Remembering the End of LOST With LOST: The Last Episodes

One year ago today, the epic television series LOST came to an end. In recognition of that event, I thought it would be a fitting time for me to review the final soundtrack. LOST: The Last Episodes is a second double-disc soundtrack of music from the show's final season. This album sneaked in under the radar of many fans; even though I assumed it was coming, I didn't find out it had been released until a couple weeks after the fact. For reasons that mystify me, the album only had a limited run of 5000 copies; considering that the finale's music is the culmination of almost everything leading up to it, I would think that this could potentially be the most popular soundtrack of the seven.

LOST: The Last Episodes features music from the final four episodes of the series. Disc one encompasses The Candidate, Across the Sea and What They Died For, while the second disc contains 24 tracks all drawn from The End, the series finale. The liner notes booklet includes multiple photographs from these episodes, along with a list of what tracks go with what episode and a list of musicians in the Hollywood Studio Symphony, grouped by instrument: violin, viola, cello, string bass, trombone, bass trombone, harp, piano and percussion. As orchestrally rich as Michael Giacchino's LOST scores are, it always surprises me a little to see that there is actually relatively little variety in terms of instruments used.

My favorite part of the liner booklet is the commentary by Giacchino and by showrunners Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse. The composer's thoughts are short and sweet, thanking the fans and everyone involved in the show for giving him such a moving creative endeavor. “I will miss LOST for years to come,” Giacchino says. Darlton are more long-winded, talking about the series of endings they experienced as the finale drew near and saying how the most intense one was listening to the symphony record the music for The End. They discuss how everyone in the studio felt the enormity of that session and how they themselves had to duck out because they didn't want to risk the microphones picking up on them bawling like babies. What Giacchino accomplished with LOST is truly extraordinary. “We strove for an ending of our series that was spiritually uplifting,” write Darlton, “and at the end we were the ones who were uplifted by the power and emotion of Michael's music. It was, for us, perfect.”

While the second disc is the true star of this collection, the first is outstanding as well. The Candidate furnishes the first five tracks. The shortest is the perilous, trombone-heavy Cage Crashers, which is immediately followed by the slightly longer and hesitantly lovely Shephard's Why, the first of the Sideways tracks, which are almost unfailingly tranquil. Sub-Primed begins on a softly melodic note as Jack and Claire share a tender moment, but the tone soon turns treacherous as the scene dissolves into a shootout. Eerie chimes and some creepy violin shrieks add to the sense of peril.

S. S. Lost-Tanic is another track that is largely action-packed and dangerous-sounding, as just a glimpse at the title might suggest. However, there is also a deeply emotional element to it as well as it signals a tragic but touching conclusion to one story arc. Life and Death is my favorite of all the LOST themes, so any track that incorporates it automatically earns my favor. Following that is the gently elegiac Flew the Coop, which accompanies a painful Sideways conversation between John and Jack.

The music from Across the Sea is set apart from the rest of Giacchino's themes; as with Ab Aeterno, the music is nearly as self-contained as the episode, though hints of it do carry over elsewhere, particularly where enigmatic Island leader Jacob is concerned. This episode reaches into antiquity to reveal the origins of the centuries-old feud between Jacob and his nemesis. Though we never get a precise date for this tale, most estimates put it at about two thousand years in the past. Hence, the music has an ancient, mythical quality to it that hints at Roman influence.

The track Across the Sea is mystical, then quietly ominous, particularly toward the end, which carries the sense of being in close proximity to danger. Don't Look At the Light is startling as well, but it gives way to a lovely variation on the Across the Sea theme that captures the wonder of what the accompanying scene reveals. A Brother's Quarrel is weighted down with sadness as a fundamental conflict begins to take root in the fertile ground of fraternity. A tragic track.

Make Like a Tree, the longest of the Across the Sea tracks, explores the family dynamics among the trio at the heart of this episode. A sense of danger intermingles with affection as two complex relationships reach a critical moment. Mother of a Plan, my favorite track from this episode, carries on the mythical quality as it underscores a scene that will have profound echoes in the final two episodes. However, it's the scene that follows that impacts me most as it depicts the aftermath of a horrific attack and the mingled sorrow and rage that accompany its discovery.

Mother of Sorrow is oppressive and mournful, the backdrop to the chain reaction of violence sparked by the incident depicted in the previous track. This gives way to Love Is Stronger Than Death, which remains sorrowful but also has a thread of beauty to it. Piano, otherwise neglected in this episode, ties the antiquity of Jacob's tale in with the grander story of the modern-day castaways.

From Across the Sea's seven tracks, we move on to the eight tracks in What They Died For, which are mostly reflective and peaceful. This begins with Cereal Experience, which finds Jack in gentle conversation first with Claire, then with Kate, which ends on a note of alarm as they resolve to destroy their powerful enemy. This sense of danger continues with The Four Amigos as Jack, Kate, Sawyer and Hurley plot how to attack their daunting task, but Walk and Talk and Aah! is more reflective, with hints of mystery as the castaways' camaraderie yields to an appearance of the enigmatic Jacob.

Hide and Snitch is brimming with peril as the primary remaining antagonist comes into contact with a contingent of survivors. The trombone especially adds to the brooding feel of the track. A Better Ben has a beautiful beginning in the Sideways before returning to the Island, where Ben has one more devious trick up his sleeve.

What They Died For has an epic feel to it that hearkens back to Across the Sea but more prominently features the main theme of the series. This mingling of Jacob's story with theirs provides one of my favorite pieces of music on the first disc. The echoes of Across the Sea continue with Jack's Cup Runneth Over, which parallels the moment captured in Mother of a Plan. Get Out of Jail Free Card concludes this disc with a mix of the enigmatic and the fun. There's a strong sense of amusement and adventure in this track, which is a cheerful note to end on.

Really, though, we're just getting warmed up, since The End still lies ahead. Disc two begins with Parallelocam, a delicate, slowly swelling track that echoes the season six premiere as we see what each major character is up to in the Sideways and on the Island. Leaver-age has a contemplative feel to it, with the strings emphasizing the mysterious nature of Desmond's quest and Jack's new brand of leadership.

The quietude continues with The Stick With Me Speech, which is enigmatic and sprinkled with the plucking of a harp. Hurley's themes are among my favorites, and here we taste both his affection and his humor before diving into the adventurous walking music. Ultrasonic Flash celebrates Jin and Sun's love with a purely romantic track that mixes their theme with the stirring arrival music that will come up many times throughout the finale.

Fly By Dire is the first truly startling-sounding track, but even that doesn't last long, moving quickly from a sense of foreboding into one of excitement. Next up comes the track with the title that prompted a big grin from me when I first saw it: Down the Hobbit Hole. Referencing Alice in Wonderland and Lord of the Rings in one fell swoop? Nice. I predicted that there would be a moment in the finale comparable to the J. R. R. Tolkien's Mount Doom climax, so it was gratifying to see something with such striking visual similarities. This is an action track, but it's more suspense and emotion than pure action, and several themes are expertly interwoven.

Dysfunctional Setup is another emotional track, this one reuniting two halves of a romantic pairing that few viewers were very invested in. Still, the affecting, strings-heavy music makes the couple seem more legitimate than it otherwise would. Mystery and danger abound in the adventurous-sounding The Well of Holes, while Pulling Out All the Stops explores similar territory before ending on a dire note amidst a sea of shrieking violins and trombones. Similarly, Blood From a Locke is super-short and panicky.

Claire is the focus of Our Lady of Perpetual Labor, sharing her big Sideways moment with Kate and Charlie. The piano and strings blend gorgeously here as we witness three awakenings within the span of a four-and-a-half-minute-long track. The gentleness of the harp on the arrival theme feels especially fitting for Claire. It ends on a rather dire note, though, just as If a Tree Falls begins on one, with jungle-flavored percussion adding to the sense that time is running short. That sense of pervasive peril continues with Locke v. Jack, which eventually slows down to feel less alarming and more heroic.

Can't Keep Locke Down is another Sideways revelation scene, and as such it is richly melodic and orchestrally dense. Locke's name is incorporated into the title of a dozen tracks over the course of seven albums; this is the last, and it's easy to imagine his smile while listening to it. The Long Kiss Goodbye is centered mostly on Island activity, particularly a long-awaited smooch between Jack and Kate, though the midsection also incorporates Sawyer's theme as he encounters Sun and Jin in the Sideways. Some action here, but primarily emotion, with a particularly affecting conclusion.

Half as long and more consistently moving is We Can Go Dutch, the scene that gives us the pay-off from Juliet's cryptic conversation with Sawyer in the season premiere. Kate Flashes Jack is shorter still but comparably heart-tugging up until the ominous final seconds. Violins and harp complement one another well in the gentle Hurley's Coronation, one of my favorite tracks. The peculiar percussion toward the end adds to a sense of wonder without feeling creepy.

The Hole Shebang, one of the longest tracks, was included in the first season six soundtrack as a bonus. This accompanies the final climax of the Island's storyline, combining intense action and soaring emotion. The simply titled Aloha encompasses several endings and beginnings at once, conveying a sense of absolute euphoria. The longest track on this album or any other LOST soundtrack is Closure, which combines several prominent themes, including those of Ben, John, Hurley and Jack, as these characters find closure on the Island and off. A magnificent piece of music, with Hurley's section particularly touching me.

Jumping Jack's Flash, by contrast, is one of the shortest, but it is no less richly melodic or emotionally satisfying. It's only a minute long, but it's incredibly cathartic as he is the last character to have this type of experience, not to mention the central character in the series. Even more gorgeous than the preceding track. Finally, Moving On takes us out of the series. This, too, was included in the first season six soundtrack, which was a nice bonus because this track, above any other, seems to magnum opus of the entire LOST saga. While I wouldn't have minded a slightly higher concentration of Life and Death, I love the blending that occurs here, with the most powerfully emotive motifs intermingling. Giacchino really had to knock this one out of the park, and I think he did. Incidentally, if you look online, you can find an alternate version of this track. As best as I can tell, it's the same until the four-minute mark, at which point the ukelele kicks in. It only plays for about a minute, giving a playful flavor to the middle of the track that seems indicative of Hurley. It makes for an intriguing alternative, but the slightly more solemn main version definitely feels like the right choice for the actual episode.

After Moving On, the “bonus track” Parting Words (Drive Shaft), the full version of the song that Drive Shaft and Daniel play together at the concert in the Sideways, feels a bit jarring. After all, it's an electric guitar-heavy rock anthem augmented by classical piano, and while those last four tracks might easily lure one into sleep, this one will yank you right back out again. Still, it's neat to be able to hear the song properly and match it up with other parts of the score, and the rather raucous nature of the song makes it seem as though it's entertainment at a party in celebration of the series.

A written review is a poor medium in which to express the sheer brilliance of the work done by Giacchino and the Hollywood Studio Symphony. A picture is worth a thousand words, and so is an exquisite musical phrase. Have a listen to this album if you get the chance. Many people were not pleased with the way LOST ended, but everyone I've talked to seems to agree that Giacchino's score is superb. This final soundtrack is the most peaceful one of the lot, with tenderly touching tracks dominating the second disc. I've never known a television show whose score is as integral to its story as LOST's is; it helped set the cinematic tone from the opening moments of the series, and the show would not have been so dramatic or cathartic without it. One year ago today, LOST ended, but something tells me that Giacchino will be enhancing television and cinema alike for a long time to come.

My Favorite Song of Summer 2010: The Injustice League's I'll Never Be LOST Again

It’s once again the time of year when I start reading a lot of lists of Best Songs of the Summer, which causes me to feel incredibly out-of-touch, since without fail I’ve heard few, if any, of them. That hasn’t changed this year as I gaze upon song titles by artists ranging from Katy Perry and Lady Gaga to Eminem and even Erie’s own hometown band Train. Clearly I don’t listen to the radio very much, and when I do, it’s never tuned into the Top 40. I’d be at a loss to come up with any kind of list, but if you asked me for one song that defined the summer of 2010 for me, I’d be able to give you an answer immediately.

I first caught wind of The Injustice League’s I’ll Never Be LOST Again when Jo Garfein, one of my favorite LOST bloggers, mentioned it on her blog (jopinionated.blogspot.com) the week of the finale. Just a couple days later, it turned up in Doc Jensen’s official LOST column on Entertainment Weekly’s website, and I decided I really ought to check it out.

Though I had my doubts as to how well I would like it when I read the words “epic hip-hop / R&B anthem,” as those aren’t two musical styles I tend to connect with very much, I can honestly say that the music video hooked me even before the first verse started. I’ve never heard this song on the radio, and I never expect to. But it was just what this LOST addict needed, and I listened to it many times over the course of the summer, memorizing the lyrics and admiring the artistry and unapologetic geekdom of the men introduced in the video’s credits as Mc Don and The Reverend Oldbed.

I’m no stranger to the notion of using songs to delve more deeply into a beloved show. By the time I watched I’ll Never Be LOST Again, I had written the lyrics to more than 200 filksongs about LOST (lostwithoutcharlie.blogspot.com), trying to get into the heads of just about every major character on the show, and a whole lot of minor ones as well. I wrote my own rambling farewell to the show to the tune of American Pie, incorporating as many specific references as possible. But I heard this song, and it stopped me dead in my tracks, summing up in six succinct minutes my precise feelings for the series with the professional polish of seasoned recording artists.

Some of the song’s appeal is visual, as the video is expertly edited to seamlessly incorporate dozens of clips from LOST, each of which is synched up perfectly with the lyrics, sometimes enhancing the emotion, sometimes eliciting a chuckle. This is especially true of the chorus, which twice includes a clip of a haggard Jack shouting, “We have to go back!” While the lyrics remain the same, the accompanying scenes change, adding depth to the experience.

But as powerful as it is for the longtime LOST fan to take that trip through memory lane via this epic clip show, the song stands on its own perfectly well without the visual element. It begins and ends with some somber commentary, and a bridge of sorts before the third verse reflects upon the deeper meaning of the show in a manner that feels spontaneous but also vaguely rhythmic.

These spoken portions add to the impression that this was a true labor of love for its creators, a pair of LOST fans who are also a part of the folk group Wasted Wine. There’s an aura of sincerity about the song that some might call overblown, but I think most folks who invested 120 hours of initial viewing time and countless hours rewatching and hashing each episode out with fellow LOSTies understand what they mean when they say, “It’s just a show, but it feels like losin’ a friend.”

There’s very little actual singing in this song; it’s almost all rapping, with the exception of some repetition of the title phrase and a bit of back-up singing of the names of certain characters during extensions of the chorus. Nonetheless, the whole thing feels extremely melodic thanks to the stirring backing track, which turns the song largely into a love letter to Michael Giacchino, the brilliant composer whose music has accompanied so many of the most moving moments in the series. With a heavily percussive version of Giacchino’s Of Mice and Ben from the season four finale rippling underneath the rap, it really feels like the song is diving straight into the heart of LOST.

The two rappers switch off on verses and take much of the chorus together, occasionally overlapping their voices, which adds to the communal sense of the song. As one comes to the end of a string of reflections, the other starts in on his, which makes it seem like both of them are just bursting with things to say about the series that is about to come to an end. They posted it on YouTube just five days before the finale; by the time The End aired, tens of thousands of people had popped by to see what the buzz was about, many of them leaving posts echoing the song’s lyrics as they discussed the impact the series had made upon them.

Each of the song’s three lengthy verses is filled with clever references to show. Not counting folks who appear solely in the video clips, the song specifically mentions more than 30 different characters, from original castaways like Claire and Sawyer to later additions like Keamy and Ilana. Lines like “I wanna Faraday back to September 22” and “They got me trapped like I stole Rousseau’s baby” manage to cover a lot of ground in a very short time, combining key tidbits in a witty way that expounds upon the character in question and creates a possible new LOST catchphrase in the process.

Along with the characters, there are references to many of the Island’s peculiarities, from the hieroglyphs in the Swan hatch to the slave ship in the middle of the jungle. They work in important concepts like a Constant, that person or thing which tethers someone to reality and saves him or her from the deadly side effects of temporal displacement, and key off-Island elements like Mr. Cluck’s Chicken Shack, the fried chicken franchise that is so much a part of Hurley’s backstory, and MacCutcheon whiskey, so critical to Desmond‘s.

Then, of course, there are references to phrases that turn up again and again in LOST: “The Island isn’t done with me.” “What lies in the shadow of the statue?” “Don’t tell me what I can’t do!” Anybody who loves analyzing the show would delight in going through the song and pinpointing the inspiration for each line.

“So just as God loved Jacob and Hurley loved Libby, / Like Kate only loved herself, yeah, and Desmond loved Penny, / Just like Sawyer loved Juliet but had to let her go, / See, that's sorta how I feel when I think about this show...” Yes indeed. It’s a little melodramatic - and a bit unfair to Kate, who I think managed to prove that she wasn’t quite as self-absorbed as she often seemed - but guys, that’s sorta how I feel too, even though it’s been three months now. I hope that the finale of LOST brought these two some degree of satisfaction, because they clearly invested a lot of themselves into the series, and they managed to give back to the fan community in a big way.

The video remains available on YouTube and the band’s very basic site for the song, www.injusticeleaguemusic.com, which includes links to download both the full song and the instrumental version for free. There are also a couple of blurbs from press the song has gotten, along with a link to the Wasted Wine webpage and a donation box. While this may be the only LOST song these two will create, they’ve convinced me of their musical prowess, and I intend to thoroughly peruse the music of their other band. In the meantime, if anybody asks me what my favorite song of the summer was, I’ll have my answer ready.

The Season Five LOST Soundtrack Is Appropriately Action-Packed

There are so many reasons I love LOST, the epic ABC television series that just wrapped up its sixth and final season. While I would first tell you about the complex characters or the intriguing mysteries or the deep questions the show poses, one element of the series that consistently wows me is the score, which is composed by Michael Giacchino and performed by the Hollywood Studio Symphony. As powerful as the performances are, it’s often the music in a particular scene that turns it into a true tearjerker, particularly when some version of the theme Life and Death is in force.

Season five introduced some fascinating new musical elements and further developed motifs that have been around since the beginning. As is often the case, several episodes go unrepresented, while nearly a third of them come from the finale. While I was disappointed that my favorite piece of music from the season, the theme that accompanies Rose and Bernard’s reappearance after a much-too-long absence, is not included, the tracks selected are excellent, and the photographs inside the booklet give a good sense of some of the most significant parts of the fifth season.

Making Up For Lost Time, from the season premiere, is primarily suspenseful, carrying hints of earlier themes with it, though there are also brief moments of quiet emotion in this strings-driven piece. The Swinging Bendulum is another suspenseful track, this one accompanying Ben’s failed attempt to recruit Hurley and his meeting with Eloise Hawking in which he is told how urgent the situation is. There’s a mysterious air about this song, especially with the chimes at the end, but mostly it just feels very urgent, as does Locke’s Excellent Adventure, which accompanies our first glimpses into what befell John Locke when he left the Island.

The Science of Faith slows things down a bit for a gentle, harp-tinged track that carries tiny hints of the Life and Death theme and larger hints of Locke’s main theme. One of the prettiest tracks on the album, though it too has suspenseful moments as Eloise tries to convince Jack to go along with her crazy-sounding plan. More Locke Than Locke, Together or Not Together and Through the Window, also from 316, are more reflective than action-packed. The second includes an unusual, heavily percussive variation on Life and Death, while the third captures the exhilaration and fear of knowing an Island return is imminent.

Dharma Delinquent is another track with a lot of urgency to it, while the other LaFleur track, La Fleur, is a very quiet, soothing track with piano and violin emphasizing Sawyer’s softer side. Crash and Yearn, from Namaste, has a very ominous tone to it, with oppressive-sounding strings and mysterious percussion accompanying Flight 316’s landing on the Island, as does Your Kharma Hit My Dharma from Whatever Happened, Happened.

Alex in Chains, from Dead Is Dead, is a startling track with a sad undercurrent, rooted in the moment when Ben makes a decision that will forever change his life. I Hear Dead People makes major use of chimes as Miles first becomes aware of mysterious voices in connection with a deceased person. Another mostly suspenseful track.

For the Love of the Dame begins as a very soft, slow strings-heavy track accompanying the touching moment when Daniel warns a young Charlotte to leave the Island, but the pace quickens and the tone shifts from tender to dangerous. Follow the Leader is one of the most diverse tracks, clocking it at nearly eight minutes and including moments of suspense, action and emotion as it runs underneath several key scenes in Follow the Leader.

Sawyer Jones and the Temple of Boom starts out as one of the prettiest tracks on the album, but it soon grows creepy as mysterious instrumentation is added. Eventually that makes way for the iconic “walking music,” one of LOST’s most recognizable themes, as Locke leads Richard and the Others to Jacob. The last non-finale track, it has what is probably my favorite title on the album.

The Tangled Web is one of the shortest tracks on the album, but it’s easily my favorite, as it is the one that introduces us to Jacob, and the music does such an excellent job of evoking his antiquity and enigmatic nature. The harp and the slightly squealing strings have a beautifully melancholy edge to them that helped me to be instantly sold on this character whose existence was hinted at for so long.

Dharma Disaster is mostly spooky-sounding, with plenty of ominous percussion accentuating the sense of danger in two of the finale’s most unsettling scenes. Blessings and Bombs carries hints of Jacob’s theme before launching into tense, chase-oriented music as Hurley tries to make a getaway in the Dharma van. Jack’s Swan Song has a heroic, regal sound to it as Jack steps up to the challenge that he believes he has been given.

Dharma vs Lostaways is action-oriented and tense, with the exception of a short segment toward the end that echoes Life and Death, while The Incident is all pulse-pounding urgency, with loud blasts and swirling strings evoking the feeling of a red alert, though it becomes more emotive at the end.

Jacob’s Stabber begins with a mystical edge to it as Ilana reveals what is inside the box she has brought, and the tone grows more mysterious toward the middle as Ben finally meets the man he’s tried to serve all these years. Jacob’s theme returns, this time with suspenseful undertones, before slowing way down for one of the loveliest and saddest moments on the album The final seconds of the track have a dark, harsh edge to them, leaving the CD, like the season, on a cliffhanger.

Season five is probably the most action-oriented season of LOST. Only a few episodes feature traditional flashbacks; most focus on characters in multiple timelines working to advance the immediate plot. So it’s not too surprising that most of the tracks on this album have a dangerous edge to them. I wish a couple more purely emotion-driven tracks had been included, and I especially would have liked to hear that variation on the Rose and Bernard theme that so impressed me. Nonetheless, if you love the music of LOST, you’ll want to get your hands on the season five soundtrack.

Michael Giacchino Brings His Brilliance to LOST's Shortened Season Four

Only eight hours to go until season six of LOST begins. I’ve run out of soundtracks to listen to and wish that season five were out already. But since it’s not, I’ll stop here with season four, an excellent collection featuring music from all but three of the fourteen episodes. Considering how short the season was, I’m a little surprised that all of the episodes weren’t represented, but what’s here is wonderful. While my previous soundtrack reviews have grouped tracks by theme or character, I’m discussing the tracks in order this time; this was a tighter season than any of the others, and I think the soundtrack therefore has a more straightforward narrative quality to it. As before, I’ll be discussing plot elements as I proceed, so be warned...

One of the things in the forefront of my mind between the third and fourth seasons of LOST was how those closest to Charlie would react to his death. I guessed that we would get some kind of powerful response from Desmond, Claire and Hurley. The latter delivered especially well, and in Giving Up the Ghost, spooky chimes give way to violins and harp as the Hurley of the future receives a ghostly visit from Charlie. One of the sweetest scenes in the season, and a wonderful way to start off the album. This leads directly into Locke-ing Horns, another variation on Life and Death, in which the mournful cello and the plaintive violins play beautifully against the piano as Hurley speaks back on the Island. Poor Hurley has a difficult time of it in the fourth season; the gloom of this loss hangs over him throughout the season, and we never get one of the playful tunes for him that so delighted me in the first three soundtracks. Nonetheless, these two tracks are gorgeous.

Sayid and Desmond are up next with Lost Away - Or Is It?, which, with its swooping strings, wonderfully captures the sensation of flight and the exhilaration that both must be feeling as they leave the Island for the first time in ages. In short, tense bursts, Backgammon Gambit emphasizes the anxiety in the moment when Kate’s liberation of Miles is discovered. I’m a little disappointed that there’s nothing from Confirmed Dead, since that introduces four important characters; surely there must have been some accompanying theme music for them. Then again, I can’t recall any at the moment.

At least Daniel gets some recognition Time and Time Again, which starts off suspenseful before turning more action-oriented and then majestic, with impressive drums and cellos. Many different emotions are captured in this track, which is fitting considering how many different directions Desmond is pulled in. From the same episode, The Constant accompanies one of my all-time favorite LOST scenes, and the score is one reason why it affected me so deeply. Hesitant harp and strings come together for a most tender recurrence of the love theme that gradually increases in intensity before petering out again as the telephone connecting Desmond and Penny cuts out. An absolutely gorgeous piece of music, even with the creepy-sounding ending accompanying the revelation that Daniel has selected Desmond as his Constant.

Maternity H*** mostly has a playful, albeit slightly panicky, tone to it. As a swift beat plays on what sound like bongos and the piano repeats a mysterious quick progression of single notes, it’s easy to envision Jin’s strangely comical ordeal with the giant stuffed panda in Ji Yeon. Karma Jin-itiative begins with the harp before moving on to the piano, eventually joined by strings in a lovely riff on Rose and Bernard’s theme as, in another of my favorite season four scenes, Bernard talks love and karma with Jin in the quiet of a tranquil fishing trip. Life and Death returns for Ji Yeon, which finds Sun and Hurley visiting Jin’s grave. Very slow piano with cellos occasionally chiming in for emphasis and eventually taking on a melody of their own.

Michael’s Right to Remain Wrong, from Meet Kevin Johnson, starts out quite lovely before becoming alarming. Harps are prominent throughout the track, first giving it a peaceful feel, then adding to the swirling chaos as Michael, in the midst of a suicide attempt, is confronted by Tom Friendly. From there, it’s on to The Shape of Things to Come, my least favorite episode of the season but certainly one of the most memorable.

In Bodies and Bungalows, percussion builds, growing faster and louder as the mercenaries open fire on the Barracks. Benundrum also has a very threatening feel to it, but the string basses and trombones are the instruments increasing in speed and intensity here. A few short piano runs seem to represent Ben’s scattered thought process, while the percussive bursts toward the end seem to foreshadow the emergence of the Smoke Monster. Hostile Negotiations begins just as tense as the others. Midway through, creeping trombones build up to what feels like an explosion of grief; one can almost hear the violins at the end methodically screaming, “Alex, Alex!” A shattering moment.

Locke-about begins gently, but harps soon give way to the ominous beat and the ethereal squeal indicative of the Smoke Monster. Locke’s enigmatic connection to the Island is emphasized here through a variety of mysterious motifs and the patter of percussion. One of the most instrumentally varied tracks, it is the only representative of Cabin Fever, my second-favorite episode of the season.

Nearly half of the tracks on this album are drawn from the two-part (really, three-part, but aired on two nights) finale, There’s No Place Like Home. The track that shares the episode’s name is a lovely, soaring melody on which violins predominate as the Oceanic Six are reunited with their families after being rescued. Nadia on Your Life is also pretty, though tinged with sadness as we already know, even as Sayid joyfully reunites with long-lost love Nadia, that she will soon be killed. Wistful piano gives way to urgent strings as the scene shifts to Sayid returning to the Island from the freighter with a grim warning.

C4-titude is tense as well, with strangely discordant notes here and there to remind us of the Island’s mysterious properties. Strings again serve as sirens of warning. In Of Mice and Ben, the tone is threatening, but underneath the danger is a stirring melody capturing the importance of what is to follow and the sense of respect between Ben and John despite their often adversarial relationship.

Keamy Away From Him maintains a mysterious tone, with strings and drums creating the illusion of swift footsteps as the Others, in a reversal of the season three finale, attack the mercenaries. Some really neat percussion in this first track from the second part of the finale. Timecrunch is tense, with its increasing tempo a reminder that time is running out. The epic strings-driven walking music makes its only appearance on the album as the track ends.

Can’t Kill Keamy is strangely pretty amidst the panic, with a stirring melody that kicks in halfway through, reprising the main theme from There’s No Place Like Home as Frank pilots the helicopter away from the Island with the Oceanic Six plus Desmond in tow. Low, ominous beats and hints of cacophony abound in Bobbing for Freighters, with swift cello progressions signaling that the time for the helicopter to leave the freighter is five minutes ago. Multiple forms of percussion come in toward the end as Jin races toward the deck.

Locke of the Island is the longest track on this or any other LOST soundtrack to date. Various mysterious themes resurface as Locke finds himself in a leadership position he expects to lead him to the answers he craves. Spooky but also largely pretty, especially during the majestic rendition of one of the show’s most iconic themes. Lying for the Island starts off ominous as Jack instructs the others to cover up the truth about their stay on the Island. The tone shifts about two minutes in when Desmond realizes that Penny is their rescuer. The tender melody from The Constant returns as they finally reunite.

Landing Party is one of the loveliest tracks as it accompanies the Oceanic Six’s journey to the small island where they will be officially rescued. Strings mostly have this track to themselves as the There’s No Place Like Home theme is reprised once again. Mostly uplifting, though the slow, trickling piano melody at the end is an elegiac hint of all that these survivors are leaving behind. That sort of melodious track seems more fitting for the end of the album, but the soundtrack concludes the same way the season does, with the creepy Hoffs-Drawlar. Mysterious sounds abound as we draw near the final revelation of just who is in that coffin, which is punctuated with the resounding end-of-the-show boom. Startling but impressive.

As with the other soundtracks, this comes with a booklet containing several high-quality photographs, along with a track listing and a list of episodes, with corresponding track numbers in parentheses. There’s also a lengthy note from Robert Townson praising Michael Giacchino as well as discussing the concert of LOST music performed by the Honolulu Symphony Orchestra in September of 2007. (My dad was actually in town for the event, which was hosted by Terry O’Quinn, but he didn’t find out about it until afterward. He did, however, bring me home a newspaper featuring extensive coverage of the concert.) The season four soundtrack is a thrilling musical experience, and listening to it simply increases my anticipation for the way the score will enhance the final season of this epic drama.

The Season Three LOST Soundtrack Gives You Double the Listening Pleasure

Tomorrow, the final season of LOST begins. ABC has finally released official clips of new material, and in an effort to avoid glancing at them, I am instead immersing myself in previous seasons. One way in which I’m doing that is revisiting the soundtracks, particularly for season three, the longest of the four thus far released. Spoilers ahead for those who have not yet seen those episodes...

Season three signaled a major turning point for LOST. That was the last year when it aired in the fall, the last year when there was still a slight possibility that the show might end before it could be wrapped up properly. Announcing an end date shortly before the season three finale was a real game-changer, and Through the Looking Glass, while my least favorite of the finales, opened up a whole new dimension of possibilities for the show. It also saw the departure of one of LOST‘s most beloved characters. I imagine that all of these factors contributed to the decision to make the season three soundtrack a double disc. While the main disc features music from 16 different episodes (with four episodes unrepresented), the second, just as lengthy, disc is limited exclusively to music from Greatest Hits, the second-to-last episode, and Through the Looking Glass.

Suspense is never in short supply on LOST, and this soundtrack reflects that, starting things off with In With a KABOOM!, which accompanies the opening moments of season three as the Others witness the crash of Flight 815. Unusual metallic-sounding percussion amplifies the sense of danger. The piano drives the sense of anxiety in Awed and Shocked, while Fool Me Twice uses the steady beat of a drum to imitate sneaking footsteps. Steel drums accompany The Island, giving it an appropriately tropical sound, while other percussion approximates the sound of running to give a sense of panic.

Under the Knife also conveys a sense of danger, incorporating a suspense theme that has been used throughout the show. Rather surprisingly, however, the suspense ebbs away as strings play the Life and Death theme before returning to more threatening territory. Teaser Time captures the sense of pursuit as Kate and Sawyer flee, while Here Today, Gone to Maui, after a soothing start, prickles with danger as bows slide menacingly back and forth across strings. This, too, eventually leads to Life and Death; in this case, the piano takes the bulk of the melody, with the strings providing understated backup.

Once Kate and Sawyer escape their captivity, the first disc switches focus, for the most part, from action to character. There are three major exceptions to this, all involving running through the jungle. The strings give us a sense of pulse-pounding pursuit in Sweet Exposé as Nikki flees the spiders, stopping to bury the diamonds that would be her undoing. Trombones give an unusual flavor to Storming the Monster, while ominous, occasionally screechy strings give us a sense of menace. The very brief Rushin’ the Russian is more percussion-driven at first, before returning to the string-heavy motif that is often heard on the show when a character is in danger of being captured.

Many individuals have a moment in the spotlight on the remaining tracks, but Eko has three before he bows out. Eko of the Past has a spooky sound to it as the delirious priest sees his brother and makes an escape from camp after his tent burns down. The swift percussion feels like foreshadowing of his encounter with the smoke monster. Church of Eko’s, by contrast, is soft and delicate, though also very short as piano and strings come together to accompany Eko’s decision to truly step into the role of priest. Lego My Eko is one of the most startling tracks, with the strings capturing the Smoke Monster in hot pursuit before quieting down for a slow, lovely melody that seems to suggest peace and possible redemption.

Sun also fares pretty well, with two centric tracks. Pagoda of Shame is a slow and sad backdrop to Jae Lee’s funeral. It starts in familiar territory before branching off in a new direction for the midsection, then returning to the first tentative melody with some very quiet piano. This track is about the same length as Deadly Fertility, which also unfolds slowly as strings play, only to be replaced with very gradual percussion reminiscent of Fool Me Twice.

Of course, as Jack is arguably the show’s central character, the soundtrack often highlights him. Achara, Glad to See Me? has a fairly tender tone to it, with the gentle strings suggesting more depth to his relationship with this mysterious woman in his most-maligned flashback. A Touching Moment finds him back with Kate for a moment, as the mournful tones of a cello convey a sense that things between them have changed irreparably. Beach Blanket Bonding accompanies Jack with yet another woman, this time Juliet, with the cello coming across as tender rather than regretful. A lovely track until, in the final seconds, it dissolves into cacophony.

Kate and Sawyer are nearly as important to the show as Jack and certainly drive many of his decisions. Ocean’s Apart is one of the prettiest tracks, a strings-driven melody with the emotions of at least five different characters - Kate, Sawyer, Jack, Alex and Karl - wrapped up in it. The majestic tone toward the end, with its rich percussive underpinnings, seems optimistic, supporting the Somewhere Out There feel to this gorgeous scene in which distances (and bodies of water) separate loved ones from each other. In Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Nothin’, the hesitant piano speaks for Kate as she gives Sawyer the cold shoulder, while the strings betray his affection toward her.

All of the trauma Desmond endures in the epic Flashes Before Your Eyes is distilled down into Distraught Desmond, which has a very creepy sound to it that allows us to experience the implosion of the hatch along with him. The tone turns romantic and regretful about a minute and a half in as he reflects on his lost opportunity with Penny. With the help of the harp, Claire-a Culpa gently resurrects the show’s friendship theme. The melody proceeds very slowly, and the cello kicks in as a reminder of the troubles that have passed between them, but the overall tone is one of reconciliation. Another of the loveliest tracks, despite the spooky last minute that doesn’t seem to fit what precedes it.

Juliet’s ordeal in first coming to the Island comes across in Juliet Is Lost, notable for the spooky-sounding chimes accentuating the sense of mystery and the swelling strings that accompany her first sight of the Island itself, a magnificent but ominous vision. Dharmacide is a downer of a track to end the disc on. Dark and suspenseful, it is the backdrop for Ben’s murder of his father. After the intense first minute and a half, the piano comes in to suggest a tinge of regret in a melody later taken up by the strings. By the end of the track, however, the tone has shifted again as Ben hardens his heart against any tender feelings toward his father that might lie submerged.

I’m saving Hurley’s tracks for last because, with the exception of the various renditions of Life and Death, his themes tend to be my favorites. The Lone Hugo accompanies the beautifully elegiac moment when Hurley, in a move very reminiscent of Forrest Gump, stands by Libbie’s grave and pours out his sorrow to her. Very sad, with the plucks of the harp strings falling like teardrops against the more prominent strings. Fetch Your Arm is mysterious but with a playful bent as Vincent leads Hurley to the Dharma van.

Shambala is much more easily recognizable as a Hurley track than the first two. Harp and guitar work together with the violins to make this gently jubilant tribute to Three-Dog Night one of my favorite tracks. But my hands-down favorite is Heart of Thawyer, which I still consider a Hurley track, since his influence is what inspires Sawyer’s generosity in this scene. The guitars double as ukeleles and mandolins, giving it a wonderful Island sound. Mellow, warm, friendly... All the things I love most about Hurley come across in this track that accompanies the luau where the castaways on the beach are allowed a brief reprieve from panic.

There are even more tracks on the second disc, which is well over an hour long. As on the first disc, there are many suspenseful tracks, and with all the death and destruction in Through the Looking Glass, there’s plenty of flat-out action too. But when it comes to plot-oriented tracks, what I like best are those that primarily convey a sense of adventure. These are fairly rare on the soundtracks in general, but we get five of them here, all from the finale, which goes to show how much is going on in that episode.

The cellos come right in with the iconic “walking music” in The Good Shepherd as Jack leads his followers up toward the tower. It’s a short track, but it’s very effective in demonstrating the sense of excitement in the air as the castaways journey toward what they believe will be the last stop before rescue. The walking music returns for the more ominous, and even shorter, An Other Dark Agenda, in which Ben and Alex set out on their journey to meet Jack. Kate Makes a Splash is even shorter, by a few seconds, and the melody is never fully realized as she has paused in her journey to worry about those left on the beach. The walking music is back full force in The Only Pebble in the Jungle, to be quickly followed by a hesitant harp leading into a more romantic theme as Jack confesses his love for Kate. Finally, the walking theme makes a dramatic reappearance in Jack FM, where excitement is mingled with fear as Jack reaches the radio tower.

While Greatest Hits is a lead-in to all of the grand plans executed in the finale, it’s first and foremost a showcase for Charlie. Charlie’s Fate is pretty to begin with, but tense, percussive strings come in to accompany Desmond’s revelation to Charlie that he’s had another vision, and this time, he isn’t going to save him from death. The friendship theme returns in Ta-Ta Charlie as Charlie bids a tender farewell to Hurley. Fairly short, but one of my favorite tracks. Similarly, Heirloom Holiday accompanies a tender moment with Liam. Very different melodically, but the sense of brotherly love is just as apparent.

Finally, the track Greatest Hits underscores Charlie’s friendship with both Claire and Desmond and is very similar melodically to Ta-Ta Charlie but more drawn out and even more delicate. As the harps fade away, the piano comes in for a very slow unfolding of a related melody as Charlie explains to Desmond what he is writing and each offers to take the other’s place. The track, and the episode, ends on a mingled note of panic and surprise as Charlie undertakes his task and receives an unexpected greeting. Other tracks from this episode include the suspenseful Paddle Jumper and its reprise and She’s Dynamite, along with the more tender The Good, the Bad and the Ominous.

The most troubling aspect of the finale for me, surpassing even the death of Charlie (which, at least at the time, seemed to have been for an important purpose), was the complete breakdown of Jack’s character. Unlike many, I wasn’t blind-sided by the big reveal that the presumed flashbacks we’d been seeing were, in fact, flashforwards, since I couldn’t imagine Jack having been in such a dark place prior to the Island - but I could easily see how regretful despair might tie him up in such knots if he’d managed to get off the Island and discovered that he never should have left after all. Many of the Greatest Hits tracks explore Jack’s psyche in various ways.

Flying High is one of the prettier tracks, accompanying the first moments of the finale as we see the stark contrast between the shattered Jack in L. A. and the confident Jack on the Island. Mostly fairly slow and emotional, it takes on a sense of urgency toward the end. Ex Marks the Jack finds Future Jack in an uncomfortable reunion with his ex-wife, while in the short and ominous The Fallen Hero, he comes to terms with the disconnect between his heroic portrayal in the media and reality. Early Mourning Mystery is delicately elegiac, stopping just short of reprising Life and Death before launching into a piano-driven version of the walking theme.

All Jacked Up, the shortest track by far, has no time for anything more than a few suspenseful shrieks of the strings as Jack tries to refill his prescription. Act Now, Regret Later is slow and troubled, with ominous beats emphasizing the underlying fear that Jack’s actions have caused his friends at the beach to be killed. Just What the Doctor Ordered has a threatening tone to it as Jack confronts his doctor. The walking theme also turns up again as Jack heads off in a huff. Finally, Flash Forward Flashback, the final track aside from the ending theme, has an enigmatic feel to it, then the slow dawning of an epiphany as the show reveals that bearded Jack is in the future. The first half of the track is panicked and suspenseful, before Life and Death makes its last of many appearances on the soundtrack in one of its most mournful incarnations, followed by the walking theme, an indication of the journey to come.

The important counterpoint to Jack here is Ben, whose plan to kidnap the women on the beach precipitates Jack’s plan to blow up the Others. Meanwhile, his primary preoccupation in this episode is stopping Jack from making contact with the freighter. Six of the finale tracks underscore important scenes dealing with his response to the building crisis.

The Looking Glass Ceiling is a suspenseful track accompanying Ben finding out that Charlie has breached the Looking Glass. Meanwhile, trombone blasts fall like heavy footsteps as the shootout begins at the beach. Another tense track, Jintimidating Bernard (perhaps the punniest title on a track listing full of wordplay), is driven by percussion of various kinds that beat like the hearts of captors and captives as Jin’s life hangs in the balance. Suspenseful beats also abound in the brief Benomination of the Temple, which has Ben telling Richard to lead the Others to the Temple.

In Torture Me Not, violins creep underneath a hushed conversation as Ben orders Mikhail to attack those he has found in the Looking Glass, including his fellow Others. A very ominous track that finds resolution four tracks later with Patchy at Best, in which the piano provides the sound of pounding footsteps as Mikhail carries out his orders and, back on the Island, Ben tries to convince Jack that the freighter is bad news. Their confrontation is heightened in Hold the Phone as Ben and Jack fight for the mobile phone to the accompaniment of suspenseful strings.

Desmond and Mikhail share a brief, tense moment in Diving Desmond, as the Scotsman dives to safety from the rogue Russian. In Sticking to Their Guns, we have Sawyer and Juliet breaking away from the pack to head back to camp. Hints of the romance to follow two seasons later can be found in the soft melody, though the sense of stealth predominates. Through the Locke-ing Glass is another ominous track. Some interesting percussion accompanies Walt’s sudden appearance that pulls John from the brink of suicide (one of three instances of such intervention, intentional of not, in John’s hours of deepest despair).

The brief but beautiful Hurley’s Helping Hand includes gently swelling strings and hints of the friendship theme as Hurley announces to Jack over the phone that Bernard, Jin and Sayid are alive and out of danger. Naomi Phone Home gets off to a creepy start as the audience weighs what dire consequences this contact might have for the castaways in light of Ben and John’s misgivings. Finally, however, more than three minutes in, the dark strains melt away into the bliss of an impending rescue. It takes a long time to get to this point, but the gorgeous final minute or so makes it worth the wait.

It’s only fitting for me to save the tracks about Charlie for last; he was one of my favorite characters from day one, and his sacrificial death remains one of the most poignant scenes in the series. In Manifesting Destiny, piano and strings emphasize the danger of his situation as he is interrogated by Bonnie and Greta. The suspense continues with Weapon of Mass Distraction, a very similar-sounding track. Code of Conduct starts off with a similarly ominous feel but becomes somewhat playful as Charlie learns what he must do to fulfill his mission.

Finally, Looking Glass Half Full serves as a powerful farewell to this washed-up rock star-turned-hero. First come the notes of danger as we realize that Desmond’s vision is about to come true after all. Panic ensues as Charlie scrambles to keep Desmond out of the control room in an effort to save his life. Around the two-minute mark, resignation sets in, and harps and strings take up the all-too-familiar mournful refrain that mingles with Charlie’s addiction theme from season one to form one of the most stirring renditions of Life and Death yet. The tempo gradually slows as Charlie’s lungs fill with water, until the track and his life end together.

This is an epic undertaking of a soundtrack, with Michael Giacchino and the Hollywood Studio Symphony creating an audio representation of so many iconic moments. As you listen, you can remind yourself of some of the scenes corresponding to the music, thanks to the CD booklet, which consists mostly of high-quality stills from the season. There are more than two dozen of these; my favorite is probably the shot of Hurley looking startled as John’s knife lands in the middle of his canteen. Also included is a track listing, a list of episodes with the corresponding tracks in parentheses, and notes from Darlton (writer-producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse) and Giacchino. Of course, if you can only get one thing from season three, I’d recommend the DVD boxed set. But if you’ve been impressed with the music from LOST, it’s hard to go wrong with the season three soundtrack, in which, as indicated by Darlton’s note, Giacchino “has taken the themes he’s developed for all the main characters... turned them, deepened them, and found new ways to express the emotions of the show.” Truly a marvel of television music.

Tranquility Trumps Terror in LOST's Surprisingly Mellow Season 2 Soundtrack

When I think of LOST's second season, there are many things that spring to mind: Desmond. Henry. Tailies. Dharma Initiative. Computer. WAAAAAALLLLTTT!!!! But perhaps more than anything else, the first word that pops into my head is artillery. It was in this season that it suddenly seemed everyone on the Island was packing heat, with deadly results. So while in certain respects the castaways are in a more secure position - they have shelter and ample food, and most of them have learned to work together - I tend to think of season two as having a somewhat oppressive flavor. I was surprised, then, to discover how tranquil the bulk of the season two soundtrack is.

Michael Giacchino has composed all of the music for LOST, and he has an army of musicians behind him to bring that score to life. Some of the musical themes from the first season are revisited in the second, while new ones are introduced. Surprisingly, none of the tracks on the season two soundtrack incorporate Life and Death, the iconic melody that I consider the drama's predominant musical theme. I'm fairly certain it made an appearance in the second season, but of course the album only gives us a small sampling of all the music composed. Nonetheless, variations on this particular theme can be found on the third and fourth soundtracks as well as the first, and I suspect the tune will turn up again on the fifth. Moreover, I fully expect an exquisite rendition of Life and Death that ingeniously ties together several prominent motifs to underscore the closing moments of the series finale.

While I'm on the subject of what the album lacks, DriveShaft fans are bound to be disappointed yet again. Season two includes snippets of flash-in-the-pan chart-topper You All Everybody and Charlie's contemplative, as-far-as-we-know unfinished ballad Funny Now, but unless Dom Monaghan and Neil Hopkins get together and actually record the fabled DriveShaft Greatest Hits album, YouTube is your best bet if you want to listen to these songs in isolation. Nonetheless, Charlie is well represented on this album, with three tracks bearing his name. These are from The 23rd Psalm and Fire + Water, the second of which is the only Charlie-centric episode of the second season. All's Forgiven... Except Charlie starts out heavy on the harp and strings and captures the emotion of the moment in which Eko and Charlie recite the 23rd Psalm together while the wreckage of Yemi's plane burns. The melody carries a hint of a famous musical arrangement of that psalm. The track goes back and forth between the sad, reflective Eko and Charlie music and the bouncier "back at the beach" music, which features guitar and some type of percussion that sounds like a mellow maraca. It ends on a note of suspense, which is how Charlie's Dream begins. This short, intense track demonstrates Charlie's confusion and panic during his vision of an endangered Aaron. Charlie's Temptation returns to a familiar musical theme that plays out in low tones on one of the album's shortest tracks.

If you crave the adrenaline rush of LOST's most pulse-pounding moments, there are plenty of tracks to satisfy, including the action-packed Peace Through Superior Firepower, which accompanies Desmond running and is augmented by eerie windchime-like sounds; the almost-cacophonous Just Another Day on the Beach and The Tribes Merge, in which oppressive drums are the predominant instruments as the Tailies and some of the Fuselage folks meet for the first time. Other tracks, like lengthy The Final Countdown and the brief Mapquest, are quietly menacing, which is how Claire's Escape starts before exploding into full-blown peril. Finally, all six of the tracks drawn from season finale Live Together, Die Alone have some element of danger about them. Toxic Avenger and I Crashed Your Plane, Brotha both feature spooky percussion that fits well with Desmond's deranged state of mind. Eko Blaster is short and punchy; The Hunt is sparse and suspenseful; McGale's Navy, which probably gets my vote for favorite track title, builds to a strong finish; and Bon Voyage, Traitor, which starts out quite lovely, finally puts a spotlight on Michael, whose centric episodes - Adrift and Three Minutes - are unrepresented on this album (along with seven other episodes).

If, like me, you prefer the emotional, character-driven tracks, you won't be disappointed either. The slow, strings-heavy Ana Cries doesn't have a strong driving melody, but it accompanies a moment of refreshing humanity from the usually-tough Ana Lucia, who receives some condolence from Eko after an especially trying experience. The Gathering is one of the prettiest tracks on the album, and it chronicles one of the most-anticipated scenes. Some earlier themes are revisited in the midst of many reunions, most notably between Rose and Bernard and Sun and Jin. Shannon's Funeral is sad, though not nearly as affecting as Boone's on the first album or A New Trade, which explores Sayid's emotions in dealing with potentially villainous newcomer Henry. The Last to Know, the backdrop to Sun telling Jin that she is pregnant, carries with it a feeling of hesitancy amidst the happiness, as Jin is afraid to believe such good news and Sun is afraid that he is not the father. My favorite of the "character" tracks is Rose and Bernard, a musical theme that stood out to me more when I listened to it after the season five finale, in which it is revisited with such aching beauty that I can almost guarantee it will be my favorite track on the season five album (and if it's not there, I will be sorely disappointed). It reminds me just a bit of the orchestral version of Unchained Melody at the end of Ghost; few pieces of movie music have moved me so much, and the idea of hungering for one's touch seems pretty appropriate for a couple who didn't find each other until their 50s and who spent the first weeks of their marriage separated from one another.

I ended my review of the first album with Hurley, and I'll do it again here, since I'm finding that music from any scene involving him tends to be especially satisfying. While Dave, Hurley's second centric episode of the season, is unrepresented on this album, three tracks are drawn from Everybody Hates Hugo. World's Worst Landscaping feels suspenseful until about halfway through, when the mood becomes playful, as befits a moment in which he and his best buddy prank their boss in a flashback. Mess It All Up is introspective and a touch mournful, accompanying his heart-to-heart with Rose. My favorite track on the album is Hurley's Handouts, which is the deliciously mellow backdrop to his distribution of the food in the hatch to everyone on the beach. Piano and guitar share the spotlight with the strings in this perfect montage melody, a variation on the tune found in season one's Leaving the Island. As in that album's unexpectedly amusing I've Got a Plane to Catch, the understated guitar adds a sense of fun, which eventually gives way to the emotion of the piano and violins.

The season two soundtrack is much less perilous and more character-driven than I expected, so although most of its tracks are not as iconic as those in season one, I find myself listening to this album nearly as often. If you're only going to own one LOST album, I still recommend the first, but if you want to go all out, don't hesitate to invest in this one as well.

Beam Aboard the Starship Enterprise With Zachary Quinto and Company

This weekend, two of my all-time favorite televisions shows are united on the big screen. LOST creator J. J. Abrams helmed the 2009 theatrical reboot of Star Trek, perhaps my most anticipated film of the year, bringing with him fellow LOST head honchos Damon Lindelof and Bryan Burk, along with composer Michael Giacchino and Greg Grunberg, whose part in the film, while even tinier than his brief turn as the doomed pilot of Oceanic 815, is certainly memorable, though you'll probably have to consult the credits to figure out who he is. I watched Star Trek regularly with my family when I was growing up, and Spock was one of the first fictional characters I came to adore whole-heartedly. No matter who was involved in this movie, I would have been standing in line on opening night, but the LOST connections sweetened the deal.

From the time I first heard about this new Star Trek, I was pleased by all the attention being lavished upon Spock but slightly nervous about the casting, since Zachary Quinto also plays Sylar, who sadistically sliced open many an unsuspecting head on Heroes before I gave up on the series. I imagine the reason for Quinto getting so much of the spotlight is two-fold: in full regalia (including, of course, the pointy ears), he bears an extraordinary resemblance to the original Spock, and the logical half-Vulcan - the only holdover from the show's first pilot - really is the glue that holds Star Trek together. The more I saw of Quinto's Spock in magazines and late-night interviews, the more I embraced him as Leonard Nimoy's successor, so that by the time my latest issue of Entertainment Weekly arrived with a cover bearing a crystal-clear headshot of New Spock, I could gaze at it enthralled and not be remotely reminded of the hated Heroes villain.

Still, looking the part and acting it are two different things, so I reserved total acceptance until the movie, in which Spock is every bit as central a character as I'd hoped. Quinto's Spock has slightly less control over his emotions than Nimoy's; for the most part, he is the same calmly detached officer, a cool voice of reason rising above the flaring tempers among his crewmates. But there is conflict within him, and never are his human emotions so strongly roused as in matters concerning his mother. The tender relationship the film presents feels like one of many throwbacks to Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home. Spock, it transpires, is a bit of a mama's boy, but that doesn't stop him from being one of the most brilliant minds Starfleet has ever known.

Quinto conveys each subtle inflection of his genius masterfully while keeping us aware that Spock's feelings are submerged rather than nonexistent. Speaking in a gentle but authoritative tone, he is polite and precise and, when the occasion calls for it, droll. And thankfully, writers Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman give him plenty of compelling material, not to mention opportunities to whip out many Spock trademarks, including the Vulcan salute, nerve pinch and mind meld and the acknowledgement that something is "fascinating".

Spock also lifts quotes from specific moments in the series and subsequent movies, my favorite of which is the touching "I have been, and always shall be, your friend." This line is uttered not by Quinto but by Nimoy, whose appearance midway through the film is the audacious anchor upon which the plot rests, allowing Abrams wide creative license as he proceeds with the series. The movie is loaded with references meant to appease long-time fans, but Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan offers especially integral inspiration for the plot, from the revenge-driven crusade of tattooed Romulan Nero (Eric Bana) to the unpleasant interrogation method he uses. The nod that excited me the most involves a cocky young James Kirk (Chris Pine) taking a casual bite out of an apple as he takes the Academy's no-win scenario test for the third time.

The movie is hardly a collection of catch-phrases, but each of the major seven characters gets some time in the limelight, and there were cheers in my showing each time the officers uttered a familiar command or exclamation. Keep an ear out for Kirk saying, "Beam me up"; communications officer Uhura (Zoe Saldana) opening hailing frequencies; helmsman Sulu (John Cho) putting the ship into warp speed; ensign Chekov (Anton Yelchin) talking about "wessels" and "Wulcans"; engineer Scotty (Simon Pegg) bellowing, "I'm givin' it all she's got!" and Dr. McCoy (Karl Urban) snapping, "I'm a doctor, not a physicist!" Keep an eye out, meanwhile, for a man of little consequence dressed all in red and a surprising song credit rewarding longtime fans who stick around after the movie is over. Even with my eyes peeled, I missed the cameo of late Last Lecture author Randy Pausch, an avowed Trekker, early in the film; I'm sure that the next time I watch it, I'll catch plenty of other Easter eggs too.

Fans should be pleased with all of these opportunities to prove their prowess, and newcomers aren't likely to be distracted by them. While they miss the fun of the in-jokes, they have the advantage of not constantly comparing new with old and wondering whether these incarnations are betrayals. I have little issue with the acting in terms of these characterizations. More eyebrow-raising are some of the details written into these characters' histories and personalities. The aforementioned critical plot point explains some of the discrepancies, but there's also an extent to which these characters are being reinvented.

This is most evident in the cases of Uhura, Sulu and Chekov, whose personalities were always less developed than the other four. Saldana, who I first saw as an unabashed Trekker in The Terminal, makes sweet Uhura quite a bit feistier, especially in run-ins with Kirk. I appreciate the emphasis on her smarts but found it annoying that demure Uhura evidently wasn't good enough the 21st century. However, I like her much better once she gets on the ship, at which point another surprising aspect of her character emerges. It gels more with the tender, compassionate woman Nichelle Nichols played, and mostly I'm okay with it, though it strikes me as a controversial direction to take. Cho lacks the vocal gravitas to have me entirely convinced that he's Sulu; of the main seven, he's the only one whose casting I question. His role is mostly light, and while he does contribute in important ways on a couple of occasions (I especially like the way his established fondness for fencing is integrated), he seems a little greener to me than he should. Chekov, meanwhile, doesn't seem green enough. In the original series, I tended to think of him as capable but ultimately little more than comical eye candy. This time around, he's a Wesley Crusher-esque wunderkind, just as funny and adorable as always but considerably more indispensable. Of the three second-tier characters, he is my favorite, both then and now.

I had doubts about Karl Urban as the irascible Bones, since I previously knew him as Eomer, who I found just about the most boring character in Lord of the Rings. Then again, he didn't make much of an impression on me in the book, either, so I wasn't sure if that was really the actor's fault. Bones gets almost as much screen time as Kirk does, particularly toward the beginning, and thankfully, my worries were unfounded; he absolutely nails the good doctor's drawl and good-natured crankiness and gets many of the movie's biggest laughs. Particularly funny, especially considering classic Kirk's unending aversion to Sickbay, is the sequence in which he chases Jim around the ship, attempting to administer a series of unwanted treatments. It feels most appropriate that the film establishes the two as firm friends long before they serve together on the Enterprise.

Hot-headed, libidinous Jim Kirk was always my least favorite of the Enterprise Seven. He may have been brave and heroic, but his lack of respect for authority and his arrogance always got on my nerves. Unsurprisingly, the early-twenties version is even more obnoxious. Like everyone else besides Quinto, Pine bears no especially striking physical resemblance to his predecessor, but he captures his mannerisms well. I also have to offer kudos to the writers and young actors alike on the scenes depicting Kirk and Spock in childhood. Rabble-rousing Kirk's (Jimmy Bennett) is hilarious, exhilarating and the first of several action sequences that seem inspired more by Star Wars than Star Trek. Contemplative Spock's (Jacob Kogan) stands in stark contrast, though it also demonstrates the half-Vulcan's struggle to come to terms with his opposing natures, exemplified by an amusing exchange with some older students causing my brother to exclaim, "Spock's bullies would get beat up by the bullies on any other planet in the universe!" Instrumental to Kirk's development this time around is Captain Christopher Pike (Bruce Greenwood), whose stern but kind mentorly role I love. Greenwood seems a little on the old side to be playing this captain who was in command in the show's original pilot, but the relationship feels believable.

That just leaves Pegg's Scotty, who takes so long to turn up I started to half-wonder if we were going to see him at all. Our introduction to him is a comical highlight, and he continues to steal the screen whenever he pipes up, usually with a cheerful assertion of some sort. I would speculate that of the seven, Pegg had the most fun; the Scottish engineer seems positively giddy throughout most of his all-too-brief appearances. I also like his interaction with one of the movie's few non-humanoid aliens. Few fans would argue with the statement that in the battle of Star Trek versus Star Wars, the latter has the coolest aliens. Abrams and his team seem determined to amend that, or at least remain open to the idea of a more diverse Federation. My favorite example of this is the disgruntled creature who finds himself lodged between Kirk and Uhura in the disastrous bar scene reminiscent of Top Gun in which he meets and puts the moves on her.

Giacchino's stirring score blends neatly with the action most of the time, with some of the more emotional moments containing hints of music we've heard on LOST. The special effects are impeccable, aside from a few moments that seem to be overdoing it just a little. I'm not too used to Jedi-style sword fights and escape from enormous hostile creatures on this series. Those new to the franchise at least aren't likely to complain that the movie lacks action. The movie offers something to love for viewers at any point along the previous Star Trek experience spectrum; as for me, I'm already looking forward to the sequel.

Michael Giacchino Scores a Hit With LOST's Season One Soundrack

I don't usually pay great deal of attention to music on television shows. Aside from a catchy theme song (increasingly rare these days) or a well-placed pop song that captures the mood of an especially powerful scene, the score tends not to be a big focus for me. But from the beginning, it was clear that LOST's approach to music was every bit as carefully crafted as every aspect of the show. I soon began making comparisons with Lord of the Rings, another epic adventure whose score was so richly evocative; I find the soundtracks quite complementary in many ways, exploring much of the same thematic territory with compositions that cut right to the heart of certain characters and situations.

We've had the soundtracks for the first two seasons of LOST floating around the house for quite a while, but I never really sat myself down and listened to them straight through, partly because some of the tracks are just plain creepy. But I figured it was high time I did that instead of just running to YouTube whenever I need my Michael Giacchino fix. Any fan as moved by his score as I have been ought to consider laying hands on these albums as well. While you won't find any of the previously written songs incorporated into the show with such intentionality - my favorite season-one example is probably Willy Nelson's contemplative "Are You Sure?", as heard by Hurley on his walkman, which poses a question that has only grown more relevant to LOST as the show goes on - you will get some of the most haunting music ever to have been written to support a story.

Season one has 27 tracks, and if you're only going to buy one of the albums, this is probably the one to get since it sets the stage for the rest, introducing themes that will resurface again and again. (Alas, the bouncy DriveShaft hit You All Everybody doesn't turn up, but that would have been rather out of place...) The liner notes helpfully indicate which episode each track belongs to, though there is no description beyond that; to help you get your bearings if you can't put your finger on which scene goes with each composition, I highly recommend the Lostpedia.com entry on the soundtracks. The article about the show's musical themes is also illuminating, albeit slightly more geared toward those with some background in musical theory.

LOST is an intense series, so it's no great surprise that much of the soundtrack focuses on feelings of urgency and distress. The monster, or at least the threat of the monster, seems to turn up a lot, most impressively in Run Like, Um... H***?, which has low pounding percussion to signify Smokey and a swift, panicky melody representing Kate, Jack and Charlie's frantic escape, and Run Away! Run Away!, a similar but considerably shorter track in which the monster pursues Boone and Shannon. Lostpedia identifies five tracks as "action"-oriented and another four as "suspense," but I would say notes of peril creep their way into at least half of the tracks, sometimes blasting in out of the blue at the conclusion of an especially stirring reverie. Percussion (often incorporating unusual objects) and bass trombones are the instruments most frequently used in association with the direst moments, though shrieking strings also come into play quite a bit as well.

I don't know what went into the naming of the tracks, but I get a chuckle out of perusing the list, which is full of punny titles such as The Eyeland (Jack waking up disoriented in the jungle - the first track aside from the whooshing 16-second main title); Crocodile Locke (establishing John's wilder side); Thinking Clairely (a refreshing piano-driven melody that reflects the character's innocent tenderness, and one of only two unabashedly cheerful tunes on this album); Locke'd Out Again (capturing John's anguish at his lack of success with the hatch, followed by euphoria as he seems to receive divine affirmation); and Booneral and Shannonigans (which flow neatly into each other as Shannon comes to terms with the consequences of Boone's alliance with Locke).

I love the action-packed tracks, which so wonderfully illustrate the idea of pursuit, mystery and danger, but I'm rather inclined to copy the emotionally-heavy tracks onto a separate CD so I can listen to them as I fall asleep without running a high risk of nightmares. The most lullaby-like tracks include the gorgeous Credit Where Credit Is Due, in which post-hero-mode Jack wanders among his fellow passengers after the most immediate danger is over; Just Die Already, which elegiacally accompanies the slow decline of Jack's first on-Island hopeless case; Departing Sun, which has Sun, in a flashback, torn between desire for a new life and the love that first drew her to her husband; We're Friends, which gently conveys a confused Claire's blossoming trust of Charlie, the newfound friend she doesn't remember; and Parting Words, the second-to-last and second-longest track, in which violin and piano alternate as the castaways give the voyagers on the raft a heartfelt send-off rather reminiscent of Lord of the Rings' The Grey Havens.

Speaking of Howard Shore's score, though, the top reason this is a must-own album is because it contains what I would consider the show's main theme, the one melody that invariably provokes a strong emotional reaction and that is all but guaranteed to resurface dramatically in the series finale. Lord of the Rings had many evocative motifs, but the one that seemed to me the strongest was In Dreams, given end-credits lyrics in Fellowship of the Ring but generally expressing itself instrumentally in moments of deepest grief or most heartfelt friendship. Life and Death is Giacchino's crowning LOST achievement, so deceptively simple but so incredibly powerful. Achingly tender and wistful, it has a tendency to turn up in the show's most emotionally gripping moments.

The theme appears twice on this soundtrack before its most famous incarnation in track twenty, the one that gives it its name, as it accompanies the long-awaited birth of Claire's baby and the simultaneous first death of a major character on the show. It's a very slow, basic melody with great potential for subtle variations. Piano and violin, complementing one another and alternating in prominence, are the piece's main instruments, but there's a hint of guitar in Win One for the Reaper, which introduces the theme as Jack stumbles upon the caves, wherein lie the remains of the Island's "Adam and Eve," who seem more and more likely to be characters we've met. I was pleasantly startled by the presence of the harp in Charlie Hangs Around, in which the young rocker's apparent death gives way to celestial euphoria as tenacious Jack yanks him back from the brink, and was impressed by the way the violins in the final and longest track, Oceanic 815 (in which the passengers board the plane and glance around them, not realizing they will soon know these people intimately), take the melody in a different direction while the piano underpinnings keep us grounded in the now-familiar theme.

Giacchino certainly knows both how to tug at our heartstrings and get our adrenaline pumping. With just about every track on this album inspiring grief or fear, then, I've Got a Plane to Catch is a giddy surprise. I laughed aloud when it started playing because it's just so different from everything else, so unexpected. It's a groovy guitar jam that's billed on Lostpedia as an "adventure" track; there's a sense of urgency, but it's peppy and light as Hurley goes to Herculean efforts to overcome all obstacles and ensure he's on Flight 815 so he can get back to Los Angeles in time for his mom's birthday. This is not a life-or-death situation, and it's an awfully nice change to have someone running to something he thinks is good instead of running from something he's sure is bad. There's a tropical flavor to this track reminding me that LOST is filmed in Hawaii, while the prominence of guitar seems to foreshadow Hurley's deep friendship with Charlie. And when the accordion gleefully kicked in, perhaps in homage to Hurley's association with Mr. Cluck's Chicken Shack (Chicken Dance, anybody?), I dissolved into giggles.

So I'll leave it on that happy note, even though it's atypical. If you can't get enough of this show, invest in the first soundtrack and go from there. Thanks to Giacchino's genius, it's very easy to get LOST in this music.

The Incredibles: Superheroes Entertain, But Not as Much as Toys and Monsters

I love Pixar. So much that I can't believe I still haven't seen Ratatouille, which looks glorious and which comes so highly recommended. Over the Thanksgiving weekend, however, I did manage to catch The Incredibles, the previous Pixar flick also written and directed by Brad Bird. I'd seen it before, in the theater, and although I enjoyed it, I didn't like it as much as the others and couldn't quite understand the heaps of acclaim it seemed to be getting.

After seeing it again, I'd still rank it at the bottom of my Pixar list, but that doesn't mean The Incredibles isn't fantastic. As a send-up of spy and superhero films, it delivers plenty of laughs, though the jokes generally seem to aim at an older audience. This aspect of the film is both an asset and a weakness. It's sly and clever, but some of it probably goes over the heads of children.

Not only is the overall tone of the movie rather more sophisticated than would be expected for an audience of youngsters, the film gets pretty dark at times, and there is cartoonish violence aplenty. Nothing too graphic, but the fact that these are actual people as opposed to toys, monsters, cars or any of a variety of small animals makes the mayhem feel that much more ominous. And good as the animation is, these heroes in hiding just aren't as much fun to look at as Woody, Sully or Mater.

Still, the Incredibles, known to the rest of civilization as the Parrs, are an engaging family. Dad (Craig T. Nelson) is overweight and unfulfilled, dreaming of his glory days as a superhero in his prime while he fritters away his life in a tiny cubicle, attempting to actually help his clients despite the disapproval of his explosive, diminutive boss (Wallace Shawn). His wife Elastigirl (Holly Hunter) is determined to allow the family to blend in, even if it means never making use of their unique abilities. Hyperactive young Dash (Spencer Fox) races to and fro, always full of energy and frustration that he doesn't have a decent outlet for it, and brooding Violet (Sarah Vowell) feels invisible even when she isn't cloaking herself. Only infant Jack-Jack seems to boast no remarkable powers, but he has time to grow into that sort of thing...

Also integral to the plot are Frozone (Samuel L. Jackson), the hip buddy of Mr. Incredible who does all sorts of nifty tricks involving the freezing of water, and Syndrome (Jason Lee), whose poisonous attitudes toward Our Hero were shaped during an unfortunate encounter years earlier. Bird himself joins the party as savvy fashion designer Edna Mode, who is eager to give this family a new look for this phase of their lives.

The animation is eye-catching, though again, I just can't quite get used to Pixar's humans. It's a movie that almost seems like it would've worked just as well as a live action movie, and I'm not sure how I feel about that. As with most Pixar efforts, this isn't a musical, but Michael Giacchino, who also composed the music for LOST, created a fun and evocative score.

The Incredibles are a family with a very unusual dynamic, since they must juggle superpowers with the desire to remain in cognito, the urge to help humanity with the need for some quality time on the home front. They're the average middle class family in many ways, one of which is demonstrated in a hilarious scene in which Elastigirl plays back-seat driver as her husband attempts to maneuver their car through heavy traffic. I think I laughed more the second time around and was a little less shocked by how sinister the plot occasionally became. The Incredibles is quite the entertaining ride. It's just not quite as incredible as its esteemed company.