. Then listen to the 2001 Deluxe version and you'll hear what I mean. The individual drum hits become drum rolls in the deluxe version because of the revised mixing.

It was a poor change for this listener, so I took the original Varese cue and put it into the Deluxe album's playlist.

Even bumped up the percussion with an audio editor and it's just as good as the Deluxe in terms of the added volume to the cue thanks to the added percussion overlay - Deluxe sounds louder as a result but at a negative price.

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FSM Board: Horner's "Aliens" - Favorite Cues? (31)
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FSM Board: Horner's "Aliens" - Favorite Cues? (34)Posted:May 5, 2011-11:22 AM
By: Sean(Member)

"Futile Escape"!

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FSM Board: Horner's "Aliens" - Favorite Cues? (40)Posted:May 5, 2011-4:28 PM
By: Mike West(Member)


FSM Board: Horner's "Aliens" - Favorite Cues? (41)
But I'll stop that, I just get upset about the fact that some guys just get honors others should get because it is not possible to shield mind achievments...

Yeah you and many others here buddy. If you like beating that horse every chance you get, well whatever makes you happy. Some of us fans aren't nearly as stupid / ignorant as you probably think we are.

well, I think noone said that something about others being stupid or ignorant.
And I don't want to spoil your enjoyment with whatever music you like to hear, surely not.

But speaking of the objective matters at hand, you confound means with ends: I am not beating the horse. I am observing that someone does that time and time again.
And noone is there to shield the ideas of that horses called Britten, Fauré, Orff, Wagner ...

Enjoy the music by all means, but stand to hear from some guys having musical expertice
that the ideas are far from being original and are obviously taken deliberately.
So rock on and enjoy that music by Britten, Fauré, Orff, Wagner...!

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FSM Board: Horner's "Aliens" - Favorite Cues? (46)Posted:May 5, 2011-4:33 PM
By: Francis(Member)


I want to mention something about "Ripley's Rescue that I don't think many people have noticed...

Thanks, I'll most definitely look into this. I sold of my original varese but I still have it in wav. I'll do the comparison.

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FSM Board: Horner's "Aliens" - Favorite Cues? (51)Posted:May 5, 2011-4:45 PM
By: Avatarded(Member)

"Buddy", I think noone said that something about others being stupid or ignorant.
And I don't want to spoil your enjoyment with whatever music you like to hear.

But speaking of the objective matters at hand, you confound means with ends. I am not beating the horse. I am observing that someone does that time and time again.
And noone is there to shield the ideas of that horses called Britten, Fauré, Orff, Wagner ...

Enjoy the music by all means, but stand to hear from some guys having musical expertice
that the ideas are far from being original and are obviously taken deliberately
So rock on and enjoy that music by Britten, Fauré, Orff, Wagner...!

Which we know all too well and yet the relentless need to shove it in everyone's face as if it's some kind of earth-shattering revelation persists. As for being stupid / ignorant, come on....you have to start by saying you have "musical expertise", which implies that anyone who enjoys Horner's music must NOT have expertise (or even basic knowledge) and just assume they don't know anything, inspirations, homages, quotes, whatever the cases might be. Otherwise they wouldn't be able to enjoy it if they knew "the truth" right?

Sounds like dead-horse beating to me, in fact it became something of a joke that Thor 'retired' this "beat a dead horse" animated gif he often posted whenever this came up.

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FSM Board: Horner's "Aliens" - Favorite Cues? (57)Posted:May 5, 2011-4:50 PM
By: orion_mk3(Member)

We just call him Aram around here because we're on a first name basis FSM Board: Horner's "Aliens" - Favorite Cues? (58)

Thread-derailing concerns and arguments aside, my favorite cue is "Resolution," the first part of "Resolution and Hyperspace." I split them up in Audacity because I'm more often in the mood for the rousing, tender first portion than the Aram-inspired end credits suite.

It's a shame that the cue wasn't used in the film, but it works like gangbusters in "Die Hard" and gets me smiling every time.

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FSM Board: Horner's "Aliens" - Favorite Cues? (64)Posted:May 5, 2011-4:54 PM
By: Score Whore(Member)

I love "Ripley's Rescue". Such a great action cue accompanying a great action sequence. One of the great instances in film where visuals, sound effects and music come together perfectly. On par with "Helicopter Rescue" from SUPERMAN.

I also love "Bishop's Countdown" and used both tracks in my home movie last year. In the last 30 seconds there's a really amazing accident on a New Jersey freeway which is given an extra kick with "Bishop's Countdown". Check it out.

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FSM Board: Horner's "Aliens" - Favorite Cues? (70)Posted:May 5, 2011-4:55 PM
By: TominAtl(Member)

Most definitely my favorite cue of this and in fact, almost all of his work, is "Futile Escape". Thunderous and pulse pounding, it's phenomenal.

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FSM Board: Horner's "Aliens" - Favorite Cues? (75)Posted:May 5, 2011-5:01 PM
By: Mike West(Member)

Which we know all too well and yet the relentless need to shove it in everyone's face as if it's some kind of earth-shattering revelation persists. As for being stupid / ignorant, come on....you have to start by saying you have "musical expertise", which implies that anyone who enjoys Horner's music must NOT have expertise (or even basic knowledge) and just assume they don't know anything, inspirations, homages, quotes, whatever the cases might be. Otherwise they wouldn't be able to enjoy it if they knew "the truth" right?

Sounds like dead-horse beating to me, in fact it became something of a joke that Thor 'retired' this "beat a dead horse" animated gif he often posted whenever this came up.

Enjoy it by all means, go ahead!

What you probably don't understand: it is not about being inspired by, about an homage or an quote. It is about taking something an idea from somebody else and claim it is your own.

Imagine you are reading a great and popular novel, and some years after that you notice someone wrote a novel before that which actually features the same characters, the same plot and subplots etc. It is obvious that the second authour knew the original novel and was inspired by the original novel. Of course you remember your enthusiasm reading the novel at first and you still like it.
And now imagine someone writes a third novel using exactly the same chapters as the original novel in the same order, using the same paragraphs, the same sentences, just changing a word here and there.
I think it is easy to understand that that would be kind of unfair, isn't it?

Rnjoy the music. But don't call me someone thinking of others being ignorant which is insulting me.

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FSM Board: Horner's "Aliens" - Favorite Cues? (81)Posted:May 5, 2011-5:17 PM
By: DeputyRiley(Member)

Mike West:

Okay. We get it. You've made your point. Please stop now.

-----

"Going After Newt" is my pick for greatest action cue in the score. I love how the music builds and rises with fevered intensity at the end of the cue and, in the movie, as the elevator doors open, the music stops and there's this really cool, tense stillness and quiet. Excellent use of score and visuals, contrasting the full-blast action music with sudden musical silence.

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FSM Board: Horner's "Aliens" - Favorite Cues? (86)Posted:May 5, 2011-5:30 PM
By: Mike West(Member)

Mike West:

Okay. We get it. You've made your point. Please stop now.

Deputy:

Okay. I got it. Don't worry. Please, you are welcome.

Sorry to obviously spoil the thread for some guys, but I think also your reaction appears to be
quite inappropriate. But no problem.
Horner did also really compose great music, that's for sure.

[EDIT:
One last word to why I think your reaction is inappropriate, Deputy. It was not me who insulted someone by presuming things that have not been said, turning the words around and directly insulting, as you can read in the above posts]

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FSM Board: Horner's "Aliens" - Favorite Cues? (91)Posted:May 5, 2011-6:14 PM
By: bondo321(Member)

Regarding the deluxe edition, I like the 'combat drop' cue BUT understand why it wasn't used; it is a bit too heroic and out of place so early on in the movie.

As effective as the percussion-only cue is, I would argue that the original "Combat Drop" by Horner supports James Cameron's claim that ALIENS is a Vietnam War analogy. The upbeat, kick-ass nature of the cue gives the viewer the intended false impression that the colonial marines are indeed going to kick-ass, when in fact they are far unprepared and are slaughtered. It does sound quite a bit like an unused Star Trek 2 or 3 cue, but much of the score does anyway. This score gets regular play on my iPod, but I excise a few of the atmospheric cues.

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FSM Board: Horner's "Aliens" - Favorite Cues? (97)Posted:May 5, 2011-6:43 PM
By: BasilFSM(Member)

Ripley's Rescue and Futile Escape for me. Bishop's Countdown is good too!

Though I haven't heard the entire score... I ought to do that sometime.

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FSM Board: Horner's "Aliens" - Favorite Cues? (103)Posted:May 5, 2011-7:50 PM
By: KevinSmith(Member)

Hyperspace

one of the best minute and a half piece IMO.

Don't know if there is a predecessor for that, so for me so far
this is one of the most original 1 1/2 minute of music Horner ever wrote

I think it's an re-arrangement of the Gayanneh ballet just on french horns. It took me a while to realize what Horner did. But it's still good stuff.

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FSM Board: Horner's "Aliens" - Favorite Cues? (109)Posted:May 5, 2011-7:56 PM
By: KevinSmith(Member)

Mike West:

Okay. We get it. You've made your point. Please stop now.

-----

"Going After Newt" is my pick for greatest action cue in the score. I love how the music builds and rises with fevered intensity at the end of the cue and, in the movie, as the elevator doors open, the music stops and there's this really cool, tense stillness and quiet. Excellent use of score and visuals, contrasting the full-blast action music with sudden musical silence.

If you watch the movie, the film cue is much slower.

FSM Board: Horner's "Aliens" - Favorite Cues? (110)

FSM Board: Horner's "Aliens" - Favorite Cues? (111)
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FSM Board: Horner's "Aliens" - Favorite Cues? (115)Posted:May 5, 2011-8:19 PM
By: KevinSmith(Member)

I have to say that I happen to know a pretty big amount of repertoire and so I happen to be pretty much aware of the amount and extent, and I think it is not exaggerated. It is inexusable.
FSM Board: Horner's "Aliens" - Favorite Cues? (116)
But I'll stop that, I just get upset about the fact that some guys just get honors others should get because it is not possible to shield mind achievments...

Yeah you and many others here buddy. If you like beating that horse every chance you get, well whatever makes you happy. Some of us fans aren't nearly as stupid / ignorant as you probably think we are.

-The more intense "Bad Dreams" (with 'screaming' brass)
-Combat Drop (both versions)
-FaceHuggers
-Futile Escape (second half)
-Queen to Bishop (love that title)

I want to mention something about "Ripley's Rescue that I don't think many people have noticed:

The "Deluxe Edition" version of this cue is unlistenable for me because the album's producers / mixers decided to play around with the percussion, I suspect doubling the snare drums by overlaying the "percussion only" version over the orchestral cue, and completely ruined the detail in the snare drum hits.

Listen to the original 1987 Varese release of the same cue, and you'll notice it's as clear as it is in the film. Then listen to the 2001 Deluxe version and you'll hear what I mean. The individual drum hits become drum rolls in the deluxe version because of the revised mixing.

It was a poor change for this listener, so I took the original Varese cue and put it into the Deluxe album's playlist.

Even bumped up the percussion with an audio editor and it's just as good as the Deluxe in terms of the added volume to the cue thanks to the added percussion overlay - Deluxe sounds louder as a result but at a negative price.

In Combat Drop, around the 1 minute mark, the woodwinds play under the strings. Am I right to think that they are; clarinet, saxophone, maybe a high bassoon?

FSM Board: Horner's "Aliens" - Favorite Cues? (117)

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