Customer Reviews

Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron (Score)

5 star:		(134)
4 star:		(28)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

First off, WOW! Bryan Adams did a wonderful job with this soundtrack. You get a real feeling for this movie. Both the setting of the Old West and you feel the emotions of Spirit within each song. Gorgeous!! Hans Zimmer also did a wonderful job on the score, as good, if not better, then Lion King.
1. Here I Am(end title): 4/5. This is Spirit's victory song. He's fought his way through the worst of times and he's home, with his girl at his side. Everything looks brighter from here on.
2. I Will Always Return: 5/5. Spirit's Homesick song. His memories of his freedom and life on the plains of the U.S.
3. You Can't Take Me: 5/5, the best song on the whole soundtrack. This is Spirit's Fight. He will not be broken, he has a whole life to look forward to and it won't happen in no stable. The harder General pushes, Spirit will push twice as much. It just isn't going to happen. Awesome song with a raw, rough rock sound! Adams has gone back to his roots with this one.
4. Get Off of My Back: 5/5. Another great song, like #3, but a little more fun. Spirit playing games with the men, letting him know it's not gonna happen.
5. Brothers Under the Sun: 5/5. Spirit's and Little Creek's song, I think. They find that they have more in common then they believed. Both held down by the army, both were once free, only the land ruled them. The words resemble much of a certain Native American idea. Everything is connected.
6. Don't Let Go: 4/5. Spirit and Rain's song. Sarah McLaughlin(sp?), joins Adams in this duet. Spirit is falling in love with the Lakota paint horse, and though he misses his life of freedom, for the first time, his thoughts are lost in something else, Rain. And he doesn't want to leave or forget her.
7. This is Where I Belong: 5/5. Similar to Here I Am. The title explains itself. Very beautiful song, Spirit is discovering there are many more wonderful places and things in this world.
8. Here I Am: 4/5. Same as the end title.
9. Sound of the Bugle: 4/5. Spirit's spirit has finally been broken. He gives up, he hopes the first battle he goes to, he dies. Death is better then this. He tries not to forget who he once was. But he's a solider now. Though he will never 100% give up, there has to be a way to break free.
10. Run Free: 5/5. Hans Zimmer comes into the picture a little clearer now. This is one of the songs on the official site. It's is simply gorgeous. As good as "This Land" from the Lion King SDTK
11. Homeland: 5/5. Zimmer outdoes himself again.
12. Rain: 5/5. Zimmer's again. Simply beautiful. Gives you that warm and fuzzy feeling.
13. Long Road Back: 5/5. I love how this one starts out, how you the orchestra just brings out the feeling and tone.
14. Nothing I've Ever Known: 4/5. Adams' is back. Great acustic sound on this one. Spirit is discovering a wonderful thing, love. And he just doesn't know if he should go home or stay with Rain.
15. I Will Always Return(End Title): 5/5. Same as the earlier version.

SPIRIT: STALLION OF THE CIMARRON is a truly amazing, intelligent motion picture, the best yet from DreamWorks and one of the best of all time, animated or not. Since the filmmakers made the bold choice not to have the animals talk (contrary to most animated features these days), the music had to do more for the film than be an underscore. It had to carry the film on its shoulders and convey the emotional feel of each scene. I am pleased to say that it does so perfectly.

The score from Hans Zimmer (The Lion King, etc.) is the standout on the CD - vibrant, exciting, rousing, saddening, and happying, it had me cheering Spirit on all throughout the film (and I didn't get thrown out!) The lyrical songs by Bryan Adams aren't the usual Broadway musical-style songs from Disney, but they work extremely well for DreamWorks in this feature. "Here I Am" as heard in the movie (track 8 on the CD, not the track 1 single version) is amazing and truly expressive of what the film is while "You Can't Take Me," "Get Off My Back," and others also lend to Spirit's tale amazingly well. They and the other lyrical tunes are not as impressive as the underscore, but they'll have you rocking along in no time and are very fun to listen to and sing along with.

My only gripe about the actulal CD release it that the score pieces provided here are obviously abrigements. I wish the complete score had been issued!

All in all, this is a great soundtrack which helps the movie consideably, and I highly suggest you pick it up, fan of the movie or not, for a great listening experience that will lift your spirits. Enjoy!

Pop star Bryan Adams teams up with Oscar winning composer Hans Zimmer(The Lion King, The Prince of Egypt, The Road To El Dorado, ect...) to create one of the best soundtracks to an animated movie ever! This MAY even be a little better than the Lion King or the Prince of Egypt.(Which all 3 were scored by Zimmer, so if he's got the #1,2,& 3 positions all tied up, I think you can tell weve got a genius here.) So, here is Bryan Adams' side.
Personaly, I believe that Bryan Adams is a fine artist. He's got ALLOT going for him, but really, on this album, he's just singing on Zimmer's tunes. About... 5 out of 8 of Bryan's songs.(one of them, "Brothers Under the Sun", has one of Zimmer's themes in there, but they didn't credit Hans for some reason)
1. Here I am- Music by Hans Zimmer, melody by Bryan Adams, lyrics by Grethen Peters. This is the main song for the movie, and it's a good one. This shows Bryan Adams' pop music expertise.
2. I Will Always Return- Another tune of Zimmer's. This is a little more emotionaly charged than "Here I am" was.
The rest of the songs are just good Adams tunes( w/Zimmer) and have good effects for the movie. Zimmer wrote the music for Tracks #1,2,5,7,8,10,11,12,13,14,& 15. The rest Bryan and his buddies handled the music.Tracks 1&2 were basically Bryan's songs with Zimmer's theme stuck in the chorus or the verse. Tracks, 5,7,8,&14 were songs that basically was Zimmer's theme over and over with lyrics and singing. All of the songs are good, they've got really a really nice fresh, pop sound to them. This is a must for any Bryan Adams fan.
Now for Hans Zimmer. This is one of his best scores. And definitely continuing the excellent streak of animated movie scores he's composed, like "The Lion King," "The Prince of Egypt",& The Road To El Dorado". Track 8 is the film version of Bryan Adams' song "Here I am," with an extra 2:30 of Zimmer's score on there. It's a great mix! Bryan Adams and Hans Zimmer sound AWESOME together! "Run Free" is the big action scene. Excellent orchestration, and very adrenaline pumping power. "Homeland" is the main theme for the movie and it's very nice. "Rain" is the theme for spirit's girlfriend. And "The Long Road Back" is definitely one of Zimmer's best orchestrations. It has very nice thems and there are several little nice transitions. I think just about every theme that was in those Bryan Adams songs was on this track. Excellent score!
This is a must for any Zimmer fan. This is a prominent addition to anybody's soundtrack collection. I personally think that Bryan Adams will win best song for "Here I am" this year in the Oscars, and Hans Zimmer will win best original musical or comedy score. Get this album, see what you think!

I haven't seen the movie yet, but I really want to. The music is a masterpiece in itself. Again, Hans Zimmer grabs the listener's attention with a unique and passionate main theme. Fans of Zimmer will appreciate his return to more electronic modes expression. You'll hear echoes of previous works such as "Pearl Harbor", "The Rock," "Point of No Return," and others. In Track 10 (Run Free), there is about 6 whole minutes of "running free." You will feel as if you are actually there--flying across the plains--free as can be. Track 11 (Homeland) is so grand. Zimmer paints pictures with his melodies. I can see images of nature when I hear it. And, hey, I haven't even seen the movie! Again, just to show you how enchanting this CD truly is.

I find this CD incredibly uplifting, soothing, and energetic. It makes me feel optimistic and hopeful. Bryan Adams' performance in Track 1 "I will always return" is food for the soul. It's rather neat to hear Zimmer's grand theme in the background as Bryan sings from the heart. Bryan's other songs are equally inspiring, fun, comforting, if not reflective. Track 5's Brother under the Sun choked me up a few times.

Those who believe in dreams, and those who would like to de-stress by travelling to another world...this CD is a good choice. There are no "scary" heavy music to frighten you (if you listen to it late at night) and the themes are predictable, safe, and very therapeutic. Believe me, you'll be humming the tunes after your 1st-3rd listen!

I was really impressed with this CD. I was excited from the beginning, when I heard Bryan Adams was doing the music and Hans Zimmer was doing the score. I got all that I wanted when I listened to the CD for the first time.
It's set up much like the "Road to El Dorado" CD is: all the lyrical songs and then a few selections from the score. The theme of the movie, "Here I Am" is a really great song with a good beat. Bryan Adams' duet with Sarah McLauchlan for "Don't Let Go" is an exceptionally beautiful song and one of my favorites. "Get Off Of My Back" (the song heard in many of the previews) is great as well. I'd say the song I dislike the most is "You Can't Take Me", but I don't hate it enough to skip over it every time.
There are 4 selections from the movie's score on this CD, and they're all great. Hans Zimmer has always written great scores for animated films, and this is no exception.
I'd say my only complaint is the quality of the picture on the back of the case; you can practically count the pixels. But that's hardly a reason to lower the rating.
If you like Bryan Adams, I can pretty much guarantee you'll enjoy this CD!

Seeing previews for Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron, I already knew I had to see it. I'm a 20-year-old kid, a sucker for animated movies. I couldn't wait for the movie to come out, so I grabbed the soundtrack ahead of time.

And am I glad I did.

This music is wonderful! Bryan Adams's normal rough edges are smoothed out by Hans Zimmer's smooth instrumentation without losing an ounce of the strength, vitality, and potency he's known for. One of the best songs to show this harmonious melting pot is "Get Off My Back," a vibrant song played while a legion of men are trying to break Spirit to their will...to absolutely no avail. Other incredible fusions are "Here I Am" (a song played during Spirit's colthood in the movie), "You Can't Take Me" (A companion to "Get Off My Back," during Spirit's capture and relocation to the human camp), and "Don't Let Go" (the film's love theme, a beautiful song with additional vocals by Sarah McLachlan).

The movie itself is almost silent, with only occassional snatches of dialogue and narration, but Hans Zimmer's score more than speaks for its characters. The composer for "The Lion King" and "The Prince of Egypt," which happen to be two of my all-time favorite movies, scored another soul-searing hit with this stunning album. Heck, I'm listening to it right now as I type this!

Basically, I urge everyone who reads this to go see Spirit and then buy this soundtrack. You won't be sorry. 'Nuff said. :)

'Spirit - Stallion of the Cimarron' is by far the best animated movie for a looooong time (since snow white)and my favourite movie of all time, and a lot of that has to do with the music. There's just something in Bryan Adams's voice that brings out the old West, the hars, dry deserts and rough beauty. And his songs are great, especially combined with Hans Zimmer's score (which is awesome and totally brings out the spirit of the movie). My favourite track is still "Homeland", the music to the introduction of the movie: the theme fits in perfectly with the eagle and buffaloes and wild horses, and the amazing scenery. Favourite BA track, "Get off my back"! such a contrast to all his other songs, which are all heavily emotional. Light and fun!

Overall, great soundtrack. I would have liked it if they added more of Hans Zimmer's stuff though (like they did in the Prince of Egypt soundtrack)

Up until this point, I have considered Bryan Adams "Robin Hood" Soundtrack to be one the all-time Top 10 Soundtracks..

After listening to the "Spirit" Soundtrack, I am proud to add this to my all-time Top 10 list !!!! This music PERFECTLY hits the moods of the movie.. Both happy times and sad times..

The 3 best songs are:
"You Can't Take Me!!!"

"Get Off of my Back!!!"

"Sound the Bugle"

Buy this album..!!

It is a classic...!!!

While I must give in and confess that it's a movie made for everybody, what really made the flick standout above the rest was how the story was told - through music. Music is a powerful weapon and can add greater emotion to any scene of any movie. If done right, the movie will become an even greater experience after it reaches the climax. Luckily, a good friend of mine had a copy, to which I borrowed for a few days and listened. I came out of the listening sessions with an aching desire to check out more works of Bryan Adams. Bryan Adams, along with Award-Winning composer Hans Zimmer, collaborated to bring the movie to life through music.

But before I even speak of the music and how beautiful it can be for the ears, I'll explain the story behind Spirit - Stallion Of The Cimarron. The movie is an animated flick and tells the story of a Kiger mustang named Spirit, who runs wild and free on the Cimarron (New Mexico) wilderness with his family and is determined to make sure they are kept away from enslavement. Unfortunately, a group of soldiers discover and capture Spirit, thus forcing Spirit to be away from his family, as the proud horse is taken to a U.S. Calvary fort, where they attempt to master the proud horse. Sick of seeing his kind being treated in a bad fashion, Spirit escapes the fort with a new goal in mind - to return home and be reunited with his family. Along the way, he encounters new friends and old enemies, not to mention falling for a beautiful paint mare named Rain.

Whereas most stories that you see in movies are told through dialogue, the movie's plot is told through a different standpoint - narration. Matt Damon was hired to convey Spirit's thoughts to the audience. Though little dialogue is heard, the music is what really does that talking, as two musicians team up to deliver a solid, heart-wrenching performance, both vocally and musically.

Bryan Adams steps up to the plate and creates lyrics that gives the lead character a whole new dimension, adding more feelings on how the mustang feels when he is taken away from his family by strangers he never met in his life or how he feels towards Rain, the love of his live, not to mention his determination in returning home for good. Overall, as far as vocals and lyrics are concerned, Bryan Adams does a brilliant job in moving the audience and getting them surrounded with the atmosphere.

So if vocals and lyrics are superb, what about the music? The music is just as uplifting as the two elements combined. Hans Zimmer's role in the entire project felt like magic the moment the movie began. Hans concentrated more on the orchestration, with Bryan pitching in by using acoustic guitars in several songs that helped to display Spirit's emotions during the flick. The instrumentals are also satisfactory, as they manage to let the atmosphere of that era grab you and take you to a different place. Some of the standout tracks are "Here I Am", "I Will Always Return", "Brothers Under The Sun", and "Nothing I've Ever Known", just to name a few. Those tracks should be given more than just one listen, since I can recall myself humming the tune for days.

In conclusion, this is perhaps one of the best movie soundtracks I've heard in years. It opened up my eyes to Bryan Adams and got me to seek out more of his famous works. It also made me realize that music is just as important than to everything else in a movie - without it, the movie won't succeed on its terms. Yes I know - this movie is a kid's movie and it's for everybody, but who cares? In the end, I tend to listen to music that moves me these days - Spirit did a wonderful job in captivating my soul. If you are an aficionado of music soundtracks, then pick this up. Though the movie was released in 2002, which was two years ago, if you think about it, two years later, the music can still stick to your head and never leave your memories for a while.

Michelle Branch is the artist and the name of the song is "You Set Me Free"