This is a tough one. I had both Aliens and Alien 3 and really hated both. Aliens was better as it was that kind of generic action music that James Horner can produce that is very exciting (and like a lot of his other action music) but gets rather wearing after a while. Alien 3 I absolutely loathed. It wasn't that it was bad film music in itself, it was rather that I just hated listening to it. As a result, I never bought Alien, despite being told that it was one of Jerry's best scores. Both Goldsmith and Horner had bad times with stroppy directors on their assignments. Ridley Scott rejected several cues and infamously replaced the end titles with extracts from Howard Hanson's Romantic Symphony. Whatever the effectiveness of this was, the original ending is certainly highly appropriate and gives the film a good send off and when coupled with the opening title, bookends the score quite nicely. Many Goldsmith fans have commented on how scary this score is. However, based on this selection, I honestly don't see why. Much of it is fairly melodic and quite listenable with the odd part recalling Star Trek: The Motion Picture, although this is only in superficial style. Anyway, the Alien tracks are all performed very well indeed although I have read that they lack some of the synth effects used in the original. However, given my views on Goldsmith's use of synths, I'm quite glad really. Some of the action cues are fairly scary, such as in Breakaway, which, ironically wasn't used in the film. However, I didn't really feel much tension build up over the course of the score. Perhaps the entire thing would evoke that or perhaps some of the extra synths and instruments that are used in the original score would.
James Horner had a terrible time with James Cameron on Aliens and some furious re-writing was required. Perhaps that is why Horner's music came out so blustery. The two action cues that are picked here, are ones that I remember being very good, and indeed they are. Futile Escape could give Hans Zimmer a run for his money in its relentless pacing and sheer ear-splitting noisiness. Horner mixes liberal doses of bits from some of his other scores. Most notably Star Trek III: The Search for Spock from which he uses the Klingon motif numerous times. The whole style of the writing just screams James Horner, the constant snare drum banging away in the background is an immediate give-away. The opening title is much more subdued and is supposed to borrow very heavily from some ballet by Gayenne, although I have never heard it and to be honest, it isn't very memorable. Very effective though, perfectly capturing the Alien mood, just as Goldsmith's original opener did (I assume this is fairly deliberate). Overall, this is a score that is better in short bursts. I think most of the action music was very much like Futile Escape in the rest of the score and so as a sample, it serves very well.
So, onto Alien 3. A bone of contention among film music fans. Hailed by some as a masterpiece, loathed by many more for being just horrid to listen to. Fortunately, the selection on this disc does indeed make it sound better than the full length album. Lento is introduced with a solo soprano, which sets the mood in a slightly different way to the original. The form is based on Gregorian plainsong and thus gives it a weird spiritual quality. Later on however, there are bursts of the typical Goldenthal arpeggio strings, which are very much in the vein of Batman Forever and give the music a lift, albeit a very dark one. Candles in the Wind is more along the lines of why most people loath the score in that is has the almost obligatory Goldenthal screeching brass and some very impressive, if almost unlistenable orchestral effects. However, there is some relief at the end of the cue. The final Adagio tends to be more upbeat although there is still a slight feeling of hopelessness.
Overall, this makes for some uneasy listening especially late at night and if you listen to it all the way through. However, I cannot deny the effectiveness of these scores. Eidelman produces a cracking performance from the Scottish National Orchestra, especially in the more explosive moments. There are few, if any, fluffed notes and he keeps the tempo going quite nicely, especially during the Horner cues. I think this makes a better and cheaper alternative to buying the original soundtracks so I can recommend it to those who want a taste of some impressively scary scores.
Rating ~ 
Total Time ~ 53:47