Product Details
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| 1. Main Title |
| 2. Don't Waste Our Money |
| 3. Arriving in the Desert |
| 4. Morning of the Race |
| 5. The Race Begins |
| 6. The Second Half |
| 7. Sandstorm |
| 8. Frank Pushes On |
| 9. Katib |
| 10. Montage |
| 11. The Trap |
| 12. The Last Push |
| 13. The Final Three |
| 14. Let 'Er Buck |
There isn't a single track that I hugely disapprove of. I enjoy Arriving In The Dessert, track number three for it's steady progressive movements that create an explorative sense of new wonder. That sums up the entire soundtrack to a degree. I also particularly enjoy Montage, track number ten for it's haunty emotion presented in a mix of Arabian vocal, traditional instruments and strings. The following track, number eleven, The Trap comes alive with playful excitement, then we come back again to the reflective tension in number twelve: The Last Push. For the individual cultural differences the songs are arranged extremely well. I love how the soundtrack returns to the opening theme in the final track. It puts a grand, finishing touch on the musical journey, making it come out ahead of the crowd.
In my opinion it is a masterful combination of strings, woods, brass & percussion, timeless and exotic, a classic adventure piece slightly reminiscent of Indiana Jones. No matter how close you evaluate it, the Hidalgo film score is still distinguishably different. It is a note worthy soundtrack that can rate up there with the best, even though it's bound to easily get overlooked and pushed aside regardless. If you've enjoyed the film and do enjoy collection film scores, than this CD is one to have.
An update 6-23-2004
In response to the below message by Angelo Anton, I agree that James Newton Howard is not John Williams. Though he has the potential to fit into the top list of composers, James seems to be limiting his potential and producing music that works solidly for the film but is not that much memorable offscreen on it's own. My response to your comment, Mr. Anton was that I agree with you but I felt that statement made by your instructor seemed a bit ignorant. I realize that there a lot of practical and mainstream(not to mention boring)people out there who don't have the same interest in this art medium of ours. I can sit back and picture a scenario that happens to often where people from this group pick up a score like for example, Titanic or Star Wars, listen to it and come out liking it. But unfortunately assume that it's the best music they have listen to and do not bother to go and listen to works by other talented people in the field. While they are well within their right not to do so, I come across people who seem to think that all films are score by John Williams. Just to let you know why I responded to your message the way I did, because I have about 200 film scores from different composers. I listen to music by the following who I definitely recommend you check out:
Christopher Young(Made his name with horror but writes excellent music all around. Runaway Jury, Entrapment, Bless the Child, and Hellraiser Chronicles, if you can find that)
James Horner(emotional scoring is wonderful despite self plagiarism)
Elliot Goldenthal
(Intelligent but bizarre orchaestrations, does a lot of off film music for example broadway productions directed by his wife Julie Taymor)
Brian Tyler(Rising star, he will no doubt be big someday)
Elia Cmiral(Ronin, underated composer)
Bernard Hermann(Hitchcock's composer, you know Psycho)
Jerry Goldsmith(practically wrote the book on modern film scoring as he has scored a lot of films, you can consider him John Williams' equal)
James Newton Howard(the subject of this message)
George Fenton(one of Britain's top composers)
Someone on a review for one of these James Newton Howard Soundtracks rated him in the ranks of John Williams and Howard Shore and that is not true. As my college professor once told me, the movie composition business' whole goal is to have you leave the theater singing or humming a theme so you have to buy a soundtrack. JN Howard does not achieve this goal in anyway, so he failed to pay attention in school. I cannot remember one single theme from Hidalgo! Comparing him to John Williams, Howard Shore, James Horner...even Alan Silvestri, is wrong. These gentlemen all do pretty amazing work. I can hum at least 1 theme by each of these composers. His music has the capability to be more, but it never goes anywhere: it just sounds good at the time, which is not enough. Don't buy this cause it's nothing you will ever want to listen to again!
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