The River
John Williams
" The River flows deliciously through your 40 minute listening experience "Written by Thomas Glorieux - Review of the regular release
The River is one of the lesser talked about John Williams efforts of the 1980's, despite receiving an Academy Award nomination alongside Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom in 1984. Of course knowing what we all know now, Temple of Doom was by far the strongest one, but The River does have some charm, not the least due to its catchy main theme and delightfully rich love theme. The main theme stands a bit aside like the main theme of The Towering Inferno, one way or another you don't fully see it working in context (nor does it represent the entire sound of the score). But it's so darn catchy and thematic that I could listen to it all day long. Just listen to that upbeat version in "The River", or during the wonderful "The Pony Ride".
Alongside of that, we have many other diversities. The jazzy love theme turns up in "The River", "Love Theme from The River", whilst coloring an uneasy picture in "Rain Clouds Gather". Furthermore guitar tenderness turns up in "Growing Up", delicious Americana profoundness enriches "The Ancestral Home", the main theme takes a darker turn in "From Farm to Factory" and the love theme undergoes a playful transformation through the flute and guitar in "Young Friends Farewell".
In fact The River is delightfully jubilant in begin and end, but delivers some darker stuff once we're in the middle of the score. In a way, this is expected, in a way this battles the whole upbeat and lively feel of the main theme in general. Luckily these moments don't go to waste, even during the darker ones, Williams doesn't let one minute go to waste.
The River may be one of those titles people rarely mention of John Williams, but it still holds all his trademarks. His ability to create stunning themes, his technical know how, his feeling to not let one moment go to waste. Even in the smaller efforts, in the more unknown ones, Williams was like many of his peers back then ready to do what was needed. Filler music is absent, Williams class is on board. The River is a score that has so much more than the romantic or dramatic scores of today. And once again it shows how vital it is to have themes, because it are the 2 themes here that make all the difference. Wonderful score whilst doing something else, and then still the magic will make you an attentive listener.
Tracklisting
1. The River (4.30)
2. Growing Up (2.53)
3. The Pony Ride (3.16) Excellent track
4. Love Theme from The River (4.54) Excellent track
5. The Ancestral Home (4.31) Excellent track
6. Rain Clouds Gather (3.07)
7. From Farm to Factory (2.44)
8. Back from Town (3.40)
9. Tractor Scene (2.18)
10. A Family Meeting (2.39)
11. Young Friends Farewell (2.39)
Total Length: 37.11
Alongside of that, we have many other diversities. The jazzy love theme turns up in "The River", "Love Theme from The River", whilst coloring an uneasy picture in "Rain Clouds Gather". Furthermore guitar tenderness turns up in "Growing Up", delicious Americana profoundness enriches "The Ancestral Home", the main theme takes a darker turn in "From Farm to Factory" and the love theme undergoes a playful transformation through the flute and guitar in "Young Friends Farewell".
In fact The River is delightfully jubilant in begin and end, but delivers some darker stuff once we're in the middle of the score. In a way, this is expected, in a way this battles the whole upbeat and lively feel of the main theme in general. Luckily these moments don't go to waste, even during the darker ones, Williams doesn't let one minute go to waste.
The River may be one of those titles people rarely mention of John Williams, but it still holds all his trademarks. His ability to create stunning themes, his technical know how, his feeling to not let one moment go to waste. Even in the smaller efforts, in the more unknown ones, Williams was like many of his peers back then ready to do what was needed. Filler music is absent, Williams class is on board. The River is a score that has so much more than the romantic or dramatic scores of today. And once again it shows how vital it is to have themes, because it are the 2 themes here that make all the difference. Wonderful score whilst doing something else, and then still the magic will make you an attentive listener.
Tracklisting
1. The River (4.30)
2. Growing Up (2.53)
3. The Pony Ride (3.16) Excellent track
4. Love Theme from The River (4.54) Excellent track
5. The Ancestral Home (4.31) Excellent track
6. Rain Clouds Gather (3.07)
7. From Farm to Factory (2.44)
8. Back from Town (3.40)
9. Tractor Scene (2.18)
10. A Family Meeting (2.39)
11. Young Friends Farewell (2.39)
Total Length: 37.11