Tron: Legacy (Amazon MP3 Exclusive Version) [+Digital Booklet]

Daft Punk | Format: MP3 Download

Product Details

• Original Release Date: December 7, 2010
• Release Date: December 7, 2010
• Label: Walt Disney Records
• Copyright: (C) 2010 Disney
• Record Company Required Metadata: Music file contains unique purchase identifier. Learn more.
• Total Length: 1:01:18
• Genres:
• ASIN: B004EI3ON4
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (219 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10 Paid in MP3 Albums (See Top 100 Paid in MP3 Albums)
  • #1 in MP3 Downloads > MP3 Albums > Soundtracks

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

853 of 863 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars WARNING: NOT THE COMPLETE SCORE!, December 7, 2010

By 

Dave Cordes (Denver, CO) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tron Legacy (Audio CD)

The U.S. release of this CD is missing a total of 9 tracks. That's over 25 minutes of missing music. There is a much better limited 2-CD release available from Amazon.uk and Amazon.ca that includes 5 bonus tracks not available here in the States:

Encom Part 1 (3:53)
Encom Part 2 (2:18)
Round One (1:41)
Castor (2:19)
Reflections (2:42)

Additionally there are 2 bonus tracks available exclusively only from iTunes:

Father and Son (3:12)
Outlands Part II (2:53)

Also...

Sea of Simulation (2:41) is available to download in lossy mp3 format exclusively from Amazon.

Sunrise Prelude (2:51) is available exclusively to download from Nokia Ovi.

Unfortunately, if you want the complete soundtrack (legally) you have to import the more expensive 2-CD album and the only way to get the other four missing bonus tracks is to purchase them from iTunes AND get the 8th track from Amazon and 9th track from Nokia so keep in mind that you are NOT getting all of the really great memorable music from the film on the single disc 22 track domestic album. It also does not include the two retro 80's songs "Separate Ways (World's Apart)" by Journey and the Eurythmic's "Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)" that were both featured in Flynn's Arcade.

As for the score itself, it's absolutely mind-blowing. Daft Punk have created a sonic masterpiece worthy of the legacy of Tron. Their brilliant layering of ambient electronica with orchestral symphonics is every bit as avant garde in creating atmospheric digital soundscapes as Wendy Carlos' score was for the original Tron. I only wish that they had incorporated some more of Wendy's memorable themes. You can kind of hear a few familiar notes that recalls Tron's theme in "Adagio For Tron" but that's pretty much the only hat tip to Wendy's vintage score. Like the film itself, Daft Punk have taken the music of Tron to a whole new aesthetic level by incorporating their unique style of techno synthpop along with their influences of electronic film composers like Vangelis on "Arrival" to the ominous Carpenter-esque "C.L.U." and synthesizing them with traditional orchestral composers like Bernard Hermann and Max Steiner.

Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homen-Christo demonstrate they have the musical talents to command the accompaniment of a full symphony orchestra and can score unforgettable music for blockbuster films. When I heard Daft Punk were scoring the film, I admit I initially had my doubts that they could pull it off but they have and by far their score for Tron Legacy is one of the best and most inspirationally thrilling movie soundtracks of the modern age and deserves a complete 2-disc release and not scattered all over the Grid.

End of Line

133 of 142 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger TRON, December 7, 2010

By 

John Green "Darkwriter" (Brooklyn, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Tron: Legacy (Amazon MP3 Exclusive Version) [+Digital Booklet] (MP3 Download)

When the word got out that Daft Punk would be scoring the sequel to TRON it generated something of a phenomenon- where fans were more excited for a soundtrack than a movie itself.

Unlike the original TRON soundtrack, there's no silliness or cheesy comedy on display here; the ridiculous scherzo is replaced with both a poignant adagio and a nocturne to underscore the higher stakes in this upgrade to the TRON saga. Orchestrations mixed with techno beats might put off those looking for a pure Daft Punk release, but remember this is a movie score and tracks will be scene-specific and somewhat repetitive in their themes. Plotlines and emotional arcs are being explored here; the symphony lends gravitas to the proceedings and it all comes out pretty good. The only real negatives here are that most tracks are pretty short, clocking in between 1 ½ to 2 ½ minutes. The other is that this isn't a complete release- a few tracks are held back for the deluxe version and one is only available directly from iTunes. How typically Disney...

Wendy Carlos' semi-iconic 24-note TRON theme is used both sparingly and excessively; you get heavy doses of it, but only in the tracks at the beginning, middle and end of the cd. There's also a couple of secondary themes at work here, notably a cello rush and sub-tonal pulsing rhythm that are very effective at setting the mood. The rest of the cuts are peppered with soundscapes that are strikingly similar to Hans Zimmer, Brad Fiedel, and a couple others. But after having seen the flick, I can say it does all fit very well.

Some Highlights: *Potential Spoilers*

Overture- Begins with a single extended synth note underscored by cello until a solo trombone breaks in at the 0:25 mark with a couple of solemn two-noters before it blossoms into a reprise of the TRON theme at 0:52. At 1:35 the synths, string and brass come together (in a pretty rough edit) for another reprise. A very nice build up, but it doesn't appear in the film.

The Grid- Used for the movie's opening sequence, it starts with a brief plot exposition delivered by Jeff Bridges, supported by a pulsing percussion and the debut of one of the secondary themes- an 8-note pulsing reverb- accompanied by a string version of the theme before ending with a TRON reprise in synth.

Recognizer- Named for the police program that sends Sam Flynn and other captured programs to the arena games. Built upon the second major theme- the 8-note cello rush- accompanied by some Zimmer-style bottom and driving sub-tones, it also incorporates an alternate TRON keyboard motif to flesh things out. Very reminiscent of the themes from 'The Dark Knight'.

Rinzler- 8-note sub-tonal intro highlighted by a couple of 4-note crashing percussion sets. Some eerie synth notes blend into a pulsed rhythm supported by cello. Synths and rhythm rise in full with a new set of dystopian percussion before falling into a fade out. A nice intro for C.L.U.'s enigmatic enforcer.

The Game Has Changed- Plays during this film's version of the iconic- and very well done- lightcycle battle, it's also the track used in the initial teaser footage and first trailers. Starts with the 8-note sub-tonal pulse used in 'Rinzler', it only takes ten seconds for the dystopic drums to appear. At :20 seconds they crash head on with a violin rush behind them. Switches to strings and synths until the sub-tones return at 1:13 and the string emerge again, followed by more synth. This sequence repeats a couple times with some alternate synths and filtering thrown in making for a dark, intriguing mix before ending with the crashing drums.

End of Line- Welcome to the most exclusive club in The Grid. Shades of Thomas Dolby with the snare and kick synth combo. Leads into high and mid layered keyboards before adding a couple layers of 7-note synths to carry it. Add in some flutter and warbling effects and it's not bad.

Derezzed- Used for the smackdown fight scene inside the End of Line Club between the heroes and some goons- it's 100% Daft Punk! Fast, frenzied and completely schizoid- and I love the ending when it goes all off-kilter and spastic... in a good way! Only thing wrong with it is it's over way too soon at only 1:44.

TRON Legacy End Credits- Built upon repeating layers of 5-note synths over a 4-note looped drum track. At 1:18 the TRON theme comes in on keyboard. The third time through the theme it gets fleshed out with part of the orchestra as the synths drop underneath. Makes for a nice denouement.

Though I'm not a big fan of the franchise this soundtrack had me pumped up to see this flick and it's a flawless complement to the movie. An excellent piece of work.

42 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The perfect blend of Tron and Daft Punk, December 9, 2010

By 

J. Loudon (Nashville, TN) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Tron Legacy (Audio CD)

When it was first announced Daft Punk would be doing the score for "Tron: Legacy," anyone who has ever held the original film on a pedestal among sci-fi movies was most likely overcome with joy.

After all, Daft Punk's synthesized sound pulls a great deal from the early `80s when the original film was released. Even their helmeted costumes seem to resemble those worn in the computer world of "Tron."

However, what Daft Punk created was something much more serious than any of their studio albums. Like Christopher Nolan's new take on "Batman," "Tron: Legacy" has been described as much darker than the original film and Daft Punk's score, released ten days before the film, follows suit.

The overture introduces Daft Punk's newest adventure with quite possibly the biggest departure from their original sound to be heard on the record.

Gentle horns gradually fill the air just as a full string section takes shape. By the end of "Overture," timpani, cymbals, and a gong provide the ultimate climax, dramatically announcing Daft Punk's first full collaborative venture into cinema and the return of Tron simultaneously.

"The Grid" is the only track with any words put to the music. With Jeff Bridges providing a voiceover for the first half of the track, the song acts as an introduction for anyone who may have missed the first film.

As "The Grid" fades out and "The Son Of Flynn" opens with an arpeggiated synthesizer, listeners get their first taste of Daft Punks blend between their own unique sound and classical music. Although the majority of the tracks on "Tron: Legacy" utilize an excellent balance between the two styles, some of the tracks sway one way or the other, drastically changing the mood of the piece.

Tracks like "The Game Has Changed" offer an almost exclusively classical instrumentation while transforming the percussion section into a series of powerful electronic hits, rattling the eardrums and taking focus off of the ominous strings hidden beneath.

Although the London Philharmonic Orchestra provides all of the string arrangements, their true feature comes on "Adagio for Tron." Sounding a bit like Hans Zimmer's "Hummel Gets the Rockets" from the soundtrack for "The Rock," Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo of Daft Punk use this track as a means of showing off their prowess with orchestration, complete with a simple, yet beautiful cello solo.

As the mood darkens, the music dives deeper into the electronic realm while still maintaining at least some aspects of a symphonic orchestra. Tracks like "End of Line" pull entirely from the electronic realm except for a sustained string part which would typically get lost in a Daft Punk mix, but because of their extraordinary presence on the rest of the album, they remain surprisingly noticeable.

Easily the song most reminiscent of Daft Punk's previous work is the club ready "Derezzed." It's almost hard to believe this track falls on the same album as "Adagio for Tron," but Daft Punk fans will make "Derezzed" the song from the movie to know. Although less than two minutes in length, "Derezzed" finds Daft Punk letting loose and presenting their trademark sound for the world to see on the big screen.

Without words to accompany the music, this album may not ring as positively for all Daft Punk fans, but it will easily add a great deal to the action captured on film. This may be Daft Punk's first venture into film soundtracks, but the duo's masterful work on "Tron: Legacy" makes it hard to believe it will be their last.

Similar Artists: Justice, Deadmau5
Track Suggestion: "Adagio for Tron"