Orchestrated and Conducted by Howard Shore

Performed by the Flemish Radio Orchestra

Produced by Howard Shore

Release Date: January 11, 2005

             Decca Records

     How does one follow up such an ambitious undertaking as scoring all three of the massive Lord of the Rings films? Apparently that would be by taking up a project that turned out to be this year’s Oscar darling. Howard Shore returns to the forefront of the A-List film composing club with his score to Martin Scorsese’s The Aviator, the Howard Hughes biopic. And while The Aviator may be of less fantastical fare than The Lord of the Rings, Howard Hughes was still a mysterious and larger-than-life figure, which required a score that fulfilled the particular need of bringing his persona into the realm of mythology. And Shore does so quite well.

     With Scorsese giving the film a period look with a colorization style that is a throwback to the Technicolor era, Shore also takes the opportunity to imbue his score with a throwback style. It’s big and brassy and full of the excitement that embodied the thrill of Hughes fascination with flight. The themes are full of excitement and wonder and perfectly embody the grandiose feeling of that age when the beginnings of the technology was just beginning to emerge and the greatness of achievement was gearing up to the levels that we now know of. The score is as stylish and classy as a figure of Hughes type requires, while also retaining the exciting cue pieces that Shore has deftly proved he can handle with ease.

     With lots of heavy brass, melodic string work, and driving signatures, it’s a wonder that there’s even more complexity piled on top. Shore’s themes are minimal in number, but do their job and appear frequently. Perhaps a little two frequently as I constantly have the same one running through my head even hours after I’ve listened to it. And occasionally, the brass pounding that accompanies some of the themes can grow tiresome.  There is a definite John Barry influence in certain cues and themes, and while it tends to work well, it also lends itself to a “where have I heard that before” approach to listening, which negates some of the enjoyment of the score.

     Still, despite its flaws, it’s a welcome comeback for a composer for whom I wondered how his succeeding scores would take on. If you’ve enjoyed Shore thus far, or you simply enjoyed the film itself, this is a wonderful album to take home with you.

01 - Icarus (3:58)

02 - There Is No Great Genius Without Some

        Form of Madness (2:50)

03 - Muirfield (2:22)

04 - H-1 Racer Plane (3:20)

05 - Quarantine (3:52)

06 - Hollywood 1927 (2:59)

07 - The Mighty Hercules (3:32)

08 - Howard Robard Hughes, Jr. (3:57)

09 - America's Aviation Hero (2:05)

10 - 7000 Romaine (2:22)

11 - The Germ Free Zone (2:49)

12 - Screening Room (5:27)

13 - Long Beach Harbour 1947 (3:49)

14 - The Way of the Future (4:01)