Posted on October 30th, 2010 by Samuel Walters
The score for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is a diverse, emotional and enjoyable musical experience. Nicholas Hooper, who also scored Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, has created a soundtrack that is just as dark and whimsical as the film itself. It is easily the most diverse and imaginative since John Williams composed the score for The Prisoner of Azkaban.
Note: A video compilation of soundtrack highlights follows this review.
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Posted on July 28th, 2009 by Samuel Walters
Like the movie, the musical score to Blood Diamond is deeply moving, emotional, provocative and diverse. Composer James Newton Howard weaves a musical tapestry that often seems to contain the very fabric of Africa itself. Beautiful, tragic, conflicting and uplifting, there are moments which seem to echo the grand panorama of the land and its people, as well as the deep suffering imposed by wars of imperialism, tribalism, and capitalism. Howard captures all this through a wonderfully blend of instrumentation, from driving percussive beats to haunting choral passages to sweeping orchestral arrangements to electronic aggression. All told, this is a soundtrack which ought to find its way into the library of any fan of film music.
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Posted on July 28th, 2009 by Samuel Walters
Being released concurrently with The Music of The Lord of the Rings at Radio City Music Hall event on October 9 & 10 is a book, aptly titled, The Music of The Lord of the Rings, written by Doug Adams. For those who may not know, Mr. Adams has long been associated with Lord of the Rings music, writing the detailed book inserts for all three Complete Recordings releases. He’s taken much of what he has learned through that process and compiled it into a book that will also include a nearly 80-minute CD of music called The Rarities. The book will also include everything that was written for the Complete Recordings. The book’s cover art has just been released (seen above). It’s clear that this will be a must-have for avid LOTR music fans.
Mr. Adams has long been active within the internet community, keeping fans updated on Complete Recording releases and you can visit his blog HERE.
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Posted on October 30th, 2008 by Samuel Walters
As adventure soundtracks go, Alan Silvestri’s Van Helsing, while not a landmark score, is pretty good. What I look for in a good adventure soundtrack are some unique sounding themes to accompany the blood-pumping bombast. Van Helsing is sufficiently unique with a gothic chanting chorus, and classical guitar, for this score to meet any adventure standard.
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Posted on October 25th, 2008 by Samuel Walters
The Patriot, starring Mel Gibson, is scored by the incomparable John Williams. The soundtrack itself is very enjoyable on a number of levels – particularly with respect to the instrumentation that Williams uses. This score isn’t as heavy with themes as, say, Indiana Jones. But it’s clear that Williams made an effort utilize a wide range of sounds to create a score that is diverse, rich, and ultimately worth listening to as a standalone piece.
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Posted on October 23rd, 2008 by Samuel Walters
The soundtrack to Glory, composed by James Horner, is to the American Civil War what his soundtrack to Braveheart was to Scotland’s war for independence. In both, Horner manages to forge a sound that is deeply evocative of the culture, time period, and profound meaning behind both conflicts. In a sense, it’s not the celebration of war for war’s sake. This is a recognition of the sacrifice and commitment to higher purposes and ideals. But war is, by definition, tragic. And more than the Braveheart soundtrack, Glory embodies tragedy in nearly every track. The result is a soundtrack that is, for the most part, heavy and somber – and reflective of the brutal loss that comes hand-in-hand with war.
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Posted on October 21st, 2008 by Samuel Walters
With the tremendous success of the original Braveheart soundtrack, it’s not much of a surprise that a follow-up was released. More Music From Braveheart does feature some additional music from the film, but it also adds a number of dialogue sections as well as traditional Scottish music. The result is an album that is true to the spirit of Braveheart – if not entirely true to the full score produced by composer James Horner. From a purely soundtrack standpoint, the album is something of a sloppy mess. But for devoted fans of Braveheart and its music, the album is enjoyable enough to warrant purchasing it.
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Posted on October 21st, 2008 by Samuel Walters
With the release of Mel Gibson’s epic film, Braveheart, came this soundtrack, by composer James Horner. Like the film itself, the score was beautiful and brutal, sad and hopeful, subtle and sublime. One of Horner’s biggest successes is in how well he manages to capture and convey the emotions of the film, as well as portray the Scottish setting.
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Posted on August 29th, 2008 by Samuel Walters
At World’s End, the final film of the Pirates of the Caribbean Trilogy is, arguably, the weakest of the franchise with a plot that is too convoluted and a story that is too fantastical. It is ironic then that the soundtrack is easily the best of the three. With this particular installment, composer Hans Zimmer has further expanded his palette to great effect. Not only does he have the themes from the first two films to draw upon, but he adds a couple of new themes and motifs that are just as enjoyable.
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Posted on August 28th, 2008 by Samuel Walters
If Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl was an exercise in brute force, Dead Man’s Chest demonstrates what can happen when that brute force begins to be channeled into new and creative avenues. The soundtrack is still a sonic assault, but it also is much more diverse and epic than its predecessor. Composer Hans Zimmer greatly expands his canvas in this installment, including new themes for the Kraken, Davy Jones and even Jack Sparrow. The soundtrack is also longer, providing more opportunity for listeners to get to know the new musical additions.
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