Alive

Review by Thomas Glorieux:

Alive has always been one score that maintained the status of unknown, overlooked, not tried out and this for several reasons. And in many ways this is a shame. It wouldn't take two years before James Newton Howard would burst powerfully into the Hollywood list of film composers with Waterworld and everything before that epic remains unsolved. Except for The Fugitive people seem to dismiss this score, but when you look at it, Alive offers a great main theme and short but glorious heroic fanfares, and not much of the downside mood that people would associate with this type of movie. Howard approached the score with a sense of hope and brought the characters a positive musical accompaniment. It means that Alive offers a bit more life then first intended and this portrays itself into the score, that for Howard fans employs stuff worth investigating in. For a 30 minute score the top musical moments are scarce but effective. Howard keeps things lively and directly pinpoints that the remaining survivors of the plain crash have a hopeful case for remaining to fight for their lives. And this shows itself in the main theme, soft in 'Alberto' and emotionally beautiful in 'End Credits'.

The heroic and hopeful fanfares in 'Finding the Tail' bring more positive impressions about the score. Still, much else is subdued and offering the main background score to accompany the movie's most dramatic scenes. This keeps the score going up and down in a positive and calm progression, creating a sense of drama and hope. The last track, offering the only real brilliant version of the main theme is truly the big highlight. The main theme received its stunning end version at the end of the movie but isn't found on the score, merely for because it shows up in the 'End Credits'. It nonetheless offers true charm and supreme beauty, the kind of music that Howard can really bring. It concludes the score with a high positive feeling and overall this is really a satisfying listen, but unfortunately it offers too less of the really good stuff. Alive is a nice occasional listen and true Howard devotees, who were stunned of this man's potential have no reason to ignore it when they find it for a decent shopping price.

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Tracks

Single Disc

1. The First Night (4.12)

2. Home (1.00)

3. Nando Awakes (2.21)

4. Finding The Tail (3.29)

5. Alberto (1.50)

6. Eating (5.02)

7. Are You Ready? (1.16)

8. Frozen Climbers (1.53)

9. It's God (2.43)

10. The Final Climb (3.30)

11. End Title (3.06) Excellent Track

Total Length: 30.50

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=== Link to Composer Site: James Newton Howard ===