Slow Reviews Soundtracks: A NinSheetMusic Column

[spitllama]

I thought this would be coming soon

Good review. Looks promising based on what you've said.

[SlowPokemon]

Yeah, I was really happy with the album overall.

On another note, I went back and changed all the "he" and "his" referring to Ms. Sato to "she and "her" XD I was so annoyed at myself for not knowing that she was female.

[SlowPokemon]

Soundtrack Review: Beetlejuice by Danny Elfman

This is one of those scores that someone like me views as a hidden gem. By the time I saw Beetlejuice and heard the score, I had long since been a fan of Tim Burton and Danny Elfman. I was thrilled hearing the composer's second foray into the world of film, for it had elements of what I originally found to love about him. The score's wackiness is quite in tune with The Nightmare Before Christmas, one of Elfman's best scores in his career. That being said, it's not a perfect score--but I couldn't imagine a better one for this film.

The score has a few central themes, the first being the theme of the overarching plot and all its wackiness. It's characterized by a piano playing octave notes repeatedly, with an ensemble joining in momentarily to produce the full effect. The most famous track, "Main Titles," is where we hear the full theme, and this is easily the best moment on the album. However, it's worth noting a few other places it appears as well. I think one of my personal favorite cues is "In the Model," as the theme meanders a bit and Elfman allows mallets and piano to, well, go crazy as the dead couple unearth the bio-exorcist in one of the director's most memorable scenes to date. "The Incantation" mixes the piano with tribal drums and an effectively shimmering, creepy motif which gradually gets more out of control, making this a very worthwhile track. "Showtime!" and "'Laughs'" utilize the main theme with creepy circus music, with a gleefully ominous result.

Another theme that pops up a couple times is the satirical, bouncily happy "Travel Music" theme which is a perfect fit for this film. It's merry, but it's Elfman merry, meaning there are some strange chords and it seems a bit off-kilter. A theme that Elfman seems to particularly relish in is his theme for Beetlejuice himself, in all his perverseness and sleaziness. It first appears in the second half of "The Book!/Obituaries" and it feels like a creepy tango which couldn't fit this monster better. Elfman teases at the theme in a few of the later tracks before bringing it out fully in the final part of the ending credits. Finally, there's Lydia's theme, which is a dreamy, reflective waltz on harp, and it is heard whenever Lydia is in sight. I must say, I quite like the whimsical sorrow heard in her theme.

"End Credits" is the track you should check out to get a feel for the score as a whole--you've got three sections, beginning with the title theme, segueing into Lydia's theme, and ending with the Beetlejuice theme which serves as a nice overview of the score.

Basically, if you are a fan of Elfman's earlier wacky scores such as Pee-Wee's Big Adventure, you should check out this one. Even if you aren't, this is one of the greats in comedy/horror flicks and serves the film quite well, despite the tiring moments on the score that seem to be just frenzied notes, such as "Beetle-Snake" and "Enter... 'The Family'/Sand Worm Planet."

Rating: ***

Track list (excellent tracks in red):
1. Main Titles
2. Travel Music
3. The Book!/Obituaries
4. Enter... "The Family"/Sand Worm Planet
5. The Fly
6. Lydia Discovers?
7. In the Model
8. Juno's Theme
9. Beetle-Snake
10. "Sold"
11. The Flier/Lydia's Pep Talk
12. The Incantation
13. Lydia Strikes a Bargain...
14. Showtime!
15. "Laughs"
16. The Wedding
17. The Aftermath
18. End Credits
I think Triforced1 requested this like a million years ago when he was still here, but I never got around to reviewing it and thought now might be a good time.

[SlowPokemon]

Soundtrack Review: Big Fish  by Danny Elfman

Another Elfman review! This is another hidden gem, as I only saw the film Big Fish in the last four to six months. I absolutely loved it, like many, and I think Danny Elfman's Oscar-nominated score, while not his best, is certainly one of his most powerful and emotionally moving. The film, concerning an Alabama man who struggles to relate to his dying father, is Burton's most heartfelt to date alongside Edward Scissorhands and certainly calls for a score to match. While as moving as the score to Edward Scissorhands, it is moving in a different way, and this is definitely an acquired taste of music. Much of the music is reflective, thoughtful, and subtle, as compared to the beautiful, more obvious motifs in Scissorhands. I didn't see what was so special about it the first time I heard it, but with repeated listenings grew to love it greatly. This score managed to remind me why I loved Danny Elfman in the first place.

And of course, as with all of his scores, the main titles is where to look first. The first few minutes are slow and painstakingly determined--beautiful in an unorthodox way--but the real highlight begins at 3:10, when Elfman introduces his overarching theme for the film. Achingly beautiful and poignant, it represents the relationship that Will has with his father. If you like what you find there, you're likely to enjoy the end track, "Jenny's Theme," as well. This latter theme is dreamy, lovely and melancholy in its tale of unrequited love. The final central theme is the beautiful "Sandra's Theme," which tells of true love and its heartfelt joys. I love the contrast of the themes of the two women in Edward Bloom's life, how his wife's theme was beautiful and the theme of the woman who loved him more than he ever loved her is longing and sorrowful. The last thing I'll mention is not a specific theme, but rather all the southern-sounding fiddles throughout some of the cues. The most effective example of this is in "End Titles," which literally swims around excitedly for a bit before settling on the main theme.

Those are the main themes, and it's interesting to see how Elfman utilizes and alters them throughout the score. The original Jenny's Theme is dreamy and longing, but it has obvious ominous intentions in "Leaving Spectre." Sandra's theme gets lesser use than Jenny's, but still shows up in "The Journey Home" which, along with "Sandra's Farewell" and "Finale," is one of the most tear-jerkingly beautiful cues I've heard in a long while.

In case you haven't gotten this by now, this isn't a wacky score like the one I reviewed yesterday, save for some moments in the growing montage and finale cues. This is an emotional score that explores the deepest sorrows and joys we experience in life. I honestly can't think of anything to compare it to that he's done in the past. In fact, it feels more like a Thomas Newman score than a Danny Elfman score to me. Newman fans, you'll devour this score. Elfman fans, if you are looking for something in a different vein from anything else he's done before. It's Elfman, but not distinctively so. I think if you give this score a fair chance, you'll enjoy it thoroughly as I did.

Rating: *****

Track list (excellent tracks in red):
1. Pictures
2. Big Fish (Titles)
3. Shoe Stealing
4. Underwater
5. Sandra's Theme
6. The Growing Montage
7. Leaving Spectre
8. Return to Spectre
9. Rebuilding
10. The Journey Home
11. In the Tub
12. Sandra's Farewell
13. Finale
14. End Titles
15. Jenny's Theme
I hope you all check this soundtrack or at least this film out--I feel that it's underappreciated in both cases.

[DrP]

Do the soundtrack I gave you!!!

I wanna see what you think!

[SlowPokemon]

Soundtrack Review: The Holiday by Hans Zimmer

Or, rather, by Hans Zimmer and a bunch of composers who weren't listed on the cover. Further investigation reveals that only two tracks are entirely composed by Zimmer, similarly to Pirates 4 and a lot of his other works. But anyway. Here we are at another Zimmer review by request from Nik, who pointed me at this score when I was growing weary of 4500+ songs of film scores on my iPod. I was happy to accept new music, and especially happy to discover more of Hans Zimmer, whose scores for Sherlock Holmes, The Dark Knight, and Pirates of the Caribbean had made me rediscover the joys of film music all in the last year and a half. However, those were action-packed scores, something that Zimmer shines at. The Holiday is not an action-packed film. It's closer to a romantic comedy. Well, I thought, this should be interesting. And I was wrong--but also right. I was wrong because a lot of the music isn't very interesting. But I was right because it was interesting to see what Zimmer did with a film such as this one.

There are several core themes, including one main one that stars in tracks such as "Kiss Goodbye." This theme is pretty, and obviously heartfelt, but it doesn't feel as if it amounts to much. It left me feeling a bit empty and unsatisfied--like, I think this theme could be great with a little more development. But instead it was only slightly subpar. It's true that the emotion is clear, but I didn't get any chills from it like I did his excellent, simpler Dark Knight theme--I felt that the latter, while simpler in structure, was imbued with much more emotion. That being said, this score does its job effectively--providing the film with appropriate underscore while never outshining the film. I find myself enjoying this score's various pieces, even including the aforementioned theme. I think the sum of its parts is, in fact, greater than the whole. It's easy to get caught up in "Gumption" or "Kayak For One" or "Light My Fire" but there's never any concern or intrigue about the music I'm hearing.

Essentially, this is music you listen to exactly when I did--when you're looking for something different. I will undoubtedly return to The Holiday, especially with such gems as "Kiss Goodbye," "Maestro," and "Gumption" which, although they aren't as emotionally packed as his other scores, still deliver great listening music. I'm glad Nik showed it to me, but I still think it's Zimmer's weakest score that I've heard thus far.

Rating: ***

Track list (excellent tracks in red):
1. Maestro
2. Iris and Jasper
3. Kayak For One
4. Zero
5. Dream Kitchen
6. Separate Vacations
7. Anything Can Happen
8. Light My Fire
9. Definitely Unexpected
10. If I Wanted To Call You
11. Roadside Rhapsody
12. Busy Guy
13. For Nancy
14. It's Complicated
15. Kiss Goodbye
16. Verso E Prosa
17. Meu Passado
18. The "Cowch"
19. Three Musketeers
20. Christmas Surprise
21. Gumption
22. Cry

[SlowPokemon]

Soundtrack Review: My Neighbor Totoro by Joe Hisaishi

Miyazaki's third film with Studio Ghibli (if you count Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, which was only released under the Ghibli label later on) also marks his third collaboration with composer Joe Hisaishi. Nausicaa and Castle in the Sky called for sweeping, grand orchestral scores with moving melodies. However, this film was to be a family film--kids as young as six and seven were part of the target audience. So obviously Hisaishi needed to write music accordingly, and I can't imagine a better score for this film. I first saw it as a 10 year old in fifth grade, and I don't think I could possibly have loved it more. I watched this movie all the time. This movie, along with Howl's Moving Castle, were easily my favorite movies at the time. And with both of those movies, the music really stood out to me. It's true that Howl's Moving Castle had a bigger impact on me, but this music is honestly a great animation score as well.

That being said, let's look at the score. It's simultaneously childish and intelligent--Hisaishi doesn't look down on simple melodies, but rather embraces them, knowing that these are the kinds that will click with the moviegoers.

I think I'll talk about the vocal songs first. The opening song, "Stroll," is a pure delight, with a Japanese vocalist singing Miyazaki's lyrics unabashedly. This is a great opener to the types of melodies that will be found within the score. Those looking for an instrumental version can refer to "Let's Go to the Hospital," but honestly I think it's one of those songs that's just better with lyrics. The same goes for the ending song, "My Neighbor Totoro," which is simple but also heartfelt in its adventurous tone. However, you may be surprised to find a truly moving melody in "A Lost Child" which is similar in structure to Hisaishi's theme for Castle in the Sky. Honestly, all three are enjoyable and I wouldn't snub them just because they're vocal songs.

Much of the score is based on those vocal pieces, but that's far from all the score.

The main theme, which is heard in sporadics throughout, is first really heard in "The Huge Tree In the Tsukamori Forest" and later heard in full in "The Path of the Wind." I really enjoyed this theme as a kid watching the movie, and it really made an impact. It's the type of theme that sticks with you--if you see the film, likely you'll be able to hum the tune years later. Hisaishi even has a motif for Totoro--five notes, the first four the same pitch before dropping one full step. Listening to "Totoro," it should become apparent that this monster is friendly, a little scary, and heavy. It's one of the quieter sections of score, along with "A Drenched Monster" in which a light theme for rain is heard. This latter one is utterly relaxing and beautiful in its simplicity. A theme for the village is "The Village in May," which you'll instantly recognize as the beginning of the story, is happily bouncy and carefree, fitting in well with other bouncy pieces such as the bubbly "Catbus," which just makes me picture Hisaishi grinning broadly and dancing as he conducts.

Overall, this score is brilliantly realized. It effectively conveys mystery, childlike happiness, sorrow, adventure, and beauty--not bad for a score which is at least 50% synthesizer. Don't let anything you may be apprehensive about--childlike music, synthesizer, vocal songs--scare you from Hisaishi's first true masterpiece, which is a pure delight from start to finish. If you're in the mood for pure, innocently childlike music, give the score a listen--hell, see the film if that's an option.

Rating: *****

Track listing (excellent tracks in red):
1. Stroll (The Opening Song)
2. The Village in May
3. A Haunted House!
4. Mei and the Soot Sprites
5. Evening Wind
6. Not Afraid
7. Let's Go to the Hospital
8. Mother
9. A Little Monster
10. Totoro
11. The Huge Tree in the Tsukamori Forest
12. A Lost Child
13. The Path of the Wind
14. A Drenched Monster
15. Moonlight Flight
16. Mei is Missing
17. Catbus
18. I'm So Glad
19. My Neighbor Totoro (The Ending Song)

[SlowPokemon]

Soundtrack Review: Princess Mononoke by Joe Hisaishi

It's my goal to eventually review all of Hisaishi's works, and I figured now would be a good time to look at one of Miyazaki's most acclaimed films, Princess Mononoke (known in Japan as Mononoke-Hime). The film is a shocking, dazzling, and thoroughly incredible piece of art, bringing together the story of Ashitaka, a young boy who has been cursed by a boar god; San, a formidable girl who was raised by wolf gods; and Lady Eboshi, who wants to destroy the forests in order to make way for human development. It's a beautiful film, and calls for a totally different style of work than anything Hisaishi had done in recent years. It wasn't to be childish or happy-go-lucky a la Kiki's Delivery Service, or even passionate and melancholic like his then-recent Porco Rosso. No, this story was a heroic epic, and needed music that was emotional, often brooding, and ultimately aware of the darkness and sacrifice life entails.

And that is exactly what Hisaishi's first main theme, referred to as the Legend of Ashitaka Theme, provides. The opening title introduces the theme, and we hear it in its beautiful full form over the end credits. It's perfectly sorrowful and dramatic. The end credits suite represents the best overview of the score, and it's one of Hisaishi's most triumphant pieces to date. His second main theme, the Princess Mononoke Theme Song, is mysterious and sorrowful, as well as effectively lighter than the heavy Ashitaka theme.

But does the score match up to the main themes? It's a question that is perhaps justified. I think that yes, it complements the film well. The "Requiem" pieces seem almost an extension of the Ashitaka theme. You have chaotic evil in "The Demon God" and quiet beauty in "Lady Eboshi" and longing sadness in "The Journey to the West." And, in one of the score's only playful moments, "Kodamas" utilizes mysterious pizzicato strings to convey wonder and awe. I think some might have complaints about the lack of satisfactory battle music, but I personally enjoy it. "The Battle Drums," while pretty much containing only percussion, really gets you in the mood to watch a fight scene. Similarly, "The Battle in Front of the Ironworks" isn't really action-packed, but is great at hyping up the tension. And the score manages to finish with a lovely piano piece, "Ashitaka and San."

Overall, this score is more brooding than it is upbeat. It'll probably take a few listens before you start to appreciate anything besides what I feel will be most popular with fans of Hisaishi's other works, "Ashitaka and San," "Princess Mononoke Theme Song," and "The Legend of Ashitaka Theme." However, if you take the time to think about and appreciate the score, I think you'll be glad of it in the end.

Overall score: *****

Track list (excellent tracks in red):
1. The Legend of Ashitaka
2. The Demon God
3. The Journey to the West
4. The Demon Power
5. The Land of the Impure
6. The Encounter
7. Kodamas
8. The Forest of the Gods
9. Evening at the Ironworks
10. The Demon God II - the Lost Mountains
11. Lady Eboshi
12. The Tarata Women Work Song
13. The Young Man from the East
14. Requiem
15. Will to Live
16. San and Ashitaka in the Forest of the Deer God
17. Princess Mononoke Theme Song (Instrumental Version)
18. Requiem II
19. The Battle Drums
20. The Battle in Front of the Ironworks
21. The Demon Power II
22. Requiem III
23. The Retreat
24. The Demon God III
25. Adagio of Life and Death
26. The World of the Dead
27. The World of the Dead II
28. Adagio of Life and Death II
29. Ashitaka and San
30. Princess Mononoke Theme Song
31. The Legend of Ashitaka Theme (End Credit)

[SlowPokemon]

Soundtrack Review: Extreme Escape 9 Hours 9 Persons 9 Doors Soundtrack by Shinji Hosoe

This game, as some of you already know, profoundly impacted me. The first "visual novel" I had ever played, it was a brilliant production featuring wonderful art, beautifully realized characters, and an intriguing, compelling, and somewhat disturbing plot. And, believe it or not, the music contributes to the game as much as anything. It wouldn't be half the game it is without the music. For that reason, I took the liberty of obtaining the soundtrack for review shortly after completing the game.

The music is what you'd typically expect from this sort of game, with a few surprises along the way. The music feels very electronic and heavily synthesized, but it's not generic. Most of the escape themes seem to gravitate toward heavy electronic styles, but the moments in between don't follow suit, being mysterious or often genuinely moving and emotional. That being said, I believe that there's something on this score for everyone.

The score, as a whole, does its job incredibly effectively, and one thing the music does better than anything is hyping up the tension. My personal favorite of the suspicion themes is "Extreme Extrication" which has a very catchy style to it. It introduces the mystery and suspicion of the plot and it's a theme that you hear quite frequently in between your escapes. Similarly frequent pieces such as "Eternitybox," "Chill and Rigor" and "Who is Zero?" build up the tension for the player, leaving an uneasy feeling in his or her stomach; and "Trepidation" when combined with the story almost makes you sick with anxiety--a feat to be commended, considering it's just music and a few words.

Leaving suspenseful themes alone for a moment, we can move on to the actual escape music, which will please some while evoking passionate hatred from others. I like the escape tracks, especially "Senary Game" which has creepy percussion and fast paced chords that are quite catchy. It seems like they are all designed to convey urgency to the listener, as if being locked in a room wasn't cause enough for alarm. It's more effective than simply saying "you're locked, find a way out." The puzzles have no time limits, but the music makes you feel that you're on a very tight agenda and can't afford to waste any time, as exemplified in "Unary Game." The percussion and guitar in "Ternary Game" is also quite catchy and interesting.

However, if the suspicion themes bore you and the escape music is too electronic, you'll probably gravitate toward the more emotional themes. The best examples of the capabilities for moving melodies are the final tracks, "Morphogenetic Sorrow" and "9years." They are both quite beautiful, the former in a sorrowful way and the latter in a more heartfelt, nostalgic way. And, interestingly enough, "Imaginary" which is a lighter piece reminds me of "Old Souls" from Inception. I don't think I've heard game music as moving as the last two tracks since I played Professor Layton and the Last Specter nearly a year ago.

I could mention a lot more of the album's twenty-five tracks, but A) I don't want this to be too drawn-out; and B) I don't want to ruin the music's surprises for you! I have a feeling this will appeal more to fans of the game, but I also think it's very likable for someone just looking for listening material--especially for fans of catchy music a la Phoenix Wright, or moving music a la Pokémon Mystery Dungeon.

Overall score: ****

Track list (excellent tracks in red)*:
1. 9hours, 9persons, 9doors
2. Unary Game
3.Extreme Extrication
4. Binary Game
5. Riddle and Puzzle
6. Ternary Game
7. Foreboding
8. Quaternary Game
9. Recollection
10. Quinary Game
11. Trepidation
12. Senary Game
13. Quietus
14. Imaginary
15. Septenary Game
16. Tranquility
17. Tinderbox
18. Eternitybox
19. Who is Zero?
20. Octal Game
21. Nonary Game
22. Chill and Rigor
23. Digital Root
24. Morphogenetic Sorrow
25. 9years

*Note that I think every track from this score is excellent; just within the game itself. I'm not sure how the unmarked ones will hold up to someone who has never played the game.

[SlowPokemon]

Soundtrack Review: Pee-wee's Big Adventure by Danny Elfman

So here we are at Danny Elfman's first film score, and first collaboration with Tim Burton. Zanier than even Beetlejuice, this score seems to have more energy than any of Elfman's others. This score is just fun, even if it is occasionally a bit too frantic for the listener to keep up with.

The opening titles serves as the main theme for the film, and quite frankly I can't think of any way to describe it besides crazed circus music. It's just a lot of wacky fun to listen to, and sounds a bit like Elfman's later work on The Simpsons. This immediately segues into the triumphant theme for Pee-wee's prized bike, an unabashedly joyous motif. Shortly afterward is the Breakfast Machine theme, which is both instantly likable and intensely psychotic. Any piece of music this frighteningly fun is to be commended, especially from a totally inexperienced composer.

Some other major motifs include Simone's theme, a mysterious and beautiful waltz, the horribly creepy (in the best possible way) Clown Dream theme, and the Studio Chase theme which is bizarrely reminiscent of the Wicked Witch's theme in The Wizard of Oz.

Not much detail in this review, but there isn't much more to be said about this music. It needs to be heard to be understood. So, all Elfman fans, do yourselves a favor and locate this soundtrack. It deserves your attention. Especially "The Park Ride" which had me laughing out loud at Paul Reubens's vocals.

Rating: ****

Track list (excellent tracks in red):
1. Main Title/Bike Race
2. The Breakfast Machine
3. The Bike
4. The Park Ride
5. The Mall
6. Music Shop and Beyond
7. Stolen Bike/Lonely Walk
8. Francis's House
9. The Bath
10. The Basement
11. Hitchhike
12. Edsel Over the Edge
13. Simone's Theme
14. Dinosaur Theme
15. Andy Chase
16. Alamo
17. Bus Station/Simone
18. Clown Dream
19. Studio Chase
20. Pet Shop
21. The Drive-In
22. Finale

[SlowPokemon]

Soundtrack Review: ParaNorman by Jon Brion

I had never heard of Jon Brion before viewing the film ParaNorman. And indeed, looking upon his rather short filmography, the only film I have seen with a score by him is The Other Guys, which I didn't think was a good film, let alone good enough to look at the score. However, this film was quite impressive to me. As a fan of stop-motion animation, I went in hoping for another Coraline or maybe even Nightmare Before Christmas to sweep me off my feet. And indeed, Laika (who produced Coraline) was the producer of this film, so I had reason to hope as much. Luckily, I was not disappointed. The film, which has more sex and innuendo than any PG-rated film I've ever seen (animated or not), was incredibly impressive. Never boring in its very dark humor, and carrying a truly moving message, it reminded me what I loved about this genre. With the slight misfire that was Tim Burton's Dark Shadows still looming over the summer, ParaNorman more than made up for my slight disappointment with Burton's summer film.

So the film is great; what about the score? Is it good? Yes. Is it great? Yes. Is its effect diminished somewhat when removed from the film? Yes.

The score has a truly moving main theme, probably best exemplified by "Norman's Walk." The strings, guitar and easygoing flute create a lazy swing that feels more like summertime than Halloween. It's used for title theme as a hesitant, fragmented piano solo, and used in a slow, beautiful string-centered movement in "Resolution." Those three tracks form the basis for the main theme, which is also heard scattered throughout the score in its more sentimental moments, and even darker moments like "Aggie Fights," in which it plays over pounding drum beats.

The score in between these rousing main theme reprisals is where one needs the accompanying film to be truly enjoyable, however. While it is undeniably clever to write a zombie theme based on eighties flicks, with thumping synthesizer and comically horrifying motifs, these moments may leave you weary and are even quite annoying at times. Luckily, this theme is used fairly sparsely throughout, including the end credits where it is bizarrely combined with the main theme. But it's not just the synthesizer sections that will cause you to drift off. The orchestral passages are quite lengthy and while they are undeniably clever in structure and theme, it takes a few listens before one can even pick out anything worthwhile. And with ginormous cues such as the nearly sixteen-minute "People Attack," it may be too tedious to sit through the "in-between" tracks more than once or twice, which is a shame considering the high quality of the music and recordings.

It's fun to pick out the wacky woodwind-driven theme for Mr. P, or the sneaky motif for Alvin, the school bully, or even to just listen to the nervous energy found in "Zombies Attack" and the untempered chaos in "People Attack," it's definitely not for everyone and only those willing to spend a long time with the score should buy the entire album.

In conclusion, I think it's obvious that the tracks "Norman's Walk" and "Resolution" will be the most popular--and rightfully so. Those looking for the moving, easily accessible aspect of the score should undoubtedly download "Norman's Walk" and forget the rest. This is a drastically different type of score than I'm used to listening to, but I'm looking forward to the challenge of taming this great beast. This is obviously top-notch film scoring, but it's a very acquired taste.

Rating: ***

Track list (excellent tracks in red):
1. Zombie Attacks in the Eighties
2. Norman at the Piano / Main Title
3. Norman's Walk
4. Alvin Attacks
5. Enter Neil / Mr P / Ghost Walk / Ghost Dog
6.Goodbye Mr P / Historic Drama / Grounded / Heavy Visitation
7. Alvin Again / Scary Bedroom
8. Norman Tries to Keep it Cool / Grandma's Got Your Back
9. Moth Rock
10. The Dead Shall Be Raised
11. Zombies Attack
12. People Attack
13. Are We There Yet?
14. Aggie Fights
15. Resolution
16. Oh, and One More Thing

[SlowPokemon]

Soundtrack Review: The Cat Returns by Yuji Nomi

A while back, I reviewed one of my favorite film scores of all time, Studio Ghibli's 1995 film Whisper of the Heart, composed by Yuji Nomi. However, that was not the end of Nomi's work for Studio Ghibli. In 2002, the studio released a spinoff based on fantasy sequences within Whisper of the Heart, and that would be this film.

The most obvious difference between the two films is that Whisper prominently features the real world, with plausible characters and situations, while The Cat Returns is entirely fantasy. Oddly enough, the latter proved less touching and ultimately less entertaining than the former, indicating perhaps that the Ghibli films are most effective when they concentrate on human nature and relatable themes.

One thing that really bothered me about Whisper's score was that for a good portion of the time it felt like beautiful orchestra music covered in a mess of synthesizers. Luckily, this score is entirely orchestral, and Nomi really shows his mastery of a full orchestra rather than a smaller ensemble. And, although the first film is a good half hour longer than its sequel, the score material for the second is far more extensive.

The main theme for this work is a whimsically dreamy, lilting waltz representing Haru's memory, and by extension the cat Yuki. Personified best in "Chat With a Cat" and "Haru's Memory," the motif is really gorgeous and, bizarrely, reminds of the 1995 film's cue "A Confidential Talk," which is meant to be a comedic waltz. There is also a theme for the Baron, which (a bit disappointingly) doesn't directly reference Nomi's previous Baron theme, but holds its own as a majestic, sweeping march. Indeed, it's hard not to be sucked into the magic and beauty in "Baron" and "I'm Humbert von Gikkingen," as well as other tracks using the Baron's theme. A heavily ominous bouncing theme for the cat king can be heard in "To the Castle of the Cat King," "Me, a Cat?" and finally in a full suite within "The Cat King." I'm particularly fond of this theme, since there was no really dark music in Whisper and it's great to hear how talented Nomi can be at producing unease. Those three themes are the ones you'll hear repeated, but there is a LOT of great material which only spans one cue or so.

Indeed, Nomi seems to hint at themes before actually establishing them. The bizarrely exotic "Procession of the Cat King" is eerie but oddly doesn't employ the theme later established for the king, though perhaps that's intentional as the king doesn't reveal his true colors until later. Similarly, "The Cat Returns" and "Welcome to the Cat Office" use exuberant and majestic ideas but never directly use Baron's theme; and "At the Juuji-gai" is a carousel-like waltz that perhaps foreshadows the memory theme. I'd even say "Waltz Katzen Blut" is the winner of the lot, using a wistful accordion to open up before becoming a full-blown orchestra waltz.

And then there are the brilliant references to his original score. It was great that these were used so sparingly--it makes searching for them a bit of an easter egg hunt, and only those very familiar with the original score could pick them out. You can hear the Baron's theme in "Mysterious Voice," foreshadowing what's to come, and then it's finally used as it was meant to be heard originally in the last minute of "I'm Back, I'm Back Home Now!" This theme sounds more majestic on brass than it did as a squeaky violin piece in Whisper, and it makes the wait well worth it. As stated previously, "Baron" doesn't use the theme directly, but it does interestingly play around with a brief idea found in Whisper's cue "The Forest of Doubts." While "Dull Time After Lessons" doesn't use any themes from the first film, its style is clearly a reference to some of the violin music such as the "Canon" cue. Yes, it's disappointing that "Following Muta" doesn't use Muta's theme from the first score, but is that really such a big deal? The theme was annoying in the first place.

While the first score was entertaining and had some beautiful moments, this score is easily superior. Your love of the first one depended upon your love of the film, while this score is easily loved by anyone. The Cat Returns holds that interesting title of being a film I don't care much for, but a score to die for. And truly, there isn't a weak or boring cue of the lot.

Rating: ****

Track list (excellent tracks in red):
1. Opening
2. Have You Woken Up, Haru?
3. Encounter With Lune
4. Chat With a Cat
5. Procession of the Cat King
6. The Cat Returns
7. Dull Time After Lessons
8. Mysterious Voice
9. At the Juuji-gai
10. Following Muta
11. Welcome to the Cat Office
12. The Abduction to the Seraglio
13. Is This the Catland?
14. To the Castle of the Cat King
15. Me, a Cat?
16. Rumba of the Juggler Cat
17. Polka of the Belly-Dance Cat
18. Waltz Katzen Blut
19. I'm Humbert von Gikkingen
20. I'm Not a Decoy
21. Escape from the Labyrinth
22. Lune and Yuki
23. Escape
24. I'm Back, I'm Back Home Now!
25. Become the Wind
26. Baron
27. The Cat King
28. Haru's Boogie
29. Pastorale
30. Haru's Memory

[BlackDragonSlayer]

Very interesting soundtrack reviews...
I was wondering if you take suggestions for which soundtracks to review?

[SlowPokemon]

You can always request soundtracks, but I can't always guarantee I'll get to them anytime soon. Do you have some in mind?

[BlackDragonSlayer]

You can always request soundtracks, but I can't always guarantee I'll get to them anytime soon. Do you have some in mind?

I don't know which ones you've done before, but I had two in mind:
Movie: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Wars_Episode_V
Video game: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HOMM_II
Both of these soundtracks would be interesting to hear your opinions on.