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.
X-Men Origins: Wolverine
2009, 20th Century Fox
Harry Gregson-Williams
Verese Sarabande, CD, 2009, VSD 6967 Rating:
Wolverine should have been a sure fire hit; one of the most popular of the X-Men characters with a shadowy psyche and metallic claws, what is there not to like in Superhero terms? Unfortunately, neither Hollywood A-lister, Hugh Jackman, or seasoned composer Harry Gregson-Williams, can breathe enough life into this animal to make it worth howling about. Both the film and the score suffer from a rather uninspiring lack of originality that has pervaded the entire project, from Jackman’s less than wild Wildman to Gregson-Williams uneventful scoring. Though the opening cue, ‘Logan Through Time’ starts the score off well, buoyed by a strong melody and a fair amount of bite, this fails to sustain things, quickly tapering off into a series of uninspiring cues. While this may have been a passable television score, though not to the level of Michael Giacchino’s work on ‘Lost’, Gregson-Williams’ impressive back catalogue suggests that he is capable of a lot better. Unfortunately, the only impression Wolverine leaves on the listener is one of disinterest. Clawless. X-Men Origins Wolverine Movie Soundtrack.
Track Listing:
1. Logan Through Time.
2. Special Privileges.
3. Lagos, Nigeria.
4. Wade Goes To Work.
5. Kayla.
6. Victor Visits.
7. Adamantium.
8. Agent Zero Comes For Logan.
9. Logan Meets Gambit.
10. To The Island.
11. Deadpool.
12. The Towers Collapse.
13. Memories Lost.
14. “I’ll Find My Own Way”.
Veronica Guerin.
2003, Touchstone.
Harry Gregson-Williams
Hollywood Records CD, 2003, 5050466-5820-2-7 Rating:
Veronica Guerin, a reporter for the Irish Independent, was assassinated by drug barons after writing a series of investigative articles lifting the lid on those involved. The film, made surprisingly well, by blockbuster director Joel Schumacher and the infamous Jerry Bruckheimer works well as a vehicle for Cate Blanchett in the lead role. The music is also effective, not least because it manages to successfully deliver traditional Irish music in a thoroughly contemporary way. Strings and piano dominate, (including Gregson-Williams’ regular, Hugh Marsh on electric violin), with a strong sense of rhythmic progression in cues ‘Driving’ and ‘Research’, capturing the industrious free-spirit of Guerin at work. The opening track, ‘One More Day’ performed by Sinead O’Connor is a haunting performance as is Brian O’Donnell’s ‘Bad News’, which features in the film directly after Guerin’s murder. ‘One More Day’, along with ‘The Funeral’, again performed by O’Connor, and co-written by Hugh Marsh along with Gregson-Williams and Patrick Cassidy, really add a lot to the album. The score, however, while working well, both as part of the film and in its own right (cues such as, ‘Traynor Lies’ and ‘Preparations’, are melodic and atmospheric) just doesn’t make enough of a statement to match the vocal performances, which are exceptional. Veronica Guerin Movie Soundtrack. Review: Tim Mowbray.
Track Listing:
1. One More Day (Sinead O’Connor)
2. Dublin
3. Driving
4. Preperations
5. The Killing
6. Research
7. Traynot Lies
8. The Beating
9. Conversations
10. First Warning
11. Bad News (Brian O’Donnell)
12. Second Warning
13. Deceit
14. Never show Your Fear
15. The Funeral (Sinead O’Connor)
