Antz
Harry Gregson-Williams and John Powell
" Diversity abound in one of the best listens in its genre "Written by Thomas Glorieux - Review of the regular release
Never mind the saying or phrase: "He's one of the Media Ventures school. He apes the sound of Hans Zimmer and all they can deliver is action music that isn't even original!". Surely all those people have ignored what was released in the year 1998. Zimmer brought us the magical The Prince of Egypt (probably his finest achievement yet) and the inspirational The Thin Red Line. Fellow MV composer at the time Mark Mancina opened our eyes with Return to Paradise, and Nick Glennie-Smith surprised the fans with The Man in the Iron Mask (even though it was nothing but a cool rehash of The Rock). Yet there is still one that we need to mention. Antz, or namely the collaboration and work between John Powell and Harry Gregson-Williams's answer to that specific criticism.
Now who you take for granted is your choice, but Antz was the start for both Harry Gregson-Williams and John Powell's animated career. While the animated pictures Antz (Dreamworks) and A Bug's Life (Disney / Pixar) were fighting to receive the funniest entertainment price of the year, there was also a battle between the 2 scores. I considered Randy Newman's Oscar nominated score to be a better listen inside the movie than on disc, while Gregson-Williams and Powell opened our eyes with a unique sound and a diverse palette of fun themes. It is the strength of Antz that we hear one surprise after the other. Each theme, motif, moment or sound is responsible for an injection shot of fun. It remains stunning to hear it, even after all this time. Through that Antz surely became one of the most satisfying listens of the year.
It all begins with a solid but gentle theme for Z, the main character of the movie (Woody Allen), all before the drums and powers start to unravel themselves within "The Colony". This is a track that keeps blowing you away. And you immediately experience the versatility in theme and mood.
"General Mandible" and "Mandible and Cutter Plot" are militaristic marches while a soft flute theme introduces us to "Princess Bala. To dissect this score would take forever but I'm up to the task. First we have the band interpretations in "The Bar" and "The Antz Marching Band". Basically these don't sound dull as they might appear to be. And don't forget the first boring version in "Guantanamera / 6:15 Time to Dance" before Z and Bala start doing their Pulp Fiction act. Romance and sexy seducing acts in "Weaver and Azteca Flirt" keeps bringing us diversity while "The Picnic Table" offers us the sultry theme for the two wasps.
But then it's far from over. Because who can't get enough of the solemn hymn in "The Death of Barbados" and the simply riveting music (know known as the action pieces in MV style) in "The Antz go Marching to War", "The Magnifying Glass", "The Big Shoe" and "Z to the Rescue". All these tracks are stunning in sound and force. Back then, Gregson-Williams and Powell completed one another so that they were able to bring some of the biggest entertaining cues of the entire film music community. Hell let's even mention the lounge music in the second part of "Z's Alive" entertaining enough.
So you see? There is no denying it. Everyone that simply wants fun music will do fine with Antz. It was the start of a trio of amazing animated musical scores, making sure that from there on everyone went their own separate way. But the big reason this score still sounds so amazing is the continuation of surprises. It makes it fresh and exciting during each annual listen. In the end Antz deserved that nomination more than Randy Newman's A Bug's Life. And above all it offers us just a glimpse of what Media Ventures in general produced. Don't deny it, simply accept the way of life. Antz is one of the biggest and best listens of 1998.
Tracklisting
1. Opening Titles / Z's Theme (2.00)
2. The Colony (1.56) Excellent track
3. General Mandible (2.21)
4. Princess Bala (0.56)
5. The Bar * (1.28)
6. "There is A Better Place ..." (1.20)
7. "Guantanamera" ** / "6:15 Time To Dance" (3.17)
8. The Antz Go Marching to War (3.48) Excellent track
9. Weaver and Azteca Flirt (1.53)
10. The Death of Barbados (2.05)
11. The Antz Marching Band *** (1.15)
12. The Magnifying Glass (1.58)
13. Ant Revolution (1.47) Excellent track
14. Mandible and Cutter Plot (2.05)
15. The Picnic Table (2.43)
16. The Big Shoe (2.08) Excellent track
17. Romance in Insectopia (2.29)
18. Back to the Colony **** (2.26)
19. Z to the Rescue (7.42) Excellent track
20. Z's Alive! (3.28) Excellent track
* Composed by Harry Gregson - Williams, John Powell & Geoff Zanelli
** Composed by Pete Seeger, Julian Orbon, Jose Fernandez & Jose Marti
*** Composed by Steve Jablonsky
**** Composed by Harry Gregson - Williams, John Powell & Gavin Greenaway
Total Length: 49.46
Now who you take for granted is your choice, but Antz was the start for both Harry Gregson-Williams and John Powell's animated career. While the animated pictures Antz (Dreamworks) and A Bug's Life (Disney / Pixar) were fighting to receive the funniest entertainment price of the year, there was also a battle between the 2 scores. I considered Randy Newman's Oscar nominated score to be a better listen inside the movie than on disc, while Gregson-Williams and Powell opened our eyes with a unique sound and a diverse palette of fun themes. It is the strength of Antz that we hear one surprise after the other. Each theme, motif, moment or sound is responsible for an injection shot of fun. It remains stunning to hear it, even after all this time. Through that Antz surely became one of the most satisfying listens of the year.
It all begins with a solid but gentle theme for Z, the main character of the movie (Woody Allen), all before the drums and powers start to unravel themselves within "The Colony". This is a track that keeps blowing you away. And you immediately experience the versatility in theme and mood.
"General Mandible" and "Mandible and Cutter Plot" are militaristic marches while a soft flute theme introduces us to "Princess Bala. To dissect this score would take forever but I'm up to the task. First we have the band interpretations in "The Bar" and "The Antz Marching Band". Basically these don't sound dull as they might appear to be. And don't forget the first boring version in "Guantanamera / 6:15 Time to Dance" before Z and Bala start doing their Pulp Fiction act. Romance and sexy seducing acts in "Weaver and Azteca Flirt" keeps bringing us diversity while "The Picnic Table" offers us the sultry theme for the two wasps.
But then it's far from over. Because who can't get enough of the solemn hymn in "The Death of Barbados" and the simply riveting music (know known as the action pieces in MV style) in "The Antz go Marching to War", "The Magnifying Glass", "The Big Shoe" and "Z to the Rescue". All these tracks are stunning in sound and force. Back then, Gregson-Williams and Powell completed one another so that they were able to bring some of the biggest entertaining cues of the entire film music community. Hell let's even mention the lounge music in the second part of "Z's Alive" entertaining enough.
So you see? There is no denying it. Everyone that simply wants fun music will do fine with Antz. It was the start of a trio of amazing animated musical scores, making sure that from there on everyone went their own separate way. But the big reason this score still sounds so amazing is the continuation of surprises. It makes it fresh and exciting during each annual listen. In the end Antz deserved that nomination more than Randy Newman's A Bug's Life. And above all it offers us just a glimpse of what Media Ventures in general produced. Don't deny it, simply accept the way of life. Antz is one of the biggest and best listens of 1998.
Tracklisting
1. Opening Titles / Z's Theme (2.00)
2. The Colony (1.56) Excellent track
3. General Mandible (2.21)
4. Princess Bala (0.56)
5. The Bar * (1.28)
6. "There is A Better Place ..." (1.20)
7. "Guantanamera" ** / "6:15 Time To Dance" (3.17)
8. The Antz Go Marching to War (3.48) Excellent track
9. Weaver and Azteca Flirt (1.53)
10. The Death of Barbados (2.05)
11. The Antz Marching Band *** (1.15)
12. The Magnifying Glass (1.58)
13. Ant Revolution (1.47) Excellent track
14. Mandible and Cutter Plot (2.05)
15. The Picnic Table (2.43)
16. The Big Shoe (2.08) Excellent track
17. Romance in Insectopia (2.29)
18. Back to the Colony **** (2.26)
19. Z to the Rescue (7.42) Excellent track
20. Z's Alive! (3.28) Excellent track
* Composed by Harry Gregson - Williams, John Powell & Geoff Zanelli
** Composed by Pete Seeger, Julian Orbon, Jose Fernandez & Jose Marti
*** Composed by Steve Jablonsky
**** Composed by Harry Gregson - Williams, John Powell & Gavin Greenaway
Total Length: 49.46