Customer Reviews

Torchwood [Original Soundtrack Recording]

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

For whatever reason, the American iTunes store has released this album for download quite a bit before the scheduled release date in the United Kingdom, and being the fan that I am of both Murray Gold and Ben Foster, I jumped at the chance to get the album in digital form ASAP.

I can't comment on the presentation of the disc itself as I've not gotten it yet, but the music itself is astonishing. While Ben Foster isn't quite as seasoned as Murray Gold on the composing front, he more than holds his own. The themes and motifs he's written to represent these characters range between grungy rock and heart-wrenching orchestra.

Stand out tracks include Owen's Theme -- a piece of music that was particularly popular among fans -- and Gray's Theme, which utilizes the voice of Annalise Whittlesea in much the same way Doctor Who utilized Melanie Pappenheim. Captain Jack's Theme is an epic composition that many fans will remember from the series 2 trailer that aired at the end of Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang.

While there's plenty of tracks that get the pulse racing, there's also a lot of quiet emotion on display here. Often the music is much more somber and reflective than what is heard on the parent show, but it manages to avoid the trap of becoming nothing more than atmospheric noise, and it certainly never gets dull. The last 5 tracks on the disc are almost entirely comprised of soft mournful melodies, but it works to great affect.

The extended version of the Torchwood theme is... odd. It begins by pasting the opening titles music (all eight seconds worth) onto the ending titles theme, but then segues into a piece that was used as incidentals on the show. The editing is a bit bumpy, but it works well enough.

The one sticking point, for me, is the lack of music composed by Murray Gold. He did some excellent work in the first episode of series 2, all of which is missing here. This album is almost entirely Ben's baby, and while it's strong enough to stand on its own two feet, some more of Murray's music would have been nice.

Another issue is in the quality of the sound. There's some pretty nasty clipping in some tracks, and there are some digital artifacts that should have never made it past quality control. The series 3 Doctor Who soundtrack suffered from the same issues to a lesser degree, and I really hope we don't have the same problems to look forward to with the next Doctor Who CD.

If you're a fan of Torchwood -- or a fan of electronic meets orchestra -- definitely pick up this album. It's worth it. Despite having purchased it on iTunes, I will definitely be picking up a hard copy as soon as I can.

This CD for me is a tragedy. It has really awesome music in it, but the quality is so bad some of the tracks are unlistenable. It's like some deaf (or stupid) sound engineer turned the gain up super high. The track "Sleeper, Awake!" has ridiculous clipping distortion.

Again, the music itself is great. If you're not sensitive to horrible digital distortion then you'll love this CD. If you are, I'd highly recommend you preview the tracks thoroughly before buying.

It's unfortunate that I purchased this before I read the reviews. If you can get past the horrid mastering snafu on some of the more prominent tracks (i.e., "Captain Jack's Theme"), then you'll thoroughly enjoy this soundtrack. I wish I could return the MP3s having heard how bad some of these are...

That said, Ben Foster (and the BBC orch of Wales, natch) did an amazing job, making this series' music an emotionally charged gem in the sea of TV soundtracks.

Great soundtrack though it's not really what I expected. Some songs on there that I had to go back and watch episodes on the DVD to find the actual songs..... Good music all the same though.

Great music, that takes you through a full range of emotions. If you have scene the show you will be taken on a ride through the ups and downs of Torchwood. People who have not seen the show still enjoy the music because it is powerful and melodic.

I really love this music; I know some people complained about the mastering quality. However, I bought my copy (as MP3 download) on 10/20/2010, and it seems maybe the publisher has provided Amazon with updated MP3s, because i did not hear any distortions or crackling. And the music is great! :)

I happen to love this show with all of its flaws and occasional shocks to the system. The music is brilliant enough to remind me of Christopher Franke and his soundtracks for Babylon 5 of which I own many. I do admit to a particular affinity for soundtracks and this one conjures up images of the show as well as just being exquisite music by itself.

This music is great, it really is moving, especially Death of Toshiko. If you love or even like Torchwood, this music is for you!

I am such a fan of Murray Gold from his work with the soundtracks from the various series' of Doctor Who, and he does not disappoint with this outing from Torchwood. The music is sublime and carries a bit more of an edge than the Doctor Who soundtracks. It's a bit darker, a little more foreboding, which ties in quite well with the more mature themes of Torchwood, and Mr. Gold's genius shines through with every chord. I would LOVE to hear a full-fledged symphony from this guy, because his music is so emotive, so layered, so subtle, and so soaring. It's just plain beautiful. The highlights of this soundtrack, for me, are "Gray's Theme" and "Jack's Love Theme." They're gorgeous, bittersweet laments; pieces of music that will bring a tear to your eye ... and if they don't, well, I feel sorry for you.

I didn't notice the editing issues that other reviewers have noted, but I'm kind of at a disadvantage, since I have not followed Torchwood as closely as I have Doctor Who, nor was I as mindful of it's incidental music when I was watching; so to me, this soundtrack is simply gravy, an added bonus to my collection of Mr. Gold's work. He's a fantastic composer of contemporary classical music, with a rock 'n' roll edge ... music that compels me to cast an eye to the sky ... in hope and wonder ...

What can I say? I'm a fan! Please, Mr. Gold! I wanna hear a symphony from you! Because I think it would be ... Molto Bene ... very good, indeed!

Silva Screen Records presents "TORCHWOOD [ORIGINAL TELEVISION SOUNDTRACK RECORDING]" -- Songs featured on the Torchwood soundtrack are composed by Ben Foster, who acted as conductor on Torchwood's root series "Doctor Who" and then went on to co-write the music for the first two series of Russell T Davies' program, and Murray Gold, best known for his powerful score for "Doctor Who" which is widely regarded as a major element in the revival of the classic cult series.

Meanwhile, filming of the third season of "Torchwood" has already started in Cardiff --- The new season is called "Torchwood: Children Of Earth" and finds the team embarking on an adventure as they battle for the future of the human race against the fiercest force they have encountered.

Torchwood [Original Television Soundtrack] The complete track listing is as follows:

1 Everything Changes 1:20
2 The Chase 3:25
3 Ghosts 1:56
4 Sleepers, Awake! 1:09
5 Toshiko & Tommy 3:05
6 Into the Hub 2:04
7 The Mission 2:32
8 Gray's Theme 2:41
9 Jack's Love Theme 1:50
10 Another Day, Another Death 2:45
11 Look Right Then Leave 2:48
12 Welcome to Planet Earth 1:51
13 The Plot 3:21
14 Out of Time 1:29
15 The Death of Dr. Owen Harper 2:11
16 King of the Weevils 4:09
17 Owen Fights Death 1:50
18 The Woman on the Roof 2:22
19 Owen's Theme 3:10
20 Pearl & the Ghostmaker 2:24
21 Flat Holm Island 2:08
22 A Boy Called Jonah 4:53
23 Toshiko Sato -- Betrayal & Redemption 3:46
24 Gwen & Rhys 1:13
25 Jack Joins Torchwood 1:34
26 Captain Jack's Theme 3:16
27 I Believe in Him 1:31
28 Memories of Gray 2:29
29 Goodbyes 2:20
30 Death of Toshiko 2:19
31 The End Is Where We Start From 2:24
32 Torchwood Theme 1:46

Must ask the following to take a bow ~ Ben Foster and Murray Gold (Producers) always in their pitching, Ben Foster performing the conducting duties, Reynold D'Silva (Executive Producer), Jake Jackson (Engineer) --- and the label which made it all possible -- Silva America -- must say this collection meets all expectations --- a real winner!

Total Time: 78 mins on 32 Tracks ~ SILCD 1267 ~ (10/14/2008)