Cocoon
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| # | Track | Artist/Composer | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Through the Window | 2:54 | |
| 2. | The Lovemaking | 4:21 | |
| 3. | The Chase | 4:27 | |
| 4. | Rose's Death | 2:10 | |
| 5. | The Boys Are Out | 2:35 | |
| 6. | Returning to the Sea | 4:13 | |
| 7. | Gravity | Michael Sembello | 4:52 |
| 8. | Discovered in the Poolhouse! | 2:45 | |
| 9. | First Tears | 1:49 | |
| 10. | Sad Goodbyes | 2:22 | |
| 11. | The Ascension | 5:55 | |
| 12. | Theme From Cocoon | 6:03 | |
| 44:25 |
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1985 was clearly one of the busiest years for James Horner. It was the year in which he wrote the soundtrack for no less than 9 films. The best of these 9 was clearly 'Cocoon', Ron Howard's tackle with the Sci-Fi genre. This was the first time that Howard and Horner collaborated on a film. The two of them would go on to make 6 more films together. Although 'Cocoon' isn't one of the best films that Ron Howard has made, that is not case with Horner's score. It really stands up as one of the best film scores that he's written in the 1980's.
The soundtrack is structured in 11 score tracks and one song. The song, 'Gravity' performed by Michael Sembello, doesn't have its place on the soundtrack. It's a little too commercial for the soundtrack, comparative with Horner's score. If the soundtrack contained only score tracks, that would have been for the better.
The soundtrack begins with the track 'Through the Window', a gentle track that introduces one of the themes, wonderfully performed on a Celesta, I think. After it, the orchestra comes to build up the opening credits. It doesn't have anything special, apart for the intro which is magical.
The next track is 'The Lovemaking'. It would suggest that this is a lush and gentle cue. Well, it is in the first part. We hear Horner's style, a style that he would go on to use pretty much in his career. That style consists of the dialog and combination between french horns and strings. For the next 2 minutes, the cue is mainly atmospheric music, with nothing special, but in the last minute it becomes a little annoying. The brasses and the high strings really scratch your ears and it is very likely that you will want to skip this part.
'The Chase' is a pretty good action track, that gives us a hint of one of the themes. It is performed by a full orchestra, but the main instruments used in this cue are the brasses. Still, it isn't too loud and too alert, which makes it a pleasant listening experience.
'Rose's Death' is a really interesting track. The background music is performed on soft strings, while on the front row various instruments take the lead. At first we have a harp. Next, a dialogue between a classical guitar and a piano, followed by an oboe, while the strings are rising in a crescendo.
'The Boys are Out' is an awesome treat, because it demonstrates Horner's ability to write jazz music. I don't know if this kind of music has anything to do with a Sci-Fi movie, but it is really special. The swing rhythm really makes you dance. This is clearly one of the best tracks on the album. And it is one of the rare occasions that Horner has written jazz music.
'Returning to the Sea' is an astonishing gentle track. Firstly, the orchestra performs the theme that we've first heard during the intro of 'Through the Window' in a very delicate and relaxing tone. Next, we have another marvelous combination between horns and strings. In fact, this track could easily be called a suite of all the themes written for this movie. And it's really a wonderful listening experience.
'Discovered in the Poolhouse' is a track that sounds part adventurous, part playful. It is a sound that Horner would frequently use in his animation scores. I didn't liked very much this track and I've often skipped it.
'First Tears' is another wonderful gentle track. It begins with a nice and lush combination between a french horns, oboe and soft strings. The full orchestra performs one of the themes that we've heard during 'Returning to the Sea' and, finally, the track ends just like it began, with the horn, oboe and the soft strings.
'Sad Goodbyes' is yet another gently track. First, we have the classical guitar again, then a calm combination between an oboe, a harp and soft strings. The strings reprise again the theme we've heard on the previous track, which makes me think that this could be considered the main theme. In the last part of the track, the oboe is accompanied by the french horn to create a richer sound.
'The Ascension' is a very triumphant track that, in three ocassions, reprises one of the themes heard during 'Returning to the Sea'. Between these, a cello ensemble performs the intro of 'Through the Window', followed the violins performing the same theme. After it, we get an interlude wonderfully performed on oboe and french horns, that prepares us to hear once again the triumphant theme that ends the track.
Lastly, we have 'Theme from Cocoon', that is yet another suite of the themes we've heard along the soundtrack but, at around 1:13 it introduces a new theme that we haven't heard until now. Firstly, it is performed by a cello ensemble and then it's taken by the full orchestra that creates a really magical sound. The intro from 'Through the Window' is once again performed twice, once with a horn solo, then by the full orchestra. Horner really crafted 6 minutes of pure magic. Clearly the best track on the album.
Overall, apart from the song and two score tracks, James Horner's 'Cocoon' is a wonderful listening experience. It's a soundtrack that contains a few lovely themes, majestically performed by the London Symphony Orchestra. If it weren't for the song, this would have received a 9. Still, 'Cocoon' was an important project for Horner that pushed his career even further, leading him to more and more important projects. Unfortunately, like many of Horner's 1980's scores, this one became out of print, but if you manage to get a copy of it, you will be in for a real treat.
The soundtrack is structured in 11 score tracks and one song. The song, 'Gravity' performed by Michael Sembello, doesn't have its place on the soundtrack. It's a little too commercial for the soundtrack, comparative with Horner's score. If the soundtrack contained only score tracks, that would have been for the better.
The soundtrack begins with the track 'Through the Window', a gentle track that introduces one of the themes, wonderfully performed on a Celesta, I think. After it, the orchestra comes to build up the opening credits. It doesn't have anything special, apart for the intro which is magical.
The next track is 'The Lovemaking'. It would suggest that this is a lush and gentle cue. Well, it is in the first part. We hear Horner's style, a style that he would go on to use pretty much in his career. That style consists of the dialog and combination between french horns and strings. For the next 2 minutes, the cue is mainly atmospheric music, with nothing special, but in the last minute it becomes a little annoying. The brasses and the high strings really scratch your ears and it is very likely that you will want to skip this part.
'The Chase' is a pretty good action track, that gives us a hint of one of the themes. It is performed by a full orchestra, but the main instruments used in this cue are the brasses. Still, it isn't too loud and too alert, which makes it a pleasant listening experience.
'Rose's Death' is a really interesting track. The background music is performed on soft strings, while on the front row various instruments take the lead. At first we have a harp. Next, a dialogue between a classical guitar and a piano, followed by an oboe, while the strings are rising in a crescendo.
'The Boys are Out' is an awesome treat, because it demonstrates Horner's ability to write jazz music. I don't know if this kind of music has anything to do with a Sci-Fi movie, but it is really special. The swing rhythm really makes you dance. This is clearly one of the best tracks on the album. And it is one of the rare occasions that Horner has written jazz music.
'Returning to the Sea' is an astonishing gentle track. Firstly, the orchestra performs the theme that we've first heard during the intro of 'Through the Window' in a very delicate and relaxing tone. Next, we have another marvelous combination between horns and strings. In fact, this track could easily be called a suite of all the themes written for this movie. And it's really a wonderful listening experience.
'Discovered in the Poolhouse' is a track that sounds part adventurous, part playful. It is a sound that Horner would frequently use in his animation scores. I didn't liked very much this track and I've often skipped it.
'First Tears' is another wonderful gentle track. It begins with a nice and lush combination between a french horns, oboe and soft strings. The full orchestra performs one of the themes that we've heard during 'Returning to the Sea' and, finally, the track ends just like it began, with the horn, oboe and the soft strings.
'Sad Goodbyes' is yet another gently track. First, we have the classical guitar again, then a calm combination between an oboe, a harp and soft strings. The strings reprise again the theme we've heard on the previous track, which makes me think that this could be considered the main theme. In the last part of the track, the oboe is accompanied by the french horn to create a richer sound.
'The Ascension' is a very triumphant track that, in three ocassions, reprises one of the themes heard during 'Returning to the Sea'. Between these, a cello ensemble performs the intro of 'Through the Window', followed the violins performing the same theme. After it, we get an interlude wonderfully performed on oboe and french horns, that prepares us to hear once again the triumphant theme that ends the track.
Lastly, we have 'Theme from Cocoon', that is yet another suite of the themes we've heard along the soundtrack but, at around 1:13 it introduces a new theme that we haven't heard until now. Firstly, it is performed by a cello ensemble and then it's taken by the full orchestra that creates a really magical sound. The intro from 'Through the Window' is once again performed twice, once with a horn solo, then by the full orchestra. Horner really crafted 6 minutes of pure magic. Clearly the best track on the album.
Overall, apart from the song and two score tracks, James Horner's 'Cocoon' is a wonderful listening experience. It's a soundtrack that contains a few lovely themes, majestically performed by the London Symphony Orchestra. If it weren't for the song, this would have received a 9. Still, 'Cocoon' was an important project for Horner that pushed his career even further, leading him to more and more important projects. Unfortunately, like many of Horner's 1980's scores, this one became out of print, but if you manage to get a copy of it, you will be in for a real treat.
For years this was the most sought after James Horner score. It marked one of the earliest entries in his current scoring mode phase. The long line, faintly evangelical melodies, the violin and horn orchestrations. Nothing too flamboyant, just a solid and often very moving score that was probably worth waiting for when the re-release appeared in 1997. The thing is, his style of scoring was absolutely perfect for Ron Howard's mystical, loveable aliens meet old codgers meet fountain of youth movie.
The quasi-religious main theme that also functions as the wispy emotional core for the entire score cannot be faulted given the nature of the film. It is beautiful and emotive without becoming maudlin. Unlike the sequel score, Cocoon boasts a greater variety in it's slightly shorter running time. There are several sequences that twinkle away into infinity, but these run for just short enough to never get boring, cues such as the Lovemaking are really quite beautiful and the use of acoustic guitar in Sad Goodbyes and others is quite appropriate. Other sections, especially the opening tracks, work almost like a Close Encounters-lite. While there is nothing atonal, a sense of the unknown is present in the growling horn motifs and slightly random sounding instrumental outbursts. The Chase offers the only pure action cue and while having elements of previous Horner scores (including that section from The Wrath of Kahn that also appears in Cocoon: The Return), but it more than makes up for those parts with some more inspired scoring in other places, most notably the skittish opening. A short section of big band music doesn't intrude too badly in the flow of the score and helps keep things moving nicely. Discovered in the Poolhouse is a marvellously witty cue. I've never heard James Horner write witty music before (or since that I can think of), but this is just great fun, with lots of mock serious sneaking around and action coupled with the faintly (pre) Elfman-esque orchestrations.
The Ascension is the emotional high point that moves through a moving crescendo as cymbals and a soaring rendition of the main theme sends the old dudes on their way to space (sounds plausible, I'm sure you'll agree - but it looks and sounds splendid). Rounding out with the Theme from Cocoon which provides a suitable coda to the rest of the score this rounds off a great effort from James Horner and set the tone for his future scoring style. Only marred by the horrendous pop song (Gravity), this is well worth seeking out now that it has been re-issued and is (ironically) easier to find than the inferior sequel.
The quasi-religious main theme that also functions as the wispy emotional core for the entire score cannot be faulted given the nature of the film. It is beautiful and emotive without becoming maudlin. Unlike the sequel score, Cocoon boasts a greater variety in it's slightly shorter running time. There are several sequences that twinkle away into infinity, but these run for just short enough to never get boring, cues such as the Lovemaking are really quite beautiful and the use of acoustic guitar in Sad Goodbyes and others is quite appropriate. Other sections, especially the opening tracks, work almost like a Close Encounters-lite. While there is nothing atonal, a sense of the unknown is present in the growling horn motifs and slightly random sounding instrumental outbursts. The Chase offers the only pure action cue and while having elements of previous Horner scores (including that section from The Wrath of Kahn that also appears in Cocoon: The Return), but it more than makes up for those parts with some more inspired scoring in other places, most notably the skittish opening. A short section of big band music doesn't intrude too badly in the flow of the score and helps keep things moving nicely. Discovered in the Poolhouse is a marvellously witty cue. I've never heard James Horner write witty music before (or since that I can think of), but this is just great fun, with lots of mock serious sneaking around and action coupled with the faintly (pre) Elfman-esque orchestrations.
The Ascension is the emotional high point that moves through a moving crescendo as cymbals and a soaring rendition of the main theme sends the old dudes on their way to space (sounds plausible, I'm sure you'll agree - but it looks and sounds splendid). Rounding out with the Theme from Cocoon which provides a suitable coda to the rest of the score this rounds off a great effort from James Horner and set the tone for his future scoring style. Only marred by the horrendous pop song (Gravity), this is well worth seeking out now that it has been re-issued and is (ironically) easier to find than the inferior sequel.
Other releases of Cocoon (1985):
