Network, out May 7

A comprehensive collection of Crispin Merrell’s scores to the 2005 series.

Soundtrack albums are a pretty interesting subgenre of music releases. Most “pop” albums are a sophisticated collection of songs designed to flow from one to the other and make people like the writing and/or musicianship of singers, bands and songwriters. Classical albums are pieces written, especially ones from before the 1950s, to be played sequentially to a live, appreciative, audience. Avant-garde soundscapes are a challenging alternative to the above. But soundtrack albums occupy an odd place in the scheme of things because they should do two distinct jobs.

Firstly, the music must support the visuals of a movie, TV show or theatre experience, to supplement the visual stimuli the viewer is receiving. But simultaneously, they are expected to stand on their own two feet as both an evocative reminder of those films, TV shows etc and work as a suite of music all by themselves. To be able to straddle those two very distinctive strata is a weighty responsibility of any composer, from the millionaires of cinema’s latest blockbusters to the equally talented but oft overlooked “unfamous” creators, who outnumber their Hollywood Walk of Fame idols 100 to 1.

The fact that the soundtrack CD to The New Captain Scarlet series doesn’t just achieve that straddling successfully but frankly punches the air and yells “woo hoo” very loudly at the same time, is a mark of just how good, and underrated, a composer Crispin Merrell is. To tackle the reimagining of the finest of Gerry Anderson’s 1960s puppet shows must have been daunting enough, but to lead off with a new opening theme that must immediately grab you and shake you, so you say “okay, I have already forgotten Barry Gray’s masterpiece” (let alone the Spectrum’s warbled closing theme) is nothing short of amazing. That brilliant theme, represented on this very exhaustive compilation in a number of alternative versions, is not Merrell’s masterpiece though. That accolade is saved for something I wouldn’t have imagined necessary – the 2015 (aka 2018) suite of revamped music, taken from across the series. Coming after a delightful chat with Anderson’s son Jamie about music generally, as well very specific detail about the music on the soundtrack, working on Space Precinct (can we have that soundtrack next please) and following in Gray’s footsteps, the new suite could have been an album all of its own, frankly, rather than almost apologetically being placed at the end of CD2.

Now, the task of selecting the very best pieces from the individual episodes across both CDs is hard to pin down – nostalgia leads me to the Instrument of Darkness material, especially the Martian-based moments, but go on, jump straight to The Homecoming or Virus to hear Merrell at his absolute best, beautifully underscoring the power of the stories and simultaneously making music that – unlike a lot of soundtracks that you listen to once and go “yeah that was nice” – makes you want to play both CDs here repeatedly.

Verdict: It’s taken far too long to have this music on a lovely shiny disc or two, but it’s absolutely been worth the wait. So, as I said, Space Precinct next please… 9/10

Gary Russell

Click here to pre-order from Network; and watch out for a competition to win sets coming to SFB soon