Blood Diamond
James Newton Howard
" Accessible score for an Edward Zwick movie "Written by Thomas Glorieux - Review of the regular release
Director Edward Zwick is a known name in the Hollywood business, especially when he combines the heroic actions in a dramatic charged setting. The examples are endless, and yet Blood Diamond takes it up a notch. It not only puts the harsh diamond export business under the loop, it also brings forward 2 incredibly charged performances of Djimon Hounsou and Leonardo DiCaprio as well. Meaning Blood Diamond is definitely one of the better Edward Zwick movies out there. And it was for this movie that Zwick hired James Newton Howard for the first time.
Meaning after a couple of legendary epic scores for other Edward Zwick movies (Glory and Legends of the Fall to name the most obvious ones), it was clear James Newton Howard had to tackle it equally loud and exciting. And yet that is were Blood Diamond differs a bit from the expected intentions.
First of all, softer tracks do tend to appear frequently. "Blood Diamond Titles" opens with soft ethnic music supported by a solo vocal, while "Crossing the Bridge" dares to introduce us already to the main theme of the film, a fulfilling noble theme supported by percussion and ethnic flutes. The main theme returns lovely in "Archer & Solomon Hike", "Your Son is Gone" and the really nice "Goodbyes". It is especially noticeable how the main theme continuously grows the closer we reach the end. Because in "I Can Carry You" it is briefly supported by a solo vocal and low choir, while in "London" it is elevated by the children's choir of track 10.
There's even time for some romance and emotion on the album as well. In "Maddy & Archer" dreamy strings and solo piano paint a fragile blossoming love between the reporter and the smuggler while "Solomon Finds Family" brings forth a beautiful moment for solo violin. The same for "Your Mother Loves You" where the strings and solo vocal reprise their magical work once more. The track "Thought I'd Never Call?" returns with the fragile love theme and a beautiful piano version of the main theme.
The highlight is nonetheless "Solomon Vandy" where a children's choir heightens the dramatic music of tracks 7 and 18 to a stunning conclusion, especially once it's linked to a soothing main theme performance in the end.
The action material around that is at times rough, but mostly it's a constant suspenseful and rhythmically charged affair. "Village Attack" will immediately give you a taste of all of this, with a suspenseful sound, rough electric guitar, percussive pounds and brassy salutes. "Ruf Kidnaps Dia" partially continues with this sound while "Fall of Freetown" dares to infuse the sound with an even bigger sense of urgency and threat. In "Diamond Mine Bombed" it is especially the string department that takes the suspension to another level all the while moody percussion dares to present it gloomier and darker in "Solomon & Archer Escape". It is evident that not one single action track stands out from all the rest, but they work nonetheless really easy on the ears.
All this makes Blood Diamond a tremendously accessible score. Whether that's enough for you or not depends on how far you want to see James Newton Howard go. There is no doubt this isn't a classic score, but I enjoy it each time when I hear it, making me aware how easy this score functions inside a powerfully charged movie. It isn't the classic of the Edward Zwick bunch, but a score that does it job efficiently on disc nonetheless.
Score: ***12
Songs: ***
Tracklisting
1. Blood Diamond Titles (1.32)
2. Crossing the Bridge (1.41)
3. Village Attack (1.52)
4. Ruf Kidnaps Dia (3.02)
5. Archer & Solomon Hike (1.56)
6. Maddy & Archer (1.57)
7. Solomon Finds Family (2.09) Excellent track
8. Fall of Freetown (4.46)
9. Did You Bury It? (1.37)
10. Archer Sells Diamond (1.40)
11. Goodbyes (2.41)
12. Your Son is Gone (1.21)
13. Diamond Mine Bombed (4.31) Excellent track
14. Solomon's Helping Hand (1.11)
15. G8 Conference (2.36)
16. Solomon & Archer Escape (2.12)
17. I Can Carry You (1.30)
18. Your Mother Loves You (2.25)
19. Thought I'd Never Call? (3.56)
20. London (2.38) Excellent track
21. Solomon Vandy (2.11) Excellent track
22. Ankala: Sierra Leon's Refugee All Stars (4.12)
23. Bai: Emmanuel Jal (4.37)
24. When da Dawgs Come Out to Play: Bal Burea (3.19)
Total Length: 63.29
Meaning after a couple of legendary epic scores for other Edward Zwick movies (Glory and Legends of the Fall to name the most obvious ones), it was clear James Newton Howard had to tackle it equally loud and exciting. And yet that is were Blood Diamond differs a bit from the expected intentions.
First of all, softer tracks do tend to appear frequently. "Blood Diamond Titles" opens with soft ethnic music supported by a solo vocal, while "Crossing the Bridge" dares to introduce us already to the main theme of the film, a fulfilling noble theme supported by percussion and ethnic flutes. The main theme returns lovely in "Archer & Solomon Hike", "Your Son is Gone" and the really nice "Goodbyes". It is especially noticeable how the main theme continuously grows the closer we reach the end. Because in "I Can Carry You" it is briefly supported by a solo vocal and low choir, while in "London" it is elevated by the children's choir of track 10.
There's even time for some romance and emotion on the album as well. In "Maddy & Archer" dreamy strings and solo piano paint a fragile blossoming love between the reporter and the smuggler while "Solomon Finds Family" brings forth a beautiful moment for solo violin. The same for "Your Mother Loves You" where the strings and solo vocal reprise their magical work once more. The track "Thought I'd Never Call?" returns with the fragile love theme and a beautiful piano version of the main theme.
The highlight is nonetheless "Solomon Vandy" where a children's choir heightens the dramatic music of tracks 7 and 18 to a stunning conclusion, especially once it's linked to a soothing main theme performance in the end.
The action material around that is at times rough, but mostly it's a constant suspenseful and rhythmically charged affair. "Village Attack" will immediately give you a taste of all of this, with a suspenseful sound, rough electric guitar, percussive pounds and brassy salutes. "Ruf Kidnaps Dia" partially continues with this sound while "Fall of Freetown" dares to infuse the sound with an even bigger sense of urgency and threat. In "Diamond Mine Bombed" it is especially the string department that takes the suspension to another level all the while moody percussion dares to present it gloomier and darker in "Solomon & Archer Escape". It is evident that not one single action track stands out from all the rest, but they work nonetheless really easy on the ears.
All this makes Blood Diamond a tremendously accessible score. Whether that's enough for you or not depends on how far you want to see James Newton Howard go. There is no doubt this isn't a classic score, but I enjoy it each time when I hear it, making me aware how easy this score functions inside a powerfully charged movie. It isn't the classic of the Edward Zwick bunch, but a score that does it job efficiently on disc nonetheless.
Score: ***12
Songs: ***
Tracklisting
1. Blood Diamond Titles (1.32)
2. Crossing the Bridge (1.41)
3. Village Attack (1.52)
4. Ruf Kidnaps Dia (3.02)
5. Archer & Solomon Hike (1.56)
6. Maddy & Archer (1.57)
7. Solomon Finds Family (2.09) Excellent track
8. Fall of Freetown (4.46)
9. Did You Bury It? (1.37)
10. Archer Sells Diamond (1.40)
11. Goodbyes (2.41)
12. Your Son is Gone (1.21)
13. Diamond Mine Bombed (4.31) Excellent track
14. Solomon's Helping Hand (1.11)
15. G8 Conference (2.36)
16. Solomon & Archer Escape (2.12)
17. I Can Carry You (1.30)
18. Your Mother Loves You (2.25)
19. Thought I'd Never Call? (3.56)
20. London (2.38) Excellent track
21. Solomon Vandy (2.11) Excellent track
22. Ankala: Sierra Leon's Refugee All Stars (4.12)
23. Bai: Emmanuel Jal (4.37)
24. When da Dawgs Come Out to Play: Bal Burea (3.19)
Total Length: 63.29