While at Creation's big convention in Las Vegas earlier this month, I was sitting in Quark's Bar & Restaurant and got immersed in the music they had playing over the speakers. It was a selection of some of the more ethereal themes written for Star Trek over the years, and it reminded me just how inspired composers such as Jay Chattaway and Dennis McCarthy have been while writing for this franchise. Nothing really beats the scores for "Star Trek: First Contact" or "Star Trek II," for instance, but when I recognized the melodies from "The Inner Light" and "The Visitor," I literally got goosebumps. This is some of the most beautiful and evocative music I've heard anywhere — and it was written for TV!

The most outstanding music composed for the first four Star Trek TV shows has actually been compiled in a soundtrack CD that was released in 1996. Called "The Best of Star Trek: 30th Anniversary Special! Original TV Soundtracks," it contains the obligatory opening themes of each of the shows, but of course they sound a lot better here, in some cases with an extended version or enhanced mix. The other works include "Suite from The Trouble With Tribbles," which is a lot of fun, and "Suite from The Heart of Glory" with its nice Klingon riffs, and "Suite from Heroes and Demons" with its blood-pumping orchestrations. But what will really sweep you away (personally, I won't admit to the tears that come to my eye) is the "Orchestral Suite from The Inner Light" and "Suite from The Visitor." For these tracks alone this CD is an absolute must-have for your music collection.

[Sandy]