Siegfried & Roy: The Magic Box (Promo)

Review by Thomas Glorieux:

Ladies and Gentlemen, in my life I've witnessed the unthinkable when brilliant soundtracks became unreleased high priorities, other disposable efforts were released like that in wide format. Composers tossed from their perfect project while others got the chance to ruin a film easily because they have to do it the director's way, and not their way. Follow the temptrack, ignore their own creative process. I guess you can guess where I'm going with this but Alan Silvestri has written some of the best scores of his generation, got the chance to work on basic thriller affairs that demanded effective yet boring pieces, and was ignored to shine on his dream come true effort Pirates of the Caribbean. Yet all that he made up in efforts like Back to the Future, Judge Dredd and The Mummy Returns. And what do all those score have in common with one another? The almighty fantasy, adventure laden writing of one composer that can surprise us easily when he's gotten the chance to proof it. And guess where he just got the chance to do it again? On the big screen and in the biggest format possible, the IMAX screen. Many people have said it and they will continue to repeat it, those features often bring the most spectacular music and I'm thrilled to salute Alan Silvestri to the podium finally. Because if there is one composer who breaths pure excitement into adventure, then its him. With that typical style of his he does it so many times and in Siegfried & Roy he just delivers this in almost each track. That its saturated with an abundance of Silvestri styles and above all a couple of familiar themes from him and other composers is perhaps the only small downfall of this album, along with the good but not stellar sound clarity. But trust me, it may lack the clarity for the ultimate spunk but you get your spunk in twice the adventure spirit. With 'Introduction & Main Titles / The Magic Box Opens' the score opens strangely with percussion, a choral fantasy and the Silvestri flair, but when a Holy Grail theme statement of Williams' Last Crusade and the adventure theme start to kick sheer fun notes around, the time is set for Silvestri amazement. Because in 'The Story Begins / Childhood' you get the unexpected delight of hearing The Polar Express trailer music (you remember a choral fanfare that sounds so Silvestri like?) and hearing it here in pure fantasy standards is all to get the blood boiling.

There are barely weaker moments but its not all big adventure music and unlike Van Helsing, there is room to breath. 'Book of Magic' has a softer emotional theme that shines equally in soft as loud versions, but what follows next is just too good for words. Want Silvestri fantasy? You get the full picture in 'The Cage' with a brilliant drum rhythm, Williams fanfares and a menacing choir erupting in the adventure theme, next 'Swamp Incident' just delivers knock out Silvestri adventure spirit when he adds choral fanfares, growing action music and large action excitement with all his themes, only to be followed with 'First Magic Trick', where the emotional theme sounds lovely before racing suspense with evil LOTR fanfares is heard, bringing new tricks down in a climatic version of the adventure theme, truly stunning! Of course the Silvestri trademarks are everywhere but you don't care at all because the excitement is thrilling as hell. 'The Bremen Zoo' proves its not always action music and the percussive flute tune is lovely, especially when it moves to Tomb Raider 2 like music, with a Romancing the Stone trumpet to prove it. This leads all to some diverse moments, like 'Munich Secret Store' with an African led cue, the Polar Express music and after a darker minute the sky clears up with this score's most explosive adventure theme statement. Of course a typical lounge Silvestri cue feels out of place here between all the fantasy but it sure changes the tone for a minute or 2. With 'Teaming Up / Fired' its back to adventure and the rise of the heroic material is enough to bless again the Silvestri stars. 'French Assignment / Coming to Las Vegas' even adds to the heroism a dash of magic when it weaves a flying feel between all the themes of Silvestri, creating a sense of wonder you just don't hear nowadays, or it has to be The Right Stuff of which it holds similarities. The tinkling playful fun in 'White Wild Cats' is another diverse cue with choral aid and 'Flashback Montage & Final' just delivers the icing on the cake with the choir, and fanfares of the themes. The song at the end of the promo is still welcome after all this amazement because it was arranged by Silvestri, even though I prefer to program it as opening track of this disc. But the disc in a whole is a piece of magic and an example of a fantasy score done right. That its unreleased shows again how much quality is lost without we ever realizing it. I rarely had so much fun listening to a Silvestri score and time after time his good (not great) themes kick all the right buttons, creating an IMAX wonder and a fantasy level beyond words. This is Alan Silvestri reaching Back to the Future adventure, Abyss wonder and Mummy Returns explosiveness, get ready to dream.

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Tracks

Single Disc

1. Introduction & Main Titles / The Magic Box Opens (6.22) Excellent Track

2. The Story Begins / Childhood (3.34) Excellent Track

3. Book Of Magic (3.02)

4. The Cage (1.56) Excellent Track

5. Swamp Incident (4.15) Excellent Track

6. First Magic Trick (4.44) Excellent Track

7. The Bremen Zoo (4.21)

8. Munich Secret Store (5.11) Excellent Track

9. Ocean Liner Entrance (1.47)

10. Teaming Up / Fired (3.10) Excellent Track

11. French Assignment / Coming To Las Vegas (4.26) Excellent Track

12. White Wild Cats (3.41)

13. Flashback Montage & Final (4.48) Excellent Track

14. The Grand Illusion * (2.13)

* Vocal by Dennis DeYoung, arranged by Alan Silvestri

Total Length: 53.38

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=== Link to Composer Site: Alan Silvestri ===