Conducted by Harry Gregson-Williams

Solo vocals by Lisbeth Scott

Release Date: June 24, 2003

            DreamWorks Records
 

     Klaus Badelt faces severe competition from Harry Gregson-Williams in the swashbuckling score arena. For fans of this "genre" will be recieving not one, but two scores this summer, starting off with Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas and finishing off later on with Pirates of the Caribbean. So far, Sinbad stands as a strong effort that works, for the most part, on a purely orchestral level that is something of a oddity for a former member of the Zimmer clan. At the same time, the heroic antics cooked up by Gregson-Williams for Sinbad approaches the heights only previously heard in John Debney's quintessential swashbuckler score, Cutthroat Island. Though I don't want to rush to premature conclusions, my gut instinct tells me that Sinbad will turn out far batter for connoisseurs of these types of scores than Pirates of the Caribbean, especially given that Badelt's track record so far has pretty much been uninspired and bland. Though I hope to be proven wrong on that count as two excellent scores this summer would make this a very good year for film scores.

     Any score of this type lives and dies by the type of heroic main theme that it has attached to itself, and Gregson-Williams certainly recognizes this. The theme for Sinbad is just as bombastic and heroic as you could wish for, and if there could be any complaints leveled against it, it's that it doesn't appear often enough. It's wisely kept restrained, however, and that just makes its appearance all that more special. Anticipation is milked perfectly, with a slow buildup that always seems to accompany the full aural bombardment of the theme. The theme for Eris, the villainess, is also perfect, with a slightly digitized distortion of female chorus voices that seem to perfectly fit the character. Building on that idea, the choral moments for the Sirens also work well.

     The CD comes across as slightly lopsided, with plenty of softer moments taking up the first half, while most of the action comes into play in the second half. At least the quieter cues aren't simply throwaway pieces, as all the little motifs and themes that abound in this score keep the interest meter nicely perked. Still, for those looking for the next Cutthroat Island, the second half of the disc will hold the most appeal, and appeal it does. Combining a full orchestra that hasn't been pumped up with electronics, while at the same time retaining many of the sensibilities that many Media Ventures composers possess, the end result boasts some stylistically unique orchestral moments. At the same time, Gregson-Williams doesn't stray too far from the conventions that we've come to expect, making this a totally accessible score.

     With no songs coming into play on this album, the CD clocks in at a nice, almost sixty-five minute running time full of musical goodness. The liner notes are a bit on the skimpy side though, not even containing any comments from the director or composer. A slight loss, but you can't win them all.