The Dark Crystal [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, 25th Anniversary Edition] [Import]

For all who do not know, only a few years ago, a 2-CD edition of the Dark Crystal soundtrack was released by Numenorean Music - one CD contains the original soundtrack (the same as the 25th Anniversary CD), but the other CD contains the whole entire movie score (28 tracks!). I own this edition myself, but like it says on the package, it is a limited edition release. Unfortunately, the Numenorean Music website where I purchased the 2-CD set from no longer exists, but I know for a fact that it did not sell out quickly like the other reviewer has stated because copies were still available on the main website for over a good 2 years or so. The 2-CD set can still be found on other web store sites I'm sure and I have found copies available on eBay, so overall if anybody is after a lot more music from the Dark Crystal movie, definitely go after the 2-CD soundtrack and entire score set instead because it also is a remastered version and sounds superb! It still is good to see a major remastered release of this soundtrack CD though...the original was barely released on a CD and mainly on vinyl LP around the time the movie first came out...

Here is the track list for the entire movie score CD from the limited edition release:

1 Opening Titles And Main Theme / The Mystics' Sandpainting 4:54
2 Jen Plays His Pipes 0:56
3 Jen Goes To His Dying Master 0:39
4 The Death Of The Emperor / Death Of The Mystic Master / Mystics
Memorial Ceremony / Jen's Journey Through The New World 3:18
5 Skeksis Debate Leadership / Skeksis Duel (Film Version) 3:10
6 Chamberlain Is Attacked 1:20
7 Skeksis Summoned By Alarm 0:50
8 Garthim Are Dispatched / Jen On Aghra's Mountain 2:29
9 Jen Enters Aughra's Observatory 1:21
10 Jen Discovers Shard 0:22
11 Observatory Destroyed / Mystics Set Out 2:28
12 Gelflings Meet / Dreamfast 2:11
13 Skeksis Feast - Part One 2:27
14 Skeksis Feast - Part Two 0:30
15 Batbirds Dispatched / Environmental Musical Sounds / Gelfling Song /
Batbird Brought Down / Mystics Travelling #1 2:25
16 Pod Party / Destruction Of The Pod Village 4:10
17 Jen And Kira Love Theme 1:36
18 The Prophecy In The Ruins 2:09
19 Escape From The Chamberlain / Kira Summons The Landstriders 1:47
20 Jen And Kira Set Off On The Landstriders / Pod Person Drained 2:37
21 The Battle / Mystics Travelling #2 4:20
22 Jen And Kira In The Sewer 1:43
23 Kira Brought Before The Skeksis 0:57
24 Kira Drained In The Chamber Of Life 1:12
25 Kira Freed / Jen Goes In Search / Mystic Disintegrates / Mystics
Travelling #3 1:08
26 Jen Trapped In Lair / Jen Reaches Chamber Of Life 0:26
27 Jen Discovers Crystal Chamber 3:40
28 Gelfling Frightens The Skeksis / The Crystal Made Whole / Mystics And
Skeksis / Fuse / Finale / End Credits 16:10

I do know that those who like the film are most likely to buy this CD, but I would like to reccomend this for any fans of classical music, especially fans of Stravinsky and Prokofiev.

Tailor-made for this otherworldly film, this soundtrack is elegantly composed weirdness. While definitely strange and eerie, the sountrack is still very tatefully done, without resorting to the in-your-face, bombastic styles so typical of other soundtracks. Basically, picture putting Stravinsky and the composer for the soundtrack of Gone With the Wind into a jam session and giving them a couple synthesizers for good measure.

Seriously, I don't dislike a single song on this disk, which is rare for a soundtrack. I also put this on for my mother, who dislikes Stravinsky and his ilk, and she only disliked one track, despite that even she had to admit the similarities to Stravinsky's work. This is an excellent disk, and is one of my absolute favorites now.

As one reviewer put it, there was, indeed, a fuller version of this soundtrack out some time ago and yes, it is something of a listening experience however the album recordings allow you too enjoy the complete Pod peoples dance party music and the Gelfling Love theme and the Dark Crystal anthem in there entirety, a sound which evokes times spent walking across Dartmoor or the Lake District, wonderful music, truly inspiring work and this album alone is worthy to be hailed highly for these very recordings. The extended 2 disc version was insightful but not a nessarcary addition as it is the only end tracks (27) Jen Discovers Crystal Chamber and track (28) Gelfling Frightens The Skeksis, The Crystal Made Whole, Mystics and Skeksis, Fuse, Finale, End Credits which stand out finally, as I recall that whole sequence at the end of the film was musically very powerful and there Henson's ideas about music and image speaking more poignantly and successfully than the use of dialogue alone, are seen and heard at there finest but I have to say some addtional bonus tracks from the 2 disc edition wouldn't have gone a miss here.