Annapolis
Brian Tyler
" Entertaining yes but highly predictable, and overtly long too "Written by Thomas Glorieux - Review of the regular release
There are many ways to summarize Annapolis: a box office bomb, a bad movie, a wannabe 'An Officer and a Gentleman', a start of a fruitful collaboration between director Justin Lin and composer Brian Tyler. Either way, it was never meant to dish out any real punishment at the box office. Yet Varèse Sarabande saw something in it, considering they released another generous release of Tyler's music in the year 2006. Now considering Brian Tyler has been doing good and bad with most fans, consider this one to be no different.
Meaning, Annapolis is everything what's wrong and right about him. It's highly entertaining music yes, but it lacks diversity and originality, especially for the time it's given here. The main theme is a stirring piece of heroism that almost literally tries to recapture the Children of Dune spirit each time you hear it. Besides hearing the stirring versions of the main theme in "Annapolis" and the main / heroic theme in "Showdown" is not the same anymore after you've heard them dozen times more (and exactly the same) in for instance "The Naval Academy", "Gates of Annapolis" and "Annapolis End Title' (a reprise of track 3). Meaning what's been Tyler's problem all along doesn't change here.
So the main theme and the secondary theme are entertaining, but they also lack that spark of novelty, something a drama theme for piano can't change (heard in tracks 11 and 15). A change of heart (the sprightly flutes in "Training Begins") and a bunch of quieter tracks near the end doesn't change the pattern at all. Furthermore the electronic enhancement that literally rocks the cues into motion are diverse yes, but calling them special is not exactly true. They easily remind us of other Tyler efforts, making their contribution once again effective but unmemorable. They are spotted in "Run in Place", "Tank Drill", "A Little Jog" and "Annapolis End Title".
In the end, Annapolis does nothing wrong for a Brian Tyler fan, and everything wrong for a non Brian Tyler devotee. Once again is this an album that's too long for its own good, making it a plausible 35 minute listen but also a long 60 minute one. Tyler has never been one for the subtle detail, and putting his themes through variations has never been his strong suit. Perhaps he has to focus on the fact to use his themes more carefully. A main theme for me is a necessity, but placing them all around the room diminishes their strength and power. Annapolis does present its themes (whether strong or soft) almost all the time, delivering besides that no important secondary material or memorable cues to remember. Delivering all in all a melodic enjoyable score that should have been baked for 30 minutes, not the double time it has received here.
Track Listing
1. Annapolis (2.31)
2. The Brigades (1.28)
3. Showdown (4.13) Excellent track
4. Progression (2.08)
5. Turning Point (1.36)
6. I'll Do It (3.08)
7. Run in Place (1.47)
8. The Naval Academy (2.16)
9. Jake (2.29)
10. Four Seconds (1.55)
11. Twins' Theme (1.59)
12. Tank Drill (1.28)
13. The Offer (2.21)
14. A Little Jog (2.50)
15. Second Chances (3.45)
16. Brigade Training (2.33)
17. Eye Opening (1.12)
18. Gates of Annapolis (1.53)
19. Jake and Ali (1.41)
20. Cole (1.28)
21. I Have Nowhere Else to Go (1.41)
22. Training Begins (1.52)
23. Near First Kiss (1.05)
24. Math Problems (0;51)
25. Sleepless Night (1.32)
26. Holiday Leave (1.47)
27. Wakey Wakey (2.20)
28. Find Out Who You Are (1.56)
29. Annapolis Finale (1.07)
30. Annapolis End Title (5.20)
Total Length: 63.25
Meaning, Annapolis is everything what's wrong and right about him. It's highly entertaining music yes, but it lacks diversity and originality, especially for the time it's given here. The main theme is a stirring piece of heroism that almost literally tries to recapture the Children of Dune spirit each time you hear it. Besides hearing the stirring versions of the main theme in "Annapolis" and the main / heroic theme in "Showdown" is not the same anymore after you've heard them dozen times more (and exactly the same) in for instance "The Naval Academy", "Gates of Annapolis" and "Annapolis End Title' (a reprise of track 3). Meaning what's been Tyler's problem all along doesn't change here.
So the main theme and the secondary theme are entertaining, but they also lack that spark of novelty, something a drama theme for piano can't change (heard in tracks 11 and 15). A change of heart (the sprightly flutes in "Training Begins") and a bunch of quieter tracks near the end doesn't change the pattern at all. Furthermore the electronic enhancement that literally rocks the cues into motion are diverse yes, but calling them special is not exactly true. They easily remind us of other Tyler efforts, making their contribution once again effective but unmemorable. They are spotted in "Run in Place", "Tank Drill", "A Little Jog" and "Annapolis End Title".
In the end, Annapolis does nothing wrong for a Brian Tyler fan, and everything wrong for a non Brian Tyler devotee. Once again is this an album that's too long for its own good, making it a plausible 35 minute listen but also a long 60 minute one. Tyler has never been one for the subtle detail, and putting his themes through variations has never been his strong suit. Perhaps he has to focus on the fact to use his themes more carefully. A main theme for me is a necessity, but placing them all around the room diminishes their strength and power. Annapolis does present its themes (whether strong or soft) almost all the time, delivering besides that no important secondary material or memorable cues to remember. Delivering all in all a melodic enjoyable score that should have been baked for 30 minutes, not the double time it has received here.
Track Listing
1. Annapolis (2.31)
2. The Brigades (1.28)
3. Showdown (4.13) Excellent track
4. Progression (2.08)
5. Turning Point (1.36)
6. I'll Do It (3.08)
7. Run in Place (1.47)
8. The Naval Academy (2.16)
9. Jake (2.29)
10. Four Seconds (1.55)
11. Twins' Theme (1.59)
12. Tank Drill (1.28)
13. The Offer (2.21)
14. A Little Jog (2.50)
15. Second Chances (3.45)
16. Brigade Training (2.33)
17. Eye Opening (1.12)
18. Gates of Annapolis (1.53)
19. Jake and Ali (1.41)
20. Cole (1.28)
21. I Have Nowhere Else to Go (1.41)
22. Training Begins (1.52)
23. Near First Kiss (1.05)
24. Math Problems (0;51)
25. Sleepless Night (1.32)
26. Holiday Leave (1.47)
27. Wakey Wakey (2.20)
28. Find Out Who You Are (1.56)
29. Annapolis Finale (1.07)
30. Annapolis End Title (5.20)
Total Length: 63.25