Wow. That was so bad. I actually kinda liked the old theme tune but the new version is crimes against music. The mute button is now my new best friend. I'll settle for watching the pretty pictures and singing my own theme tune.

How about Clay Aiken's "This Is The Night", PrettyButterfly? If we're going to go for cheesy pop, that fits just about as good as anything - and is certainly better than "Faith of the Heart 2.0".

Lift me uuuuup...to the staaaaars...

MIS, don't make me stop this car...

Really, isn't that just the difference between the frying pan and the fire?

Or, you know, fiery lakes of brimstone?

Bwee! I'm thowwy. I suppose my love of Enterprise is crossing wires with my love of American Idol. But you can't deny the possibilities, though.

Again, I am SO glad I don't know what song you guys are talking about.

This link was removed because Clay Aiken makes the baby microchips cry.

Ah, you can't get me that way. I have zero inclination to ever hear that little freak's voice.

And we´re not gonna hold keckler down no more, no we´re not gonna change her mind.

I had never seen all of the 'extra' verses. I think we should count our lucky stars that the credits are as short as they are.

FOTH wasn't a original song for the series , right? I've heard on the Muzak in the grocery store, different guy , different orchestration. ( Didn't make it any better though.)

Aaargh...I miss the purely instrumental themes. I wonder if the song would be any better without the words. However, nothing will compare to the DS9 theme for me. ( When my little brother was about 3 or 4, we'd always sit down to watch as a family, and he could hum the theme exactly. :)

Don't worry, keckler. I'd happily offer my services, risking life and limb to help protect you from the Clay Nation.


If I'm correct about what you're asking, "Faith of the Heart" was originally written by Diane Warren and sung by Rod Stewart back in the 80s. It was remade by this Russell Watson character for this show. If that wasn't what you were asking, then ignore this post.

Proof that Clay Aiken is evil. That link gave my laptop a virus. MIS I think I'll be staying away from cheesy pop for just now. I have til Monday to come up with a better theme tune. It isn't going to be that hard.

Why did they pick Faith? Why did they remix it? I liked all the instrumental themes, like GoldfishGirl42's brother I can hum the theme to DS9, not exactly, but close enough.

Eek! I'll remove that link at once. Those wily elves...

Once again chiming in with the Original "Faith"-toleration. I thought the original theme was a'ight, but I can't stand the new one.

Random observation: In tonight's opening credits (don't know if its a re-run or not) they show a flash of a Mars Rover type machine driving into a martian rock. Was that always there? Or did they add that because of the recent success on Mars?

I believe that was always there.

I concur.

According to the breakdown of the opening credits on the official site the rover in question is from the 1997 Mars Pathfinder mission.

I've always wondered if that's actual footage, or computer simulation of that rover. It looks too clean to be actual footage, but maybe I'm wrong.

I'm pretty sure it's not actual footage.

You're probably right. I mean, I suspect it would be possible to get that quality of video from Mars, especially if doing it in "real-time" isn't a priority, and then run it through a filter to make it look like film once it gets back to Earth. But let's face it, NASA has better things to do, and Paramount sure wouldn't want to pay for real footage when they already had the computers fired up for making most of the other shots anyway.

Unfortunately, that guide to the credits doesn't really tell us what of those shots are real and what aren't. I mean, we know about the movie shots but it would be nice if they make it all plain.

It might be some of our test footage that's been "enhanced" by Paramount's VFX department. Pretty much all of our testing is recorded, at least by still camera; on video if there's enough in the project's budget. The Pathfinder hardware was tested at many different NASA Centers, but I know for certain they built a "sand box" for testing here at Ames. I still see them out there every once in a while -- the sand box is right near my building. I've often thought that sequence and those particular rocks look very familiar. However, Glenn & JPL are also possibilities. It can't be actual mission footage because MER's aren't equipped to take aerial shots of themselves, at least not yet. I'm not saying it's definitely Ames' footage -- I'm way too near-sighted to be certain.

To get back to the theme music, I think it would be great if the background music was just a string quartet or something simple and classic. Maybe even just an accoustic guitar. I actually liked the opening notes of the older version. And I wish Watson would sing it without so much effort.

I agree on all counts. Although, I'd prefer brass to strings -- it would be more stirring.

Aye. You know what the strange part is? I've downloaded the full version from the internet and, though it's a tad overdubbed/produced, it's better than the 2 versions Bermaga has used. It kind of reminds me of Foreigner's "I Want to Know What Love Is" especially where it brings in a chorus effect towards the end.

NASA has done realistic CGI simulations of the current Mars mission that's airing on a lot of news channels. Maybe something similar was done for Pathfinder and they just used that footage in the opening credits?

I've been known to yowl along with the full version on my morning commute. I don't hate it, and sometimes it makes me feel good.

I have no taste.

I'm freely making assumptions here, but when NASA makes animations, we usually make them from the viewpoint of the MER, or at the MER's level, when it's an "on the ground exploring" shot. On the other hand, overhead shots are very common when testing here on Earth. And sometimes the press is invited. I still feel that rock is suspiciously familiar. Like I drove past it twice a day for several years.

True confessions time: I love the recording of the full theme on the Enterprise CD. I wound up listening to it over & over & over, while crying, on February 1, 2003. I'll always have that sentimental attachment -- it was comforting when I needed it. Which is why the new version sets my teeth on edge.

So, after hearing the opening overture to TUC, I'm reminded why I like its score the best. I like the TWoK score too, but it's a little too bombastic to be a favorite. The dark, vaguely creepy choral tones in TUC give it something unique.

The TUC theme has always seemed a little too "submarine movie" for me. I mean, I like it, but I'm not sure it fits with TUC. Ironically, that "submarine movie" feel might fit better with WoK, which is kind of a submarine movie.

Overall, though, it's great. But I can't like it more than WoK's score.

It's just too John Phillip Sousa-y for me.

I have to disagree, but only because, as a tuba-player in high school, I loathed Sousa with a special kind of passion. I'm not sure I can really argue, but WoK's bass line is never as boring as Sousa's.

On a wildly different topic, does anyone know the song that UPN played during the promo for next week's episode?

Trek Today's promo frame-by-frame says it's the song "The World Outside" by the band Paloalto. ( I thought it was a pretty good song.)

Well, color us boring, but the music in TUC is what Dr. Mathra and I love most about our favorite of all Trek movies. Then again, Dr. Mathra is a French Horn player so that might have something to do with it.

So did I, but now I have to hate it becuase it was used in an ENT promo.

ETA: I like the soundtrack to FC, especially the theme.

Yeah, the overture from FC is also nice. Thinking about it, I realize that the scores from Insurrection, and Nemesis don't register with me at all. I can think of at least one segment of music from each of the other films, but I'm drawing a total blank of both of those.

the only thing I remember from the Nemesis soundtrack is the Synthesizer of Sinister Activity.

The problem with the score from Insurrection is that "A British Tar," the Gilbert and Sullivan piece Worf and Picard sang, wasn't on it. If they can get holo-Kira's "Fever" on The Best of Star Trek Volume Two, why can't they get the damn opera on Insurrection? Come on, there's a Simpsons disk with Sideshow Bob and Bart doing H.M.S. Pinafore, so what gives?

I had a dream last night that I was on the set for the recording of the "Ballad of Bilbo Baggings" and now I can't get it out my head. Sombody please help me!

Well crap, now it's going to be stuck in my head all day too. Thanks a bunch!

It's a welcome change after getting "Rainbow High" stuck in my head for the last three days.

And I haven't even seen Evita in three years.

Gah, I can't believe I just wrote that about "Bilbo"...

Well, at least "Bilbo" is out of my head now. Uh, thanks, I guess. Are showtunes worse or better than "Bilbo"?

As disturbing as Bilbo is, it amuses me so I end up in a better mood. With that and the picture of the Angel puppet from wednesday, I may be grinning all day.

Even more amusing is the image of the Angel puppet doing a duet with Leonard Nimoy as the new, replacement theme song to Enterprise.

And, thinga, showtunes are *always* better than "Bilbo".

Unless, as in my case, you have *one* song stuck in your head for 3 days.

Or, they're being covered by the Shat.

OK on Rainbow High, but Elaine Page/Patti LuPone good - Madonna, berry, berry bad.

Several days ago NCSUfan made a suggestion over in the Meet Market:

I think some Zefram Cochrane favorites could be an obvious place to start. Steppenwolf's Magic Carpet Ride in particular but also Roy Orbison's Ooby Dooby (the song from the jukebox). Anyone want to play this game?

Mr. Toast, a Berklee College of Music graduate, is going to play around and compose a new theme song over the summer (hopefully sooner) so that we can play his song when the crappy one comes on. Heck, maybe he'll send it to Bermaga and beg them to use it instead--no fee even!

Aw, "Magic Carpet Ride" would ROCK!

Literally.

Magic Carpet Ride with the opening's visuals would be awesome. But, I have a feeling TPTB would muck it up by flashing a pic of T'Pol whenever "Why don't you come with me little girl on a magic carpet ride" was sung.

As long as it's Steppenwolf singing and NOT Russell Watson (perish the thought). That would be awesome, though. I laughed so hard during that moment in First Contact.

RiverThames made this good observation over in the CQ thread. Has anybody heard the singing ability of any of the cast other than SB?

I'd like to see this tradition continued. I'm guessing Phlox would be the best candidate for impromptu song. But you'd think it would have already happened when he had the ship all to himself and his imaginary friend.