We are Marshall

Review by Thomas Glorieux:

I'm a sucker for sports movies. When done right there is nothing better than to experience the thrill of a sports event in winning climatic circumstances, watching serious battles for honor and cups, hearing heroic music over it swelling to its finest blazing performances. The last in line to join the 'based on true events' is We Are Marshall, the story about the football team of Marshall University that lost their players, coaches and sponsors during a plane crash, and how the town struggled to pick up their lives and retake their honor that is We Are Marshall. Director on the job was Charlie's Angels McG, actors were Matthew Sahara McConaughey and Matthew Lost Fox and composer was Christophe Pink Panther Beck? No Christophe Garfield Beck? One thing didn't see eye to eye with one another in the line of promising names and yet, there is nothing more exhilarating than hearing a man go out of his typecast genre and compose something people haven't heard from him yet. Christophe Buffy Beck could just do that with We Are Marshall. And if he delivers I'll tell ya soon. With 'Theme from We Are Marshall' you receive his noble yet extremely faint main sports march, never exploding nor rising to a concert performance. And yet perhaps the reason is because it was intended that way. 'Marshall vs. East Carolina' starts with a piano version of the theme and then the actual sports music begins. And yet begin or beginning to enthrall it doesn't do at all, because its merely disappointing drums and rhythms. The nobility in 'Winning is Everything', the charming if forgettable piano melody in 'Annie and Chris', the rising on edge approach of partly the main theme in 'Breaking News' is fitting and the solo vocal of the theme in 'Our Boy's Plane' evermore. Its just you hope to grow from that point on more and more to something sports illustrated. Sadly it doesn't happen.

With 'Aftermath' its mere guitar and piano with a little string work, same for 'Dedmon's List', a solo cello for 'Son of Marshall' or a slow horn in 'Rebirth'. The only difference is for 'Nate's Plea' where briefly a statement is made of some sport's glory due to the theme. Yet the moment you spot the drums sole wise in 'The Young Thundering Herd' your patience is up and you wonder if inspiration is just used to tell the story of the town. And then something amazing happens, in that mere track he just makes from boring tepid drums a promising piece with just an orchestra that flows fluently in the mix, replacing the march of the drums for a more sport attitude of spirit and heart with the theme. What's more interesting is the ending with a particularly noticed brass / flute rage. And its here where the intention lies, to go from a colorless drum rhythm to an orchestral inspiring march when a new team is formed. Its in these moments where Beck shows why getting him onboard was a good thing. 'Marshall vs. Xavier' starts normally with moody underscore until suspense is brought in the game, color is added through a simple heroic ditty and the way Beck simply works to his climax here is a textbook example of how its supposed to be done. Not powerfully, but interestingly. With 'Second Half' he totally explodes with fanfares, percussion and suspense and again its great to hear this music after such a tepid beginning. The main theme flourishes in 'Touchdown' and even if it isn't a great main theme, the We Are Marshall glory is felt in this track. The more respected breeze of the final track closes the score off like it began, with a nobility too frequently used during the music. However hearing the story behind We Are Marshall still makes sense, because Beck couldn't compose the same heroic music for a different team, even though its under the same name. The choice is a valid one and it might not make the score enthralling all the way, more boring in begin. Its however in the ending where Beck shows some small innovating ideas in big ways, not Rudy bigness nor League of Their Own amazement but in his own manner. We Are Marshall sings forward in these moments proudly its name, despite the heard before attitude.

\ตตต1/2/

Tracks

Single Disc

1. Theme From "We Are Marshall" (3.14)

2. Marshall Vs. East Carolina (3.14)

3. Winning Is Everything (2.03)

4. Annie And Chris (1.01)

5. Breaking News (1.54)

6. Our Boy's Plane (3.08)

7. Aftermath (2.29)

8. Nate's Plea (2.54)

9. Dedmon's List (2.11)

10. Why Jack Called (2.30)

11. Sons Of Marshall (1.44)

12. Rebirth (1.36)

13. The Young Thundering Herd (2.10) Excellent Track

14. Back On Track (2.28)

15. Remembering #29 (3.49)

16. Marshall Vs. Xavier (3.58) Excellent Track

17. Game Day (4.29)

18. Second Half (3.44) Excellent Track

19. Touchdown (2.18) Excellent Track

20. From The Ashes We Rose (3.34)

Total Length: 54.38

The use of artwork or photos is posted for non profitable reasons