Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within
Elliot Goldenthal
" Goldenthal delivers pure orchestral brilliance "Written by Thomas Glorieux - Review of the regular release
Let's drop the name and get it over with, Elliot Goldenthal. I believe a lot of people started revisiting their worst nightmares after hearing he would be the composer on board the most visual ground breaking computer movie for the next couple of years. Well, forget that and everything you knew, and expect something different! Different being in the more approachable style. But don't think his style has changed, don't think you will listen to Goldsmith music or something like that (the mistake I made when first listening to the soundtrack). In every respect Elliot remains his true self, his own musical voice is leading the thrill and power, and finally many people will say that it is acceptable. Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within became one soundtrack a non Goldenthal fan could actually listen to.
This is powerful gripping music all right and you'll appreciate it even more once you've seen what it can do in the movie. And as said before, there isn't much mayhem, dissonance, Goldenthal's usual ruckus. The only big track that does it nasty is "Toccata and Dreamscapes". Here we discover that Elliot is giving the percussion players a work out, but thereby creating mayhem and total chaos that fits the movie like a glove.
Everything else delivers strong music. In a way this has always been the case with Elliot Goldenthal, but here it really secures the impact and visuals of the movie. It creates and grabs the attention, it makes a strong impression towards the listener and probably the viewer as well. And we have a lot of examples of this strong impression. In a way the following "The Spirits Within", "The Phantom Plains" and "Code Red", just from the first four tracks alone.
But where this score really dominates in, is creating a musical magnificence beyond you wildest dreams. Just listen to the power of the orchestra and the choral depth in "Winged Serpent" and "Zeus Cannon" and you'll understand what I mean with magnificence. Play these sections loud and you will discover why choral cues remain the most treasured pieces of film music in many cases. Film music can really impress the hell out of you, and even if beauty has nothing to do with it, "Winged Serpent" became one of the best score tracks on album of 2001.
Goldenthal's action music is entertaining as well. A comparison can be made between "Zeus Cannon" and John Williams' darker music of Raiders of the Lost Ark, meaning that this is enough horror and sensation coming from the orchestra's side.
The emotional side isn't forgotten as well. "The Kiss", "A Child Recalled" and the powerful finale "Adagio and Transfiguration" offers us a wonderful piano melody that counterbalances the robust action music of the entire album. This is also the main melody of the the song "The Dream Within". Sadly the song that follows all this just doesn't fit with what we've been hearing so far.
Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within isn't a walk in the park, but what the soundtrack does ample is create this environment, this dark awe beyond imagination, this sound too powerful that it's difficult not to stun you. Fans have equally been enthralled with the score as much as I have, and trust me I wasn't too ecstatic the first time I heard it. But like any good soundtrack, the impressions grew on me with each initial listen. So no matter if you think you've heard everything you needed to hear about Elliot Goldenthal, Final Fantasy remains that something extra.
Tracklisting
1. The Spirit Within (2.05)
2. Race to Old New York (1.20)
3. The Phantom Plains (1.42)
4. Code Red (2.05)
5. The Kiss (4.14)
6. Entrada (0.54)
7. Toccata and Dreamscapes (8.29)
8. Music for Dialogues (2.18)
9. Winged Serpent (1.35) Excellent track
10. Zeus Cannon (3.24) Excellent track
11. Flight to the Wasteland (5.56)
12. A Child Recalled (2.25)
13. The Eighth Spirit (0.50)
14. Dead Rain (1.50)
15. Blue Light (3.29)
16. Adagio and Transfiguration (5.23) Excellent track
17. The Dream Within: Lara Fabian (4.41)
18. Spirit Dreams Inside: L'Arc-en-Ciel (3.42)
Total Length: 56.38
This is powerful gripping music all right and you'll appreciate it even more once you've seen what it can do in the movie. And as said before, there isn't much mayhem, dissonance, Goldenthal's usual ruckus. The only big track that does it nasty is "Toccata and Dreamscapes". Here we discover that Elliot is giving the percussion players a work out, but thereby creating mayhem and total chaos that fits the movie like a glove.
Everything else delivers strong music. In a way this has always been the case with Elliot Goldenthal, but here it really secures the impact and visuals of the movie. It creates and grabs the attention, it makes a strong impression towards the listener and probably the viewer as well. And we have a lot of examples of this strong impression. In a way the following "The Spirits Within", "The Phantom Plains" and "Code Red", just from the first four tracks alone.
But where this score really dominates in, is creating a musical magnificence beyond you wildest dreams. Just listen to the power of the orchestra and the choral depth in "Winged Serpent" and "Zeus Cannon" and you'll understand what I mean with magnificence. Play these sections loud and you will discover why choral cues remain the most treasured pieces of film music in many cases. Film music can really impress the hell out of you, and even if beauty has nothing to do with it, "Winged Serpent" became one of the best score tracks on album of 2001.
Goldenthal's action music is entertaining as well. A comparison can be made between "Zeus Cannon" and John Williams' darker music of Raiders of the Lost Ark, meaning that this is enough horror and sensation coming from the orchestra's side.
The emotional side isn't forgotten as well. "The Kiss", "A Child Recalled" and the powerful finale "Adagio and Transfiguration" offers us a wonderful piano melody that counterbalances the robust action music of the entire album. This is also the main melody of the the song "The Dream Within". Sadly the song that follows all this just doesn't fit with what we've been hearing so far.
Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within isn't a walk in the park, but what the soundtrack does ample is create this environment, this dark awe beyond imagination, this sound too powerful that it's difficult not to stun you. Fans have equally been enthralled with the score as much as I have, and trust me I wasn't too ecstatic the first time I heard it. But like any good soundtrack, the impressions grew on me with each initial listen. So no matter if you think you've heard everything you needed to hear about Elliot Goldenthal, Final Fantasy remains that something extra.
Tracklisting
1. The Spirit Within (2.05)
2. Race to Old New York (1.20)
3. The Phantom Plains (1.42)
4. Code Red (2.05)
5. The Kiss (4.14)
6. Entrada (0.54)
7. Toccata and Dreamscapes (8.29)
8. Music for Dialogues (2.18)
9. Winged Serpent (1.35) Excellent track
10. Zeus Cannon (3.24) Excellent track
11. Flight to the Wasteland (5.56)
12. A Child Recalled (2.25)
13. The Eighth Spirit (0.50)
14. Dead Rain (1.50)
15. Blue Light (3.29)
16. Adagio and Transfiguration (5.23) Excellent track
17. The Dream Within: Lara Fabian (4.41)
18. Spirit Dreams Inside: L'Arc-en-Ciel (3.42)
Total Length: 56.38