Bolt
John Powell
" Super Powell "Written by Thomas Glorieux - Review of the regular release
The busy year of composer John Powell just got a late bonus with Bolt, Walt Disney's successful answer to Pixar's Wall*E. Bolt is about a dog who thinks he has super powers as he portrays such one in the latest movie he's making. In that movie his friend Penny is abducted and he thinks it is all real, so he crosses around the city to find her. And Walt Disney made sure we could hear all about the dog's escapades.
Considering this is Walt Disney, songs aren't so surprising. And considering Miley Cyrus is one of the stars, it is not surprising to find her opening the album. "I Thought I Lost You" is quite entertaining and John Travolta's singing is most surprising as well. The style is upbeat country and "Barking at the Moon" doesn't change a thing.
And then Powell enters the scene with short tracks in a short selection of material, offering us an energetic Powell ride with a main theme, a bolt super theme, a theme for Mittens, an adventure theme and a sort of Mission Impossible variation of the super bolt theme, or motif to be exact. All these are interwoven in the action which is fairly entertaining and energetic. Basically it works and that's the charm. "Meet Bolt" opens with the charming soft version of the main theme while Bolt's power theme is rollicking over "Bolt Transforms".
The track "Scooter Chase" by then adds twice the amount of pace and fun in a mayhem of energy, giving the bolt power theme another run alongside the mission impossible version. Furthermore "A Fast Train" begins soft but ends brassy with exciting adventure material, and the cue "Sing-Along Rhino" holds a brief singing moment of Bolt's ball crazy friend whilst singing the theme in that Mission Impossible style. Cute and fun without a doubt. "Saving Mittens" does it exactly the same way.
The laid back "New York", the Italian flavored guitar performing the motif for Mittens in "Meet Mittens" and the charming "RV Park" all bring a variety that aids the experience tremendously.
But the bulk of the score is still the action music, that's exciting enough. "House of Wheels" shows this the best possible way through Bolt's main theme, performed the loudest and the most coolest way imaginable, but the fun is far from over as we receive the adventure theme growing at the end as well. And from "Rescuing Penny" to "Home at Last / Barking at the Moon (Reprise)" the fun never stops. "Rescuing Penny" is heroism with Bolt's theme powerful and touching, "A Real Live Superbank" is uplifting and "Unbelievable TV" creates powerful resolving stuff with Bolt's power theme. "Home at Last / Barking at the Moon (Reprise)" gives the song version of "Barking at the Moon" a final reprise.
While short and utterly easy to appreciate, Bolt still lacks several things. While it is fun to discover some actual depth inside the musical selections (most notably due to the multiple motifs that work their way around the entire album), it still can't deliver the blow due to the brief selections and perhaps even presentation. Yet while so much more entertaining than some of his other comedic albums, fans might find the promo version to be more suitable. It at least offers a lot more tracks, with longer running times as well. So, even though Bolt isn't Powell's best, it offers us again what we seem to miss today in most scores today, themes up the wazoo guiding the album to a satisfying conclusion.
Tracklisting
1. I Thought I Lost You: Miley Cyrus & John Travolta (3.36)
2. Barking at the Moon: Jenny Lewis (3.18)
3. Meet Bolt (1.49)
4. Bolt Transforms (1.00)
5. Scooter Chase (2.29)
6. New York (1.44)
7. Meet Mittens (1.25)
8. The RV Park (2.14)
9. A Fast Train (2.38) Excellent track
10. Where Were you on Saint Rhino's Day? (1.58)
11. Sing-Along Rhino (0.42)
12. Saving Mittens (1.02)
13. House on Wheels (3.07) Excellent track
14. Las Vegas (2.01)
15. A Friend in Need (1.13)
16. Rescuing Penny (3.09)
17. A Real Live Superbank (0.46)
18. Unbelievable TV (1.20)
19. Home at Last / Barking at the Moon (Reprise) (1.29)
Total Length: 36.59
Considering this is Walt Disney, songs aren't so surprising. And considering Miley Cyrus is one of the stars, it is not surprising to find her opening the album. "I Thought I Lost You" is quite entertaining and John Travolta's singing is most surprising as well. The style is upbeat country and "Barking at the Moon" doesn't change a thing.
And then Powell enters the scene with short tracks in a short selection of material, offering us an energetic Powell ride with a main theme, a bolt super theme, a theme for Mittens, an adventure theme and a sort of Mission Impossible variation of the super bolt theme, or motif to be exact. All these are interwoven in the action which is fairly entertaining and energetic. Basically it works and that's the charm. "Meet Bolt" opens with the charming soft version of the main theme while Bolt's power theme is rollicking over "Bolt Transforms".
The track "Scooter Chase" by then adds twice the amount of pace and fun in a mayhem of energy, giving the bolt power theme another run alongside the mission impossible version. Furthermore "A Fast Train" begins soft but ends brassy with exciting adventure material, and the cue "Sing-Along Rhino" holds a brief singing moment of Bolt's ball crazy friend whilst singing the theme in that Mission Impossible style. Cute and fun without a doubt. "Saving Mittens" does it exactly the same way.
The laid back "New York", the Italian flavored guitar performing the motif for Mittens in "Meet Mittens" and the charming "RV Park" all bring a variety that aids the experience tremendously.
But the bulk of the score is still the action music, that's exciting enough. "House of Wheels" shows this the best possible way through Bolt's main theme, performed the loudest and the most coolest way imaginable, but the fun is far from over as we receive the adventure theme growing at the end as well. And from "Rescuing Penny" to "Home at Last / Barking at the Moon (Reprise)" the fun never stops. "Rescuing Penny" is heroism with Bolt's theme powerful and touching, "A Real Live Superbank" is uplifting and "Unbelievable TV" creates powerful resolving stuff with Bolt's power theme. "Home at Last / Barking at the Moon (Reprise)" gives the song version of "Barking at the Moon" a final reprise.
While short and utterly easy to appreciate, Bolt still lacks several things. While it is fun to discover some actual depth inside the musical selections (most notably due to the multiple motifs that work their way around the entire album), it still can't deliver the blow due to the brief selections and perhaps even presentation. Yet while so much more entertaining than some of his other comedic albums, fans might find the promo version to be more suitable. It at least offers a lot more tracks, with longer running times as well. So, even though Bolt isn't Powell's best, it offers us again what we seem to miss today in most scores today, themes up the wazoo guiding the album to a satisfying conclusion.
Tracklisting
1. I Thought I Lost You: Miley Cyrus & John Travolta (3.36)
2. Barking at the Moon: Jenny Lewis (3.18)
3. Meet Bolt (1.49)
4. Bolt Transforms (1.00)
5. Scooter Chase (2.29)
6. New York (1.44)
7. Meet Mittens (1.25)
8. The RV Park (2.14)
9. A Fast Train (2.38) Excellent track
10. Where Were you on Saint Rhino's Day? (1.58)
11. Sing-Along Rhino (0.42)
12. Saving Mittens (1.02)
13. House on Wheels (3.07) Excellent track
14. Las Vegas (2.01)
15. A Friend in Need (1.13)
16. Rescuing Penny (3.09)
17. A Real Live Superbank (0.46)
18. Unbelievable TV (1.20)
19. Home at Last / Barking at the Moon (Reprise) (1.29)
Total Length: 36.59