:: grumble ::
Soundclips of the "inspired by" album are available at
http://www.hearitfirst.com/narnia/
< begin rant about the CD -- not Disney's marketing ;D >
Let me start off the bat by saying that I haven't heard any more of this album then just the clips above, so I can't "truly" critique the album as a whole.
However I'm fairly sure that the songs are well represented in those clips, and if that's the case, this album is exactly as feared: a pointless attempt to cash in on the movie's building hype before it even opens. Probably, for the most part, "foolish" consumers will even think that this is the movie's ACTUAL soundtrack and purchase it unknowingly. Worse off, they might then actually think that the movie will INCLUDE these songs, and hopefully this won't turn away too many people who haven't read carefully enough that this is "inspired by" music.
Yes, I realize this is somewhat overly dramatic and cynical, but this particular "Inspired by" album has really pissed me off for two main reasons:
1) It's been released BEFORE the ACTUAL soundtrack to the movie it's representing. This gives a false presentation of the movie itself, and doesn't present the mindless masses with the option of purchasing the ACTUAL music from the film INSTEAD -- they're likely to get confused and not buy the Score later because they "already have" the soundtrack.
I've looked over the packaging to this album and nowhere does it mention that the Score by composed Harry Gregson-Williams will also be released at a later time (probably due to legalities of advertising another company's product -- those of you Disney Album completists should know that this album is released by EMI, NOT "Walt Disney Records" as the score is scheduled to be), so no one is given the information about multiple releases.
2) LISTEN to the clips -- this sounds like the most UNoriginal collection of music I've heard in years. Unlike a lot of other "score-geeks", I actually listen to, and LIKE, pop music. Top 40, rock, even some rap, etc. etc. is all mixed into my playlist. These songs though . . . standard chord progressions, cliche vocalizations, and just all around they have that "been there, done that before" sound to them. "New World" by TobyMac is a complete Linkin Park ripoff, down to the shouting background vocals and pounding guitar riffs. It's SAD, really.
The only track I'm even mildly interested in hearing in full is "Turkish Delight", already mentioned by MenkenMcKeeFan. It actually sounds like it could be a fun mix of weird and Narnia (.... and while this lessens my anti-this-album argument because it makes me seem interested in a single track, it's truthful at least).
But seriously -- listen to the soundclips. Virtually every song sounds rediculously contrived to be "popular", and thus ends up horribly boring.
Sorry for the rant to those who like the album; I realize once we venture out of Disney-music territory, music tastes spread wide and far all over the place. And I'd be much much less angry if this was released come December 16th. .... and even LESS angry if I thought that the music was original and actually worthy of a release.
< / end rant >
And while this is irrelevent to the album itself, I should add that I'm GREATLY anticipating this movie and hope Disney doesn't screw it up. And, if you can't tell, I'm also strongly looking forward to Harry Gregson-Williams' score.
P.S. For what it's worth, I like Atlantis and Treasure Planet.
-Matt
