Empire of the Sun

Review by Thomas Glorieux:

Easily the long lost forgotten collaboration CD between John Williams and Steven Spielberg, Empire of the Sun without problem shows why I stayed miles away from it (and proving why I haven't listened to it for about 5 years until now). I'm not saying this is a bad score but in comparison to many other Williams' scores and naturally classics, this one fails to take the bait. There are of course several reasons for that. One, the picture itself that didn't stir a lot of attention. Secondly the Williams score that actually doesn't hold a theme of itself to remember after the listen (except from perhaps the only reoccurring song in middle and end) and third and foremost the largest reason, its basically not that strong or interesting as many others in the genre. Maybe due to a lack of memorable theme but also perhaps of the rather dark nature at times, and rather dissonant brooding score that Williams delivers. In that case, Empire of the Sun is sometimes not that different from the lesser parts of Jurassic Park and Close Encounters of the Third Kind, has a bit of the same uninteresting impression of Always and only has one thing in store for us movie fans, an inspiring set of choral pieces which are easily the keepers of the score. For the rest, it is about the normal to effective Williams score there is, yet sadly it doesn't hold a candle to some of Spielberg / Williams' albums there were composed in the future, present or past.

Of course there are moments to be found on the score that are memorable and they have that beautiful choir in abundance. 'Suo Gan' is a rather nice opening track of the score and the hymn like (perhaps even main theme since it is basically one of the two reoccurring themes I spotted) in 'Exsultate Justi' is of rather intriguing quality, coming close to Amistad's excellent main theme at times. Yet, it is when the choir is heard through the brief moments of Williams' magic that the score enlightens us and breaths. The first minute and a half of 'Cadillac of the Skies' is of supreme quality and puts the rest of the music almost to shame. At times coming close to the magic of Hook, this fanfare of choir and orchestra can't stop to dazzle me and only disappoints you more that finding the one and only performance is in the begin. A piece like this can make a rather unmemorable score end like the best in its genre. 'Jim's New Life' is equally good, a playful piece like we heard so many times of John Williams (Always, Home Alone, Far and Away but mostly Jaws 2). Yet from track 4 the fun is over and only occasionally, this score picks up from what the begin offered us. 'Lost in the Crowd' gives us for 5 minutes long dark tense music, the orchestra bringing back the darkest moments of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade and Jaws while the brutal flutes are giving us the nature like environment of Jurassic Park, and you know how I didn't like those parts. 'The Return to the City' is just a boring 8 footer with barely a hint of any interest in it (somber even with its piano play) and 'The Pheasant Hunt' uses ethnic flutes and even the shakuhachi in a piece which combines Jurassic Park and Jumanji in a rather irritating track.

It is yet the dark tone of the score which takes the form of the orchestra, 'The Streets of Shanghai' is just darkness like Close Encounters of the Third Kind with even the frenzy of Jurassic Park through it. Luckily the glimpses of the choir give us a lighter feeling, the themes supported through this choir portray color to 'Imaginary Air Battle' while Chopin and Williams both make you feel alive again in the first part of 'Toy Planes, Home and Hearth' with what looks like a performance of a theme, returning at the end of 'No Road Home / Seeing the Bomb', being equally a rather good track. I make it sound like Empire of the Sun is a bad album which of course it isn't. Just like I haven't seen the film, I know this score will have its effectiveness in the movie. But it simply isn't all that interesting for me to listen to and even the brief glimpses of magic don't make me consider it otherwise. While it is still covering perhaps 15 to 20 minutes of worthy score material, it are the longer tracks which are also the least favorable in the score, making my point clear that this soundtrack can't take me to higher ground. Empire of the Sun is a solid album if an uninteresting one for me to listen to, giving us some brilliant moments of choral delight and several good ideas. But wrapped around a score that covers dark sense, foreboding drama and no particular theme whatsoever to tie it together, it makes for a listen that only once per every year can do the trick, if only for that 15 to 20 minutes of interesting potential.

\ตตต/

Tracks

Single Disc

1. Suo Gan * (2.18)

2. Cadillac Of The Skies (3.48) Excellent Track

3. Jim's New Life (2.32)

4. Lost In The Crowd (5.38)

5. Imaginary Air Battle (2.35)

6. The Return To The City (7.45)

7. Liberation: Exsultate Justi (1.46)

8. The British Grenadiers (2.25)

9. Toy Planes, Home And Hearth ** (4.36)

10. The Streets Of Shanghai (5.10)

11. The Pheasant Hunt (4.24)

12. No Road Home / Seeing The Bomb (6.09)

13. Exsultate Justi (4.59)

* Performed by The Ambrosian Junior Choir, Soloist: James Rainbird

** Performed by Chopin

Total Length: 54.36

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

=== Link to Composer Site: John Williams ===