Serenity [Soundtrack]

David Newman (Composer) (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 27, 2005)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Soundtrack
• Label: Varese Sarabande
• ASIN: B000AYYUGQ
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (61 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #9,365 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

195 of 231 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Fan, Disappointed, September 29, 2005

By 

Wyatt Allbright "wallbright" (New England, USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Serenity (Audio CD)

You probably won't find a bigger fan of Joss Whedon's Firefly around. And I was physically stunned and emotionally drained after a preview screening of Serenity this past Tuesday evening - it was that good. That said, I am sorely disappointed by the contents of this CD.

I probably own over 100 movie soundtracks/scores. I am most fond of those that remind me of the movie, and which do so by collecting the various identifiable themes and presenting them in their cinematic context. My favorites stand on their own musically, independent of the visuals.

Sad to say that the tracks chosen for this CD are primarily ambience / orchestral sound effect tracks. The very few thematic passages, such as Track 3 / Serenity, are so short-lived that they're over before the theme itself is fully developed. There are, absolutely, some very nice passages but the bulk of the CD's roughly 50 minutes is essentially background music and little of what one would think of as contributing to the emotion of the film. I recall having this same reaction to a past Newman effort: The Phantom. So I'm left wondering if what I'm hearing is his style, his production choices, Whedon's choice(s) or some combination of these that left the music with the most emotional (as opposed to visceral) impact off the CD.

In looking at the selections, I note that roughly 2/3 of the tracks chosen are from the point in the film where things "start happening", essentially continuing sequentially from there to the end. This, of course, is where most of the action is, and where one would expect to have a lot of percussive, dissonant, frenetic motion. And that's pretty much what the listener gets, with the exception of a few very nice passages that are compelling not so much on their own, but in relation to their place in the film.

Regarding the various cultures, instruments and moods Whedon mentions demanding in his liner notes, they are all there. But Joss and I differ greatly on how they were handled. The fiddle, guitar and 'folksy' feel of Firefly's music are completely missing and even where the banjo is used, it's phrases are not banjo-like in any sense that would fit the 'space western' premise of Serenity. If my reaction to the film was any indication, the music must have been a powerful tension builder. But from a released soundtrack standpoint, the tracks chosen for the CD do not stand on their own and the mix of cultures, etc., are much more mishmash than concerto.

Finally, I have to wonder what boob cooked up the track names here. Tracks 9, 10, 15 and 20 are unconscionable spoilers for anyone who hasn't seen the film. As Producer, this falls on Newman again, I believe.

In all this CD, as produced, was not worthy of the film, IMHO.

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars It grows on you, October 28, 2005

By 

Steve (Cheney, WA USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Serenity (Audio CD)

Most of the criticism above is deserved, but much of the music shows its charm with time and multiple playings. No big rousing pieces here, listening to this CD is like listening to a series of short percussion compositions, the sort you might hear at a student concert. The biggest, most disappointing failure is in the end credits. In the movie, they run 5:22, including a lovely solo guitar homage to the original Firefly theme. The CD carries 1:37 of uninspired audio wallpaper.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A mild Dissapointment to Fans, October 17, 2005

By 

Dakota W. Nicolucci "Crazystan" (CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Serenity (Audio CD)

The show Firefly was best known for its combination of Western and Sci-Fi. The music was a big part of getting that feel across. The movie however lacked that strong western sound. The opening piece of music when you see Serenity is perfect, but after that they go into techno beats and music that just isn't Serenity. I can't totally blame them as they probably needed a more main stream sound to attract more people, but as a fan it is a real bummer to see some of the soul music get sucked out. The pieces of music aren't bad, they just don't feel like Firefly. Worth the buy, but don't expect pure Firefly sound. If you want Firefly, just await the Firefly Soundtrack that will be coming out sometime next month