Muppet Treasure Island

Review by Thomas Glorieux:

Ever wondered how a pirate score would sound when Hans Zimmer would compose it? Well, this is most definitely it when you look at it. My God, what a most energetic ride of thematic bliss after another. This is one of those albums that listens like the breath of fresh air like the first time you've heard it and the whole album is just divvying music from start to end. Yes, even the songs can entertain me so much with their childish but equally brilliant comic one liners and mixed with that you have a Zimmer score that has energy from the most powerful moments of The Peacemaker brought on the speed of Drop Zone into simply film music power. Muppet Treasure Island is such an album that can drive you absolutely insane because in many ways, peace isn't in the vocabulary when Zimmer composed this score. From begin to end the bombast never stops and makes this score such a listen that takes the standard of speed to an absolute maximum, making sure the pleasure is never far away. And even if you have heard The Peacemaker and Drop Zone and didn't like them, I have a feeling you will react differently to Muppet Treasure Island because the themes (number of them only God knows) make this a joy of a roller coaster ride.

Even if the excellent main theme of Zimmer starts the score in 'Treasure Island', it are the songs that open the album and with it you have some standouts. 'Shiver my Timbers' is two minutes of full bombast with amazing menacing lyrics, the mambo funky piece 'Cabin Fever' mixes so many styles into each other it becomes simply a fun piece to listen to and the somewhat childish begin of 'Boom Shakalaka' can not outdo the sheer bravura of Zimmer and Glennie Smith's amazing score that finishes it. Further you have good songs like 'A Professional Pirate' which has catchy lyrics and the high pitched voice of Jim Hawkings that works to a good degree in the right order in 'Something Better'. And even the end songs are good. When Zimmer's crowning achievement has ended, Ziggy Marley and the good romantic song 'Love Led us Here' still makes the experience well worth it with songs I can easily appreciate and love. But now over to the score; you know I adore Zimmer but I'm gonna praise him a little bit more because I feel he has composed a score so full of brilliance it is astounding to hear that not many people have it in their collection. 'The Map' is an amazing piece of action music on the pace of Drop Zone and mixes in furious main theme versions along with it. While 'Captain Smollet' underscores the noble pride of Kermit and equally the mysteriously dark nature of Captain Silver it is more of the fanfares that rain in 'Land Ho', equally an thrilling ride.

But we haven't praised enough the final minutes of Zimmer's score. Without doubt an exhilarating ride and an amazing duo of music that leans close to the best things he has written in his career, simply because it never repeats the same form once. 'Rescue' is a 7 minute climax from begin to end and states fanfares of heroism and thematic wizardry (listen from 2.30 to the end of the track to find out what the hell I mean). Even the most amazing main theme versions during 5.13 and 5.46 are among the most spectacular music I have heard in my life. And another knockout fanfare that blows you away on screen and on CD is found in 'Honest, Brave and True' during 2.49 and 3.10 before the main theme ends the score in true fashion. I have always praised Muppet Treasure Island for its amazing firework but these days it stands even stronger, especially if you consider that long albums and animated songs can't entertain me any more. But this score surely can do that and with my fullest approval. Again, Muppet Treasure Island is not for softies and blows decibels from the first second, so put that volume up and enjoy the ruckus of thematic wizardry from a man who has clearly shown he is capable in delivering anything that is gold into something that is pure gold. My most kickass recommendation for this outstanding bombfestival.

Score: ****1/2
Songs: ****

\도도1/2/

Tracks

Single Disc

1. Treasure Island * (1.07)

2. Shiver My Timbers (2.23) Excellent Track

3. Something Better (2.59)

4. Sailing For Adventure (2.59)

5. Cabin Fever (2.17)

6. A Professional Pirate (3.14)

7. Boom Shakalaka * (1.21) Excellent Track

8. Love Led Us Here (2.22)

9. The Map * (4.35) Excellent Track

10. Captain Smollet * (2.03)

11. Land Ho * (2.39)

12. Compass * (1.07)

13. Long John * (3.56)

14. Rescue * (7.00) Excellent Track

15. Honest, Brave and True * (3.54) Excellent Track

16. Love Power: Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers (3.40)

17. Love Led Us Here: John Berry - Helen Darling (3.44) Excellent Track

* Soundtrack composed by Hans Zimmer

Total Length: 51.35

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=== Link to Composer Site: Hans Zimmer ===