Beginning, The - Kings Of Tomorrow

Advantages: A great tribute to the adventure scores of the 1930's.
Disadvantages: The constant action and too loyal a following of the Williams tradition can deter some people

...With Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow Edward Shearmur has taken the classical sensibility from The Count of Monte Cristo, the chromaticism of Reign of Fire, and combined them in the grand old orchestral style of John Williams and James Horner of the early 1980's, with more than a nod towards the Golden Age masters Erich Wolfgang Korngold and Max Steiner. In this score, Shearmur lets all restrictions loose and writes music as over-the-top as he can. Of course this lends to the thought that the music loses much in the way of originality, often sounding like a mere Williams mock-up, but this would be undermining the quality of the score. The main theme, first presented in "The World of Tomorrow," is a heroic fanfare in the best superhero style, the beginning of which could be straight out of Williams' Superman of 1978... Read review

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Advantages: Really impressive action adventure score, one of the best of 2005
Disadvantages: Some action scenes a little unremarkable

..., doing the job but very little else (think of the replacement score for Troy, minus all the careful research Yared made). With King Kong Howard doesn't break any new ground, but as far as replacement scores go, it is consistently enjoyable and definitely better than any Media Ventures endeavor done in the past (the number one boys for replacements). This is an old fashioned score. It is all orchestral, with very few electronics in sight which is something to be grateful for. Beginning with the main title "King Kong" we are introduced to the two predominating themes: the Island Theme and the Kong Theme. The Island Theme is a very mysterious, minor-keyed motif that immediately evokes the strange and misty lands that have been forgotten by time. Kong's theme on the other hand is a big, descending four-note motif that is more primal and does... Read review

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Advantages: Lots of classics on one album, accessible to all
Disadvantages: None that I can think of

...by such giants as The Beatles, Aretha Franklyn and The drifters, King never realised her own singing talents until the 70s. Many writers including George benson did this, and found that they had an equal level of comfort with their instrument and their vocal capability. This track explores quite a wide range of Carole’s vocal spectrum and is slow and moving. One of my faves. -- It’s too late – This is a stunning track, that’s all I must say to begin with. King puts herself in the shoes of someone sitting in a relationship that has gone stale, continuing more out of habit than out of love, and as this is so often the case for some couples these days, I found it quite topical and original. The track was later covered in 1991, and very well too I might add, by Dina Carroll, where she kept the same absent minded and mildly... Read review

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