Customer Reviews

The Wings of a Film: The Music of Hans Zimmer

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

 

 

If you're looking for a collection of Zimmer's work all in one place this is it. But that's all. These are not the best versions of his work you'll find and if you've grown to love some of his music from movie soundtrack CDs, you'll be disappointed. This is LIVE meaning each piece has several seconds of applause at the end. The arrangements are for orchestra so some of the studio techniques which give the music a kick are missing.

For some people, once they're used to one version of a song, variations will never do. If that's you don't waste time on this CD. I'm not such a person yet these live recordings left me cold.

The music for Rainman is a good case in point. I like that the arrangement, unlike the soundtrack CD, is a full 3 minutes of the piece (the soundtrack was split into two shorter pieces) but the music simply doesn't transport me the way the original did. There's less emotion.

If you're into Hans then this is still a must have but is not as satisfying as, say, a compilation of the original works.

What more can you want.

A compilation CD of Zimmer from his live concert. The music is brilliant and powerful with the emotion that comes from a live performance.

Unfortuanatley I cannot give this album five stars because the CD misses a number of tracks from the concert which would have made the CD so much better.

That said what is one the CD is great. A selection of some of Zimmer's best work. Nothing new. But it's great hearing the tracks live a good way of getting a sample of Zimmer's work. I didn't have the separate soundtracks for all the cues so for me the CD is excellent and refreshing.

Journey to the Line and Mother Africa are two of the most powerful tracks and my favourites but none of it is bad. Definatley recommended.

Ever buy a CD you had high hopes for and when you got it - it became one you quickly decided you would only listen to once? That would be my experience with this. Over-orchestrated, there is nothing subtle about this recording, it is loud and bombastic. Many of my favorites - such as the Lion King pieces -were reworked and changed miserably. I absolutely loved Zimmers' ~ Millennium: Tribal wisdom and the modern world.

I had been looking for the instrumental music from Thelma and Louise since I saw the film in 1991. Ten years later, on a whim, I found The Wings of a Film and as soon as track four began playing, tears streamed down my face for I had found it. Hans Zimmer is a musical and emotional genius and this is a must have for music lovers. When I saw the preview for Pear Harbor, it brought me to tears only because of the compelling score. I bought the soundtrack, and although it was good, it was not the emotion invoking music of the preview. However in The Wings of a Film, track five is from the Thin Red Line and it too was the song I had sought. I am thrilled with this purchase and suggest it to all with a soul for music.

This compilation is an excellent primer for anyone wishing to sample some of Zimmer's signature compositions. If anything, it has more of a 'Zimmer and friends jam session' vibe than a true classical concert, but it still works rather well on CD.

The live versions of more 'serious' pieces such as "Am I Not Merciful" and "Journey To The Line" unfortunately don't quite live up to the soul-stirring intensity and clarity of the album versions, however they are still worth listening to if you are a Zimmer enthusiast.

It's the more lively pieces, like "Driving", "Thunderbird" and the hard-to-find "Rain Man Main Theme" which are the standout tracks, and full credit must go to the talented Pete Haycock and Heitor Pereira for their blistering live performances on guitar, which are full of energy and passion.

Indeed, perhaps the most unexpected treat on the CD is the version of MI:2's "Nyah and Ethan", which is a truly stunning arrangement of this spanish-influenced piece. The presence of extra stringed instruments which rise and swell with the melody gives this piece a much fuller, richer and epic feel.

Lebo M performs nicely on 'Lea Halalela', less memorably on 'Busa'; Lisa Gerrard gives an slower, carefully articulated vocal performance on 'Now We Are Free'; and the hard-to-find 'True Romance' theme rounds out the album.

All in all, a neat little album that's worth getting for Zimmer novices and fans alike.

This is one of my favorite CD's. My car was broken into and my CD holder taken from the visor. This CD is the first one I replaced. If you like movie music, this is the CD for you. From the drama and power of "Gladiator" to the African plain of "The Lion King", Hans Zimmer's music moves the heart. The added bonus of vocals from Lisa Gerrard (his collaborator on the "Gladiator" score) only make this more special.

What more can you want.

A compilation CD of Zimmer from his live concert. The music is brilliant and powerful with the emotion that comes from a live performance.

Unfortuanatley I cannot give this album five stars because the CD misses a number of tracks from the concert which would have made the CD so much better.

That said what is one the CD is great. A selection of some of Zimmer's best work. Nothing new. But it's great hearing the tracks live a good way of getting a sample of Zimmer's work. I didn't have the separate soundtracks for all the cues so for me the CD is excellent and refreshing.

Journey to the Line and Mother Africa are two of the most powerful tracks and my favourites but none of it is bad. Definatley recommended.

This collection of Hans Zimmer movie soundtrack songs, "Wings of a Film", is a beautiful compilation. I was especially stoked to find the lovely and haunting "Thunderbird" theme from the film "Thelma & Louise", at last presented in its entirety. This tune's absence (there's a truncated version) from the "Thelma & Louise" soundtrack album was a glaring omission, and thankfully it can be found on this recording, faithfully and beautifully executed by slide guitar virtuoso Pete Haycock (who performed it for the film). It's an absolutely beautiful version...

I recommend this Hans Zimmer album in its entirety, and I also recommend Pete Haycock's new CD, "Pete Haycock's True Blues LIVE", which features more amazing slide guitar artistry by this artist (check out the RMI Sound website or Pete Haycock's website for info).

Kudos to Hans for this collection of film music!

Hans Zimmer did a wonderful live Concert of his latest movie scores and it was beautiful . I Wish I could have been there .

Im george zimmer, no relation. this cd is good quality service, and a good price. if i had a warehouse, i'd fill it with his music. he should be president.