Red Planet (2000 Film) [SOUNDTRACK]

Graeme Revell

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 7, 2000)
• Original Release Date: November 7, 2000
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Soundtrack
• Label: Ark 21
• ASIN: B000050HZW
• Also Available in: Audio CD
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #35,690 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
It's not unusual for high-concept Hollywood projects to result in strange sets of cinema doppelgängers; in 2000, two studios released tales of astronauts stranded on Mars, first the so-bad-it-might-become-a-camp-classic Mission to Mars, then Red Planet. But if both movies shared a sense of Survivor bloated with extraterrestrial existentialism, their music couldn't be more dissimilar. In contrast to Mars's typically dignified Morricone orchestral score, Red Planet features a more adventurous fusion of composer Graeme Revell's synth-scapes coupled with a slate of electronica-infused songs by Peter Gabriel (the industrial "The Tower Ate People" and its remix), Sting (the moody "A Thousand Years"), and Strange Cargo ("Montauk Point," a brooding 1995 side project featuring William Orbit, Rico Conning, and spoken word artist Joe Frank). But the revelations here are Revell's genre-morphing collaborations with French opera star Emma Shapplin, tracks that fuse electronics, organic elements, and seemingly ageless liturgical music into an intriguing new whole. --Jerry McCulley

Product Description
Composed by Graeme Revell and also includes tracks by Peter Gabriel, Sting, Emma Shapplin & Strange Cargo (William Orbit). --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A mysterious journey through space and styles, August 31, 2003

By	Veggiechiliqueen - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)

Strangely enough, I'd actually picked up the "Red Planet" soundtrack years before renting the movie (after seeing the movie, I still prefer the soundtrack as a standalone). The reason for buying a soundtrack to a movie I'd never seen can be summed up in two words: Emma Shapplin (née Crystèle Joliton).

Ms. Shapplin is a French chanteuse who specializes in Gothic operas with Renaissance Italian lyrics (buy her fantastic debut "Carmine Meo" to experience her for yourself). On "Red Planet" she lends her angelic soprano to three tracks: "Inferno," "The Fifth Heaven," and "Canto XXX," all cleverly taken from Dante's "Inferno" (another song on the soundtrack, "Dante's Eternal Flame," pays tribute to the author as well). These three songs are the high point of "Red Planet" and the reason I gave the soundtrack four stars (I did not care for the Peter Gabriel song and remix). Emma's songs are not present in the film, instead orchestral versions are used (some of which, sadly, are not included on the soundtrack).

The other songs are an eclectic mix from Sting ("A Thousand Years" from "Brand New Day"), Peter Gabriel ("The Tower That Ate People" and remix), Strange Cargo's "Montok Point," Melissa Kaplan ("Dante's Eternal Flame"), and Graeme Revell's score ("Mars Red Planet," "Alone," and "Crash Landing," which doesn't really seem to fit with the musical mood). Revell uses lush layering of synths, and space-type sounds (fragile bells/windchimes on "Inferno," layered choirs and mysterious background noises on "Canto XXX," the world beat choirs on "Alone" and "Fifth Heaven," delicate piano, lush strings) to create a mysterious, occasionally tense soundscape. "Crash Landing" resorts to an atonal cacophony of sound that was most unpleasant to my ears, but the rest of Revell's score compliments the film's tense, mysterious atmosphere perfectly.

My two main complaints with the soundtrack are length (with a noticeable lack of onscreen score and only twelve songs, two being remixes) and sequencing. Overall, "Red Planet" is a unique listening experience that fans of electronic/Emma Shapplin should enjoy and a nice accompaniment to the film.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Almost Perfect Soundtrack, January 14, 2001

By	John Emmons (Canton, Ohio USA) - See all my reviews

When I fist looked at the Red Planet soundtrack, I thought that Graeme Revell, the composer, only got four tracks on the CD, which did not surprise me because other movies he's done (The Crow, Spawn, Strange Days) either have seperate score CDs or little music of his at all. But I got the soundtrack because I'm also a Sting/Police fan. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that he had also written the three songs with vocals by Emma Shapplin. Upon listening to the music, I fell in love immediately to Emma's angelic voice with Revell's soothing, techno music. Of the three songs my favorite is "Canto XXX" which is perfect in every way. Revell's music in this soundtrack remains lush and beautiful like his other great soundtrack, The Saint. He keeps his music tensed with emotion and full of grace and rhythm. One of the movie's main themes, present in "Canto XXX," can also be heard in the first thirty seconds of "Alone." If this theme sounds familiar, it is because it is also in Strange Days. In fact, the only song done by Revell on that soundtrack is basically "Alone" with lyrics. My only complaint with Revell's music is that of the four songs with Shapplin and Kaplan only "The Fifth Heaven" is actually in the movie. Ironic, really, because usually it's instrumental music that's left off the soundtrack, not the movie. Plus, there are at least five to ten more minutes of music from the movie that could have fit onto this soundtrack. "MontokPoint" fits wonderfully into the mood of this album, but also is not in the movie. The Sting song is soft and smooth and a favorite of mine. I like the remix of the Police song, which sounds like a futuristic version of the song with gives the movie more dimension. The Peter Gabriel songs are loud and garbled and really does not fit this soundtrack that well. The soundtrack ends with Carrie-Ann Moss' message to her crew on Mars. It's short, haunting and a great way to end an almost perfect soundtrack.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Brilliant Soundtrack To A Very Underrated Film, December 9, 2000

By	Alan Caylow (USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

What a shame that the movie "Red Planet" has performed so poorly with clueless movie critics & also at the U.S. box office. This is an excellent sci-fi adventure film that deserves MUCH better, and I hope & pray that the home video market will be a lot kinder to it.One of the great things about "Red Planet" is it's striking soundtrack, with music composed by Graeme Revell. I first became aware of Revell's work on another of my favorite films, "Strange Days," and I must say, this guy is GOOD. His music for "Red Planet" is simply incredible, and thankfully, we get a big seven tracks from Revell on this soundtrack album. On four of them, there are superb vocal contributions by Italian songstress Emma Shapplin and singer Melissa Kaplan, whose operatic voices compliment Revell's compositions beautifully. Revell also gets some spotlight time to himself, as on the simple but stunning "Alone," and the adrenaline-pumping "Crash Landing." I hope this man one day wins an Oscar recognising his film-scoring chops, because he certainly deserves one.However, Revell is in very good company on the "Red Planet" soundtrack. Peter Gabriel makes a very powerful contribution with a pair of slammin' remixes of "The Tower That Ate People," a song from his import-only album, "OVO." William Orbit's Strange Cargo are also represented with the spacey, hypnotic "MontokPoint," and last but not least, Sting is onboard with the lovely "A Thousand Years," a song borrowed from his "Brand New Day" album which really does fit perfectly with the mood of the film, and a very catchy remix by Different Gear of Sting's old classic with The Police, "When The World Is Running Down." From start to finish, this soundtrack album GRABS you.The "Red Planet" movie soundtrack is a terrific CD that is definitely worth adding to your collection. It's music will make you sit up and take notice. Hopefully, it will also get you to see "Red Planet" itself if you haven't done so already! To heck with the critics---it's a very strong adventure film, and this first-rate soundtrack album is one of the reasons why.