Not quite as legendary as its predecessor.

The music of Legend has a long and convoluted history, and to get to Tangerine Dream's involvement, it's necessary to start at the beginning. Back in 1984, director Ridley Scott tapped composer Jerry Goldsmith, with whom he'd worked on Alien, to write a score for Legend that would weave together a little bit of everything - synthesizers, orchestra, chorus, even lyrics (written by John Bettis).

The resulting score was hailed as a masterpiece of the fantasy genre. The romance, whimsy, and magic all inherent in Legend came through beautifully thanks to Goldsmith's work. However, after the film made its European debut to lower-than-expected results, the suits over at American distributor Universal wanted a way to connect with the teen audience. So, out went Goldsmith's score, in came Tangerine Dream. Scott flew over to Germany and recorded the score in three weeks, while Bryan Ferry and Jon Anderson were commissioned to write songs for the film. The tinkering didn't work, as the film failed miserably with critics and at the box office.

With the recent release of both the Legend Ultimate Edition DVD and Goldsmith's score on CD, American fans can now enjoy either version of the score and film they prefer. Personally, I like the Goldsmith score, but the Dream score isn't all that bad. The liner notes on the Goldsmith CD say that 85 minutes of score were composed by the band, but only 35 minutes, plus the Anderson and Ferry songs, ended up being issued on LP (although there is a much longer version floating around as a bootleg). This is the version that Varese Sarabande reissued in 1995. However, it may have been pulled off the market when the Goldsmith score was released Stateside in May. I checked Amazon recently, and they have it only listed as an import, complete with the higher price. Still, it's not that hard to find used - I found my copy for $6. Also, there's a isolated score track on the new DVD if you can't find the CD.

So with all that wonderful background information taken care of, let's take a look at Tangerine Dream's Legend CD:

1. "Is Your Love Strong Enough?" - Bryan Ferry
This is the song that plays over the American version's end credits, and was featured heavily in the promotional campaign for the film. Admittedly, this is probably the reason I spent the $6 on the CD. A mixture of synth and guitar, plus a neat drumbeat kickstart the song. Very much like the rest of Ferry's music from this period, so if you like this, you might want to check out his Boys and Girls CD released a few months before the film.

2. "Opening"
After a short text prologue (with music not included here), we're introduced to the woodlands where the story takes place. We also meet Darkness, as his theme is introduced here. Not a bad start.

3. "Cottage"
Used during the film's introduction to Lili, this pastoral cue sounds like it would be best used as background music in a video game. Ironically enough, the creators of Nintendo's Legend of Zelda series cite Legend as one of their inspirations.

4. "Unicorn Theme"
One of the bright spots of the score as a rising guitar backed by some decent synth work shines throughout the track. It's sprinkled throughout the film, yet only makes two appearances on the CD.

5. "Goblins"
Heavy percussion and a choir-like sound highlights this track. More frightening than whimsical.

6. "Fairies"
A lighthearted track, the deep bass contrasts nicely with the previous cue, and gives off a sense of humor that makes it a pleasing listen.

7. "Loved by the Sun" - Jon Anderson
I've always wished that this was an instrumental track, as it's got the best rendition of the Unicorn Theme in the film. Imagine my surprise when I found out that it was intended to be just that. As the story goes, Universal wanted a song to play over the film's final sequence. So they commissioned Jon Anderson to simply write lyrics over the Dream's work. The resulting song is a microcosm of the score in general: It's not too bad, but not as good as it could - make that should - have been. (If you're wondering, the original instrumental track is not on the DVD's isolated score.)

8. "Blue Room"
As the film enters Darkness' lair, the score gets darker as well. The cue sounds like it would fit a haunted house locale very well - perfect music for the Prince of Darkness.

9. "The Dance"
This reminds me of a calliope every time I hear it. Perhaps that was the intention, but I doubt it. The "Dress Waltz" from the Goldsmith score is better in every aspect.

10. "Darkness"
One of the rare spots where the score shines - even better than Goldsmith's scoring of this scene. The threatening synth sounds work more so than the choral aspects of the original music to emphasize the character of Darkness, and the fear that he should bring. In other words, this is pretty good goosebump music.

11. "The Kitchen/Unicorn Theme Reprise"
It should be noted that originally this sequence was unscored by Goldsmith, and library music was inserted into the European and Director's cuts of the film. But as the American cut goes, not bad at all, but rock guitars do seem badly out of place.

That's where the American CD ends. So, as a fan of the original score, how can I recommend this version? Well, if you're a Legend fan and want to compare both scores or if you prefer this score (very unlikely, but one friend holds steadfastly to his preference), go ahead. Like I said before, you'll be able to find it cheap in many used CD shops, so it won't set you back much either way. Otherwise, take a pass and snag the Goldsmith CD instead.

Also, more detailed information on the various versions of the film and scores can be found at the Legend FAQ (www.figmentfly.com/legend.shtml). These fellows were instrumental in getting the Director's Cut released, and if there's any question you've ever had about Legend, chances are you'll find it answered there.