Category: Electronica & Epic

AIRWOLF SEASON 4 – MAIN TITLE THEME {full-length} (by Rick Patterson based upon Sylvester Levay’s original theme: single)

Post author By oddmoonmediareviews
Post date November 23, 2020

SUMMARY: RUNNING TIME: 2:44 Min.

Accompanying the opening and closing credits of Airwolf’s final season in 1987, Sylvester Levay’s original theme is recalibrated by musician Rick Patterson. As of 2012, this extended track became available as a digital single under the title of “Airwolf Season IV Main Title Theme.”

Note: Please note that the opening credits version has an abbreviated minute-length running time.

REVIEW:

Frankly, Rick Patterson’s upbeat reboot (including a rotating chopper blade sound effect intro) of Airwolf’s theme is the sole asset of the its last-gasp fourth season. Patterson doesn’t match the caliber of Sylvester Levay’s original instrumental, but this catchy track is still really entertaining. Hypothetically, Patterson’s energizing revamp would have been a cool update had it accompanied another season of Stringfellow Hawke (actor Jan-Michael Vincent) & Dominic Santini’s (actor Ernest Borgnine) high-flying adventures instead of the dubious quartet hired to replace them.

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 8 Stars

Note: Additional themes from Airwolf: Season Four were released in 2014 as an album (including the opening credits version of this tune).

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AIRWOLF SEASON 4 LOVE THEME & VARIANTS A-C (by Rick Patterson: Airwolf – Themes from Season Four)

Post author By oddmoonmediareviews
Post date November 23, 2020

SUMMARY: RUNNING TIMES: SEE BELOW

For Airwolf’s final season in 1987, musician Rick Patterson recalibrated original composer Sylvester Levay’s instrumental score, as well as incorporated his own new themes.

From the Airwolf: Themes From Season Four album released in 2014, Season Four’s ‘love theme’ is a separate track, as are each of its three variations. As heard in the episode, “Blackjack,” the love theme’s primary version runs 1:41. A slower rendition (call it Variation A) runs 1:54. A slightly speedier version (Variation B) clocks in at 1:38. The up-tempo rendition (Variation C) last only 1:30. These four themes often circulated throughout the 1987 season’s twenty-four episodes on the USA Network.

Note: On the album, these four themes are Tracks # 2-5.

REVIEW:

Rick Patterson’s primary version (1:41) easily prevails as the best of the four. It’s actually something of an underrated gem, as the track should be easily recognizable to anyone who has seen Season Four’s transitional episode, “Blackjack.” Frankly, it merits mention as among the best non-Levay themes that the entire Airwolf series had.

However, there’s a noticeable drop re: its dubious variants, at least how they are presented here. The audio quality of both Variations A (1:54) and B (1:38) is oddly compressed, as if they were spit out by somebody’s half-working synthesizer. Between the two of them, Variation B is clearly better, in part since the lethargic Variation A makes for some dreadful listening. As for the comparatively zippy Variation C (1:30), it sounds less compressed than Variation B. However, Variation C’s ninety seconds are still forgettable. Of these four tracks, only the love theme’s primary version (1:41) deserves any consideration as a worthwhile download.

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 6 Stars (for the primary version) and 2-4 Stars (for the three variants)

Note: Instead, as a recommendation, a full-length version of Patterson’s upbeat Airwolf: Season Four theme was released as a 2012 single.

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DANCE WITH DRAGONS (by BrunuhVille: Aura)

Post author By oddmoonmediareviews
Post date November 19, 2020

SUMMARY: RUNNING TIME: 3:28 Min.

Released by Portuguese composer, BrunuhVille, it’s the thirteenth track off his 2013 album, Aura.

REVIEW:

Perhaps predictably, this Celtic-themed track would be an ideal choice for an European medieval adventure film. One could easily imagine it in the background of a festive competition or underdog heroes training for an epic battle. It’s wonderfully entertaining.

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 7½ Stars

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AIRWOLF RETURNS {Cover} (by Kevin F. Montague: Airwolf – The Movie: Music from the Original Film Score)

Post author By oddmoonmediareviews
Post date November 18, 2020

SUMMARY: RUNNING TIME: 5:01 Min.

The original 1984 TV score for Airwolf’s feature-length pilot episode (aka “Shadow of the Hawke”) was produced by composer-conductor Sylvester Levay. For a subsequent overseas release, the pilot film and a later TV episode, “Mad Over Miami,” were subsequently melded together to what has since been dubbed Airwolf: The Movie.

Approximately thirty years later, musician Kevin F. Montague recreated Levay’s orchestral work to produce Airwolf: The Movie’s pseudo-soundtrack. This particular track evidently occurs at the onset, as nefarious Dr. Charles Henry Moffett and his henchmen turn a test flight into a killing spree before absconding with Airwolf to hide out in Libya. The track is further bracketed by sound effects, i.e. blowing desert winds and multiple instances of Airwolf’s engines blasting into turbo mode.

REVIEW:

Kevin F. Montague comes close to reviving the instrumental panache of Sylvester Levay’s work, not to mention the inclusion of the spot-on sound effects. What Montague doesn’t overcome is this track’s oddly compressed audio quality. Too often this track sounds as if it’s merely regurgitated as a synthesizer cover. One might also notice that the ending sound effects (specifically, variations of Airwolf’s acceleration) merely pad the running time.

At most, listeners receive a fun five-minute homage. Still, “Airwolf Returns” is indicative of how cool Levay’s futuristic-sounding instrumentals were for the mid-80’s.

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 5½ Stars

Note: Levay’s opening credits version appears on 1996’s Television’s Greatest Hits, Vol. 6: Remote Control album.

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A NEW LIFE (by Thomas Bergersen: Sun)

Post author By oddmoonmediareviews
Post date November 17, 2020

SUMMARY: RUNNING TIME: 4:48 Min.

From his 2014 album, Sun, European composer-musician Thomas Bergersen performs this track, which appears as # 6.

REVIEW:

Bursting with a fresh sense of energy, Thomas Bergersen’s “A New Life” incorporates contemporary electronica within an epic Celtic backdrop. The multiple vocal strands by a chorus provide further classiness. For fans of epic score-style instrumentals, adding “A New Life” to a favorite playlist makes good sense.

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 8 Stars

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THE ASTEROID FIELD/THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK – FINALE {Cover – Disco Medley} (by Meco: Best of Meco)

Post author By oddmoonmediareviews
Post date November 11, 2020

SUMMARY: RUNNING TIME: 5:26 Min.

Sporting vintage sound effects, this disco medley exuberantly blends John Williams’ Asteroid Field theme and The Empire Strikes Back finale (including Meco’s take on the romantic “Han Solo and The Princess”). Available for decades, its more recent sources include 1997’s The Best of Meco CD.

REVIEW:

Serving as his second Empire Strikes Back medley, Meco offers an upbeat rendering of the Millennium Falcon’s pursuit by the Imperial Fleet through a dangerous asteroid field. Included for good measure is a brief sample of a grumbling Chewbacca’s commentary. Williams’ menacing Imperial Theme and a chorus of laser blast sound effects segue into a funky romantic interlude that conveys the new Princess Leia-Han Solo romance before launching into the film’s finale. Once more, Meco’s orchestral effort with some synthesizer input is flawless, as is the seamless incorporation of vintage sound effects (including reliable bits from Artoo-Detoo and Chewbacca).

What’s more impressive is how Meco effectively segues from an ominously upbeat pursuit motif into an 80’s disco style-love theme before the launch of the track’s final leg. Like his best Star Wars work, let’s deem this track as inspired entertainment. Beyond its novelty value, this medley exudes a delightful aura of unpredictability for those hearing it for the first time. As the conclusion of his two-part Empire homage, Meco’s genius is turned up an extra notch. It’s a vintage musical treat for any Star Wars fan.

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 10 Stars

Note: In addition to Meco’s original Star Wars disco medley, his “Empire Strikes Back” disco medley is also available on the same Best of Meco album.

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AURA (by BrunuhVille: Aura)

Post author By oddmoonmediareviews
Post date November 2, 2020

SUMMARY: RUNNING TIME: 3:29 Min.

Released by Portuguese composer, BrunuhVille, it’s the lead-off track from his same-titled 2013 album.

REVIEW:

Its melancholic ambiance is balanced by a beautiful serenity later in the track. In that sense, BrunuhVille’s magic as a musical artist-composer on this track is comparable to similar work by Secret Garden. For epic instrumental enthusiasts, this somber track is definitely a gem worth downloading for fantasy-adventure playlists.

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 9 Stars

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