Hans Zimmer & James Newton Howard - The Dark Knight (2008)

Hans Zimmer & James Newton Howard - The Dark Knight (2008)
I can't help but find it a little amusing that the common complaint/compliment/comment about this soundtrack is that it fits the movie. For a big budget summer action flick as anticipated as The Dark Knight was, a notable chunk of that budget was sure to go to composing the soundtrack, and rightly so. The music of a scene in a film is often as important as the acting, directing, or cinematography, arguably more so. It plays its part in drawing the emotion out of its audience, letting you know how you should feel about the situation, view certain characters and/or actions. Hearing that The Dark Knight soundtrack fits the film, I can't help but recall that famous Chris Rock joke where he berates people who brag about things they're supposed to do. "I take care of my kids." "The music fits the movie." To paraphrase Rock: "[It's] supposed to, you dumb motherfucker!"

That being said...this music fits the film really well. The dark, brooding, sometimes intense feel of the film owes a great deal to the compositions that Zimmer and Howard created, which make excellent use of aggressive string sections, forceful drumming and, as my fiancèe brilliantly put it, "epic brass". The back-to-back combo of the opening track, "Why So Serious?", and "I'm Not A Hero", is such a jaw-dropping 15-minutes of music that the middle of the album seems to drag in comparison. This isn't helped by the fact that some sections throughout the album tend to build up only to transition suddenly (read: drop out entirely) to nearly inaudible sections of delicate horns and violins. It screams for corrective equalization.

The album as a whole though, played in one sitting and making indiscriminate use of gapless playback, is quite an experience. But the dilemma continues. That being that I find myself again reviewing yet another soundtrack for a film that I loved and wondering if my feelings would be the same had I either hated or not seen the film. Maybe an objective stance on the quality of this music is beyond my abilities to provide, but really, is any music review completely objective?

The bottom line is that I think that this would be a great listening experience even if it weren't attached to a film. In fact, it reminds me a lot of last year's fantastic A World In Their Screams album by the French neo-classical group Elend, which wasn't attached to a film but felt like it should've been. With both albums, the music is powerful and controls the mood effectively. The only difference between them is that one allows you create your own images in your mind and the other has already done it for you. But if the music has done its part, the source for the imagery doesn't much matter.


Score: 8/10


"I'm Not A Hero"


"Watch The World Burn"

Bach - Complete Sonatas And Partitas For Solo Violin (1993)

Bach - Complete Sonatas And Partitas For Solo Violin BWV 1001-1006 [Grumiaux] (1993)

So yeah...classical. I'm trying to get into it to the point where I can name names and have favorite artists rather than occasionally accidentally turning to the classical station while I'm trying to find NPR and thinking "Oh, this sounds nice."

I'm on my way, I think. I saw Complete Sonatas And Partitas in a book about music (1000 Recordings To Hear Before You Die) that I was looking at while I was bored at a Barnes & Noble. The writer considered it to be one of his favorites, so I picked it up from the library a few days later. A friend of mine, who knows a thing or two about classical, saw my choice and asked "Oh, you like sonatas and partitas?"

"Um...I, uh...sure?"

Of course I have no idea what sonatas and partitas are exactly. I'd like to say that I've looked it up since then and have studiously researched such topics, but nah. I'd also like to say that I knew how to actually dissect a classical album; point out the impressive parts or highlight exceptional playing, but dammit I'm just not that awesome yet. So I'm going to go ahead and fall back on "Oh, this sounds nice".

Well hey, it really does! I'm not just saying that to say it. Arthur Grumiaux, from what I've read and what I heard here, is a very skilled violinist. There are many times throughout this double album where I swore that I was hearing a group rather than one violinist. But if you're looking for a more in depth reason as to why and what this albums' strengths are, I'm not your guy (try the dude who wrote the aforementioned book). The best I can tell you is that this is the most relaxing album I've heard in a while, perfect for playing in the background while you do schoolwork or act snooty while sitting in your study wearing a monocle and reading your original pressing of Moby Dick which was personally autographed by Melville himself...or whatever people prefer to do when they put on classical music hell I don't know.


Score: 7.5/10



"II. Corrente"


"Partita 1-1: Allemanda"

Jonny Greenwood - There Will Be Blood (2007)

Jonny Greenwood - There Will Be Blood (2007)

Many soundtracks, be it for a movie or a game, fail to garner the same emotion when the listener isn't familiar with the visual element. Therefore, opinions of the music can vary based on ones fondness of the media that the music accompanied. Of course this isn't always the case. I quite enjoyed Curtis Mayfield's Superfly soundtrack though I've never seen the movie in it's entirety (judging by the few parts I have seen here or there, I'm not sure I ever want to see it in it's entirety). But that's Curtis effing Mayfield we're talking about there. Other scores by lesser artists don't always bode as well. Having already seen the modern masterpiece that is There Will Be Blood, it's nearly impossible for me to separate the music from the drama and the gorgeous cinematography that these songs highlighted, so I can only speak hypothetically when I say that I probably would've enjoyed this soundtrack without having seen the movie.

"Prospectors Arrive" is the standout moment by far. I loved the song in the movie and I love it even more coming out of my stereo. The string arrangements here create the most achingly beautiful piece of music I've heard since, well, "Reckoner". Though I hate to bring Radiohead into the mix, I can't help but wonder how much more awesome this song would've been with Thom Yorke's vocals. But as it is, it's still one of the best songs of the year so far. "Henry Plainview" is an intense piece of music, the cello and violins melting together to create a feeling of darkness and uneasiness that accurately defines Daniel Day-Lewis' Oscar-winning character. The last half of the album is pleasing even if no other songs are as commanding as "Prospectors Arrive". The only problem being that they are almost too short to have an immediate impact. At a scant 33 minutes long, the album can come to an end before you know it. That's not to say that the songs are lacking, but I can miss them entirely if I so much as let my mind wander.

Still, there's some pretty powerful music to be found here. An enjoyable listen, I'm sure, even for those who have never seen the film.


Score: 7.5/10


"Prospectors Arrive"


"There Will Be Blood"