ScoreTracker

Review: Hans Zimmer | The Lion King (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

noreply@blogger.com (William) — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 15:48:00 +0000

1994 remains a very special year not only for Zimmer fans, but for all the film music fans and the world of the film score itself. It was with this year that came one of the most wonderful (and my current number one favourite) film scores of Hans Zimmer, The Lion King. The first animated score by maestro Zimmer, this magnificent masterpiece captures musically not only the life of the young future king Simba, but the magnificence of the vast, sweeping lands of Africa and its wonderful flora and fauna. Boasting a most diverse range of instruments in its orchestra, both Western and traditional African, this great score doesn't seem it was composed in just three weeks, which is the truth. Zimmer himself has admitted that he could have perfected everything if he had more time. But what a score he has produced even in this short time! The score not only fits the movie like a charm, but is a most wonderful standalone listen on its own.

Very sadly, this is also one of the worst treated scores in the history of film music. Fans have widely argued that the four short tracks released on the regular soundtrack are just not enough to get a good picture of the score, with three fourths of the wonderful highlights of the film left out. To add insult to injury, not a single second of extra score was released with the 2003 Special Edition soundtrack, which only featured a new (and in my honest opinion, unnecessary) song from the DVD and also a new Elton John remix of the famous Can You Feel The Love Tonight. But the meagre sixteen minutes of score on the soundtrack are a most wonderful experience for every fan of film music!

Despite Hans delivering a great score for us all to relish, it is very sad to see what treatment Walt Disney Records gave to it. Sixteen minutes of heavily edited and cut material from different parts of the movie just isn't the way to go. And so, the fan community has been forced to resort to less than legal methods to listen to the massive amounts of unreleased material on a bootleg circulating around for a while. Sadly, this bootleg not only has less than average quality, but it features terrible mono sound due to apparent improper ripping in many excellent cues, such as the stampede scene.

The Lion King is one of the finest scores by maestro Zimmer and it is nothing less than a disgrace that this is the kind of treament it has got yet even after fourteen years of release of the film. I sincerely hope a music label comes to the rescue of this sadly neglected gem and does justice to it by giving it the complete release it more than deserves one day, as soon as possible.

Overall rating: 5

Review: Alan Menken | Aladdin (Original Soundtrack)

noreply@blogger.com (DemonStar) — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 10:04:00 +0000

Alan Menken's scores for the Disney Renaissance scores (except The Lion King which is scored by Hans Zimmer) are called classics for a reason! Maestro Menken has proved himself to be a greatly talented composer not only for the songs but also for the scores, each of which he has masterfully composed to fit each film like a charm. Just like his previous scores to The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast, Menken comes back to deliver a great score for Aladdin, my favourite score of 1992. This score was a new challenge for Menken because the setting of the film was different from what he had scored earlier. But he lived up to the task well, delivering what is one of my most favourite styles of film scoring - fusion of ethnic instruments with regular Western orchestra.

Like the aforementioned scores, Menken delivered great music for the songs of this movie, featuring lyrics by the award winning Howard Ashman (who died before the film was completed, R.I.P) and Tim Rice. The opening of Arabian Nights (famous for the lyrical controversy, one of the many for this film) with acoustic Arabic instruments and strings playing a typical "Arabian" style melody get you into the theme of the film like a charm. The rest of the song is among my favourites ever with great music and orchestra performance, as are Prince Ali and Friend Like Me, featuring the GREAT singing of Robin Williams! Also good are One Jump Ahead and A Whole New World, which sadly feature a different opening than the film version, but they're fun nevertheless.

Moving onto the score, this album thankfully features a decent amount of score compared to how other Disney films like The Lion King and Mulan have suffered. There's the great Aladdin theme, played on gentle emotional strings, featured in tracks like Street Urchins, Aladdin's Word and To Be Free, the last of which also features a snippet of Genie's beautiful theme on woodwinds. The beautiful and romantic The Kiss, ending with a soft rendition of A Whole New World's theme has to be one of my most favourite Menken cues ever, along with the Arabic-styled Marketplace. Jafar's sinister theme is featured in the bombardistic Jafar's Hour (which continues into a hilarious/evil parody of Prince Ali) and heard throughout in many tracks, notably the terrific acton tracks like The Ends of The Earth and The Battle, both of which are my favourites. But the highlight action track is Cave of Wonders, opening with a great instrumental version of Arabian Nights and, after some suspense, moves into three minutes of non-stop action. Menken at his best! And Happy Ending in Agrabah is a great close to the score, featuring most themes together, especially Genie's Fanfare in full glory, and ending with a reprise of A Whole New World.

Overall, with this Oscar and Golden Globe winning score, Alan Menken proves again what a talented composer he is. The lush and beautiful orchestration of this score is remarkable, as is the great sound quality of the album. A winner, and definitely recommended for all film score fans and Disney music fans alike.

Overall rating: 5

Welcome, DemonStar!

noreply@blogger.com (William) — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 18:25:00 +0000

A new member of the scoretracker team, DemonStar comes with a large amount of experience in film music, and offers in-depth reviews (the first of which being his current favorite score, The Lion King, by Hans Zimmer) into the world of movie soundtracks. A fellow MainTitler, DemonStar will be popping his head in every now and then to give you good, solid reviews of film scores found in his ever expansive (and expanding) collection. Here's to a good future for scoretracker reviews!

Now introducing video game music reviews and news

noreply@blogger.com (William) — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 22:01:00 +0000

Film and TV music not enough? Enter game music, brought to you by Javet, a new member of the scoretracker staff. Aside from helping to manage the blog, Javet will be presenting up-to-date news regarding video game music, as well as possibly game soundtrack reviews (which I will also be working on and presenting). Check back at scoretracker for the latest in video game music news, coming soon.

Kevin Kiner talks Star Wars: The Clone Wars

noreply@blogger.com (William) — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 16:24:00 +0000

Head on over to ScoreNotes to hear a new audio interview with Kevin Kiner on the subject of Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Mr. Kiner has confirmed his involvement with the Star Wars: The Clone Wars TV series, and is currently (or at the time of the interview) finishing up work on the music for the twenty-second episode.

First official info on Clone Wars soundtrack!

noreply@blogger.com (William) — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 22:25:00 +0000

Today, StarWars.com confirmed the release date of the new Star Wars: The Clone Wars soundtrack by Wing Commander composer Kevin Kiner, as well as posted exclusive images of the cover, disc artwork, and fold-out poster. The soundtrack is set to release on August 12, 2008. Read the full article here. UPDATE: The Star Wars: The Clone Wars soundtrack is now available for pre-order from Amazon!

Review: Mark Mancina | August Rush (Music from the Motion Picture)

noreply@blogger.com (William) — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 01:50:00 +0000

As a film, August Rush just blew me away when I first saw it in theaters. The soundtrack, however, didn't. After first hearing Mark Mancina's emotionally moving score coupled with the film itself, I knew I couldn't wait to go out and buy the soundtrack. Lucky for me, I didn't make that mistake, and listened to a borrowed copy from my girlfriend. To the average viewer, this soundtrack has everything there is to offer: all the pop songs are still there with all their vocals, etc. But the score? Well, where'd it go?

The score to August Rush on the OST is limited to the Main Title and the finale/climax of the film's musical journey, August's Rhapsody. Only two tracks. Even my favorite moment of score is not included, a small cue entitled Arpeggio Intro on the composer's site, which can sadly only be heard there (though someone figured out how to extract an MP3 for me).

The album almost entirely neglects the score, as most pop song-filled soundtracks do. It seems the album producer(s) figured people would only care for the pop songs, so that's all that was put in. It's really a shame that August Rush isn't the only film whose OST has been affected by lack of score; many others suffer from this disease as well, soundtracks for films such as The Lion King, and Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron.

Overall, I'd say the soundtrack to August Rush is score-wise one of the worst I've ever taken the time to sit down and listen to. I'd say I want a full score release, but I know I'd be wasting my breath (or in this case, finger strength/endurance), as for a film like this, it's highly unlikely for a score release.

Overall rating: 3

Review: Thomas Newman | WALL•E (Soundtrack from the Motion Picture)

noreply@blogger.com (William) — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 00:22:00 +0000

Thomas Newman, composer for Pixar's underwater adventure Finding Nemo, returns to score the new animated sci-fi tale WALL-E, a story about a lonely trash robot searching for companionship and love. I must say, I was greatly impressed by the score when hearing it in theaters, and soon bought the OST. The OST is nothing short of fantastic, with about an hour's worth of music - good music. Thomas Newman does an excellent job with the atmosphere of the film, and much of the soundtrack is classic sci-fi action music and strange, unearthly harp and percussion cues. While this score is certainly not a 'great' score, by any means (there are no real memorable melodies), it holds together very well, and effectively accompanies the film.

The main themes I could pick out are WALL-E's theme, a comical little motif, Eve's theme, a beautiful other-worldly flute line, then a sweeping, gorgeous string section, several short motifs for minor characters (M-O, Typing Bot), and then the 72 Degrees and Sunny/March of the Gels theme.
Overall, the score for WALL-E is effective, very appropriate for the sort of film it accompanies, and a great listen. While not one that will go down in history, it still manages to delight and entertain. And this OST album is no exception, leaving you with a very complete-feeling listening experience. Highly recommended!

Overall rating: 4 1/2

Review: Andrew Lloyd Webber | The Phantom of the Opera (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) [Special Edition]

noreply@blogger.com (William) — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 19:20:00 +0000

You may think that The Phantom of the Opera has no score, but the fact is that every moment of orchestral music you hear in it is the score. Andrew Lloyd Webber's masterpiece has finally made it to the modern cinema, as has his music for Phantom, which has now been recorded with the larger orchestral forces which the '80s Phantom lacked. I purchased the two-disc version of the soundtrack shortly after having viewed the film on DVD, and was pleasantly surprised with what I got.

This edition includes basically ever song and music selection featured in the film (sadly, with sound effects), in excellent quality that will make you want to hear it all over and over again.
This album's only drawback is the inclusion of sound effects from the film, placed alongside the music. To some listeners, this can obviously be quite annoying, but for me, it's fine. The album contains practically all the music you hear in the film, and is very well put together. Gerard Butler is no Michael Crawford; that's for sure, though he still does a wonderful job as the Phantom, as does Emmy Rossum as Christine.

I own both this and the soundtrack to the original stage musical, and, while I adore Michael Crawford's and Sarah Brightman's voices, must say I overall prefer this one. It's orchestral magnificence is just too hard to pass by, what I would say is the definitive recording of The Phantom of the Opera. A must-buy!

Overall rating: 5

Review: Trevor Rabin | National Treasure: Book of Secrets (Soundtrack from the Motion Picture)

noreply@blogger.com (William) — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 16:30:00 +0000

The second in the series of National Treasure scores, the National Treasure: Book of Secrets score is unusually short, with only eight tracks, and clocking in at only about twenty-two and a half minutes. Granted, these tracks do not really disappoint, and will keep the listener enthralled - for the time being. The National Treasure scores seem to suffer from modernity, and more than one of the tracks make you feel you're not listening to a film score, but a TV commercial. Tracks like So! and Bunnies at first made me want to go hurl (though they're growing on me). The few rare gems this soundtrack possesses are Page 47 (which has a beautiful violin solo), Cibola, City of Gold, and Franklin's Tunnel.

The main new theme for Book of Secrets is a sweeping string melody for the city of gold, which sounds strikingly similar to Luke and Leia's theme from Return of the Jedi. I at first noticed the resemblance in the theater while viewing the movie, and I sometimes wonder if Trevor Rabin was having a bit of copy and pasting fun with this one. The main National Treasure motif from the first film returns in this one, as well. The last major theme I have so far noticed is the 'bad guy' theme, a dark motif often played by trombones or lower strings.

Overall, I think the National Treasure: Book of Secrets soundtrack is an enjoyable listen - and even more enjoyable if you're into more modern-sounding scores. But, if you're like me, and care more for the sweeping orchestral music, carefully consider before buying this one... iTunes sometimes sells individual tracks, as you may know...

Overall rating: 3

Review: Klaus Badelt | Pirates of the Caribbean (Original Soundtrack)

noreply@blogger.com (William) — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 22:20:00 +0000

The first in a series of swashbuckling scores, the soundtrack to Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl has a very Media Venture-ish sound, composed by Klaus Badelt. The score suits the film extremely well, and is overall action-packed, adventurous, epic, dark in spots, and covers the full emotional spectrum.

Klaus Badelt really did a great job bringing to life the music and style for this series, leaving Hans Zimmer a starting point as he finished up with the second and third films' scores. This score features a heavy amount of percussion, as well as loud brass calls and a sometimes annoyingly memorable main theme, often played by horns or strings. This main theme is played throughout the whole album; it seems as though Klaus Badelt definitely wanted to have the audience leave the cinemas remembering his music.

There are several pirate-like motifs throughout, as well as a chillingly dark theme for Barbossa/the undead crew. Badelt's use of the orchestra is awe-inspiring, and an instrument often associated with light classical and the adjective beautiful, such as the violin, suddenly becomes an instrument of terror-inducing evil.

My only real complaint with this album is the poor track name choices. Several tracks, like Will and Elizabeth, seem as though they are titled wrong; in Will and Elizabeth, while you'd be expecting to hear a beautiful love theme, you instead are given another action cue. Another example is Underwater March; the actual music which accompanies the underwater march scene doesn't occur in the track until very late.

The last (but certainly not least) major quibble I have with this album is the main theme, which actually gets slightly overbearing at times. But these are minor problems in the grand scheme of things. Overall, the The Curse of the Black Pearl soundtrack is one of my favorites, and falls in either 1st or 2nd place of the three.

Overall rating: 5

Review: John Williams | Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

noreply@blogger.com (William) — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 22:32:00 +0000

As the last live action film in George Lucas' Star Wars saga, the score to Revenge of the Sith had to retain all original motifs, successfully accompany the emotionally moving downfall of Anakin Skywalker, and much, much more.

John Williams' score for Revenge of the Sith does not disappoint - but the soundtrack somewhat does. New themes developed for the film are General Grievous' theme, the Battle of the Heroes theme, the "It Can't Be" theme, the downfall of Anakin theme (Anakin's Betrayal), the Anakin's Dark Deeds/birth of the Empire theme, the Mustafar theme (Enter Lord Vader), the Utapau theme, and the Grievous and the Droids theme.

I was overly pleased with the themes for Revenge of the Sith; I find them much more entertaining than much of his work for The Phantom Menace and others. He does a fantastic job finding exactly the right music for the right moment in the film. The real problem lies in the soundtrack album. The score is excellent, as I have said, but the OST fails miserably at displaying the stronger moments of the score. Soundtracks often only include highlights, but for a film and score of this magnitude, I would have expected much more. Vital sections are left out, several unnecessary sections are put in, and overall the album is just mediocre in many respects.

The album leaves out about twenty seconds of score during the track Anakin's Dark Deeds, from the Mustafar balcony scene, one of my favorite moments from the score; much of the music for the climactic duel between Anakin and Obi-Wan is lacking, leaving out large portions of important score; the track General Grievous does not even include Grievous' theme; Palpatine's Teachings wastes about five and a half minutes of music, being almost completely comprised of low, male choir long notes... and the list goes on... This score now ranks as one of my favorites, and I do hope they release a complete recordings edition; this score deserves much more than a mere OST album, which incorrectly labels a track or two, leaves out many of the better cues, etc.

I must say, I was very excited when I bought this album. It's the last Star Wars score by John Williams, and was just a very, very anticipated release. What I got pleased me at first, as I had not yet seen the film, but I soon realized exactly how much music was neglected in the making of this album. Please give us another, Lucas!

Overall rating: 4 1/2

Review: John Williams | E.T. The Extra Terrestrial - 20th Anniversary Edition

noreply@blogger.com (William) — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 21:57:00 +0000

E.T. The Extra Terrestrial has always been one of my favorite scores, and one of my all-time favorites from composer John Williams. It has that sort of freshness that really makes a score great, with quite possibly some of the best melodic lines ever written. John Williams was the right man for the job; there's no doubt about that. This 20th Anniversary recording which I am basing my review upon clearly shows that; top notch orchestration, development of themes, etc. John Williams so masterfully handles the motifs, that, when you finally hear the E.T. flying theme in all its fullness and glory, you sit there thinking, "Hey, haven't I been hearing this all along? It sounds so familiar." That's because Mr. Williams is a genius in the art of leitmotif, one of the major figures in history to bring back the old Wagnerian technique.

He so carefully weaves together the themes, that you're mind gets wrapped up just trying to figure out how he does it. E.T. features some of the most emotionally moving music I have ever heard. Williams does an excellent job of employing the orchestra to communicate the emotions associated with the little alien E.T.

As I have not seen the film in a while, I sadly cannot comment in-depth on the various themes, but based on the score, I can safely say there are at least three or four major themes. The most obvious one is the "flying theme," which features more prominently in the second half of score (the second half is my favorite). The next theme is for E.T., played often throughout the first half of the soundtrack. The motif uses the first couple notes of the flying theme, before going off into something else. Another is a theme (I don't exactly know who or what it's associated with, probably E.T.) which is played throughout Bait for E.T. by violas, and later in Searching for E.T. by flutes and trumpets, Escape / Chase / Saying Goodbye by strings, and End Credits by solo piano. This theme is very childish-sounding; I often attribute it to the innocence of E.T. The next theme is a more rhythmic theme often played by trumpets throughout Escape / Chase / Saying Goodbye, and also in Bait for E.T. and Searching for E.T.

The last theme is a theme first heard in Far from Home / E.T. Alone. It is a darker motif, played by horns throughout the last two or so minutes of the track. Overall, I find the score to E.T. to be a very emotional journey, likely Williams at his best. I still tend to slightly prefer the old Williams to the new one, though I'm not saying he has lost any talent. The man is a genius as far as I'm concerned, a real pioneer in the film music industry! Great score!

Overall rating: 5

Review: John Williams | Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

noreply@blogger.com (William) — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 18:14:00 +0000

After nearly twenty years, there is finally another Indiana Jones film on the screens of cinemas. An aged Harrison Ford returns with the fedora and whip, along with Karen Allen. John Williams has aged too, since The Last Crusade, both physically and musically. In recent years, Williams' style has changed quite a bit, though some (including me) have wondered if this change was for the better. The modern Williams tends to rely on heavy, rhythmic percussion, string, and brass action cues (e.g. General Grievous, from the Star Wars III score, Grievous and the Droids, again from Star Wars III, The Snake Pit, A Whirl Through Academe, etc.), with notes that, while played fast, feel sometimes out-of-place and chaotic. Granted, that's what most battles are - chaotic - but I don't always think the notes should necessarily reflect that aspect.

Now, as for the Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull score, I was honestly terribly worried for how it would turn out. William's style had had almost two decades of time to change, and I was almost sure he was going to miss the mark on this one. I had already read several other predominantly negative reviews for it, and when I finally decided to give it a try and purchase it, I felt as though I may have just wasted my money. I was very wrong.

Upon first hearing the album, I was blown away by Williams' musical accomplishment. It's not easy, to compose a sequel twenty years after the last of the series was released. In this score, Williams has managed to pull it all off, and brilliantly, too! Not only does he bring back the signature Indiana Jones main theme, but he includes several new and very Indy-like motifs, the first of which is that of the crystal skull, a haunting little theme, played many times throughout the OST. The next is that of Indy's son, Mutt.

Mutt's theme is very heroic, adventurous, much like his father's. There is even a point in The Adventures of Mutt where both are played simultaneously. Pure genius on Williams' part! The last new theme (and a big one at that) is Irina's theme, first played in the track Irina's Theme. The motif is set in a minor key, played often by horns and strings, with a gorgeously dark horn choir attached near the end, and features quite largely in The Jungle Chase, as well as several others. Throughout the score, Williams has done an excellent job intertwining these new themes, along with Marion's theme and the Raiders March theme. Overall, I would probably place this album in either 3rd of 4th in comparison with the other Indy scores. Is it a bad album? No. This soundtrack album still features much of the music from the film, and I am satisfied the way it is. Is it a bad score? Definitely not! Nothing by John Williams can really be declared bad; that's fact of life. John Williams really tried with this one, which shows he cares about what he does, and about what the fans think.

Not many composers whose styles have changed over the course of twenty years can suddenly revert back to their old styles. John Williams didn't do that entirely, but what he gave was a genuine effort. And an effort that really paid off, mind you! This score isn't a flop because it's not the best in the series; it's work of art that showcases the talent of one of the world's greatest composers. We should all really tip our hats to Williams on this one; great effort, and great success!

Overall score rating: 4 1/2

Review: Harry Gregson-Williams | The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (An Original Walt Disney Records Soundtrack)

noreply@blogger.com (William) — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 22:13:00 +0000

The latest installment in the epic new Chronicles of Narnia film saga, Prince Caspian brings a much darker feel to C.S. Lewis' wondrous world, both visually and musically. For the score, Harry Gregson-Williams had to bring back the old themes which made The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe so popular, all the while striking up new themes for Prince Caspian and his evil uncle, Lord/King Miraz. Did he succeed in the task? The answer to that question is at times difficult for me to decide upon.

Harry Gregson-Williams has definitely retained the old themes, as a composer always should, when writing a sequel score. But what really bothers me - and most fans of film music and/or the Narnia series - is the seeming overuse of material from LWW. The whole score is filled with recurring musical statements from the first movie's score, but not just the themes are repeated; the themes are repeated, all right, but often in almost the exact same musical setting/atmosphere (e.g. sometimes same key, same orchestration, same tempo, etc.).

Most people will wholeheartedly agree that it is common for a composer to reuse major themes established in a previous film score, but far less agree that what Harry Gregson-Williams has done with the first film's music in the second film's score is commonplace. It's one thing to reuse themes; it's another to reuse them the same way.

Now, before I continue to bash the score, let me admit, it is a good score. Even though some parts make you wonder if Harry Gregson-Williams said to himself, "Well, I'm running out of ideas. I'll just copy and paste these sections from the first film's score onto the second film's score. Voila!" the score does manage to hold itself together fairly well.

The orchestration is solid, very fantasy-sounding, and Mr. Gregson-Williams actually does pull out a few new themes on us, the first and most obvious of which being the Prince Caspian theme. As the theme for the title character, as well as the film itself, Mr. Gregson-Williams certainly had a lot to live up to. I think he lived up to the task. The theme is a very epic one, first heard on flutes in the soundtrack album, and later on horns and strings. Really powerful music, yet darker than much of the LWW music. The theme makes an appearance in most tracks throughout the OST, and later on it appears in a major key in several instances, such as in The Duel and The Door In the Air.

The next theme I would like to examine is the that of Prince Caspian's nemesis, Lord/King Miraz. I read somewhere in an interview with Harry Gregson-Williams that the beginning of this theme is actually comprised of the first notes of the main Narnia heroic theme, but backwards. In shocking disbelief, I rushed to iTunes to hear the theme for myself. It is as Mr. Gregson-Williams said. In the interview, Mr. Gregson-Williams also refers to the theme as "snake like," which is more-or-less true. The Miraz motif is heard quite a bit throughout the OST, though sometimes you don't really notice it until you step back and look at the big picture. It is most prominently used in Miraz Crowned, I think.

Next up is the Telmarine army theme. Played quite rarely throughout the score, this one seems to represent the Telmarine army, mostly during and after Miraz' coronation (though I do believe the theme may make a small appearance in Journey to the How). I at first made the mistake of attributing this motif to Miraz, until I noticed the other theme (the real Miraz theme). As this is my favorite of the new themes written for Prince Caspian, I am somewhat disappointed that it does not make as many appearances throughout the score as the others do. Lastly we have the Reepicheep theme, a sneaky, almost comical motif played by muted trumpet. This theme sadly does not really make a full appearance in the soundtrack, though it is briefly hinted at in The Door In the Air.

Overall, the score to The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian feels like a walk down memory lane, with a lot of reappearances from the first film's score, and a few new themes written specifically for this one. Upon first hearing the OST (I purchased it the day it was released, before seeing the film), I was rather disappointed in Harry Gregson-Williams' score, as it felt like not a very good effort. After seeing the film, my point of view has been changed completely, and I now herald the Prince Caspian score as better than the LWW score. Why? Because this score has almost everything you could want from the first score - and more. Yes, some of it feels like he copied and pasted, but believe me, this score fits perfectly with the film. A truly magnificent score, and a pretty good OST. One can only hope there will sometime be a complete recordings release...

Overall score rating: 4 1/2