Brad Fiedel – The Terminator (Original MGM Motion Picture Soundtrack)

A no-holds-barred dystopian film score!

Countless academic and critical thoughts have been written and discussed concerning the action, drama, profundity, and sci-fi horrors of James Cameron’s “The Terminator” that any further dissertations would be redundant.

However, its score remains another story……

Rock musician turned film composer Brad Fiedel was recruited to author a magnificent, unrelenting sonic accompaniment to Cameron's cautionary thriller about the apocalyptic ramifications of A.I. after other composers’ pitches were dismissed.

Upon listening to Fiedel’s demo tape of experimental music, Cameron and producer Gale Ann Hurd gave their stamp of approval and the composer ably delivered the perfect music for Cameron’s stark vision of a cybernetic juggernaut who is transported to 1984 Los Angeles to eliminate his unsuspecting target.

With a meager budget, Fiedel soldiered on, heartily inspired by the film’s ambitious scope. He returned for the 1991 blockbuster sequel with a polished and lively Fairlight score, yet it pales in comparison to the raw urgency of the analog performances collected here.

Eschewing the temp tracking of “The Road Warrior” he constructed a chilly and darkly efficient synthesizer score recorded in his home studio/garage. Laden with an arsenal of equipment including the Prophet 10, the Oberheim-OB-8 system (in conjunction with a drum machine), the Emulator II, his studio gear was augmented by the simplest of measures- an tinging anvil effect rendered with a microphone-struck skillet.

Special accolades must be alloted to frequent Fiedel associate Ross Levinson’s electric violin performances, heard as grating screeches in numerous key scenes.

Releases of his iconic music for the film have been frustratingly incomplete; the original 1984 Enigma Records vinyl, tape, and CD offerings provided a paltry 15 minutes of the principal themes with home listening friendly edits, supplemented with six aptly titled Tech Noir club New Wave/rock cues.

The vocals (not reprised here), including Tahnee Cain and the Tryanglz’s “Burnin’ In The Third Degree” and Linn Van Hek’s “Intimacy.”

Far from mere filler, they subtly comment upon the scenes in which they are heard as mandated by Cameron, with his perfectionist work ethic extending to the music, supervised by Budd Carr.

The music video for the latter song (with film clips) received sporadic showings during the heyday of MTV. (This same assembly was remastered and reissued by DCC Classics in 1991).

Ten years later, “The Definite (sic) Edition” premiered on ’s Edel Records with an hour’s worth of Fiedel’s work, including several remixed tracks and alternate versions. The big drawback, despite a longer running time, is the lack of Fiedel’s involvement on the production end and the absence of important cues.

At long last, Milan released the complete score as heard in the film, remastered under the astute supervision of Fiedel from the original tapes.

A minor quibble of completists is the absence of two film mixes - the Police Station pursuit and escape sequence features Fiedel’s favored ‘heroism mode,’ with the noble horn overlay jettisoned by Cameron for the release print; and a (very) brief car radio dance instrumental heard as a frazzled Kyle Reese awakens from a feverish nightmare.

An essential acquisition for all “Terminator” enthusiasts, it remains the franchise’s best score, as well as a pioneering science fiction soundscape.