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It's been a while since I've purchased a Thomas Newman soundtrack. I think the last one that I picked up by him was "Skyfall" (James Bond) and I really didn't care for that one too much. This, however, is the kind of film that Newman does best. "The Green Mile", "The Road to Perdition", and "Shawshank Redemption" were truly remarkable scores. One of my favorites from him is "Meet Joe Black" however. Thomas Newman, who is the son of the great film composer Alfred Newman, has scored many films over the years but this is his first with director Steven Spielberg. It's well known that John Williams is Spielberg's composer of choice but unfortunately Williams couldn't score this film due to illness. John Williams, who is 83 years old, has actually composed every Spielberg film except one, "The Color Purple" which was scored by Quincy Jones. I think Spielberg's decision to go with Newman was a great one. Newman really has a knack for films like this and although I will forever be eternally curious as to what a John Williams score would of sounded like for this film, I am pleased to say that this really is an outstanding soundtrack.
I haven't seen the film yet, but I am eager to do so. The story is based on the true events of Lt. Francis Gary Powers and when the Soviets shot down his U-2 spy plane. Track one of the score sets the tone with brief old school cold war "Hunt for Red October" sounding music. The Soviet choir is haunting and beautiful. The next track, "Sunlit Silence", sounds heroically American and must be Powers flying high in his U-2 spy plane. It's a great serene and graceful piece that really musically paints a scene of a high altitude flight. Newman incorporates plenty of musical references throughout the score to represent the Soviets, Americans, and espionage. Newman has always composed some fantastic piano music for films. His use of piano and woodwind instruments is a great choice to highlight this sense of spies and espionage throughout the score. Track 6, "Lt. Francis Gary Powers", is one of the most unique in the score. It sounds like something you'd hear in a horror film. It's pretty intense and I am guessing that this might be the Soviets interrogating Powers? The climax of the film is the trading of spies and Newman captures this historical event perfectly with "Glienicke Bridge" (track 13). There is a lot of atmospheric tension music that gets more agitated with piano and Russian vocals about 6 minutes in. This is the most lengthy cue on the album and it runs for nearly 11 minutes. The music is really well done here because you can literally close your eyes and see this scene take place. The track ends in "victory" with a fanfare of military drums, big strings, and brass. The last track, "Bridge of Spies" (track 15), basically presents the musical essence of the entire score, so you'll hear many of the themes and sounds established throughout played here as the end credits roll.
The CD is released through Hollywood Records and contains 15 tracks that run a total of 49 minutes. The score seems short to me...I guess they probably use a lot of period music throughout the film as well? The CD comes with an 8 paneled insert that contains some great pictures from the film, as well as, orchestra/choir credits, and production team credits. There are also some "special thanks" from the composer and interestingly enough...he thanks John Williams! As I mentioned before, this is the type of score that Newman excels at. He has done a great job here. The music really does a great job of expressing the movie well and I love Newman's piano work here...and the cool Cold War Soviet sound too! I recommend!
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