This site was conceived as a side project by a "tekkie" friend of mine who suggested I use my journalistic experience to write about something I love. We bandied about some ideas before settling on this one - largely because I had collected movie soundtracks for much of my life and thought I could write about them. We wanted the site to be user friendly, well-written and reliable.
Over time, I hope to attract other writers keen to contribute to the site, who don't mind foregoing the financial benefits they may be used to in the short-term for something that may, or may not, be profitable further down the line.
The gradual demise of the cd format, re-emergence of vinyl, along with the expansion of blu-ray dvd and downloads translate to an ever-changing market place; despite this, most of us still buy cd's and dvd's and I hope that you will use the Amazon links on this site to buy online.
We have also included mini YouTube video links that accompany the reviews, so that you can listen to your favourite theme music while watching a related trailer or clip from the movie; because film is a visual medium, there seems no better way of presenting it.
Finally, a note on the type of soundtracks featured. Though purists generally view albums such as "Top Gun", "Flashdance" and others like them, as unworthy of coverage on a film soundtrack site, preferring instead to focus on orchestral scores, we have taken the view that these albums have earned their place based on their continued saleability and affection with a large section of cinema-goers. We wanted to reach as broad an audience as possible and have developed the site with this in mind, without forgetting those fans for whom composers such as Bernard Herrmann and Jerry Goldsmith, among many others, are considered on a par with the master composers. We hope you can find your best movie soundtracks on this site.
The Dukes Of Hazzard.
2005, Warner Bros.
Various.
Columbia, CD, 2005, 520502 2. Rating:
Nathan Barr’s light but likeable score is unfortunately absent from this collection of country/MOR crowd pleasers with the likes of The Allman Brothers Band (‘One Way Out’) Lynard Skynard (‘Call Me The Breeze’) and The Charlie Daniel’s Band (‘The South’s Gonna Do It Again’) doing their best to bring a little life to Jay Chandrasekhar’s directorial disaster, based on the 1980s television series, about two good ole boys and the bad, bloated boss Hogg (played by Burt Reynolds) who is out to get ‘em. Though Jessica Simpson’s (who plays Daisy Duke in the movie) awful version of Nancy Sinatra’s ‘These Boots Are made For Walking’ sounds like a desperate grab at chart status, Ram Jam’s explosive ‘Black Betty’ and James Gang’s ‘Funk #49’ add a bit of edge to an album that while far from perfect could have been a whole lot worse.
The Dukes of Hazzrd Movie Soundtrack. Review: Tim Mowbray
Track Listing:
1. Uncle Jesse Tells A Joke (Dialogue).
2. These Boots Are Made For Walkin’ (Jessica Simpson).
3. One Way Out (The Allman Brothers band).
4. Pride And Joy (Stevie Ray Vaughan And Double Trouble).
5. Call Me The Breeze (Lynard Skynyrd).
6. The South’s Gonna Do It Again (The Charlie Daniels Band).
7. Flirtin’ With Disaster (Molly Hatchet).
8. Hillbilly Shoes (Montgomery Gentry).
9. Black betty (Ram Jam).
10. Soul City (Southern Culture On The Skids).
11. Change my Mind (The Blueskins).
12. Burn It Off (Blues Explosion).
13. Funk #49 (James Gang).
14. Good Ol’ Boys (Willie Nelson).
15. Uncle Jesse tells A Joke (Dialogue).
Harry Potter & The Philosopher's Stone Soundtrack CD
Harry Potter & The Philosopher’s Stone
Harry Potter & The Sorcerer’s Stone (U.S title)
2001, Warner Bros.
John Williams.
Atlantic, CD, 2001, 7567-93086-5. Rating:
Though John William’s score to this first Harry Potter adventure remains a safe, melodic confection, packed full of thematic material, it is nevertheless perfect for the movie for which it was composed. Vaguely reminiscent of his work on ‘Witches Of Eastwick’ and ‘Hook’ with plenty of string plucking and brass arrangements conveying the magical world of the wizard, its an enjoyable and playful ride, if a little repetitive. The most familiar cues come early on with both ‘Prologue’, developed more fully as ’Hedwig’s Theme’ and ‘Harry’s Wondrous World’ largely defining the body of the score. The darker elements, of which there are too few, notable in ‘The Arrival Of Baby Harry’ and ‘The Face Of Voldermort’ play a fairly minor role but give the score a bit more bite. The highpoints however, are the exciting ‘The Quidditch Match’ and the, at times, modernistic sounding ‘The Chess Game’, both of which add a new dimension to what is an entertaining, if extremely commercially aware piece of scoring. Harry Potter & The Philosopher’s Stone Movie Soundtrack. Review: Tim Mowbray.
Re-titled in the U.S. as Harry Potter & The Sorcerer’s Stone.
Track Listing:
1. Prologue
2. Harry’s Wonderous World
3. The Arrival of Baby Harry
4. Visit to the Zoo and Letters from Hogwarts
5. Diagon Alley and The Gringotts Valut
6. Platform Nine-and-Three-Quarters and The Journey to Hogwarts
7. Entry into the Great Hal and The Banquet
8. Mr. Longbottom Flies
9. Hogwarts Forever! and The Moving Stairs
10. The Norwegian Ridgeback and A Change of Season
11. The Quidditch Match
12. Christmas at Hogwarts
13. The Invisibility Cloak and The Library Scene
14. Fluffy’s Harp
15. In the Devil’s Snare and The Flying Keys
16. The Chess Game
17. The Face of Voldemort
18. Leaving Hogwarts
19. Hedwig’s Theme
Red Dragon.
2002, Universal.
Danny Elfman.
Decca, CD, 2002, 473 248-2. Rating:
Brett Ratner’s film version of Thomas Harris’ bestselling prequel to ‘Silence Of The Lambs’ sees Hannibal Lecter behind bars (again) and another killer on the loose, this time with Ed Norton as the detective in charge, in an enjoyable but unremarkable thriller. Much the same could be said for Danny Elfman’s score; while his melodic ‘Main Title’ is listenable and cues such as ‘The Old Mansion’ and ‘The Fire’ atmospheric, there is a sense that he is going through the motions, trading in the inventive orchestrations that made his work on ‘Batman’ and ‘Beetlejuice’ so impressive, for stock scoring that does the job but little more. The sound isn’t much better; dull, plodding and distant. Hans Zimmer’s score for ‘Hannibal’ is much better. Red Dragon Movie Soundtrack. Review: Tim Mowbray.
Track Listing:
1. Logos.
2. The Revelation.
3. Main Titles.
4. The Cell.
5. The old Mansion.
6. The Address.
7. We’re Different.
8. The Note.
9. Enter The Dragon.
10. Threats.
11. Tiger Balls.
12. Love On A Couch.
13. Devouring The Dragon.
14. The Fire.
15. The Book.
16. He’s Back!
17. End Credits Suite.
