Radio Flyer
Hans Zimmer
" Soaring originality and playful happiness in one of Zimmer's most delightful scores "Written by Thomas Glorieux - Review of the regular release
Radio Flyer is a little known film directed by legendary 70's, 80's and 90's director Richard Donner. Unfortunately many people couldn't care less about the little adventures of 2 children (Mike and Bobby), of whom Bobby was brutally subjected to physical abuse by his stepfather. The 2 children then realize it is vital to get Bobby as far as away from their stepfather as possible, and construct therefore the radio flyer, a self made tool that will get Bobby away from danger.
There's a great balance between the lightheartedness and fun the 2 children radiate, and the danger and abuse one of the 2 brothers goes through. This is perfectly audible in the 3 suites of Hans Zimmer (a time Hans Zimmer did these long suites better than anyone). The first is the most playful, often delivering its main theme on these happy childlike panpipes (performed by Richard Harvey), often intermixed with soft Driving Miss Daisy emotion and various wondrous adventurous eruptions (wonderfully kicking into motion after 6 minutes) when the children play and construct the radio flyer, the instrument that will get Bobby away from their abusive stepfather. Without saying, these minutes of flying wonder and adventure bring back the happy memories of soaring scores like Memphis Belle.
"Radio Flyer Part II" opens with a sprightly piece of music that I never realized was recently used in another score, meaning the music that Rupert Gregson-Williams wrote for his Bee Movie. This happy attitude holds on for the first 5 minutes, even amounting in a happy children's lullaby around the end of the 3rd. But after those 5 minutes, we and the children experience more the dark brutal danger of their quest. And this is apparent through the change in tone. Nothing less than Pacific Heights' darker attitude overshadows the children's adventure, but this is by far the only time Zimmer constructs something so gloomy.
So no matter how dark and ominous track 2 ends, expect "Radio Flyer Part III" to open exactly with the opposite, namely sprightly music that gets its bouncy attitude from the likes of A League of Their Own. And after that it's a mix of the good old Hans Zimmer collection we're hearing. K2, White Fang, Drop Zone and a bunch of full frontal fanfares that deliver us the only explanation possible, namely that Bobby has escaped with the Radio Flyer and is hovering to adventure and a (hopefully) better life. After that Zimmer returns to the fond main theme performances and bouncy child like tunes, spiced up to extreme jazzy heights in the delightful final minutes.
Honestly, Radio Flyer is one of those insanely catchy scores that you'll find rarely in Hans Zimmer's extensive career package. And it is not a surprise it was composed around the time he delivered perhaps some of his all time best scores (Backdraft and A League of Their Own). Meaning the energy, creativity and originality is literally dripping from every single musical note of this score. Radio Flyer is without question a delightful surprise and a must have for any person who believes Hans Zimmer is even better when he doesn't do action music for once.
Favorite Moment - Radio Flyer Part III (4.05 - 8.00)
Soaring Hans Zimmer flies with Bobby to safety
Track Listing
1. Radio Flyer Part I (9.58) Excellent track
a) Building The Flyer
b) On The Road To Geronimo
c) Lost Secrets And Fascinations
2. Radio Flyer Part II (7.01)
a) Expeditioning
b) Mix The Potion
c) Four Discoveries
3. Radio Flyer Part III (13.38) Excellent track
a) Sampson And Shane
b) Fisher's Legend
c) The Big Idea
4. The Name Game: Shirley Ellis (3.00)
Total Length: 33.36
There's a great balance between the lightheartedness and fun the 2 children radiate, and the danger and abuse one of the 2 brothers goes through. This is perfectly audible in the 3 suites of Hans Zimmer (a time Hans Zimmer did these long suites better than anyone). The first is the most playful, often delivering its main theme on these happy childlike panpipes (performed by Richard Harvey), often intermixed with soft Driving Miss Daisy emotion and various wondrous adventurous eruptions (wonderfully kicking into motion after 6 minutes) when the children play and construct the radio flyer, the instrument that will get Bobby away from their abusive stepfather. Without saying, these minutes of flying wonder and adventure bring back the happy memories of soaring scores like Memphis Belle.
"Radio Flyer Part II" opens with a sprightly piece of music that I never realized was recently used in another score, meaning the music that Rupert Gregson-Williams wrote for his Bee Movie. This happy attitude holds on for the first 5 minutes, even amounting in a happy children's lullaby around the end of the 3rd. But after those 5 minutes, we and the children experience more the dark brutal danger of their quest. And this is apparent through the change in tone. Nothing less than Pacific Heights' darker attitude overshadows the children's adventure, but this is by far the only time Zimmer constructs something so gloomy.
So no matter how dark and ominous track 2 ends, expect "Radio Flyer Part III" to open exactly with the opposite, namely sprightly music that gets its bouncy attitude from the likes of A League of Their Own. And after that it's a mix of the good old Hans Zimmer collection we're hearing. K2, White Fang, Drop Zone and a bunch of full frontal fanfares that deliver us the only explanation possible, namely that Bobby has escaped with the Radio Flyer and is hovering to adventure and a (hopefully) better life. After that Zimmer returns to the fond main theme performances and bouncy child like tunes, spiced up to extreme jazzy heights in the delightful final minutes.
Honestly, Radio Flyer is one of those insanely catchy scores that you'll find rarely in Hans Zimmer's extensive career package. And it is not a surprise it was composed around the time he delivered perhaps some of his all time best scores (Backdraft and A League of Their Own). Meaning the energy, creativity and originality is literally dripping from every single musical note of this score. Radio Flyer is without question a delightful surprise and a must have for any person who believes Hans Zimmer is even better when he doesn't do action music for once.
Favorite Moment - Radio Flyer Part III (4.05 - 8.00)
Soaring Hans Zimmer flies with Bobby to safety
Track Listing
1. Radio Flyer Part I (9.58) Excellent track
a) Building The Flyer
b) On The Road To Geronimo
c) Lost Secrets And Fascinations
2. Radio Flyer Part II (7.01)
a) Expeditioning
b) Mix The Potion
c) Four Discoveries
3. Radio Flyer Part III (13.38) Excellent track
a) Sampson And Shane
b) Fisher's Legend
c) The Big Idea
4. The Name Game: Shirley Ellis (3.00)
Total Length: 33.36