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Soundtrack & Compilation Reviews
(September - October 2005)
All CD reviews are listed alphabetically and are the opinions of Roger Hall or Steven Kennedy.
Some releases are given the designation of "CD of Special Merit" for their outstanding contibution to film music production.
Also, there is one CD that is singled out when deserving of: "Editor's Choice - Best of the Month."
If you have any comments or questions about any review, write to:
Please keep FMR up and running by ordering a copy of A Guide to Film Music or order something from Amazon.com (see Bookshelf Search below)
Scroll down this page to read all the CD reviews.
The 17th Annual Sammy Awards for film music
of 2004 have been announced.
To read all the titles click on this link:
For the choices of best film composer, soundtracks, compilations, and record labels of the year, go to:
Help Support FILM MUSIC REVIEW -
Order Your Copy Now While Supplies Last!
![[Image]](pict252.jpg)
A Guide to Film Music - Songs and Scores (2nd revised edition, PineTree Press, 2002)
Important!
Supply of this limited second edition is running low. Order your now to avoid disappointment.
The guide also has an accompanying FREE CDR of film music examples and includes these items:
*A timeline of film music highlights from 1926 to 2001
*A chapter on suggestions for listening to film music
*A complete list of Academy Award film music from 1934 to 2000
*A complete list of the Sammy Movie Music Awards from 1988 to 2001
*Top 100 Scores of the 20th Century
*Comments on Film Music:
- Exclusive interviews with two composers (Aaron Copland and Virgil Thomson)
- The Composer as Commentator (Bernard Herrmann, David Raksin, Dimitri Tiomkin)
- The Composer as Critic (Elmer Bernstein)
- The Film Lyricist and Songwriter (Sammy Cahn and Henry Mancini)
- The Movie Critic and Historian (David Thomson and Tony Thomas)
- An extensive bibliography and discography
Throughout the guide are many illustrations of composer autographs, including:
Johnny Green, Bernard Herrmann, Alex North, Miklos Rozsa, Max Steiner , Dimitri Tiomkin, John Williams and others.
There are also songwriter autographs as well, such as:
Sammy Cahn, George & Ira Gershwin, Henry Mancini, Johnny Mercer, Jay Livingston, and Harry Warren.
The title page of A Guide to Film Music has a rare page from the end credits of E.T., boldly signed by John Williams.
Praise from distinguished film composers!
"Thank you for the copy of your film music book. Congratulations and best wishes for success in your future contributions to the film music literature"-- John Williams, film composer and conductor
"I do feel your book is done in a most interesting way. It affords a quick overview of what has not become a very, very broad field. Congratulations!" -- Elmer Bernstein, film composer and conductor
"Your film music guide should be available to anyone interested in the Golden Age and beyond. I was so happy that KING KONG made your all-time list" -- John Morgan, film composer and score restorer.
Order your copy of this limited edition guide now before it sells out.
To order A Guide to Film Music with FREE CDR click on this link:
Music Titles from PineTree Press
Review Rundown::
The titles are chosen to cover a broad range of commercial, promotional and vintage soundtracks.
No bootleg CDs are reviewed.
The comments and ratings are based on the whole CD package: recorded music, booklet notes and art design.
Ratings:
***** (Superlative - Highest Recommendation)
****1/2 (Outstanding - Highly Recommended)
**** (Exceptional - Especially Worthwhile)
***1/2 (Very Good - Better Than Average)
*** (Good - Okay)
**1/2 (Fair - Nothing Special)
** (Mediocre - Barely Passable)
* (Poor - Save Your Money)
Each month soundtracks may be selected for Best of the Month or Special Merit.
These soundtracks are chosen on the date of the review, and not necessarily at the end of the month.
They are the CDs worthy of special praise for their overall production.
These are the headings:
![[Image]](pict319.jpg){kind=small} Editor's Choice for Best of the Month |
![[Image]](pict327.jpg){kind=small} CD Release of Special
Merit |
Soundtracks:
CORPSE BRIDE -- Danny Elfman - **** [Special Merit]
DREAMER: INSPIRED BY A TRUE STORY -- John Debney [Editor's Choice for October] - ****1/2
A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE -- Howard Shore - ****
THE
HOWLING -- Pino Donaggio - ***
OLIVER
TWIST -- Rachel Portman
- ***1/2
THE PUNISHER -- Dennis Dreith - ****
Compilations:
CIRQUE DU SOLEIL - KA -- music and songs by Rene Dupere - ***
Drive Time - Route 66 -- music by E. Bernstein, E. Morricone, N. Riddle, V. Thomson, D. Tiomkin and others - ***1/2
The Essential Michel Legrand Film Music Collection -- ***1/2
MURDERBALL -- 4 score tracks by Jamie Saft and various songs - *
Soundtrack Reviews
| CD Release
of Special
Merit |
CORPSE BRIDE (2005)
24 Tracks = 59:40
Music composed by Danny Elfman.
Additional lyrics by John August. Orchestrations by Steve Bartek, Edgardo Simone, and David Slonaker. Orchestra conducted by Nick Ingman. Metro Voices conducted by Marc Mann. Soloists include Albert Finney, Tracey Ullman, Paul Whitehouse, Joanna Lumley, Danny Elfman, Jane Horrocks, Helena Bonham Carter, Paul Baker, et. al. Music produced by Danny Elfman. Score recorded and mixed at Abbey Road Studios, London. Songs recorded and mixed at Air Lyndhurst and Abbey Road Studios, London. Music recorded and mixed by Dennis Sands. Songs recorded by Dennis Sands, Jake Jackson, and Rupert Coulson. Design by Trevor Niemann.
Warner Sunset/Warner Bros. 49473-2
Rating: ****
Tim Burton’s films are always uniquely stylish and this latest animated film is filled with classic Burton imagery. CORPSE BRIDE is a much shorter tale than THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS and while it is a visually stunning achievement the story is fairly predictable. Of course, with a PG rating this makes for excellent young child fare and on that level it works very well.
Elfman’s scores for Burton are always interesting and equally match the imagery on screen. Bonejangles and his Bone Boys is a group that seems taken out of the earlier NIGHTMARE. It is a cross between Cab Calloway and ragtime swing, updated just a tad of course. Nice touches in the score proper include the addition of the harpsichord which gives the sound a little extra class. The orchestral cues are a little mix of Elfman’s mature style with some of Herrmann’s dramatic underscoring sound.
There is less need of outright magical writing here but the classic wordless chorus with celeste and strings is present in "Moon Dance." It is a truly wonderful track with melodic fragments that are close cousins to NIGHTMARE’s Jack Skellington music. Of additional interest is Victor’s piano solo, which later becomes a duet. The theme reappears throughout the score helping to unify it. And so, CORPSE BRIDE becomes a score that mixes in a little of BEETLEJUICE with a little of NIGHTMARE and maybe EDWARD SCISSORHANDS all interwoven in a score that works quite well with many of the cues seamlessly moving from one to another. Many of the cues here remind me of many great Elfman scores but the art here is far more refined that one can really just sit back and admire an amazing accomplishment. The big jazz numbers, like that in "New Arrival" sound a bit like they were temped to Giacchino’s score for THE INCREDIBLES, but they are not derivative by any means.
"Remains of the Day" is very much a sound from Elfman’s songs written for Burton’s CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY earlier this year. But it is really one of the many highlights of this mix of song and score. The songs are again in the same style as NIGHTMARE with little parodies of Gilbert and Sullivan thrown in for good measure for the hilarious "Wedding Song." It perhaps reveals the operetta/musical theater pieces that Burton has in mind. It’s been a while since songs in animated films actually helped to move a story forward instead of being a vehicle for some pop song. That is what really lifts up this score which excellently combines thematic score ideas into the songs and back again. "Bonus Tracks" include several numbers from Bojangles and the Bone Boys.
--Steven A. Kennedy, 16 October 2005
Comments regarding this review can be sent to this address: stev4uth@hotmail.com
| Editor's Choice - Best of the Month for October
|
DREAMER: INSPIRED BY A TRUE STORY (2005)
24 Tracks = 64:25
Music composed, conducted, and produced by John Debney.
Violin solos by Joshua Bell. Piano solos by Michael Lang. Clarinet solos by Gary Bovyer. Oboe solos by Phil Ayling. Accoustic Guitar: John Debney. Accoustic Guitar/Dulcimer: George Doering. Accoustic Guitars/Mandola: Dean Parks. Cello solos: Dennis Karmazyn.
Executive Soundtrack Producers: John Gatins and Paul Cremo. Score Engineer: John Richards. Electronic Score Engineer: Wolfgang Amadeus. Music Coordinator: Lola Debney. Score Production Supervisor: Melanie Mullens Hoyson. Score recorded at Todd AO Scoring Stage, Culver City, California. Score mixed at Warner Bros. Eastwood Scoring Stage, Burbank. Mastered by Pat Sullivan.
"Dreamer" song written by Bethany Dillon and Ed Cash. Performed by Bethany Dillon.
Sony Classical/ Sony Music Soundtrax SK 97742
Rating: ****1/2
John Debney has demonstrated his versatility with scores to such popular comedies as LIAR, LIAR and BRUCE ALMIGHTY and also much deeper films, like his Oscar nominated score for Mel Gibson's THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST. I wasn't so impressed with Debney's score for PASSION. But I did really enjoy his score to CUTTHROAT ISLAND as reissued on a 2 CD set.
Now, with DREAMER, I believe he has reached an even higher plateau of score writing.
DREAMER stars Kurt Russell, Dakota Fanning, and Kris Kristofferson. It was written and directed by John Gatins and was "inspired by a true story" which is the film's sub-title. Debney has said: "The story of this family and their healing through the magical horse Sonador resonated deeply within me. It seemed as though I could write no wrong notes." Though that last sentence might seem a bit boastful, I'd agree he has composed a score that deeply resonates with any sensitive listener or viewer of this fine film.
The film begins logically with "Theme from Dreamer" (2:19), with a simple piano solo by Michael Lang and then moves over to a violin solo by Joshua Bell, followed by other solo instruments. This beautiful main theme forms the foundation of this colorful folksy score. At times it's quiet and reflective, like on track 4, "Ben Asks Pop For Help" (1:24), with Joshua Bell's lovely violin solo. Another example is "Manny's Story" (track 7, 3:39). Once again the theme is heard, this time first on a clarinet solo, then joined later by violin and piano solos. Other times the theme is livelier, especially for such cues as: "First Race" (track 3, 2:31), and "2nd Ride--Thunderpants" (track 9, 2:37) which has a bit of Coplandesque flavor to it. This is especially so when the solo clarinet is used.
The longest cue is reserved for "Last Race"(track 21, 6:37), which is also the best track on the CD. It develops beautifully from a casual beginning to a more dynamic pace as the race begins, with emphasis on vigorous string and brass. The overall effect of this track is an inspiring cue.
The main theme is once again quoted in still another version for the "End Credit Medley"(track 22, 2:15), ending as it began on track 1 with the piano solo of the main theme, bringing the score full circle.
The "Dreamer" song sung by Bethany Dillon on track 23 (3:30) is a "Film Mix." It's the one blemish on this otherwise outstanding soundtrack. It's the typical youth market song with meandering lyrics and music. The lyrics are not included in the CD booklet. Listeners should be aware that there's a "hidden track" at the end of the CD (track 25, 3:45). It's another version of the song by Bethany Dillon and isn't any better than the Film Mix version.
The booklet itself is attractively designed with color film stills and a complete list of all the musicians.
With the exception of the forgettable song, this is a soundtrack that deserves to be celebrated for its beauty and sensitivity. All the solos, especially those by pianist Michael Lang and violinist Joshua Bell, are superbly executed.
John Debney's score comes across the finish line as a winner!
I highly recommend this beautiful DREAMER soundtrack.
--Roger Hall, 28 October 2005
A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE (2005)
14 Tracks = 40:22
Music composed, orchestrated, and conducted by Howard Shore.
Music produced by Howard Shore. Recorded at Air Lyndhurst, London by John Kurlander. Mixed at Abbey Road Studios, London, by Peter Cobbin. Edited and mastered by Wark Willsher. Art direction by Matthew Harris.
New Line Records 39051
Rating: ****
A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE is the latest film from frequent Shore collaborator David Cronenberg. Many are calling this the most mainstream film that the director has made. And it is likewise receiving the kind of mixed, but mostly positive, notices that accompany most directors with specific visions for cinema. Shore calls upon the style of writing that he employed so well for Peter Jackson’s LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy. The dry, almost Baroque sound of THE AVIATOR is replaced here by a fuller, richer, orchestral palette with warm horn writing that recalls many of the heroic ideas from the LOR trilogy. This latter sound is one that has become a steady hallmark of what we might someday be able to call Shore’s "mature" style.
In listening to Shore’s latest score, one hears the kind of confidence in ability missing from so many composers these days. Shore shapes massive sounds from the barest of materials here. He can grow tension by the ebbing and flowing of a single note. This is the primary thrust of the opening track, "Motel." He can also write the most engaging and simple of melodic ideas. The one which opens "Tom," finds a kinship with the Hobbit Theme from his "Lord of the Rings" scores, but only in its gentle melodic opening bars. The same thematic thread winds its way through the score as Shore combines the bareness of the opening crescendo and decrescendo ideas with an almost Coplandesque string writing. This score is somewhat more accessible and personal than the type of backdrop Shore has used for previous Cronenberg films. It is also not of the typical Hollywood drama scoring style that can be indistinguishable from one film to the next.
In "Run," Shore comes closest to an homage of Bernard Herrmann’s Hitchcock thriller writing before moving into an interesting multi-layered action cue. There are many other little Herrmannesque touches that serve to lift this score up from the standard fare. It is this idea of introducing different textures and motives that makes listening to this score rewarding. The score is in some ways an extension of Shore’s compositional achievements. It shows him at the top of his craft hitting at the emotional core of this film with accessible writing that can only help increase his fan base.
Alongside Desplat’s score for the Bruce Willis film HOSTAGE, Shore’s latest contribution is easily among the top scores of the year.
--Steven A. Kennedy, 7 October
Comments regarding this review can be sent to this address: stev4uth@hotmail.com
THE HOWLING (1981)
34 Tracks = 45:58
Music composed by Pino Donaggio.
Orchestra conducted byNatale Massara. Executive Album producers for La-La Land Records: M.V. Gerhard and Matt Verboys. Album produced by Ford A. Thaxton. Digitally Edited and Mastered by James Nelson. CD Art Direction: Mark Banning. Liner notes by Messrob Torikan and Dan Goldwasser.
La-La Land Records 1037
Rating: ***
Pino Donaggio is probably best known for his horror scores, like CARRIE and DRESSED TO KILL for Brian DePalma. His score for THE HOWLING is another well known one.
He had first worked with director Joe Dante on PIRANHA in 1978 and in 1981 they worked together again on THE HOWLING. As often the case with horror scores over the past few decades, the cues are mostly short. The cue titled "The Howling" (track 5, 0:17) is the shortest of them all but does still make an impression with its eerie electronic sound. Following the opening suspenseful track (Opening Title - which begins with a wolf call/ Phone Call/Dark Streets, 2:16), the next track brings even more foreboding with the descriptive cue titles: "Sleaze/Karen's Nightmare" (2:25). When I first watched THE HOWLING in the movie theater I thought it was unnecessarily seedy to have a scene set in a porno booth, but the music helps overcome that sordid location, but only marginally.
There is some relief from the slow moving string sounds with lighter, more rhythmic cues like "Doctor's Orders" (track 4, 0:49) and "Hunting for Shadows" (track 8, 1:01).
The overall effect of Donaggio's is appropriately creepy using a minimum of musical forces with short dissonant themes. As described in the liner notes: "Long sustained notes draw out the suspense, while ominous brass sounds are used to herald the arrival of the lycanthropes. Adding to the eerie and chilling atmosphere are gothic organ, dreamlike chimes and human voices." One example of the organ and string combination can be heard in the Thomas Hardy pun title: "Fur From The Madding Crowd" (track 19, 3:44). The organ is often used when the werewolf is prowling about. Director Joe Dante is known for his insider film references -- for example, horror schlock director, Roger Corman makes a brief appearance. There are also a few silly puns in such cue titles as: "The Big Bad Wolf" (1:18) and "Wolfing Down Terry" (0:53).
There are also seven short "bonus tracks" and five "electronic stingers," which are sound effects you may or may not like to have. They are conveniently placed at the end of the CD so they can be avoided if desired.
When you open up the jewel case, you are greeted with a surprise image on the CD itself that is anything but scary. In fact, you might even laugh when you first see it, but it does relate to the opening scenes in the movie. The CD booklet is attractively designed with sample film stills placed on the pages so they don't interfere with the text. In addition to the liner notes by Massrob Torkian and Dan Goldwasser, there are some remarks by the composer titled: "HOWLING IN THE FLATLANDS - Money's Too Tight To Mention." Donaggio explains that due to budget limitations he couldn't record a full orchestra together so instead he "wrote cues for strings only and then cues for brass and woodwind which were meant to be intermingled together, and though such strategy doesn't sound like much nowadays, it was certainly very futuristic at the time." Unfortunately that limitation is apparent on the soundtrack CD which often sounds pretty thin.
Being released just prior to Halloween, this CD is sure to please fans of THE HOWLING.
While Pino Donaggio's score might appeal to any fan of horror scores from the 1980s, it isn't one of the best horror scores from that era. I'd rather listen to a score like Jerry Goldsmith's POLTERGEIST instead.
-- Roger Hall, 28 October 2005
For further information see:
OLIVER TWIST (2005)
18 tracks = 53:28
Music composed and soundtrack album produced by Rachel Portman. Performed by The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by David Snell. Orchestrations by Rachel Portman. Recorded & Mixed by Chris Dibble. Art Direction and Design by Fusaro Chubachi. Recorded April - May 2005 at Barrandov Studios, Smecky Soundstage, Prague.
Sony Classical/ Sony Music Soundtrax SK 96506
Rating: ***1/2
This is the oft-told Charles Dickens tale set in 19th century London. It has been filmed before in two well received versions: under Sir David Lean's direction in 1948, and as the 1968 Oscar-winning musical OLIVER!, directed by Sir Carol Reed.
Now Roman Polanski, who received an Oscar for Best Director of THE PIANIST in 2002, provides his own interpretation. The film stars Sir Ben Kingsley as Fagin, young Harry Eden as The Artful Dodger, and 11 year-old Barney Clark in the title role.
The score for OLIVER TWIST is by Rachel Portman, the first woman composer to receive an Oscar for her music in the period comedy EMMA in 1996. She has since been Oscar nominated for THE CIDER HOUSE RULES and CHOCOLAT.
The OLIVER TWIST soundtrack begins with "Streets of London"(2:00), which contains the main theme played by trumpet and strings. This upbeat and merry dancing theme seems to fit the film which Polanski has described this way: "The characters in this story are larger-than-life with the empasis on their glorious humor and eccentricities." The main theme is prominent again in the second track, "The Road to the Workhouse" (3:00). Then the mood shifts to a slower theme, played by flute and clarinet with strings on track 3,"A Kind Old Woman" (2:04).
Portman wrote an appropriately sly theme for "The Artful Dodger" (track 5, 1:49). The next track, "Fagin's Loot" (2:54) is more unsettling, featuring primarily flute, clarinet, and harp solos with subdued string accompaniment, then picks up the tempo dramatically with a driving ostinato pattern, before returning to the opening mysterious theme.
One of the best cues is on track 12, "The Robbery" (5:09), a dark and disturbing series of thematic elements rich with menace and featuring primarily the strings. Another cue which uses the dark theme heard on track 12 is "The Death of Bill Sykes" (track 17, 6:12), which is very effectively developed as well, growing in intensity as the theme is repeated.
This score is a tasty mixture of upbeat main theme and darker menacing thematic patterns. The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra perform well under David Snell's direction.
The sound is good, but the quieter passages are a bit too low in their sound levels.
The CD flyer is rather bland looking except for the attractive black silhouettes on the cover. There are no comments provided about the score which might have been helpful.
This is another very good score by Rachel Portman for a period film.
It is recommended to those who have followed Portman's highly successful film composing career.
--Roger Hall, 11 October
THE PUNISHER (1989)
39 Tracks = 79:45 (30 score tracks = 52:58)
Music composed, orchestrated and conducted by Dennis Dreith.
Album produced by Dennis Dreith and Robin Esterhammer. Score recorded at the Burbank Studio, 1989. Mixed by Bobby Fernandez. Design by Jim Titus. Includes the song "Planet of Love" performed by Simon Stokes, and an interview between Dennis Dreith and Mark Goldblatt.
Perseverance PRD 006
Rating: ****
This is not the Carlo Siliotto score from 2004, but the score to the earlier 1989 Mark Goldblatt version which starred Dolph Lundgren. Dennis Dreith provided the score for what appears to be one of his last film scores. He was credited with additional music for "The Shadow" (1994) and has done a lot of orchestrating work as well as conducting many scores. While perhaps over-shadowed now by the more recent version, the score for the earlier film has had a steady fan base that should be thrilled at this release. Up until now, only a couple of its tracks have been available on hard-to-find compilation discs.
The opening "Main Title" provides perhaps one clue to this being a favorite score. Dreith’s style is a slick combination of Jerry Goldsmith and Richard Band and falls neatly into the kind of action music heard from either composer during this period. Electronic sounds are mixed into the orchestral fabric used primarily as tension building devices. When that is not their primary function they fall closer to functioning as unusual percussion instruments. Many of the musical cues come in under thirty seconds. Those like "Harbor Shoot-em-up" allow for Dreith to combine many techniques apparent throughout his score material. Here the arpeggiated ostinatos are reminiscent of Elliott Goldenthal’s orchestral style. Nice Asian touches filter in to depict the Yakuza characters in the score as well. Other action cues featuring the Punisher’s theme provide the kind of rhythmic drive one hears in Brad Eidel’s score for "The Terminator." All of these stylistic ideas may be common to the period, but they are employed here by a masterful orchestrator (Dreith) and composer who creates a score that fans of the film can finally hear on its own.
With two film versions of this Marvel Comic now available, it is good also to hear the two different approaches to the music to accompany the graphic and unsettling violence of the story. Where Siliotto played up the more traditional horror score and Batman-like dark hero writing, Dreith combines more action music and electronic sounds following a more Goldsmith-esque film-scoring approach. It was refreshing to hear Dreith’s preference for acoustic percussion over electronically-recreated pulses. It is this approach that holds more to the way Band utilized synthesizers in his many Troma outings. No doubt the low budget required some of the string sound to be recreated in the same way. But overall, the score turns out to live up to its excellent main title. Fans of low-budget film music from the 1980s will also find many nostalgic musical moments.
The disc includes the song, "Planet of Love" performed by Simon Stokes, and concluded with an over twenty minute interview between Dreith and Goldblatt. Perseverance has provided an excellent accompanying booklet with notes by Paul Tonks continuing to live up to its many fine releases. The disc is available only through their website and European customers will need to check the website for order information: www.perseverancerecords.com. One of the best surprise restoration releases of the year.
--Steven A. Kennedy
Comments regarding this review can be sent to this address: stev4uth@hotmail.com
Compilation Reviews
CIRQUE DU SOLEIL - KA (2005)
24 tracks = 61:54
Music and songs composed by Rene Dupere. "Koudamare" composed by Rene Dupere and Martin Lord-Ferguson. Additional lyrics by Jim Corcoran and Ella. Produced and arranged by Martin Lord-Ferguson and Rene Dupere.
Additional arrangements by Ella, and Martin Lord-Ferguson. Orchestrations by Simon Leclerc. Recorded and mixed by Martin Lord-Ferguson. Orchestra conducted by Simon Leclerc. Choir conducted by Jean-Sebastian Allaire. Orchestra engineered in Los Angeles by Rick Winquest. Recorded at Creations Netza, Montreal; and Paramount Studio Stage M, LA. Mixed at Creations Netza, Montreal. Mastered by Bernie Grundman, Bernie Grundman Mastering. Art direction by Pierre Desmarais. Graphic design by Michel Dalpe.
Cirque du Soleil Musique
Rating: ***
KA is the latest Cirque du Soleil creation featuring composer Rene Dupere. Dupere wrote the music for the highly successful ALEGRIA (1994). Here he has written a fascinating work featuring a 57-piece orchestra and 40-member choir. The tracks featuring the orchestra especially lift this "score" to new heights. The recording was even recorded by veteran film score conductor at one of the Paramount soundstages.
The new songs have a foot close to contemporary Broadway theater along the lines of say LES MISERABLES or MISS SAIGON. That is heady company, but the music can stand up to that fairly well. Alongside these tracks are those with an ethnic flavor described best perhaps as a Riverdance style with Middle Easter inflections. The writing is similar to the approach Zimmer and Schwarz used in THE PRINCE OF EGYPT. A favorite track is the touching "Shadowplay." Here the music is sheer magic with gorgeous lyrical writing and touching orchestration including a beautiful flute and harp duet in its center. In "Pursuit," Dupere mixes synthesizers, drum beats, and choir, with some acoustic instruments creating a sound that could come from a high-end video game by Richard Jacques. This crossing over of styles mixed into Dupere’s own compositional style is what many have found appealing in the Cirque du Soleil productions. The epic quality of some cues, like "Flight" or "Love Dance," will be of interest to fans of more traditional film music writing. The latter is another of several truly marvelous orchestral and choral cues which builds to fine climax and features some nice harmonic surprises along the way. "Battlefield" is another of the choral and orchestral tracks coming from those massive Menken Disney scores before it drops into techno-style sounds. Tracks with this euro-pop bent can also be heard interspersed. It allows for variety both musically and for whatever happens to be happening in the action on "stage." They are less interesting musically, however.
The journey one goes on in a Cirque du Soleil program is one that captures the mind and the imagination. The music and live visuals as usual bring a whole new definition to performance theater. This time out, the unusual mix of ethnic sounds, all done to create a unique sound world manages to be entrancing as well as eclectic. Fans of the other dozen releases will likely be excited by the release of this latest journey.
The gorgeous booklet is in itself a work of art. Texts are included for several of the songs. They are over-layed in white text against photos from the production. A DVD release highlighting the creation of KA is also planned.
Though I can admire Dupere’s work, it really is all of a piece. It can stand somewhat on its own, but it really is designed to recall the show for which it was written.
It will be best experienced then when accompanying the visuals and later when recalling them.
Steven A. Kennedy, 15 October 2005
Comments regarding this review can be sent to this address: stev4uth@hotmail.com
Drive Time - Route 66 (2005)
15 tracks = 62:05`
Original Producers: Samuel H. Carter, Jane Friedman, John McClure, David Mottley, Tom Morgan, Paul Myers, Thomas Z. Shepard, Gregory K. Squires. Reissue Proder & Engineer: Richard King. Concept by Gregory Hetherwick. Compilation: Warren Wernick & David Foil. Art Direction: Lauren Dooreck-Camara.
Sony SK 94772
Rating: ***1/2
This compilation is from a series "specially mastered for the car audio experience." Though it can make a long drive or a morning/ evening commute more enjoyable, it is actually an excellent sampling of music from the American West, much of it from the movies.
The American composer most identified with the wide open spaces is Aaron Copland, even though he was born in Brooklyn and had hardly ever set foot in the Old West. Yet his music beautifully evokes that vastness, especially in his cowboy ballets. On this CD, there are excerpts from those ballets, including "Buckaroo Holiday" (7:01) and "Hoe-Down" (3:09) from Rodeo, and "Introduction to the open prairie" (3:25) from Billy the Kid. Another popular Copland piece is also included: "Fanfare for the Common Man" (2:04). All four of these Copland pieces are performed by the New York Philharmonic, brilliantly conducted by Leonard Bernstein.
The fifth Copland piece on the CD is "Morning on the Ranch" (4:40) from the wonderful 1949 film, THE RED PONY. The suite from the film is performed by the Boston Pops conducted by John Williams.
Another film theme by a classical composer is the folksy "Cattle (I Ride an Old Paint)" (2:39) from the 1936 documentary, THE PLOW THAT BROKE THE PLAINS, with music by Virgil Thomson, performed by the Philharmonia Virtuosi under Richard Kapp's direction. Thomson is interviewed about his film music in A Guide to Film Music.
There are also other classical pieces: "The Old Chisholm Trail" (6:31) from Nocturne by Arthur Shepherd, and the very popular "On the Trail" 7:40) from Ferde Grofe's Grand Canyon Suite, with the Boston Pops again under the direction of John Williams.
The remainding seven tracks are from films or television. The first track is Elmer Bernstein's classic western theme for THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN (4:36), with the composer conducting the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra. There are two themes apiece by two foreign born composers associated with the American West: Dimitri Tiomkin and Ennio Morricone. The Tiomkin themes are from HIGH NOON (5:28) and the Overture (3:10) from THE ALAMO. Morricone's themes are the "Main Title" (3:05) and "Ecstasy of Gold" (3:27) from THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY. Both the Tiomkin and Morricone themes are conducted by the respective composers.
There are two themes from television. The first one is one of the best themes from the 1950s --Nelson Riddle's breezy jazz theme for "Route 66" (2:11). Riddle conducts his own orchestra. The other theme is from another popular 1950s television program: THE ROY ROGERS SHOW. The song was written by his wife, Dale Evans. "Happy Trails" (2:55) is sung by Roy and Dale and serves as a nostalgic farewell song for this drive along Route 66.
Even if you already have these themes on other CDs, this is still worth having as a collection of great American classical and film music by some of the best known composers.
It also has an attractive and well designed CD flyer that lists all the pertinent information about the music.
This CD is ideal for playing during your "drive time." But it's also good to listen to any time.
A very good collection.
--Roger Hall, 10 October
The Essential Michel Legrand Film Music Collection (2005)
13 Tracks = 77:57
Music composed by Michel legrand. Flemish Radio Orchestra, conducted by Michel Legrand. Micahel Legrand, piano and harpsichord. Executive Producer: Reynold da Silva. Release Co-ordination: David Stoner and Pete Compton. Sound Engineer: Manuel Molino. Artwork: Damien Doherty. Recorded at the studio of the Flemish Radio orchestra, Belgium, December 20-23, 2004.
Silva Screen Records SILCD 1185
Rating: *** 1/2
Michel Legrand is one of France's best known film composers and musicians. He has composed over 200 film scores. This compilation of 13 of his popular film scores provides a very good sampling of his film work.
The CD begins with the melancholy love theme, "I Will Wait for You" (5:07), from THE UMBRELLAS OF CHERBOURG (1964), Legrand's first major film score. This is perhaps the first film set entirely to a jazz score with all the dialogue sung instead of spoken. It's a landmark film. The love theme is one of his most beautiful and on the CD it goes from a quiet opening with only a few instrumentsto to the full force of the entire orchestra. A very impressive opening.
Legrand has received three Oscars for his scores and songs:
"The Windmills of Your Mind" (with Alan & Marilyn Bergman) from THE THOMAS CROWN AFFAIR (1968); THE SUMMER OF '42 (1971); and YENTL (song score with Alan & Marilyn Bergman).
He has included them on this Silva Screen compilation -- on track 3 (SUMMER of 42', 3:56); track 6 (THE THOMAS CROWN AFFAIR, 3:53); and track 12 (YENTL, 14:00).
The tracks on this CD aren't the same as the film scores themselves but are arrangements made by Legrand. The arrangements for the more romantic scores are highly ornamented but the beautiful themes can still be heard. For example his Oscar-winning song, "The Windmills of Your Mind," begins with Legrand's improvised playing of the theme on piano accompanied by the orchestra.
Besides Legrand's skillful keyboard playing there are also some outstanding solos by Claude Eqea on trumpet and Herve Meschinet on alto and tenor sax solos. Meschinet really shines on such tracks as "The Summer of '42" (track 3, 3:56) and "How Do You Keep the Music Playing" from BEST FRIEND (track 5, 6:00).
The three longest tracks are from the lusty 1973 film THE THREE MUSKETEERS (track 8, 8:04); the ethnic flavored YENTL - Medley (track 12, 14:00), featuring Catherine Michel's lovely playing on harp; and 1970 film THE GO-BETWEEN - Variations 1-2-3-4-5-7 (track 13, 13:58), with Legrand on harpsichord.
There are also three others worth recommending: the impressively somber WUTHERING HEIGHTS (track 9, 5:08); the popular TV movie theme for BRIAN'S SONG (track 10, 3:17); and the muted trumpet solo featured on DINGO (track 11, 4:03).
The CD cover looks rather bland and booklet notes are on the skimpy side. A few of the black & white photos of Legrand are too dark.
But for Legrand's many fans this CD should have great appeal. It features all of his best known themes. The Flemish Radio Orchestra may not be the best band to do justice to his jazz arrangements, but Legrand does an admirable job of keeping them moving along.
This lengthy compilation of Michel Legrand's film music demonstrates what an incredibly talented musician and composer he has been for so long.
--Roger Hall, 25 October 2005
MURDERBALL (2005)
13 tracks = 48:47
Original music by Jamie Saft (4 tracks) / 9 remaining tracks by various performers.
Executive Soundtrack Producers: Dana Adam Shapiro, Tracy McKnight, Walter Yetnikoff, Jeff Mendel. Mastered by Michael Fossenkemper. Art Direction and Design: Scotty Kawczynski. Soundtrack Coordinator: Aram Goldberg.
Commotion Records CR011
Rating: *
MURDERBALL is a film that has received high praise from film critics. But this CD compilation doesn't come close to deserving the same praise. In fact it's just the opposite. Seldom have I heard a soundtrack where every track is bad. But this one has accomplished that dishonor.
The first track starts off with a screaming, monotonous song called "Thieves"(4:59) by Ministry. This group also has another equally terrible song at the end of the compilation, titled "Waiting" (5:04).
The second track, "Murderball Remix" (4:44) is the first of four with original music by Jamie Saft. Unfortunately none of the four tracks by Saft provide any improvement.
Track 3 continues the dreadful flow of electronic sludge with the pornographic song, "The F**ked Jam" (2:55) by Wren. The horrible stuff continues on the next track with "Light & Day" (3:24) by The Polyphonic Spree. It's more electronic noise and singers who can't sing very well.
In fact most of the tracks have terrible singing. Another example of bad singing is "Anyone Else But You" by The Moldy Peaches. They sure do sound "moldy"! I think rotten would be a better term.
I don't need to go any further. I think you get the drift.
This is one of the worst soundtracks I've heard for any film in a long time.
There is just nothing to recommend.
Even the art design is poorly presented, with a gray paint stain splashed over the CD cover, and the track titles splashed across the inside page in a hard to read display.
Diehard fans of the various groups may like it and there may be others who want Saft's music from the film.
As for me, I found the CD to be poorly executed and designed.
I don't recommend it.
--Roger Hall, 30 September