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Film Works
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Startingly Good - stands as excellent music for its own sake
Review date: 2005-12-04 Rating: 10 out of 10
Excellent compilation of Craig Armstrongs film music.
Armstrong truly is a rare talent in film music scoring - these days, each composer whose name you might recognise has their own tricks that crop up time and again. Hans Zimmer has the 'soulful voice as instrument and Wagnerian epic themes', Jerry Goldsmith has the 'lush string sound with simple effective meolodies', Vangelis has the epic soaring themes market cornered...
But Craig Armstrong truly uses a large repertoire of tools to achieve whatever is needed for a certain film. This album contains romantic soft melodies gently played (Love Actually Glasgow Love theme), Driving modern dance style beats ('Ball' from Plunckett and Maclean), epic Carl Orff style choir and orchestra theatrics - (Romeo and Juliet - 'O Verona'), plus others which are intimate piano pieces, soulful solo violin motifs - basically, anything a musician can use to get the desired effect. And the beauty is, it is all original, and all instantly memorable.
Much film music can become quickly tiresome, but Armstrong is so inventive and memorable, that this CD bears repeated listening - indeed, you have almost certainly heard many of the tracks before and not realised who the composer was.
Armstrong has achieved that rare thing, of creating film music that stands squally proud by itself without the film. But for sure, this CD will both make you want to go and watch the films again paying more attention to the nusic, and secondly make you want to go and discover more of Craig Armstrongs work.
You wont be disappointed on either count. Highly recommended for lovers of both film music, and music for musics sake.
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Reviews
As good as he always is...
Review date: 2005-11-10 Rating: 10 out of 10
Having heard quite a few of his albums over the past few years, I knew roughly what to expect of this CD. However, I have to admit, even I was suprised at how good it really is. There are tracks on here that some people will recognise, either from the films themselves, or from Adverts & TV programmes (such as BBC's Top Gear). My particular favourites are "Escape" & "The Ball" from Plunkett & Macleane, a film I didn't know he scored.
I'm not disappointed with this album, and neither will you be. It's a good starting point to sample some of his best works, before going deeper into his Discography, which won't disappoint either.
Product Details/Specifications
Artist(s):
Craig Armstrong
Recording label: U.M.T.V.
Manufacturer: U.M.T.V.
EAN: 0602498334904
Binding: Audio CD
Format: Soundtrack, CD+DVD,
Release date: 2005-10-24
Universal product code (UPC): 602498334904
Number of discs: 1
Running time: 63 minutes
Disc 1 Tracks:
1. O Verona - Pete Postlethwaite
2. Escape
3. Main Theme - Hong Nhung
4. One Day I'll Fly Away - Nicole Kidman
5. Rise
6. Balcony's Scene Romeo Juliet
7. Glasgow Love Theme
8. The Ball
9. Will You Come Back To Me
10. Rebecca
11. This Love
12. Della's Theme
13. Main Theme - Clio Gould
14. Main Theme
15. New York City - Cecilia Weston, London Session Orchestra, Craig Armstrong, Geoff Foster
16. Nature Boy - David Bowie
17. Death Scene
18. Ascension
19. Clair de Lune
Publishers: U.M.T.V.