Lady in the Water
James Newton Howard
" There's nothing Lazy in the Wagical James Newton Howard Story Telling "Written by Thomas Glorieux - Review of the regular release
Is the magic of M. Night Shyamalan dozing off? Is his inspiration losing its effect? With the undeniable brilliant Sixth Sense, his underestimated strong Unbreakable and his very intellectual Signs, fans were witnessing movie magic from the first row. With The Village, things didn't seem what they were and people didn't like that there wasn't anything supernatural about the whole story. Now the completely fantastical Lady in the Water bedtime story wasn't the answer either, but I liked it anyway, if merely for the fact James Newton Howard was again on board.
If one thing was clear from their first collaboration, it was that James Newton Howard understood Night's fantastic vision from day one. And with Lady in the Water he shows that there is no stopping the wonderful continuation of that vision.
The story of Lady in the Water demanded for a fantastical score, a sweet score and yet it had to be dark either (this for the sea creatures that threatened the way home of our Lady in the Water). Meaning all this is amplified in a short release that once again gives us James Newton Howard magic for a flawed but enjoyable M. Night Shyamalan picture.
Howard opens his score sweet and magical enough in "Prologue". Ethereal Brainstorm choir, a light fantasy tinkling and the main theme or the blue world theme showing its fantastical qualities. What's above all surprising about this opening track is the truly amazing piano moment that almost never resurfaces again in the score, and that's truly a shame. The darkness theme mysteriously in between the fantasy shows us the sea creatures' threat and presence.
Completely out of chronological order, "The Party" begins with a percussive light unnerving tone and the viola's don't help in that either, but the mystery of the danger theme does resurface again. With "Charades" we come sadly to an unwelcome rip off, because the track sure does sound so similar to The Final Cut of Brian Tyler with its whispering flutes and mood. Yet luckily Howard doesn't fool you for long and his choir, piano, danger and main theme adds life and fantasy to the whole proceeding.
"The Blue World" brings back the danger theme prominently before "Giving the KII" gives us a tinkling version of the main theme. Furthermore "Cereal Boxes" has an elegant version of the main blue world theme. However Howard is always famous for delivering Night's visionary climaxes and this score is no different. First we have "The Healing" which brings back the piano and luckily also the inspirational prologue material, all before the magical rise of the main theme and thereby choir doesn't let a note go by unnoticed.
However, like in Signs, Howard has a true climax waiting for you in "The Great Eatlon". And just like in Sings, he pulls out all the stops. First the trailer music or adeptly named danger music begins to sizzle longer and louder with the brass, before the amazing blue world theme just gets amazement written all over it through a choral version. But the track continues to add further spice to the fantasy by letting the danger material erupt in faster orchestral blasts before finishing off with a final resolution of the main theme, truly stunning. Of course it can't compete with The Hand of Fate's pure musical wizardry, but if Signs' big climax does deserve a 10/10, then Lady in the Water's finish surely deserves an 8.
The "End Title" closes with nice soothing piano music, stating an underused theme of track 4. The songs that follow after this are a mixed bag, they are all written by Bob Dylan and "The Times they are A-Changin" and "Every Grain of Sand" do feel at home with the tone of the movie. Meaning they are ethereal and fantasy like in mood, even though both feel very similar alike in tone. Yet that can't be said about the final 2 which are lame excuses to surface on a CD accomplished as this. Truly out of tone with everything else, it's a shame they end a truly remarkable listening experience.
But if songs can ruin an experience like this, it must show aplenty that James Newton Howard again weaved his magical spell upon you and made you believe you were diving deep down to meet the Blue World in person. Whether you've seen the movie or not, he leaves his mark firmly on the story's begin, middle and end. And for a composer there isn't a greater compliment than to pinpoint out that the music adds unseen fantasy to a movie. It doesn't have the complete utter thrill of Signs, the true wondrous feel of Unbreakable or the at times marvelous beauty of The Village, but like those 3, you have witnessed yet again a truly remarkable pairing of vision, class and emotion which you can find deep down the Blue World time and time again.
Tracklisting
1. Prologue (2.51) Excellent track
2. The Party (6.40)
3. Charades (5.50) Excellent track
4. Ripples in the Pool (1.49)
5. The Blue World (4.25)
6. Giving the KII (1.49)
7. Walkie Talkie (2.08)
8. Cereal Boxes (2.32)
9. Officer Jimbo (3.31)
10. The Healing (4.03) Excellent track
11. The Great Eatlon (4.41) Excellent track
12. End Titles (1.43)
13. The Times They are a-Changin': Whisper in the Noise * (5.59)
14. Every Grain of Sand: Amanda Ghost * (4.14)
15. It Ain't me Babe: Silvertide * (3.46)
16. Maggie's Farm: Silvertide * (3.36)
* Songs written by Bob Dylan
Total Length: 59.48
If one thing was clear from their first collaboration, it was that James Newton Howard understood Night's fantastic vision from day one. And with Lady in the Water he shows that there is no stopping the wonderful continuation of that vision.
The story of Lady in the Water demanded for a fantastical score, a sweet score and yet it had to be dark either (this for the sea creatures that threatened the way home of our Lady in the Water). Meaning all this is amplified in a short release that once again gives us James Newton Howard magic for a flawed but enjoyable M. Night Shyamalan picture.
Howard opens his score sweet and magical enough in "Prologue". Ethereal Brainstorm choir, a light fantasy tinkling and the main theme or the blue world theme showing its fantastical qualities. What's above all surprising about this opening track is the truly amazing piano moment that almost never resurfaces again in the score, and that's truly a shame. The darkness theme mysteriously in between the fantasy shows us the sea creatures' threat and presence.
Completely out of chronological order, "The Party" begins with a percussive light unnerving tone and the viola's don't help in that either, but the mystery of the danger theme does resurface again. With "Charades" we come sadly to an unwelcome rip off, because the track sure does sound so similar to The Final Cut of Brian Tyler with its whispering flutes and mood. Yet luckily Howard doesn't fool you for long and his choir, piano, danger and main theme adds life and fantasy to the whole proceeding.
"The Blue World" brings back the danger theme prominently before "Giving the KII" gives us a tinkling version of the main theme. Furthermore "Cereal Boxes" has an elegant version of the main blue world theme. However Howard is always famous for delivering Night's visionary climaxes and this score is no different. First we have "The Healing" which brings back the piano and luckily also the inspirational prologue material, all before the magical rise of the main theme and thereby choir doesn't let a note go by unnoticed.
However, like in Signs, Howard has a true climax waiting for you in "The Great Eatlon". And just like in Sings, he pulls out all the stops. First the trailer music or adeptly named danger music begins to sizzle longer and louder with the brass, before the amazing blue world theme just gets amazement written all over it through a choral version. But the track continues to add further spice to the fantasy by letting the danger material erupt in faster orchestral blasts before finishing off with a final resolution of the main theme, truly stunning. Of course it can't compete with The Hand of Fate's pure musical wizardry, but if Signs' big climax does deserve a 10/10, then Lady in the Water's finish surely deserves an 8.
The "End Title" closes with nice soothing piano music, stating an underused theme of track 4. The songs that follow after this are a mixed bag, they are all written by Bob Dylan and "The Times they are A-Changin" and "Every Grain of Sand" do feel at home with the tone of the movie. Meaning they are ethereal and fantasy like in mood, even though both feel very similar alike in tone. Yet that can't be said about the final 2 which are lame excuses to surface on a CD accomplished as this. Truly out of tone with everything else, it's a shame they end a truly remarkable listening experience.
But if songs can ruin an experience like this, it must show aplenty that James Newton Howard again weaved his magical spell upon you and made you believe you were diving deep down to meet the Blue World in person. Whether you've seen the movie or not, he leaves his mark firmly on the story's begin, middle and end. And for a composer there isn't a greater compliment than to pinpoint out that the music adds unseen fantasy to a movie. It doesn't have the complete utter thrill of Signs, the true wondrous feel of Unbreakable or the at times marvelous beauty of The Village, but like those 3, you have witnessed yet again a truly remarkable pairing of vision, class and emotion which you can find deep down the Blue World time and time again.
Tracklisting
1. Prologue (2.51) Excellent track
2. The Party (6.40)
3. Charades (5.50) Excellent track
4. Ripples in the Pool (1.49)
5. The Blue World (4.25)
6. Giving the KII (1.49)
7. Walkie Talkie (2.08)
8. Cereal Boxes (2.32)
9. Officer Jimbo (3.31)
10. The Healing (4.03) Excellent track
11. The Great Eatlon (4.41) Excellent track
12. End Titles (1.43)
13. The Times They are a-Changin': Whisper in the Noise * (5.59)
14. Every Grain of Sand: Amanda Ghost * (4.14)
15. It Ain't me Babe: Silvertide * (3.46)
16. Maggie's Farm: Silvertide * (3.36)
* Songs written by Bob Dylan
Total Length: 59.48