CD Reviews: The Mists of Avalon and Along Came a Spider

The Mists of Avalon ****

LEE HOLDRIDGE, LOREENA MCKENNITT, AEONA

Varèse Sarabande 302 066 266 2

18 tracks - 73:26

Lee Holdridge has done the impossible. Just when you thought you'd heard every possible variation on the Arthurian legend, the TV-movie-of-the-week maestro delivers a gorgeous full-blooded Celtic score to accompany TNT's interpretation of Marion Zimmer Bradley's classic fantasy tome, Mists of Avalon. Forget Goldsmith's romantic First Knight, Trevor Jones' testosterone-fueled Excalibur or playful Merlin (and certainly don't mention Lerner and Loewe's Camelot!); this is a New Age ode to pagan Mother Earth, and just look at that running time for a Varèse disc!

Before you conjure up aural images of Horner's mock Irish melodies in Titanic, or Zimmer's patronizing An Everlasting Piece, rest assured that this traditional Celtic music strives for authenticity. The opening track, "The Mystic's Dream" (by Canadian siren Loreena McKennitt) sets the tone for this magical recording that then slips effortlessly into Holdridge's score with "Morgaine's Journey." The soundtrack is further augmented by Aeone's haunting vocals, along with ethnic flutes and Scottish pipes.

There is also the anachronistic underscore of a synth beat (not dissimilar to Vangelis' approach in 1492) which blends effortlessly with the traditional percussion. And while it would be valid to describe the disc as a dreamy variant on Last of the Mohicans, fused with the essence of Clannad's Robin of Sherwood, The Mists of Avalon is ultimately a unique experience. With its catchy themes, romantic sweep and bravura playing by the Munich Symphony Orchestra, this "big" music from the small screen begs to be played at maximum volume.

While Holdridge may have found his niche in TV-made biopics, let's not forget that this is the man who supplied the muscular notes for The Beastmaster, Ron Howard's whimsical Splash and even the theme tunes to Moonlighting and Beauty and the Beast. With around 150 scores to his name, Holdridge has scored a wide range of genres, but is still an under-rated master of his craft. Hopefully, high profile projects like Mists of Avalon will bring the Haitian-born composer to a wider audience. And until some other treasure is unearthed, this disc may well be the Holy Grail of Arthurian soundtracks.  -- Nick Joy
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Along Came a Spider ** 1/2

JERRY GOLDSMITH

Varèse Sarabande 66238

9 tracks - 34:59

Jerry Goldsmith collaborates with director Lee Tamahori (The Edge) on Along Came a Spider, which has Morgan Freeman reprising his remarkable role from Kiss the Girls. Yes, Goldsmith is known for writing excellent scores for bad films, but his Along Came a Spider, score features mostly stock action and suspense music that lacks any originality or excitement.

The score's main fault is its lack of a particularly strong theme to tie the film together. Certain moments recall similar suspense/action cues from The Shadow, The Edge and U.S. Marshals, but it's a bit of a mish mosh. "The Ransom" features strong moments, focusing on a much repeated four-note percussion motif. This cue also contains an underused theme, which is similar in style to the main U.S. Marshals materials. Much of the rest of the score, however, overemphasizes orchestral rumblings, electronic noises and atmospheric nuances over any sort of musical development.

Goldsmith's one other decent idea is a delicate piano theme that rests over a morose bass pedal. It appears only once or twice on the album (and in the film) but it's the kind of piece that adds a cold, dramatic weight to anything to which its applied. It actually sounds a lot like the "Father and Son" music from Jaws, but why on earth would that make it on to the temp track for Along Came a Spider? Just because of the 25th Anniversary Jaws album release? Or because of a music editor with impeccable taste? Or a mere coincidence?

The great sounding Varèse disc contains about 35 minutes of score, which is sufficient in this case. Overall, Goldsmith's Along Came a Spider ranks low against his similar action scores.  -- Martin Dougherty
 

MailBag@filmscoremonthly.com