Customer Reviews

Salt (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

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'Salt' is the latest soundtrack composed by James Newton Howard for the hit summer flick of the same name. For this techno spy thriller JNH employed the usual Remote Control/Media Ventures techniques of mixing techno-beats with orchestral cues... and it sound a lot like you'd expect it to. But there are some surprises along the way, just not all of them are good.

It's an unusual blend going on here. The thematic pieces flow so well you can almost tell when he's going to drop one in. But the mix of techno and orchestra doesn't always work; many times it feels disjointed and slapped together- another hallmark of Remote Control Studios.

Salt's theme is often foreshadowed by a brief string lead-in that flows into it seamlessly. It works but the problem with it is that JNH already used the Salt cue in Last Airbender- a motif built upon the second and fourth notes/measures alternately rising and falling. Put Aang's motif on electric cello multiplied by 4 = Evelyn Salt.

The KA-12 theme for the Russian spies is hard and unyielding. This minimal six-note combo of guitar riff/electric cello/bass drum lends great atmosphere to every track it appears in, especially when accompanied by the female chorus he employs. There's another string theme that appears in the latter half of the cd- mainly tied into Salt's character arc- which I would've like to have heard more of.

Some highlights:
Escaping the CIA- After an understated beginning the cellos and high hat come in at :51 to deliver the `time's running out' theme as Evelyn Salt engineers her escape. At 1:38 the Salt/Aang theme debuts. From 3:47 on there's an escalating six-note string ostinato with high brass at the end that makes for a good climax.

Cornered- Programmed percussion and clave sticks accompanied by some nice trombone. Good but short; reminds you a little of 'Mombasa' from the Inception soundtrack.

Chase Across D.C.- Zimmer-esque percussions and synths along with some guitar riffs propel Salt as she eludes CIA pursuit. There's several sharp, jarring changes in tempo; notably at 2:32 when a single-note pounding beat is introduced with blaring horns as the conflict escalates before it switches at 2:43 back to the riffs and drum trax with strings. The higher strings and trombones ramp up the tension nicely and the Salt theme is well used. It's Remote Control Studios at their best.

Taser Puppet- A Red Bull-fueled escape track. Opening guitar actually reminds me of 'Battery' by Metallica. Bass guitar, cello and more drum trax- which are kinda good. At :50 the tempo slows a little, but only a little, as it shifts back to a more orchestral mode.

You Are My Greatest Creation- Starts with the KA-12 theme as an ostinato before fading underneath some melodic strings indicating a brief interlude, but the imminent cellos and female chorus don't let you forget what's really happening. Slips into more somber arrangements with heavier cello and higher violin before the KA-12 theme returns with electric cello.

Destiny- A solemn piece focused mostly on higher strings. At 1:32 it takes a tragic turn as the bass drum, fuller string and Russian chants mark Salt's moment of clarity as she realizes the truth of her situation and finally accepts what's to come.

Barge Apocalypse- More heavy percussion and frantic horns starts us off along with the KA-12 theme as an ostinato. Female chants briefly accompany it before a subliminal heartbeat rhythm is introduced as the strings descend into a reflective mode with some reverb bass. Ends like Pink Floyd's Eclipse, sans dialogue.

Mano A Mano- Opens with some very nice action-oriented percussion and high strings. High hat, clave sticks and an alternate Salt theme on violin punctuate the action as the heroine faces down her adversary. Good but short action piece.

Go Get 'Em- Slow beginning builds into a Russian-styled string crescendo with some great chants pumping it up. Switches up at 1:14 into techno-thriller mode with layered strings supported by the Salt theme.


There's lots of frenetic, bombastic, attention-grabbing moments in Salt, but also lots of chaos and some choppiness. Maybe he was bogged down with work; he's got five soundtracks coming out this year and parts of this seem like they were pulled out of the Remote Control vault. I'll admit to not being used to JNH's non-orchestral works; this one didn't really work for me. But it's still good enough to add to your collection despite its weak points.

The recording of this massive orchestra is superb with each section brilliantly layered and its great technical precision and clarity summons up all the intensity of the film. It is also a great test for surround sound equipment.

James Newton Howard is one of the best talents working in the industry today. So far this year his score have been a bit all over the place. The Last Airbender was a terrific score even if the film wasn't. Then we have Nanny McPhee Returns, which is an easily forgettable effort. However, when it comes to action and espionage films we are usually always treated to a fun melodic ride. Does Salt provide that? Yes and no. The score is indeed an aggressive action score propelled with percussion and electronics. Now, when it comes to espionage films James Newton Howard is the king. The Fugitive still stands as one of the best scores for these kinds of films, but I'm not going to even begin to try and compare Salt to The Fugitive. They are two completely different films minus the whole "fugitive" aspect.

The score itself is a decent ride, and while it has some great elements in the end it just feels very jumbled. At times it can be a percussive adrenaline ride and then he'll bring out the heavy electric guitar, which turns it into a "balls to the wall" action score. To give you a better feel of what this score is it's probably like Zimmer's Mission Impossible 2 infused with a John Powell style. If you played this score blindly to me I probably would never guess that James Newton Howard did it. It just doesn't sound like his style.

In the end this score is entertaining, but you can't escape how average the score is. It doesn't really give us anything new in terms of action scoring and it's also lacking in the Newton Howard style. Towards the end of the score we get more familiar Newton Howard arrangements. I don't know what exactly it is about the score that doesn't hook me. I do think it's a good score, but it's not something I would listen to over and over again. For instance I still listen to Waterworld, Blood Diamond, Treasure Island and a few other incredible James Newton Howard scores. I don't think Salt will go in that bank of memorable classics, but it still isn't a bad score. It may feel like a video game score at times, but it's worth a listen if you are a James Newton Howard fan. And let's face it, who isn't?

Excellent product, arrived in very good state and for the deadlines. Music her is lively, just like the movie. I thank you for it and I say to you goodbye.

A very good score for an exciting film; perhaps the tempo is a little too fast in parts.Excellent for fans of James Newton Howard music otherwise if not a fan, you need to think twice.

The only score by James Newton Howard besides "The Village" that I enjoyed, "Salt" is a spy film fit for John Powell's music to the "Bourne" series.

However, I adamantly insist Howard returns for the eventual sequel(s), as thematically he has defined Evelyn Salt (portrayed by Angelina Jolie) better than Powell could do for her in 2005's "Mr. & Mrs Smith".

The sixty-two minute CD release seems a little on the short side - it's over too quick!! - but I have only seen the film once when it opened in cinemas and I can't remember whether the material expanse was contiguous over the hour and forty minutes or not. I'm guessing this is as solid as it could have been, but I would have loved to have heard more.

In "Salt", Howard captures suspense, chase and combat while sustaining a thematically cohesive attachment with the audience and the main character's conflict, revenge and recurring fight/flight relief.

Subsequently I'm now very interested to see how the composer does with "The Tourist", in his second collaboration with Jolie on screen.

When I heard that SALT was only available as a CD-R release I was a bit dissaponited but when I recieved my copy with excellent artwork inserts & picture CD things were looking up. And then as soon as I played it I was 100% satisfied.
The audio is of great quality & each track draws you into every scene of the movie. James did an awsome action score for this & even though it wasnt officially released I reccomend it to anyone who's a fan of movie scores

I find it to be an awesome album that I have gotten really fond of. Exept for song number 4 (Orlov's Story), it has pace and tells the story of the movie. A good way to relive it (the movie).

Great quality pressed CDR, I always like to own a hard copy of a soundtrack rather than just a digital download. Music made an impression when viewing the film but not a signature James Newton Howard score. Like the film itself, you can't help but make comparisons with the Bourne series but it's a great listen all the same and a welcome addition to my soundtrack collection.

I love the CD. It arrived quickly and i have had no problems with it.
Thanks!