Top 21 Tracks of Series 8 (Part 2)
Guest contributor Sam White concludes the countdown.
11. Missy’s Theme
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UpU4mnowQdQ
Unnerving and diabolical – the very definition of queen of evil. This track plays throughout Death in Heaven to accentuate Missy’s malicious demeanour, first outside St. Paul’s, then on board the plane after she murders Osgood, and then finally when she arrives in the graveyard Mary Poppins style, and every time it was enough to make anxious. It perfectly complements Missy’s completely bonkers disposition and unpredictability. I look forward to hearing more of it during Series 9 because this one really adds to the tension.
10. Don’t You Dare
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSKU0j3xEa8
A bit strange but extremely exciting. This is my personal favourite from Deep Breath. This track’s ability to depict Twelve’s eccentricities (remember “Door. Boring. Not me.”) and at the same time – to magnify the tension between Vastra and Clara is enthralling. This particular moment along with this track acts as a prelude to the journey ahead for Clara and the Doctor, a precursor to the rocky moments yet to come, which is why this track feels all the more impressionistic in hindsight. Murray Gold masterfully captures the gravity of Clara’s indignation and translates it into a stirring piece of music; this had me hooked for days. I still am.
9. Bad Choices/Let’s Keep Going
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DhLZE2yaiQ&feature=youtu.be&t=51s
Mummy On The Orient Express has one of the most fascinating soundtracks of all the episode of Series 8. Very rarely do we get episodes where the main focus of both the plot and the music is strongly focused on the monster. The creepy leitmotif for the Mummy, the strange tunes that play to depict tension and despair all feel appropriately old school and foreboding and make for a very engaging show. Also it would be a crime not to mention the fantastic cover of “Don’t Stop Me Now” by Foxes because it was… well, fantastic, but I think the true strength of this episode’s music lies in how it perfectly emulates the dynamic between the Doctor and Clara.
The primary purpose of this episode was to provide the Doctor with a chance to explain himself to Clara, something which he never got the chance to do in Kill the Moon and equally provide Clara with a chance to figure out that the Doctor is still the Doctor – her friend, and all of this culminates into a poignant moment between Clara and the Doctor on the beach in the sunset accompanied by an equally poignant and empathic piece of music.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7J82ysK5Mg8
Another highlight is the moment when Clara changes her mind and decides to keep going. The reason I chose to mention this separately is because this track is the link that holds the entire music of Series 8 together, and it bleeds through in almost all other tracks in some way or the other, especially when the Doctor gives his I-am-the-Doctor speech in Flatline. Extremely evocative, memorable and satisfying.
8. Save Yourself Doctor
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_Zk-BMqLMY
Magical and thought-provoking. This track always pushes me to ruminate about the relationship the Doctor has with all his companions; not just Clara. What do they mean to him? Jamie and Zoe, Sara Jane Smith, Ace, Rose, Donna and Amy, how does he remember them? There is deep sense of loneliness and sadness encompassing the whole affair. The music feels like a stripped out version of Martha’s theme which only adds to this feeling of sadness because Martha’s relationship with Ten, though mature and realistic also had this same feel. Listen to this for the feels.
7. This Is Just A Dream
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wo2MG1mhbio
“Fear makes companions of us all.” A line spoken by the First Doctor in An Unearthly Child forms the crux of this track. Do we really know the Doctor? After half a century’s worth of stories and adventures, the Doctor still remains an enigma and this track captures it brilliantly. This acts as Listen’s finishing piece where Clara counsels the young Doctor and her words flow seamless through this track to form a spellbinding and amazing moment. Just listen.
6. Abandoned On The Moon
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FaPsjpmGQYk
Another strong contender for the Twelfth Doctor’s theme. This is an epic mix for an edge-of-the-seat experience and my favourite thriller theme of the whole lot. Fast paced, heavy, energetic and extremely mind boggling. It’s funny how this feels exactly like a fast tempo version of I am the Doctor but is actually nothing like it. It’s appears in The Caretaker, Kill the Moon and Flatline but to me it made the most memorable impact in the Kill the Moon. It elevated the dilemma and created a sense of overpowering urgency. Seriously all I want to do while listening to this track is run; run very fast because this track just gets my blood pumping.
5. You Are Dying
Creepy and mesmerizing at the same time. Parts of this track feature throughout “Last Christmas” but it is most skillfully used to depict the melancholy surrounding Clara and Danny thereby providing the title of the episode a more profound and richer meaning – every Christmas is last Christmas. By far one of the most emotional tracks of the Series, it never fails to leave an impression. There is a subtle progression in the track as it evolves into a haunting and menacing one while Clara tries to fight her way through the dream but in the end fails and the track quickly dissolves back into an evocative melody leaving the listener with a sense of tragedy. An inspired variant of Clara’s theme medley.
4. The Invasion Of Cybermen
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCkqjzbryxE
Wow. An absolutely ingenious track. What a way to end a show – without a doubt the best cliffhanger since Utopia and one of the best cliffhanger music in all of television history (maybe, I can’t seem to think of ant other). The clamorous beats build up to instil a sense of paramount danger and then fall almost abruptly to give way to one the most deftly scored reveals in all of Doctor Who. The most shocking, sinister, threatening and momentous track to come out Murray Gold’s mind; one that remains with you long after the accompanying sequence has ended.
3. I Am Not A Good Man
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzXcNHda0YU
First there was All The Strange Strange Creatures, then there was The Majestic Tale and now we have I Am Not A Good Man. The whole Series 8 arc squeezed into a single track filled with grandeur and glory. A superb and definite hit. To think that the entire “Am I a good man?” arc is woven around this majestic and vital moment is absolutely mind-blowing and what Murray Gold delivers here is nothing short of spectacular. This grand and compelling track not only brings closure to the predominant theme of the Series but also mirrors Twelve’s smug and haughty disposition effortlessly. A track to reinvigorate your spirits after the grim tones of the Series 8 finale and to remind you why the Doctor is still the Doctor.
2. Racing to the TARDIS
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0506_sv5lY
The most epic of all the Series 8 tracks. It overflows with rush, excitement and exhilaration. Lord knows the number of times I have listened to this track. I mean the sheer scale of both the visuals and the music is extraordinary. To see the Doctor go totally “James Bond” as he dives through the clouds towards the falling TARDIS is absolutely breathtaking. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever imagine that we would get such a scene on Doctor Who, but thankfully we did and Murray Gold did absolute justice by it. This one is bound to make you jump with excitement. Permission to Squeee….
And now for my final and number one pick…
1. Second Chance
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMhSnPfo_xM
Last Christmas was most definitely a musical extravaganza. It was magical, dark, emotive, sad, painful, cheery, grand and festive which is why there are three Last Christmas tracks on this list and let me say that I chose this track without a sliver of doubt. It’s dreamy, poignant, serene and in the end leaves you with a feeling of hope which I think is its greatest strength. For a series that rides on the rocky relationship between the Doctor and Clara, this track masterfully brings the whole exploration arc(where they get to understand each other better) to a brilliant and deeply satisfying end and then paves way for the future which has yet to unfold and is still full of expectations and hope. A musically dazzling and euphoric end to an equally dazzling and intense journey.
Now before I leave you to ponder over my choices, to make up your own mind about them, I would like to say that it has been a fantastically brilliant series with its own ups and downs. Murray Gold indeed took his time to adapt to this new Doctor and new direction, which is why the whole first half of the series feels a bit inconsistent but I think he really found the rhythm with Kill the Moon and consequently every episode since then has been a musical delight; here’s hoping that we will get an equally stunning Series 9, if not more so. Thank you for listening.
