Customer Reviews

World Trade Center

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is an independent review of the soundtrack, not the film or sociopolitical dynamics surrounding the release of it. I haven't seen the film yet, so this is truly an unbiased review of the score on its own merits. I am, however, conscious of the subject matter of the film.

Note that the gorgeous and emotive score used in the trailer released earlier this summer is NOT on the soundtrack; my biggest disappointment! Hollywood commonly releases early trailers with one score and then releases the film with and updated score (as with this film) or completely different score.

1. World Trade Center Cello Theme (3:43) - The cello is not constant throughout but performs intermittent pieces more like a vocalist with lyrics. The choral accompaniment, about halfway though, gives foreshadowing of the superior Choral Piece (track 6).
2. World Trade Center Piano Theme (4:01) - For those looking for music from the trailer, this is the piano piece from the first 30 seconds or so. About a minute into this track the score turns highly over-produced, with clamp-thump percussion, rapid clinking sounds, cymbals, synth, and anything else they could muddle in the mix. The beautiful simplicity of the original structure is punctured by some Hollywood editor who clearly didn't understand the beauty of simplicity in dramatic scores. Fortunately, from 2:40 on, it finishes as a nice piano suite.
3. New York Awakes (2:30) - Starts out with nice blend of piano, synth, and orchestra with a slight sense of foreboding. This builds until the last few seconds of tastefully limited percussion and slight up-tempo shift.
4. The Drive Downtown (3:52) - A well done piece that builds appropriately as one draws closer to the end (and I presume closer to the towers in the film). Hans Zimmer fans will do a double take on this one, as several crescendos mimic his influences. I cannot express how much I was hoping this was the "drive downtown" theme from the early theatrical trailer releases.
5. Rise Above The Towers (2:26) - Composer Craig Armstrong took a morning off to let Hans Zimmer write the intro to this track, I'm positive of this. OK, just kidding, but it doesn't start sounding like the rest of the score until a minute into it. And "sounding like" is a good way to put it because, title aside, there's little inspiring about this track. The next track could easily have been merged with it - and probably should have.
6. World Trade Center Choral Piece (2:41) Arguably the best track on the release. The haunting solos by soprano Susan Stevens Logan have vague hints of Howard Shore's closing moments of "The Bridge of Khazad Dum" (Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring). This is the only track that I know I'll add to my rotation of current favorite scores.
7. John & Donna Talk About Their Family (1:25) - Starting almost as a reprise of the Piano Suite, the tract turns to a slowly played guitar-piano score (akin to something from Windham Hill, e.g., George Winston)
8. Ethereal (5:25) - I was completely unimpressed with this flat track. I was slightly glad it was over when it was. That feeling didn't change in subsequent listening.
9. John's Woodshed (1:39) The first minute of this track is almost indistinguishable from the Piano Theme. In fact, if you didn't see "Track:9" displayed on your CD player or iPod, you'd swear you were listening to track 2. It's just a brief reprise.
10. Marine Arrives At Ground Zero (2:57) - Echoed mechanical sounds mixed with natural sounds (cello, then violin) appropriately start this track to musically communicate the sense of arriving at the ground zero aftermath. The track successfully sustains a sense of emptiness and loss, changing only slightly throughout.
11. Will And Allison In The Hospital () -
12. Allison At The Stoplight (1:08) - Another brief reprise of the Piano Theme, just with different string accompaniment.
13. Jimeno Sees Jesus (1:43) Guitar and choral sounds open try to communicate spirituality and peace. It only sort of works. The sampled vocals don't add to the spiritual dimension at all. It leaves me with an "Is that it?" sense.
14. John And Will Found/Will Ascends (5:05) - Again, another Piano Theme reprise with different string accompaniment, this time with deep synth thrown in. Sounds a lot like everything else on the score until 2:46 when the same over-produced "ta-ta-ting, clack clack" add-ins from the Piano Theme get laid over the score for about 15 seconds. Fortunately for the listener, the track finishes more cleanly.
15. John's Apparition (2:31) - Not haunting like the Choral suite (track 6), this string piece has a little dark suspense woven into it. A door-knocking sound appears toward the end for unknown reason.
16. John Rescued/Resolution (7:47) - Yet another Piano Theme reprise for the first minute, then the same percussive add-ins. This remedies itself after about 3 minutes as the song cycles through bits and pieces of several of the previous tracks. Very briefly your treated to that "angelic vocals" effect (a la James Horner's Titanic Suite) by soprano soloist Catherine O'Halloran
17. Elegy (4:39) - This is a reprise of the string-only parts of the previous tracks. The movements are nice and varied to keep you in it for the 4:39 duration. After finishing, one could be forgiven for thinking, "Oh, so that's what this would have sounded like if Hollywood had left it alone!"
18. Ethereal Piano Coda (2:09) - In spite of its title, this not (thankfully) another Piano Theme reprise. The solitude of a solo grand piano gently playing out a melancholy requiem finishes the score with the sense of sorrowful recollection many of us associate with the events of September 11.

After that review, you might be surprised at my 3-of-5 star rating. Don't be. At only 57 minutes, this release has much repetition, few inspiring moments -- which, given the subject matter, you'd hope for loads of them -- and is riddled with obvious "Hollywood-eqse" mix-ins at all the worst spots. You get nice score until suddenly it's like someone tried to blend the theme from "ER" (or one of those prime time TV medical dramas) into Armstrong's original work. Listen to the early release of the score on the early (July 2006) theatrical trailer and you'll hear what this score could have been. When I heard the score on the TV trailer, my heart sank as I heard what Hollywood post-production editing did to it. My only hope here is that Sony will release a second soundtrack with better material, but they normally only do this with big hits like the first Matrix movie, Titanic, etc.

Bottom Line: If you enjoyed the movie and want to relive it through the soundtrack then you'll probably enjoy this release. Otherwise, as a score, this will add little to your collection.

Although I am one to like big symphonic Hollywood film scores (such legends as John Williams and Jerry Goldsmith come to mind), I also recognize the equal value of more subtler scores, scores that are not in-your-face. It is certainly true with Craig Armstrong's beautiful score for director Oliver Stone's 9/11 epic WORLD TRADE CENTER.

Like John Powell's score for Paul Greengrass' UNITED 93 released earlier in 2006, Armstrong's score for WORLD TRADE CENTER is an atmospheric piece, setting itself as an elegy for the horrors that were unleashed on September 11, 2001. The primary instrumentation of the score is piano, cello, and full string orchestra, ornamented by several elements of synthesizers and percussion, and the end result is excellence. It veers back between the physical pain felt by Port Authority officers John McLoughlin (Nicolas Cage) and William Jimeno (Michael Pena) as they are buried beneath the rubble of the World Trade Center, and the psychological pain felt by their wives (Maggie Gyllenhal; Maria Bello); and though obviously moving, it is never overly manipulative. Like the movie to which it belongs, this is a music score that will hopefully become part of the American musical landscape in the future, particularly as the fifth anniversary of one of the darkest days in American history approaches. It is an elegy for the survivors, and a poignant requiem for those who did not make it out.

What I find amazing about this score is the beautiful and subtle strength of the themes. It's one of my new favorite scores! Another great Armstrong score is Elizabeth: The Golden Age.

But in regards to the reviewer, lamenting the fact that the original trailer music ....is not on here....Let me just say it is quite frustrating to hear a beautiful melody in a trailer and find out later its from an entirely different film, It took me 8 years to acquire the often used music from "come see the paradise" which Has been used in countless trailers ...so I empathise with his issue.....BUT if the piece of music in the trailer is what you seek....Let me offer this information, "The life of David Gale"..by alex and jake parker track numero....7...yes seven....Is what your looking for....this would be the second half of trailer music....Overall I do enjoy this score ...It does evoke a tsunami of tears having lost my best friend in the towers, BUT it is a bit redundant, But hey it's a score,....Well, I am no reviewer...I hope this helps someone ....i spent years humming melodies into phones trying to get that obscure music referenced above....
Be well!!!!!!

from start to finish this is a gorgeous soundtrack mostly revolving around the main theme which is amazing and sad but fitting the movie perfectly new york awakes is my favorite you hear it and just picture the morning sunlight striking the new york city skyline!

I am a big fan of Craig Armstrong's work as a composer and as an artist. I always wanted to hear his work for the Oliver Stone film WORLD TRADE CENTER without having to subject myself to the overacting of Nicholas Cage for two hours plus some minutes. I recently got a hold of a copy of the soundtrack and was completely blown away by the music. What I like about Craig's approach to scoring is that he doesn't go the traditional route of John Williams and Hans Zimmer by creating a repetitious pattern of soft, subtle music to loud, bombastic music. Craig's haunting compositions are never overwhelming to the ears. His music is a mix of ambient and classical music and the results he achieves are emotionally moving to the human soul. Regardless if you have seen the film or not, this soundtrack is worth owning to kick back with some tea and a good book. Very relaxing music.

Before I begin I would like to address the complaints about the trailer score not matching the film score. The reason this occurs is because when the trailer is in production the soundtrack for the film is usually not finished yet. (Its one of the last things to be done typically.) Common themes found in trailer after trailer are themes from Braveheart, The Shawshank Redemption, Requiem for a Dream, etc etc. My recommendation before you rush out and buy a soundtrack album based on a movie trailer is to do a little research. The film industry has been doing this literally for YEARS. If you just rushed out and bought a soundtrack based on the trailer music then you really don't have much experience in this area. With the internet and the countless forums online for discussion on this subject, about 10 minutes of your time would have told you the above. Sorry to be so blunt, but to complain about this issue is to complain about just about every soundtrack out there.

That being said, it is difficult to review a soundtrack because of the intent of the listener. I, for example, am an aspiring screenwriter so I am constantly looking for great music to create a mood for my work. (not to write scenes that specifically match the music, just to create a mood. The scene must stand up on its own without having to tell someone to listen to some music while they read it.) Others want something to put on while they paint, work with ceramics, etc. And still others want to listen to it to re-envision the film. Others just want to put it on and listen to some beautiful music and relax.

I'd have to say that if you are one of those who just want to put on the CD and have a good time, you probably will not be able to listen to the album straight through. You will need to skip a few tracks because, yes, it can be repetitive. But if you are looking for something to create a mood of inspiration for creativity, then that repetitiveness can be a godsend. Why? Well I often listen to tracks I like on repeat when I am writing a particular scene. Well, by having variations on the theme I like, I am able to listen to 4 different arrangements of a similar theme and be far less likely to get tired of it. And in this case, each version of the cello theme builds in intensity and is truly a fleshed out character that changes along with the story's characters

The score is a little repetitive but that is not to say it is redundant. This is a fantastic soundtrack and I highly recommend it for anyone who likes deep thought provoking music that isn't sappy or over the top. I was able to write the entire ending to one of my outlines using this soundtrack. That type of music my friends, is VERY hard to come by.

I came very close to giving this a 5, but I decided 4 stars is accurate based on my statements from above.

The first time I watched the trailer it was raining outside... and after watching it my heart poured as well. I was so moved by the trailer that I told myself, as a videographer and as a soundtrack buff, I simply had to go watch the movie and get the soundtrack. It was ttwo disappointing trips. But first on the score. Nothing on the trailer was on the CD which was baffling. I do believe that a true soundtrack should have what's on the movie (and trailer if it has original score written for it), and thee extended versions the composer simply wishes to include aka the composer's complete story.

Touching sounds and echoes but needed the complete score for me to give this a 5 star.....

When I saw the film "World Trade Center" with my Dad, I was expecting a film that would show everything that happened that day. From looking at it from the views of firefighters, police officers and other emergency first responders that until recently, no one really seemed to care about until the unthinkable happened on September 11, 2001. The film is centered around the lives of two Port Authority police officers played by Nicolas Cage and Micheal Pena who become trapped in the collapse of the twin towers in the process of trying to evacuate civilians. In the insuing chaos they themselves become the ones in need of rescue and in need of a miracle in the middle of the darkest day of the United States. The scenes in the film are powerful and very emotional. At times it felt like I was waiting with them in the rubble waiting for someone to find them. The story also looks at the torment that their families go through waiting for news of their loved ones. This is where the composer and the score of the film excel in conveying emotion and ultimately the great high that comes over you when the two men are rescued. After listening to it a few times it was easy for me just to get lost in the rhythm of the haunting melodies that come with many of the tracks on the CD. You instantly begin to feel as though you're right there with the officers arriving on scene at the towers, getting ready to go inside and clear the building and being trapped not knowing what was about to happen. Another soundtrack that is centered around the aftermath of 9/11 is "The Guys" which brings about the same type of emotions that come with tragedy and at the end finding a ray of hope that can help all of us find a way through some of the darkest events in our lives. In all, the soundtrack is better than the film and if you like orchestra film scores that stir your emotions this soundtrack is definitely worth the time to listen to. You won't be dissapointed.

Music, like any other language representative of human experience, can communicate emotion like no other. Where words can sometimes fail you, instruments often times stir empathy and human understanding across boundaries. Music can be both brutal, harsh and angry, and it can also be pleasant, optimistic and cheery. It takes a real talent to be able to blend a range of emotions at the same instant, much as Craig Armstrong has accomplished here.

Anxiety, fear, despair, rage, and optimism come across in the same note, much the same way John Williams was able to communicate the duality of sadness and joy in such works as "Schindler's List" and "Saving Private Ryan." Amidst the darkness of the September 11 events, you can also sense the unity of the personnel onscene that day, and the dedication to rebirth. At times haunting, at times extremely bleak, yet still filled with warmth and hope for a better tomorrow, this music is a fitting tribute, done in a fittingly minimalist style. A very honorable score, filled with as much compassion and feeling as one could expect.

Thankfully, this is not a complete cynical manipulation of emotion with an overabundance of strings, nor is it a hyped-up Hollywood action score, which would have been even more crass. Instead, Armstrong follows John Powell's move with the score to "United 93," opting for music that almost settles more towards the subconscious instead of being incessantly in your face and overwrought. This is part of the music's charm, the way it seems to fade in and out, flowing with each wave of horror and sorrow.

Regardless of your politics or opinions on what transpired on 9/11, both the film and this score push all of that to the side, making you remember how much was lost that day, and at the same time, that moment of togetherness that was gained.

Despite some moments of repetition, the overall achievement of this album is the way it flows as a solid concept. Some tracks stand taller than others, but here there are no real duds, either. A very fitting and respectful tribute to anyone who experienced the attacks of September 11th, whether firsthand or through a TV screen.