Jonesing for Good Music

I just figured I'd post an update about The Ron Jones Project CD box set that I mentioned a few months back. I did indeed order one, and have now finally had a chance to listen to all 42 episodes, all alternate takes, and both video game scores.

If you're into scores, it's totally worth the money. Listening to various scores made me a little nostalgic to actually pull out my DVDs and watch some of the episodes again. Just hearing the music was enough in some cases to instantly conjure up memories of the specific scenes in which it played. And the video game scores -- which I hadn't heard before -- were actually some of the best work in the set!

The incredibly detailed liner notes for the set, available online, gave me even more appreciation for the work. It chronicled all the unusual orchestra configurations Ron Jones tried out for different episodes, and the reasons behind his choices. He scored one episode with no violins (turning the lead violist into the concert master in the process), another with no woodwinds, still another with no brass. He blew the doors off with a 50+ player orchestra on one occasion, and saved money on another episode with a more intimate storyline by using less than 20 players. On another occasion, he managed somehow to get the producers to sign off on using a full choir to sing counterpoint to a synthesized second choir part.

Maybe the sad thing is that he kept getting better as the seasons went on. I found many pieces I liked in early episodes, but they became more numerous as I reached the end of the chronological set. It makes me think that had he not been dismissed by Rick Berman, he might have done even better work in the three latter seasons of the show. Or maybe even have gone on to score Deep Space Nine or the other Star Trek series. What a missed opportunity that was.

But now at least I can fully appreciate what he did compose. Again, if scores are your thing, I highly recommend this set.