Operation Dumbo Drop
David Newman
" a score that is too good to appear so sparingly on CD "Written by Thomas Glorieux - Review of the regular release
David Newman is stuck in an endless rut composing crappy movies with an occasional serious exception. Operation Dumbo Drop is a Disney comedy with a big weight. And David Newman was in the time the family man composer. Sadly most of his comedy music is relentless and crazy. Occasionally, that music has coherence and a heart. All this is pumped inside Operation Dumbo Drop, or a score that is too good to appear so sparingly on CD.
It is fun to discover a movie with a heart like this, having serious actors performing a light hearted role. David Newman could have given this a crazy score. But the thing is, it is one of his most serious works of all. It also has one of his most amazing themes. And it is this theme that opens the song album with a mighty big impression. It begins in "Opening" and it explodes in sheer wonder during "Operation Dumbo Drop".
That exquisite "Operation Dumbo Drop" by the way is 8 minutes of exhilarating fun. First we have the wonderful build up, but everything is presented so melodically it is strange and sad we can’t discover this sound in his recent soundtracks as well. Secondly, as said it explodes in this wonderful fashion on screen through an amazing main theme performance. It are examples like this that make me miss this sound even more.
The other 2 score cues are fun ethnic titled tracks, containing the usual flutes and occasional main theme statements.
Sadly this album is far from complete. The remaining time is spend on actual classic songs which work extremely well on CD and in the movie. But they are not the music we want. Like the Tour of Duty series, these are classic entries which present the era well but I would have loved more music of Newman instead. Especially considering there is an excellent fanfare that’s heard when they steal a parachute.
In a time song albums like Jingle all the Way receive a restored presentation on CD, it is understandable that we can dream of a full Operation Dumbo Drop release as well. And I can tell you now it will be worth the wait. This is a David Newman we don’t hear too often and the quality in the orchestral writing is far more superior than anything we heard of him in recent times. And far more memorable than what we hear now recently. If Disney and Intrada find another deal, most will rediscover another treat.
Score: ****
Songs: ***12
Tracklisting
1. Opening * (2.04) Excellent track
2. Your Love Keeps Lifting me Higher and Higher: Jackie Wilson (2.56)
3. Botat and Lihn * (2.47)
4. You'se a Son of a Gun: Marvin Gaye (2.28)
5. Elephant Temple / Lihn's Flashback * (6.13)
6. Hang on Sloopy: The McCoys (3.52)
7. Operation Dumbo Drop * (8.16) Excellent track
8. Think: Aretha Franklin (2.17)
9. Farewell * (4.07)
10. When I See an Elephant Fly: Cliff Edwards, Jim Carmichael & the Hall-Johnson Choir (1.51)
* Score composed by David Newman
Total Length: 37.01
It is fun to discover a movie with a heart like this, having serious actors performing a light hearted role. David Newman could have given this a crazy score. But the thing is, it is one of his most serious works of all. It also has one of his most amazing themes. And it is this theme that opens the song album with a mighty big impression. It begins in "Opening" and it explodes in sheer wonder during "Operation Dumbo Drop".
That exquisite "Operation Dumbo Drop" by the way is 8 minutes of exhilarating fun. First we have the wonderful build up, but everything is presented so melodically it is strange and sad we can’t discover this sound in his recent soundtracks as well. Secondly, as said it explodes in this wonderful fashion on screen through an amazing main theme performance. It are examples like this that make me miss this sound even more.
The other 2 score cues are fun ethnic titled tracks, containing the usual flutes and occasional main theme statements.
Sadly this album is far from complete. The remaining time is spend on actual classic songs which work extremely well on CD and in the movie. But they are not the music we want. Like the Tour of Duty series, these are classic entries which present the era well but I would have loved more music of Newman instead. Especially considering there is an excellent fanfare that’s heard when they steal a parachute.
In a time song albums like Jingle all the Way receive a restored presentation on CD, it is understandable that we can dream of a full Operation Dumbo Drop release as well. And I can tell you now it will be worth the wait. This is a David Newman we don’t hear too often and the quality in the orchestral writing is far more superior than anything we heard of him in recent times. And far more memorable than what we hear now recently. If Disney and Intrada find another deal, most will rediscover another treat.
Score: ****
Songs: ***12
Tracklisting
1. Opening * (2.04) Excellent track
2. Your Love Keeps Lifting me Higher and Higher: Jackie Wilson (2.56)
3. Botat and Lihn * (2.47)
4. You'se a Son of a Gun: Marvin Gaye (2.28)
5. Elephant Temple / Lihn's Flashback * (6.13)
6. Hang on Sloopy: The McCoys (3.52)
7. Operation Dumbo Drop * (8.16) Excellent track
8. Think: Aretha Franklin (2.17)
9. Farewell * (4.07)
10. When I See an Elephant Fly: Cliff Edwards, Jim Carmichael & the Hall-Johnson Choir (1.51)
* Score composed by David Newman
Total Length: 37.01