This Is Music For Warriors, Heroes, Legends And Gods (Gladiator - Soundtrack)

Member Name: Farting Weasel

Product:	Gladiator - Soundtrack
Date:	25/09/05 (576 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Awesome orchestral music

Disadvantages: Why two discs.

Performer – Hans Zimmer and Lisa Gerrard.
The Albums – Gladiator, Music From The Motion Picture.
Released 2000 on Deccal.
467 094-2
&
Gladiator, More Music From The Motion Picture.
Released 2001 on Decca.
013192-2

Right, before anyone jumps in to tell me that I could review each of these separately, I don’t want to. Why? Because these two should have really been issued as a double disc. So I’m reviewing them together.

Save the wear and tear on your index fingers for something or some one else.

Now; here’s a question for you. Who do you think was the originator of heavy metal? The Kinks? How about Black Sabbath or Deep Purple? No, none of them. It was Wagner. And his touch can be heard all over these discs. Not massively, nor is he plagiarized, but there are bits that he would’ve been proud of. I jest ye not.

But there is an ironic twist. Oh yes.

Zimmer and Gerrard have mixed the big orchestra sound with all sorts of other stuff that could quite easily have you thinking that this is one of those New Age discs. But unlike those nasty, shallow little offerings, the Gladiator soundtrack is powerful stuff. Even at it’s quietest.

Yep, this is music for warriors, heroes, legends and gods. The orchestration is immense, giving the impression of huge forces opposed to each other, each holding a grievance against the other. This is music to fight to. There are passages that sweep you along and others that lay you down as soft as breath from the gentlest of breezes. And that voice. Christ, I’ve never heard a vocal as good as this. Lisa Gerrard evokes the sweltering heat, the dust and the unrelenting sun of the scene where the movie is set. In fact the whole lot leaves you in no doubt where it is set. Although this is a soundtrack, it could quite easily, in my opinion, be released as a record without a film. It won a golden globe, and I am in no doubt that it thoroughly deserves it.

So where does Wagner come into it then? Well, basically where the score is loud, abrasive such as ‘The Battle’ or ‘Barbarian Horde’. Zimmer hasn’t copied nor plagiarized Wagner, but the spirit is there. The big choirs, the martial overtones. The huge melodies that get you hooked. All mixed in with the movie scorers ability to convey action and tension. ‘Barbarian Horde’ and parts of ‘Am I Not Merciful?’ especially have a strong ‘Twig light Of The Gods’’ feel to them that struck me the instant I saw the bit of film it was in. Further still, the main theme melody within ‘Barbarian Horde’ has a melody Elgar would have been proud of.

This is music for warriors, kings, gods and legends. It evokes times where men fought and died with the dream of being chosen to stand in the halls of their deities, with honour, knowing they had died with a sword in their hands.

Fantastic stuff.

And then it goes quiet. Almost silent in some places. The start of ‘Am I Not Merciful’ (again), for example, is written and played so low and quietly that if you play it on a crappy car stereo, you’ll miss it completely (cheap kit just does not have the frequency response). ‘Elysium’ offers a vocal that utterly enchants, backed with an understated orchestra that supports rather than swamps. ‘Progeny’ and ‘The Battle’ offer a deceptively peaceful beginning to the whole affair. ‘Sorrow’ is as its’ title suggests, utterly remorseful. Almost spiritual, it is during these quieter moments within the score that the music is at it’s most powerful. I don’t know why. But there you are.

Zimmer and Gerrard have let the orchestration take the load. There are traditional instruments used but sparingly, which is no bad thing. Just like James Horner with the Braveheart soundtrack, they’ve used traditional instruments to gently draw out the atmosphere of the piece, rather than over use them and bludgeon you over the head

My only criticism of the whole thing is the sleeve notes. There aren’t any. It would’ve been good to have some kind of commentary from the composers. But this is where the second disc comes in.

On ‘Gladiator, More Music From The Motion Picture’, we get just that, and also demo tracks and tracks not used in the final cut. Plus, we are given copious notes describing what went on during the scoring and recording.

Better still, there are moments of dialogue taken from the film, some of which ended up not being used. I think this is not such a bad idea. And yes, they have included that speech.

As for the music, there is little I can add that I have not already said. This second disc really fills in the bits missing from the first, so any previous comments also apply here too.

As I said at the start, these two discs should have been released as one double disc. The cashing in is a bit obvious. However, as I write this there has been a new double disk released. I haven’t heard it yet but from the cover it seems to have all that is on these two plus more. I’ll tell you when I get it.

In the meantime, get these.

Enjoy.

Summary: New double cd just issued!!!!!!!