Year: 1995
Type: Original Soundtrack (OST) / Remaster
Composer(s): Frank Klepacki
Number of tracks: 25 / 46

★★★★★

Dawn of techno

This is the music review of
The Covert Operations (1996).

As someone who was just three years old when Tiberian Dawn was released and therefore didn't even know how to switch on a computer, I didn't get into the Command & Conquer-series until years later with Command & Conquer 2: Tiberian Sun - well, I was still far too young for that, but I was already fascinated by real-time strategy back then. C&C is a household name, something pretty much every gamer has heard of. Be it the series which focuses on the fight between GDI and the bald-led Brotherhood of Nod, or the alternative timeline with timetravelling Einstein and Stalin.

Even though it has been somewhat forgotten today and beaten to death by Electronic Arts, I enjoyed almost every installment. However, despite the remaster, I never dared to play the original, which is why I have no connection to the game and was allowed to listen to its soundtrack for the first time.

Command & Conquer: Tiberian Dawn (1995)

Command & Conquer: The Covert Operations (1996)

Command & Conquer: Red Alert (1996)

Command & Conquer: Red Alert - Counterstrike (1997)

Command & Conquer: Red Alert - The Aftermath (1997)

Command & Conquer: Red Alert - Retaliation (1998)

Command & Conquer 2: Tiberian Sun (1999)

Command & Conquer 2: Tiberian Sun - Firestorm (2000)

It was composed by rocker Frank Klepacki and comprises 25 tracks. Even if it is not identical to the original, I will also list the score of the remaster released in 2020 here. Apparently, however, overtime was worked, as it has 46 tracks, more than twice as many as the 95 version. However, this may also be due to the fact that tracks from the addon The Covert Operations are included. In terms of content, however, the two are very similar:

After just a few seconds into the first tracks, it becomes clear that the composition in Tiberian Sun is a continuation of Klepacki's work here. Because I already know the electric guitar riffs and synth beats from the sequel. As a true child of the 90s, the score tries to combine the trends of the decade, which leads to a crazy mixture of synths (No Mercy), trance-like groove (Re-con), techno and metal rock (Prepare for Battle). But because that alone isn't freaky enough, samples of unit sounds and cutscenes are also used. This can sound good, but just as easily trashy.

Let me tell you a little story concerning this: around the same time the game came out, I was still playing with toy cars. My favorite was a police car that was equipped with four buttons, each of which played a slogan when pressed, such as "Hands up, this is a robbery!" Now this phrase was played every time I pressed the button. Every time. Immediately. And multiple times if I pressed it more than once. You know where this leads.

Ähnlich also wie Klepacki habe ich bereits im zarten Alter von drei Jahren gelernt, wie sich die verschiedensten Variationen mit so einfachen Worten wie „Banküberfall“ zu einer rhythmischen, wenn auch sehr nervigen Aneinanderreihung von Silben verarbeiten lassen  – bei mir sehr zum Leidwesen meiner Eltern. Aber hätten Sie die Musik von Klepacki gehört, vielleicht hätten sie mein Talent erkannt! Jenseits dieser geschmackvollen Geschmacksverirrungen gibt es immer wieder Tracks, die eher an Age of Empires (Prepare for Battle) or Detective Conan (Rain in the Night). These experiments can seem strange, but at the same time one must not forget that this is still background music for a strategy game, which is intended to support rather than suspense.

What Klepacki has put together here is a cornerstone for the later parts and is groundbreaking, but should also be clearly labeled as a product of its time. Anyone who likes the style of the time will have fun here whilst connoisseurs will get a pleasant rush of nostalgia. I'll stick with the sequel, which remains somewhat more stringent.

Command & Conquer: Tiberian Dawn

No.	Title	Artist(s)	Ratings
01	Act on Instinct	Frank Klepacki	4
02	No Mercy	Frank Klepacki	3
03	Industrial	Frank Klepacki	3
04	We Will Stop Them (Deception)	Frank Klepacki	3
05	Radio	Frank Klepacki	2
06	On the Prowl	Frank Klepacki	2
07	In the Line of Fire	Frank Klepacki	3
08	Prepare for Battle	Frank Klepacki	3
09	Rain in the Night	Frank Klepacki	4
10	Target (Mechanical Man)	Frank Klepacki	3
11	Just Do It Up	Frank Klepacki	3
12	C&C Thang	Frank Klepacki	3
13	Enemies (to Be Feared)	Frank Klepacki	3
14	Full Stop (Warfare)	Frank Klepacki	4
15	In Trouble	Frank Klepacki	3
16	Airstrike	Frank Klepacki	3
17	Demolition [Bonus]	Frank Klepacki	4
18	Fight Win Prevail [Bonus]	Frank Klepacki	1
19	March to Doom [Bonus]	Frank Klepacki	3
20	Just Do It Up Part 2 [Bonus]	Frank Klepacki	3
21	Untamed Land [Bonus]	Frank Klepacki	3
22	GDI Map Theme [Bonus]	Frank Klepacki	2
23	Nod Map Theme [Rare]	Frank Klepacki	2
24	Great Shot! [Bonus]	Frank Klepacki	3
25	Nod Score [Rare]	Frank Klepacki	4

Command & Conquer Remastered

No.	Title	Artist(s)	Ratings
01	Tiberian Dawn Map Theme [Remastered]	Frank Klepacki	2
02	Act on Instinct [Remastered]	Frank Klepacki	4
03	Demolition [Remastered]	Frank Klepacki	4
04	Target (Mechanical Man)[Remastered]	Frank Klepacki	3
05	Warfare / Full Stop [Remastered]	Frank Klepacki	4
06	We Will Stop Them / Deception [Remastered]	Frank Klepacki	3
07	Industrial [Remastered]	Frank Klepacki	3
08	Canyon Chase [Remastered]	Frank Klepacki	4
09	No Mercy [Remastered]	Frank Klepacki	3
10	On the Prowl [Remastered]	Frank Klepacki	2
11	Prepare for Battle [Remastered]	Frank Klepacki	3
12	Take 'Em Out [Remastered]	Frank Klepacki	3
13	In Trouble / Looks Like Trouble [Remastered]	Frank Klepacki	3
14	Radio [Remastered]	Frank Klepacki	2
15	Rain in the Night [Remastered]	Frank Klepacki	4
16	March to Doom [Remastered]	Frank Klepacki	3
17	In the Line of Fire [Remastered]	Frank Klepacki	3
18	Just Do It Up [Remastered]	Frank Klepacki	3
19	Fight Win Prevail [Remastered]	Frank Klepacki	1
20	Untamed Land [Remastered]	Frank Klepacki	3
21	To Be Feared [Remastered]	Frank Klepacki	4
22	C&C Thang [Remastered]	Frank Klepacki	3
23	Great Shot! [Remastered]	Frank Klepacki	3
24	Airstrike [Remastered]	Frank Klepacki	3
25	Depth Charge [Remastered]	Frank Klepacki	3
26	Creeping Upon [Remastered]	Frank Klepacki	2
27	Drill [Remastered]	Frank Klepacki	3
28	Drone [Remastered]	Frank Klepacki	3
29	Iron Fist [Remastered]	Frank Klepacki	3
30	ReCon [Remastered]	Frank Klepacki	2
31	Voice Rhythm [Remastered]	Frank Klepacki	3
32	Act on Instrinct [OST Version][Remastered]	Frank Klepacki	4
33	No Mercy [OST Version][Remastered]	Frank Klepacki	3
34	Just Do It Up [OST Version][Remastered]	Frank Klepacki	3
35	In Trouble / Looks Like Trouble [OST Version][Remastered]	Frank Klepacki	3
36	We Will Stop Them / Deception [OST Version][Remastered]	Frank Klepacki	3
37	Nod Map Theme [Remastered]	Frank Klepacki	2
38	C&C 80s Mix [Remastered]	Frank Klepacki	3
39	Die [Remastered]	Frank Klepacki	4
40	Heartbreak [Remastered]	Frank Klepacki	3
41	Reaching Out [Remastered]	Frank Klepacki	2
42	Ride of the Valkyries [Remastered]	Frank Klepacki	3
43	Nod Score [Remastered]	Frank Klepacki	4
44	Great Shot Extended [Remastered]	Frank Klepacki	3
45	Tank Battle [Remastered]	Frank Klepacki	3
46	C&C Credits Outtakes Theme [Remastered]	Frank Klepacki	3

Year: 1996
Type: Original Soundtrack (OST) / Remaster
Composer(s): Frank Klepacki
Number of tracks: 7 / 46

★★★★★

The Covert Operations

As Google and the name of the game revealed to me, Command & Conquer: The Covert Operations is an addon for Tiberian Dawn, which includes 15 new single-player missions, multiplayer maps and - particularly relevant for me - a few new music tracks.

As was to be expected, composer Frank Klepacki remains true to his mix of 90s sci-fi synths and relaxed techno beats (Drill, Depth Charge). Drone leans more towards the 80s, while Creeping Upon sounds like the tough older brother of Age of Empires and Fallout. In contrast, Iron Fist relies on drum beats, while Re-Con and Voice Rhythm, bridge the gap towards the following title, Tiberian Sun.

This means that the style remains the same, but there is less for me in this iteration. If you liked the style of the main game, you will find tracks of comparable quality here. I give the score the rating 'Meh'.

No.	Title	Artist(s)	Ratings
01	Drill	Frank Klepacki	3
02	Depth Charge	Frank Klepacki	3
03	Drone	Frank Klepacki	3
04	Creeping Upon	Frank Klepacki	2
05	Iron Fist	Frank Klepacki	3
06	Re-Con	Frank Klepacki	2
07	Voice Rhythm	Frank Klepacki	3