Movie Music
December 16th, 2009 - Written by stevek
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James Horner: Avatar – Music From The Motion Picture
So, James Cameron has been talking about making ‘Avatar’ since before ‘Titanic’ sank its way to box-office platinum in 1997. So to say that this groundbreaking work of sci-fi cinema is one of the most anticipated films of 2009 really doesn’t do justice to those of us who have been waiting for super-perfectionist Cameron’s magnum opus.
Who better to score such an important epic than thirty-plus year veteran, multiple-award winning (and frequent James Cameron collaborator) James Horner? It’s no secret that I’m a fan of Horner’s work. He’s scored several of my favourite movie soundtracks, including ‘Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan’ and ‘Aliens’, among many, many others.
As impressed as I was with his ‘Star Trek’ work, I am blown away by his compositions for ‘Avatar’; they are his absolute best. A good film score sets the tone for the picture when played as accompaniment, and stands on its own as a narrative vehicle for the story in the absence of the film. ‘Avatar – Music From The Motion Picture’ accomplishes this perfectly.
The score collected on this disc is epic in scale and scope, the composition sweeping the listener away, either back into the world of ‘Avatar’ or just out, on the wings of the music. The only low note on this disc is the closing song, used because every soundtrack needs a hit single.
While this song, “I See You” was co-written by Horner, the fact is that the choice of Leona Lewis to sing the somewhat hackneyed lyrics make this the weak entry on an otherwise superb disc. I’ve already deleted “I See You” from my playlist. You can, too! Oh, I mean, listen to it once for yourself, just in case you’re one of the odd people into that sort of thing, but the disk stands better without it. But I suppose every work of beauty needs at least one flaw. The soundtrack to James Cameron’s ‘Avatar’ has “I See You”.
James Horner: Avatar – Music From The Motion Picture
Atlantic
Steve’s Rating: 8/10
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