Jerry Goldsmith – Innerspace (Original Motion Picture Score)

Gallivanting Goldsmith.

Joe Dante's 1987 action-comedy "Innerspace" tells the story of Tuck Pendleton (a perenially underrated Dennis Quaid) a former Air Force lieutenant who volunteers for a goverment research program.

Upon being diminished in size and inserted into a jittery stock clerk Jack Putter (a somatically tormented Martin Short), inevitably culminating in some wacky, offbeat behavior.

Again working with Jerry Goldsmith, Dante was a perfect collaborator for the composer. He afforded Goldsmith to foster his sense of comedy, resulting in a considerable body of pairings including two "Gremlins" films, "Matinee," "The 'Burbs,” and others.

Yet despite an ambitious, but structurally scattershot script, clever pre-CGI visual effects, and solid performances from the leads and ing players including Meg Ryan, Kevin McCarthy, Fiona Lewis, and Robert Picardo, the film largely fails to sustain interest despite a few guffaws.

Alas, the same sensation infiltrated Goldsmith's resultant score.

The maestro conducts a 140+ grouping of the "Innerspace Orchestra," with an abundance of electronic effects and sounds. Imbued with a heavy measure of Coplandesque authencity, the 78 minutes of score more than triples the amount of Goldsmith material on the 1987 Geffen Records song/score LP.

Yet Goldsmith’s disparate music fits the film’s demeanor as a whole, appropriate to Dante's high-tech "Fantastic Voyage" meets "Freaky Friday” genre fusion.

This 2009 limited edition of 3,000 copies from LaLaLand Records quickly flew off their shelves like the majority off his score expansions. Copland-esque brass, quirky synthethic performances slyly hinting at similar sounds from later assignments such as "Total Recall," "Rambo," "Warlock," and "The 'Burbs" are evident throughout this efficient but wildly erratic work.

The "Main Title" launches with an eerie prelude for warped "Hoosiers"-styled electronic beats that blossom into a cross between the stark synthesizers of "Blue Thunder" and a hearty, Romantic largesse for the film's Americana Western theme. Don Menza's sax for the embittered musings of "Take Him Home/Broken Toe" accentuate the growing divide between Tuck and his journalist girlfriend Lydia (Ryan).

Weird synth patterns for "Tell Me About It" evoke 1950's sci-fi theremin for a scene involving Putter. A "Gas Attack" displays Goldsmith's full-throttle action scoring with busy woodwinds, percussion, and slashing strings fusing into an eclectic aural asault. Shades of his far more memorable scoring for the dark sci-fi of "Hollow Man" are clearly evident with the panicked edginess of "The Injection."

"What Is It?" is brimming with a cliffhanger-seasoned tension as Tuck's miniaturized pod flails inside Putter. The same exigency is reprised (with the transformed ping-pong "Hoosiers" effect returning) in the cue "No Messenger," while elements of "Star Trek V" are present in the " Friendly" track reiterating Tuck (and to a certain extent) Putter's hero motif.

The electric jaw harp and whistle instantly conjure visions of a scowling Clint Eastwood in the Morricone-inspired "The Cowboy.' The discarded "For The Money" is largely atmospheric, merged with the confident "A New Man," an adventure cue for rousing strings, xylophone and brawny tympani.

"Transformed" provides some surging militaristic writing from Goldsmith, here revisiting the "Cowboy" vocal reprised by EVI-like auras. A gonzo "Retransformed" plays like a crazed riff on Goldsmith's iconic "Gremlins Rag." the noble gestures of "Disengage" are triumphantly articulated through low-key acoustic performances.

A largely competent score that despite its expansive and diverse array of styles and sounds, "Innerspace" might not warrant frequent listens. However, if you are seeking an Encyclopedia of the Goldsmith-Dante sound, the album certainly merits acquisition. If not, Goldsmith's more successfully constructed scores for "Explorers" and "Small Soldiers" may provide finer alternative listens.

In short, even second-tier Goldsmith assignments deliver worthy listens.

Love this underrated gem of a soundtrack. Really wish Waxwork or Mondo would release a full remaster on vinyl!

The Mr. Igoe stingers and some synths are mixed down, a little bit of a disappointment. Prob. why i haven't listened to this in quite some time. It needs fixed for me to be interested fully to enjoy this wonderful score. Come on La La Land! Why did you release this CD like this? TSK TSK TSK.