The Perfect Storm: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack [SOUNDTRACK]

James Horner

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 20, 2000)
• Original Release Date: June 30, 2000
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Soundtrack
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B00004TTFB
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (68 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #19,922 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

There's no shortage of irony in film composer James Horner's cinematic triumphs with oceanborne disaster. Titanic, of course, became one of the most mega-successful orchestral soundtracks in history. While The Perfect Storm may not scale those commercial heights, it's a worthy, if differently nuanced, companion piece. With his score revolving around a rolling, six-note motif that perfectly evokes the waves of the North Atlantic, Horner colors the tale of the doomed fishing trawler Andrea Gail and her crew with a dramatic restraint that often brings to mind the best work of John Williams and John Barry. Horner's score builds on a dramatic tension between the brass and the strings (and even an apropos metal-guitar lick or two), before climaxing in a pair of lengthy cue-suites ("Coast Guard Rescues" and "The Rogue Wave") that masterfully conjure menace and pure terror from a skillful alchemy of challenging tonality and orchestral color. And, of course, there's a marketing-driven, tacked-on pop song, "Yours Forever," a collaboration between John Mellencamp and Horner (built around the same six-note motif) that's solid if not spectacular; Mellencamp delivers it well and survives with his dignity intact. --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Perfect Score: All-American score for an Excellent Movie, July 6, 2000

By	Brendan Mark Gatt (Malta, Europe) - See all my reviews

James Horner is one of the best composers working on movies nowadays, there's no question about that. His music has a habit of breathing life into a movie, like a soul into a body. However, James Horner, at times, is not the most original composer in the world, and I say this as one of his major fans. He quotes liberally from his own compositions for other films, as he did with the recent 'Bicentennial Man'. While sounding beautiful, and except for some innovative and original cues, 'Bicentennial Man' was essentially a re-hash of 'Braveheart' and, to some extent, 'Legends of the Fall'. And I'm really not complaining, because the music for those two movies is probably my favourite of all time!

The Perfect Storm is not like that.

While at times sounding rather similar to other James Horner classics like 'Apollo 13', 'Titanic', and even 'The Mask of Zorro', Horner's composition for 'The Perfect Storm' is also, in my opinion, The Perfect Score. With a beautiful theme the likes of which we haven't heard since the haunting theme for Braveheart, and with inventive use of Electric Guitars, 'The Perfect Storm' is a pleasure to listen to, both on-screen and off! The music perfectly reflects the changing moods of the sea - from peaceful and beautiful, to wild, loud and terrifying. The Electric Guitars, used in certain key segments like the swordfish catch parts, provide a beautiful and exhilarating contrast to the peaceful, moving theme.

Whilst often having to compete with the action on-screen, especially the huge, thundering crashes of the waves that brought down the Andrea Gail, the score emerges as the winner - a clear, beautiful and moving character in its own right! Like so many previous Horner Scores, the music winds up being another main actor, weaving itself into the action and drama, and infusing it with a vivid, moving spirit.

And the final song with John Mellencamp, 'Yours Forever', isn't bad at all. In fact, it is probably one of the best in a Horner-score movie to date.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Vintage Horner, June 20, 2000

By	"bigbearmdb" (Los Angeles) - See all my reviews

Although I have not seen the movie yet, I am very excited to do so after hearing this CD. This music reminds me of why James Horner is probably the single most saught after composer in Hollywood today.

By turns lovely and melancholy as well as energetically rousing, THE PERFECT STORM clearly tells the story of the film in a haunting, memorable orchestral score. Thematically, it obviously owes a lot to his hugely successful score to TITANIC, but even so this CD holds it own fantastically well. The Mellencamp song is a bit of a letdown, but no matter. Even at nearly 80 minutes long, this disc never overstays its welcome - a real feat for any score.

Even if you are occasionally irritated by Horner's sometimes tendency to repeat himself, this album deserves to be counted as one of the exceptions. Really, really wonderful.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A mediocre outing from a great composer, October 25, 2001

By	Brian Addison (Fullerton, CA United States) - See all my reviews

James Horner has created some of the best scores that film history has had to offer. Some of his most excellent work is clearly seen in his scores for "Apollo 13", "Braveheart", "Legends of the Fall" and the best-selling composed album of all time, "Titanic". However, the strangely disappointing record for "The Perfect Storm" seems mediocre by all means -- and just boring if compared to Horner's previous work.

"The Perfect Storm"'s storyline provides for what would seem like amazing music. However, after listening intently on the album itself, it is quite regular. It seems that Horner threw the compositions together hastily as if he were needing to get to another project (which could, in reality, be true).

No, the entire album is not by any means awful. It is just a normal, slightly above average score. Reason why "above average" was even mentioned is simply for the fact of the amazing track "There's No Goodbye...Only Love". This amazingly beautifully orchestrated piece is the grand achievement of the record itself and deserves completely to be recognized.

The album, as mentioned before, is not in any way "bad" -- but is in no way "great". It stands out as another score that would be pleasant to have softly playing in the background or on your headphones while you relax.

Overall Grade: C