Memory Alpha
Register
Advertisement
Memory Alpha
Real world article
(written from a Production point of view)

The Star Trek Generations soundtrack was the commercial release of Dennis McCarthy's original score for Star Trek Generations, released by GNP Crescendo Records in 1994. The single-disc album also included 22 tracks of sound effects from the film.

Overview[]

The score for Star Trek Generations and the big screen debut of the TNG-era itself is inseparably linked with its television music roots. Rightly so, as veteran TNG composer Dennis McCarthy, too, made the transition with this the seventh Trek film.

However, while the scores from the original Star Trek: The Next Generation episodes were (by direction of the producers) understated, McCarthy was allowed a wider latitude with the new motion picture. Finally given the orchestra he required to create a score of "epic" quality, and ultimately incorporating a rather sizable choir; a reflection of Cliff Eidelman's score from Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country.

With no identifiable themes to bring forward into the film franchise, McCarthy nevertheless segued motifs and arrangements from the television series into new themes for the film. Clearly identifiable are three themes: one for the USS Enterprise-D and her crew, one for Soran and the Klingons and one representing the Nexus comprise the bulk of the score, with McCarthy reprising Alexander Courage's TOS fanfare several times. These echoes of Courage's original Star Trek theme are some of the most powerful and bombastic versions ever heard.

While Jerry Goldsmith's Next Generation theme was heard in the Generations trailer, the piece was not used in the final film.

Notable for a Star Trek score is the use of a choir throughout and dominating the main title and Nexus themes. Save for the previous effort, no other Star Trek score has before or since used such a prominent choral element, surprising considering the presence of voices in many modern film scores.

Track listing[]

# Title/Runtime
1 Star Trek Generations Overture (4:14)
2 Main Title* (2:53)
3 The Enterprise-B/Kirk Saves the Day* (3:13)
4 Deck 15 (1:41)
5 Time is Running Out (1:12)
6 Prisoner Exchange (2:57)
7 Outgunned (3:21)
8 Out of Control/The Crash (2:07)
9 Coming to Rest (0:57)
10 The Nexus/A Christmas Hug (7:08)
11 Jumping the Ravine (1:37)
12 Two Captains (1:32)
13 The Final Fight (6:15)
14 Kirk's Death (2:46)
15 To Live Forever* (2:43)
Sound Effects
16 Enterprise-B Bridge (3:13)
17 Enterprise-B Doors Open (0:13)
18 Distress Call Alert (0:10
19 Enterprise-B Helm Controls (0:16)
20 Nexus Energy Ribbon (1:38)
21 Enterprise-B Deflector Beam (0:08)
22 Enterprise-B Warp Pass-by (0:14)
23 Enterprise-B Transporter (0:12)
24 Tricorder (0:30)
25 Hypo Injector (0:03)
26 Communicator Chirp (0:06)
27 Door Chime (0:07)
28 Enterprise-D Warp Out #1 (0:22)
29 Bird of Prey Bridge / Explosion (2:51)
30 Klingon Sensor Alert (0:08)
31 Bird of Prey Cloaks (0:04)
32 Bird of Prey De-Cloaks (0:10)
33 Klingon Transporter (0:12)
34 Soran's Gun (0:11)
35 Soran's Rocket De-Cloaks (0:05)
36 Shuttlecraft Pass-By (0:21)
37 Enterprise-D Bridge / Crash Sequence (3:21)
38 Enterprise-D Warp-Out #2 (0:09)
Total running time: 60:24
* - Contains Theme from Star Trek by Alexander Courage.

See also[]


Previous soundtrack release: Series Next soundtrack release:
Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country Star Trek Movie Soundtrack
Star Trek Generations
Star Trek: First Contact
Advertisement