THE INNER LIGHT

"It's that every now and again - not often, but occasionally - you get to be a part of Justice being done. That really is quite a thrill when that happens."

Hello all! I've been working on some different projects lately, one a comedy bit and one a horror show. While I'm finishing those up I thought it would be a good time to revisit THE INNER LIGHT. This Mix was made back in 2011. When I first started this channel around four years ago I quietly put it up but have never really discussed it in any detail. It's definitely on the slower side, maybe bordering on depressing at times, but it all comes together in the end. You'll see. The Journey is the Reward. Alright, let's get started.

THE INNER LIGHT: Track One

Song: Streets of Philadelphia
Artist: Bruce Springsteen
Album: Philadelphia OST
Quote: Andrew Beckett (Tom Hanks)/Philadelphia

"Look at me… feel the warmth of my hand, the rhythm of my pulse. I'm not a supreme being. I'm flesh and blood, like you."
"Not like me."
"Like you. Different in appearance, yes, but we are both living beings. We are born, we grow, we live… and we die. In all the ways that matter, we are alike."

THE INNER LIGHT: Track Two

Song: We Are Flesh and Blood
Artist: Ron Jones
Album: Star Trek TNG Season Three OST
Quote: Picard and Nuria/Who Watches the Watchers

I don't usually do any commentary on individual tracks for any of the mixes. I prefer to let the music speak for itself. But I must acknowledge the incredible work of Ron Jones in creating not only this piece of beautiful music but for all of his amazing work on many of the early episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation. It was he who did the music for the Episode Where No One Has Gone Before, that title song being the first track on the previous Mix I put up, THE MASTER SWORD. It was he as well who composed Tasha's Farewell, perhaps the most beloved of all the musical tracks in the series, which plays at the end of the episode Skin of Evil at Tasha Yar's memorial. Truly one of the musical greats of our time, we thank you Ron Jones for your incredible and moving compositions which spread peace and joy to all who hear them.

"One of us had to accept the agony. He was always the stronger."

THE INNER LIGHT: Track Three

Song: Inama Nushif
Artist: Brian Tyler
Album: Children of Dune Soundtrack
Quote: Ghanima/Children of Dune

I've always felt that Children of Dune was the hardest to understand of all of Frank Herbert's Dune books. It's because of Leto II. The "child" destined to become the God Emperor is without a doubt the most complicated character I'VE ever come across. He's much easier to understand once he's a sandworm. But anyways, Brian Tyler's score for the Children of Dune Miniseries that came out 20 years ago is a masterpiece, and this is the Crown Jewel. If you haven't seen it you should. At the time it was referred to as the SCI-FI CHANNEL EVENT OF THE YEAR. But the praise is real and warranted. It's fantastic.

Anyways, I'm out of town next week to ride Maverick and Millennium force 5 times each. Hell, it's gonna be so hot I might even go on Sewage Canyon. It's ok just don't open your mouth. Thanks for watching, always! We'll pick this up in a week. Later!

"Well, it's not far back to sanity
At least it's not for me
And if the wind is right you can sail away
And find serenity
Oh, the canvas can do miracles
Just you wait and see, really, believe me"

THE INNER LIGHT: Track Four

Song: Sailing
Artist: Christopher Cross
Album: Christopher Cross
Quote: Christopher Cross/Sailing (lyrics)

Well I made it back from Cedar Point with (hopefully) no permanent injuries. Steel Vengeance is an EVIL piece of work that's for sure...I screamed so loud I lost my voice. But anyways, moving on.

There's something about Christopher Cross's voice that I've always found to be incredibly soothing, and nowhere is that more apparent than with this song. I also somehow went through my entire life thinking he was African American. Imagine my surprise after 40 years to find out he's about as white as they come! But black or white it makes no difference, this song is as calming and beautiful as it was the day it was released on June 15th, 1980. I sure hope it's not far back to sanity for all of our sakes.

"Do not be afraid. I am U-Mos, Sentinel of the Luminoth. Please listen, and hear of our world’s peril.
Long ago, a cosmic object fell to our planet, Aether, exploding with great force. A rift was torn in time and space, and a strange power flowed over the world.
Where once there was one Aether, there were now two. One of light…and one of shadow, each existing in its own dimension.
It was the end of peace on Aether, for a new race was born that day on the dark world…one filled with hate and terrible power. They are the Ing.
The Ing are creatures of shadow and darkness, knowing nothing of peace or mercy. For decades, we stood against them…yet we now lie on the verge of defeat."

THE INNER LIGHT: Track Five

Song: The Luminoth
Artist: Kenji Yamamoto
Album: Metroid Prime 2: Echos OST
Quote: U-Mos/Metroid Prime 2: Echos

I've always found the story behind Metroid Prime 2: Echos to be fascinating. And timely. Just replace the word "Ing" with something like "Demons" and there you have Planet Earth in 2023. The War is Universal but our battle is here. It exists first in our hearts and in our minds. We must make our Stand against this evil. This channel and everything on it is dedicated to the preservation of beauty and the upholding of Truth. May it serve to help fight the shadow. And may the Lord bless us and watch over us during our Trials.

"You have no right to ask me how I feel
You have no right to speak to me so kind"

THE INNER LIGHT: Track Six

Song: Separate Lives
Artists: Phil Collins/Marilyn Martin
Album: White Nights OST
Quote: Lyrics (Separate Lives)

I've never even seen White Nights. I think it's about some Russian Ballet dude twirling on his toes or something. I guess it was just one of those movies that never "happened" for me. Oh, but I remember this song from back in the day. It was HUGE. It was the kind of slow song they would play at those dreaded swim meet dances or 8th Grade "Fun Nights". Phil Collins and Marilyn Martin hit it out of the park with this one. It's a good song to sing Karaoke as well, if you can find the right partner. Great stuff.

"You’re our only hope, Samus.

Should we fall, the Ing will look to the stars for new planets to ravage and conquer. Your species could be their next victims. Do not relent. Press on! Once you reach the Sky Temple let nothing stay your hand.

Let the Light of Aether be your guide. May it serve you well in the darkness!"

THE INNER LIGHT: Track Seven

Song: Sector Zero
Artist: Kuniaki Haishima
Album: Metroid: OtherM OST
Quote: U-Mos/Metroid Prime 2: Echos

There's a lot of different Metroid going on in this one, but at my core I'm always gonna be an Echos man. And trust me, those things in Metroid Dread ARE the Ing, just in robot form. This song was also on the last mix I put up, THE MASTER SWORD, but I think it works better here. It was always Samus' song anyways, not Links. I don't know what my obsession is with this song, to me it just feels so.....desperate. I used to play Other M just to get to this part to listen to it. Oh, and I liked Other M. Kind of.

"The wind blows hard against this mountainside
Across the sea into my soul
It reaches into where I cannot hide
Setting my feet upon the road"

THE INNER LIGHT: Track Eight

Song: Kyrie
Artist: Mr. Mister
Album: Welcome to the Real World
Quote: Kyrie (Lyrics)

Kyrie Eleison. Translated from Greek it means "Lord have mercy". I had to look that up. Despite the song being released 38 years ago and having heard it countless times AND having been raised Roman Catholic I just didn't know what it meant. I obviously knew it was about the Almighty but I thought it meant something like "Praise the Lord". But nope. It means "Lord have mercy" and every human being on this planet is in need of that, myself included. The fact that this song reached into the stratosphere of popularity back in the day (it was number one for two weeks in 1986) is a testament to not only the incredible talent of Mr. Mister but also to the message that it sends. One of the great songs of yesteryear and more relevant than ever in these dark times.

"Right behind you I see the millions,
On you I see the glory!
From you I get opinions,
From you I get the story!"

THE INNER LIGHT: Track Nine

Song: Listening to You
Artist: The Who
Album: Tommy (Broadway Recording)
Quote: Listening to You (Lyrics)

I've never seen Tommy except for like a second of that acid trip movie. But I LOVE the orginal broadway recording with Michael Cerveris. So many incredibly talented people worked together to create something truly AWESOME.

"Damn you, Worf! You'd let me go without saying another word, wouldn't you?"
"What needs to be said?"
"Nothing. Everything. We're about to go our separate ways again."

THE INNER LIGHT: Track Ten

Song: Unfinished Business
Artist: Ron Jones
Album: Star Trek TNG Season Two OST
Quote: Worf and K'Ehleyr/Star Trek Season 2/The Emissary

You may be wondering why I chose to put the theme song to a Klingon sex scene on the Mix. Well, of course, it's Ron Jones, so there's that. But beyond that I've always found The Emissary to be one of the strongest episodes from Season 2 of Star Trek: The Next Generation, mainly because of the strength of actress Suzie Plakson who plays Worf's love interest, K'Ehleyr. Their chemistry together is, shall we say, explosive, and I think the song Unfinished Business captures that relationship perfectly. The "events" of that night would lead to the birth of Worf's son Alexander, who plays a significant role throughout the rest of the series. Well, I could babble on about Star Trek until the end of Time but let's just leave it there for now.

“To the well organized mind, death is but the next great adventure.”

THE INNER LIGHT: Track Eleven

Song: The Killing of Dumbledore
Artist: Nicholas Hooper
Album: Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince OST
Quote: Albus Dumbledore/Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone/J.K. Rowling

SPOILER ALERT!!!! Snape kills Dumbledore. Now that we've gotten THAT out of the way, let's talk about the music that plays during that fateful scene at the end of the Half-Blood Prince. I must admit I was a little worried about how the movie would handle this scene, perhaps the most important moment in the entire series. However, my fears turned out to be baseless as Dumbledore's death scene is masterfully portrayed, from the acting to the pacing to the lighting and yes, to the music. The Harry Potter series went through four different composers during the decade it took to create all eight films. Nicholas Hooper (who also scored the Order of the Phoenix) creates an atmosphere of tension and dread as he uses an extremely slow buildup of strings which builds to a terrible crescendo as Albus Dumbledore is killed by Severus Snape. The music couldn't be any more fitting here and it elevates this devastating scene to the very heights of cinematic achievement.

"I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. This is why right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant."

THE INNER LIGHT: Track Twelve

Song: L'arena
Artist: Ennio Morricone
Album: Il Mercenario Soundtrack
Quote: Martin Luther King Jr.

The first time I heard this song was in KILL BILL: VOLUME 2, arguably one of Tarantino's best films (and that's saying a LOT considering the quality of his work). It plays during the scene where The Bride (Uma Thurman) punches her way out of a coffin buried in the ground. I've never seen Il Mercenario, which is the movie that Ennio Morricone originally composed this incredible song for, but I'm sure it added as much to that movie as it did for Quentin's. I was going to focus on the graveyard scene for the images and quotes for this track, but felt called to go in a different direction entirely. May we always remember Reverend Martin Luther King Jr.'s words, understand them, and take comfort in them...for he was a Man of God and he was correct.

"Oh, THERE you are Peter!"

THE INNER LIGHT: Track Thirteen

Song: You are the Pan
Artist: John Williams
Album: Hook OST
Quote: Pockets (Isaiah Robinson)/Hook

My family got its first CD player for Christmas in 1991. And the very first CD I ever owned was the soundtrack to Hook. That alone should tell you all you need to know about me. Needless to say, I've been a movie score man all of my life. And in the end, I suppose it all comes down to one song. THIS song. John Williams is without a doubt one of the most accomplished film composers ever, along with Jerry Goldsmith and James Horner (God rest their talented souls). From Superman, to Indiana Jones, E.T., Jaws, Jurassic Park, Harry Potter, the list of his famous works is practically endless, and many of them are featured on this channel. Hook is probably one of his lesser known scores - the movie did alright back in the day, but never achieved the superstar status of other Spielberg movies. However, for me, the score to Hook is one of his most powerful, and this song is the greatest of them all. Childlike wonder and beautiful innocence combine to create a melody capable of softening the hardest of hearts. It is, in my opinion, one of the greatest musical compositions ever created.

"There it is, ladies and gentlemen. The first and only stable wormhole known to exist. It's yours… for the right price."

THE INNER LIGHT: Track Fourteen

Song: The Price
Artist: Ron Jones
Album: Star Trek TNG Season Three OST
Quote: Bahvani/Star Trek TNG: The Price

Well, here we are at the penultimate track. I'm starting to wonder if I should have just named this mix THE INNER RON JONES, since this is the third song of his I put on here. It's a very sad and contemplative piece which plays at the end of the episode THE PRICE from the third season of The Next Generation. More than anything else it focuses on Deanna Troi and the incredibly difficult decision that she is faced with - does she stay with the man she is in love with or does she stand by her principles and let him go? The music perfectly captures this moment and the inner sorrow she feels. The song is structurally very similar to WE ARE FLESH AND BLOOD (track two) and I feel it adds a nice "bookend" to the Mix. There is ALWAYS a price that must be payed for the things we desire the most. Alone, we all must decide if the price is worth it. I'll see you all at the Inner Light.

Batai : "We hoped our probe would encounter someone in the future. Someone who could be a teacher. Someone who could tell the others about us."

Capt. Picard : "Oh... Oh, it's me... Isn't it? I'm the someone. I'm the one it finds. That's what this launching is. A probe that finds me, in the future."

Eline : "The rest of us have been gone a thousand years. If you remember what we were, and how we lived, then we'll have found life again. Now we live in you. Tell them of us... my darling."

THE INNER LIGHT: Track Fifteen

Song: The Inner Light
Artist: Jay Chattaway
Album: The Best of Star Trek Volume One
Quotes: From The Inner Light (Star Trek TNG Season 5: Episode 25)

Well, we made it. Thank you all who have come on this journey with me. THE INNER LIGHT is regarded by many as the absolute pinnacle of excellence that The Next Generation was so well known for. For those who are unfamiliar with this episode, the Enterprise encounters an ancient probe in deep space which mentally attaches itself to Captain Picard, rendering him unconscious. He awakens in an unfamiliar land as a different person, and proceeds to live an entire lifetime inside his mind in the span of 30 minutes on the ship. In that lifetime he experiences all the things that he sacrificed in order to become a Starfleet Captain. He comes to know true love through his marriage to Eline and his two children, Batai and Meribor. He learns to play the flute and experiences the joy of music and how it can deeply touch all those whose hearts are open to it. And when the probe finally detaches and he returns to his former life, he must grapple with the devastating fact that he has lived an entire lifetime in the span of minutes, and that all those whom he loved the most have been dead for 1000 years. Inside the probe is a box containing a flute. And that's how it ends.

The emotional impact of this episode cannot be understated, and of course a huge part of that impact comes from the music. Although hard to believe, Ron Jones in fact did NOT compose the music for this episode. It was scored by Jay Chattaway, another brilliant composer who contributed so much to Star Trek over the years. This particular version of the main theme is not played during the actual episode, which emphasizes the flute portion without the full orchestra. But I feel that this version of the theme is by far the most beautiful and powerful, which is why I chose to create an entire Mix around it. It is my hope that many people will hear it in the years to come and will experience the joy that it brings.

Well that's it for that Mix! Coming up next will be the great battle against the Ancient of Insanity in ETERNAL DARKNESS: XEL'LOTATH. Much love to you all and take care out there.