Customer Reviews

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

5 star:		(85)
4 star:		(19)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I really liked this CD. The music is reviewed elsewhere, so I won't be redundant. I first got the Limited version, and I describe it here: It is in a red leatherette folder which reminds me of the red slipcase edition of LOTR. Open it, and there are two pockets. One holds the CD, and the other holds a small booklet with Elvish/English lyrics from the soundtrack as well as pictures from the movie. This booklet and case are exclusive to the Limited Edition.
The CD itself can be played on computer to go to a special website where you can view trailers, interviews, etc... This is VERY nice, but be warned--the regular priced CD also has this feature.
As to the regular priced CD, the first run of these are packaged with a card depicting one of 6 characters: Frodo, Bilbo, Strider, Arwen, Gandalf, and Saruman. The card is on the cover of the CD, so you know which one you get. Completist geeks will want all 6 versions, as these are very nice cards. The folder in this version is not quite as nice as the limited edition's booklet, but you get the essential information. And, yes, the CD is enhanced for use on the computer in this version.
It is not clear if future pressings of the CD will be enhanced, and I don't expect the cards to be in subsequent runs.
So now you know it all! Which one or ones are you gonna buy!

While the musical score of Fellowship of the Ring is quite beautiful, the "Limited Edition" packaging is a shining example of how genre films brutally exploit their fans.

The music on the Limited Edition CD is identical to the less expensive version of the disk, and all the buyer gets for nearly twice the price is a [faux]-leather slipcase and picture booklet with lyrics to the vocals on the CD. There is nothing substantial in the Limited Edition packaging to warrant the greater expense. Nothing. For it's price and fancy packaging, it looks as though it should contain a second disk, but in doesn't. Don't be fooled.

To justify buying this edition, you have to consider a red leatherette package and lyric book worth an additional 10+ dollars. If you love the music (which is outstanding, and worthwhile), buy the less expensive version and have money left over for another CD.

While the music of this CD is exquisite fantasy fare, the "Limited Edition" packaging is far from magical. For almost twice the price of the regular version, you receive almost nothing in the way of extras and exactly the same music as on the regular edition disk. The additional cost is apparently accounted for in the "leather-like" slipcase and the "art book" that are small recompense for the additional cost. It's no wonder the sheet on the back of the package says nothing with regard to the "limited edition" contents, since there is almost nothing extra offered.

This product is clearly just a stab at the "fan" market with the hope that by adding the "limited edition" stamp to the title it will fool more buyers into spending nearly twice the price. If you are simply interested in the excellent soundtrack, buy the regular version. I wish I had. I could have used the difference in cost to buy another CD.

Five stars for the music, one big star, for the disappointing exploitation of fans.

Before The Fellowship of the Ring, I never paid much attention to Howard Shore, but after I heard his excellent score, I started to get more music composed by him. The music revolves around four basic themes: The theme for Isengard, the theme for the Black Riders, the theme for the Fellowship, and the theme for Hobbits. The range of music is extremely wide. The Black Rider theme is a very dark, gothic theme, while the Hobbit theme is very light and playful reminiscent of an old countryside folktune. The theme for Isengard is very strident percussion and brass with emphasize the evil building under Orthanc. The Fellowship theme is a very bold theme, only heard in its full glory 2 times on the soundtrack on tracks 11 and 13. The hints of most of these themes play in almost all the tracks of the film, however all of these tracks stand alone. For exapmle Amon Hen track 16 is one of my favorite tracks, because it provides a visual picture of what is happenning on the movie screen. The cd is over 70 minutes long, and I wish it could be longer simply because the music is so enjoyable. Shore's score to this epic film belongs on the top ten score's of all time and it truly deserved the Academy Award that it won.

This CD is wonderful! I ran out to the store and bought it the day it first became available, and I have listened to it for hours. I enjoyed it the first time I heard it. After watching the movie (four times & counting) nearly a month later, I haven't been able to take this out of my CD player for very long (sometimes switching it for Blind Guardian's "Nightfall in Middle Earth" for variety).

Howard Shore has really captured the sweeping emotions of Peter Jackson's excellent film: from the mythic opening track "The Prophecy;" to the simple and delightful "Concerning Hobbits;" to the imperious and frightening "Shadow of the Past" and "Treason of Isengard;" to the enchantment of "The Council of Elrond/Aniron;" to the determination and triumph of "The Ring Goes South;" to the desperation and grief of "The Bridge of Khazad Dum;" to the weirdness of "Lothlorien;" to the bittersweet "Breaking of the Fellowship." Enya's haunting "May It Be" is the perfect ending to the soundtrack.

My favourite bits of the soundtrack are tracks 11, 12 & 13, 15, 17, 18. Shore uses very powerful choral work in several of the pieces, performed stirringly by the London Voices, The London Oratory School Schola. Edward Ross, in particular, makes "The Bridge of Khazad Dum" incredibly powerful.

"Concerning Hobbits," which becomes the hobbit theme, reminds me of the hymn "This is My Father's World." I think that's appropriate, because of the innocence and simplicity of the hobbits.

The soundtrack is made infinitely more powerful by viewing the movie. I think that's true of all movies, of course; after seeing the movie you know exactly what's happening during moments of the soundtrack. Just as there were parts of the movie that moved me to tears, there are parts of the soundtrack that nearly do so, during repeated listenings.

This is probably one of my top five soundtracks of all time, and it's coming close to edging out number one Gettysburg and number two Gladiator. I heartily recommend this CD!

The special limited edition of "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" packages the soundtrack to one of 2001's best films in an elegant and upscale, yet still very affordable, deluxe package. Bound in red leather, it has two parchment-look pockets inside, one containing the CD, the other containing the CD booklet on heavy cardstock paper -- this is one CD booklet that won't be in tatters after a few readings.

Unlike so many soundtracks, this one holds up as an album in its own right, with the pastoral hobbit themes -- one of the highlights of the soundtrack for all three movies -- clashing with the dramatic themes accompanying the agents of Mordor. This latter is especially impressive, since John Williams' bombastic Imperial March for "The Empire Strikes Back" has set the tone for years for over the top themes for movie villains. In contrast, Howard Shore's music would sound as at home in the concert hall as in a movie theater, while Williams' work is increasingly unable to transcend its origins.

Recommended for fans of the LotR movies who want to own a handsome collectable version of the soundtrack.

I concur that the music on this CD is beautiful, fantastic, and a masterpiece. And there's no arguing that this is one of my most favorite CDs in my wide collection of movie soundtracks. When compared to the actual movie score, however, this soundtrack really only dusts the surface; especially since the Extended Version came out. If you are a serious LOTR fan, then you've probably seen the movie at least 10 times, which is more than enough to notice all the music in the movie and absolutely love every second of it. "Concerning Hobbits" is one of my favorite tracks, but come on! What about Bilbo's Birthday party song? Not to mention that they skip a whole load of Moria music when they're running away from the Balrog. These are just a couple of examples. Maybe I'm just being picky, but what I look for in an "original motion picture soundtrack" is the ALL the music played in the movie. George Lucas did it for his Star Wars fans (yup, I have ALL of those CDs, and I love them!). There's probably enough music in "The Fellowship" to fill up four CDs, but I'd still buy it. That's what I'm waiting for.

If you're reading this review to help you decide whether or not to buy this CD, I'd say it's worth buying (it's gotten hours and hours of play time from me, but maybe that's because I'm still desiring more!). But when the "Extra-Special Limited Edition" comes out, buy that one too, and sell this one on ebay. Or keep it for the sake of your LOTR collection.

Upon hearing Howard Shore's soundtrack to the first installment of the Lord of the Rings, _The Fellowship of the Ring_, I felt initial disappointment. The music seemed pleasant enough, but nothing really stood out or emblazoned itself onto my aural memory. Then, two hours later, I watched the film. Other than a few key scenes, I didn't notice the music at all. Afterward I re-listened to the soundtrack...and, with some visual cues, my appreciation increased exponentially. Then I saw the film again, and carefully observed how the music was incorporated. My respect for the project as a whole doubled upon this second viewing.

The intention of the soundtrack composer *should* be to create music that intimately compliments the film to which it is attached-it should manipulate moods and establish setting without calling attention to itself; without the viewer noticing the effect. Howard Shore has fashioned an excellent companion piece to The Fellowship of the Rings, an elegant, subtle work that flawlessly mirrors the peaks of tension and atmospheric lulls, from the Last Alliance to Rivendel to Moria to Amon Hen and all those mythic realms in between.

The Celtic flutes of `Concerning Hobbits' evokes the pastoral setting of Hobbiton, while the evocative, somewhat eerie Enya vocal gives Rivendel a proper fantasy feel: beautiful and alien at the same time. Foreboding oboes and violas hint the evil of the Ringwraiths and the treason of Sarumen; booming percussion and distant chanting augments the approaching presence of the Balrog. Sweeping strains carry us down The Great River. There is usually a repetition of themes in soundtracks, and the particular themes that Shore has created work well throughout.

As it is not so immediate or catchy as other `epic' soundtracks, The Fellowship of the Ring bears repeat listening to fully appreciate the use of sound and dramatics, and each subsequent listen is all the more rewarding therein. Highly recommended.

A note on the limited edition: though the packaging is very nice, with a leather case and thick paper for the enclosed book, I was somewhat disappointed that this particular release was not a double-disc set. One disc collects perhaps a third or maybe half of the total music used, thus my four star rating.

I want to start out by saying that I got this cd the day it came out (being both a big Tolkien fan and a big soundtrack fan) and I wanted to get the *Limited Edition* because I thought I'd get something special out of it. This *Limited Edition* is the same cd with a red leather case and a booklet w/ lyrics and more pictures (oh, and the actual cd artwork is different); no extra tracks or another cd with commentary, etc etc. Hardly worth the price. I take off one star for that.

Musically, it is very appealing, with a lot of chorus used, a rich, full sound, and a lot of towering crescendo parts (I like that....). Enya sung very beautifully in "Aniron" and "May it Be," although it would have been even better for it to be a big collaboration between her and Howard Shore (like Hans Zimmer and Lisa Gerrard). Maybe for the Two Towers, Mr. Shore????

Now, the downside: although the underlying theme, most used in "May it Be," is very good and is put to good use, the *main* 14-note theme is not that well thought out and doesn't seem to go with the rest of the cd. The songs (excepting "The Bridge of Khazad Dum" and maybe one other) don't incorporate the main theme all that well, it just sorta sticks out like a sore thumb. There's all these beautiful songs, and then, out of nowhere comes this 14-note theme that almost messes up the experience. Whereas most movie scores are written with a theme in mind, this theme seems to be put in just as an afterthought to make is sound more *heroic* and adventuresome.

It also never changes. Unlike the "May it Be" theme, which is modified several times, and played by different instruments, the main theme is always a trumpet solo, and it never changes tempo or the way it's played. Very boring if you listen to it enough (scratch one star for that). Still, even with that, it's a good score, very enjoyable (except for the main theme), and very memorable, and though I wouldn't go as far as calling it exceptional, I do consider it as one of the better scores that I have. I would suggest, however, that you should get the regular soundtrack (unless you like to spend more money for a red leather case and a bigger booklet).

Favorite tracks:
1. The Prophesy
5. The Black Rider
9. Many Meetings
10. The Council of Elrond
12. A Journey in the Dark
17. The Breaking of the Fellowship
18. May it Be

This is a very evocative collection of tracks. The orchestration, thematic development, and variety are all excellent. Generally speaking, the Soundtrack CD's from many movies can be a little boring and repetitive because the incidental nature of movie music (i.e. it must not overpower the images and dialogue in the film). This CD is an exception and is never boring.

Shore found the perfect balance with the majority of pieces in this score. It supports the movie properly by being "underneath" it; but most (80-90%) of the music stands on its own extremely well. Every time I listen to the CD, I feel some very strong emotions welling up. It's very hard to concentrate at work with my headphones on because of it. :-) It simply demands the attention of imaginative Tolkien lovers and/or music lovers. If you are both--and you liked the movie-- then don't hesitate to buy this soundtrack.

My only nit-pick is a minor technical one: the music has many dramatic dynamic changes. This is a good thing, but the mix could have been normalized a bit more: you might find yourself adjusting the volume frequently. Otherwise you'll either miss some very beautiful quiet passages or be deafened by the fortissimo sections. You won't want to miss either, so keep a hand on the control knobs. I'm tempted to re-burn the CD for myself with a small amount of digital normalization...