Hook

Review by Thomas Glorieux:

I don't understand people when they say Hook is one of the most lousy pictures Spielberg ever made. Sure, you need a severe doses of fantasy to like what's coming your way but I think Peter Pan is all about fantasy in the first place. I simply adored the childlike flavor of it, the wonderful adventure aspect, the comical wits of Hoffman as Captain Hook and most of all the best score of Williams he has ever written, at least to my ears. What the movie needed was above all a fantasy listen on its own and Williams delivers with all his capabilities a mesmerizing score to listen to again and again and again. Hook is just 75 minutes of pure pride and to think that even 144 minutes couldn't capture all that was heard during the movie is astonishing in the first place. Check out the review of Hook "Double CD Release" to find all the things that aren't included on this score. But believe you me, the best moments are here and stay remembered for their exhilarating impression. Again, this score is containing more leitmotifs than people can take hold off and is another sign that all the little signs and variations make the listen on its own worth it. But simply the music is breathtaking and listens after all this time like a breath of fresh air. The opening fanfare is not heard in the movie but brings the DVD's special menu to life each and every time. It is a wonderful and short suite to open the festivity. Enough to let you forget the children's song that captures along with it the piano Never Land theme.

The piano playing of Mike Lang is great in 'Banning Back Home' and the 'Hook - Napped' track is again a display of amazing suspense building, especially during the movie. The odd thing is that the second part of that track is actually the kidnapping and the first the return of the parents at home to find that their children have been kidnapped. Don't know why it was released such way but it works as musical material nonetheless. 'The Arrival of Tink and the Flight to Neverland' is the begin of all the goods, piano music that reminds us greatly of Home Alone after a bunch of Mickey Mouse music, and the sign of the Neverland theme in full wonder as a mind-blowing fanfare. It is the begin of the best music to come. A sign of another leitmotif is 'Presenting the Hook' with its catchy pirate theme or Hook's theme, its another cracker of a theme and reappears briefly in 10. More motifs coming your way in 'The Lost Boy Chase' with its chase motif and the pizzicato plucks so reminiscent of Williams and 'The Never - Feast' receives a stunning display of the banquet theme in full wonder. Even in this track, you have another theme which is the song theme, though instrumental, being as song not everybody's cup of tea apparently. Furthermore, 'Remembering Childhood' is 11 minutes of pure wonder, starting with the fanfare for the run home of Jack, statements of the Neverland theme on piano, violin and its blazing fury in the last minutes of the track. Simply sensational.

But if you thought it was over with the ride, guess again. 'You are the Pan' is one of the best tracks ever composed by Williams, simply for the choral wonder and amazement he adds in movie music magic on screen, the second part is another part of music used for a scene way before this one, it is nonetheless another touching and beautiful piece which makes me cry every time in the movie when heard in the specific scene. 'The Ultimate War' is another display of the capabilities of Williams, with one glorious playful orchestral moment after another (check out the blazing duel between the themes of Hook, the Banquet theme and the Lost Boys theme), even as comical music it works gigantic. And the concluding track 'Farewell Neverland' is another bunch of happy moments weaved with fanfares (even choral) to lighten the sky of Neverland and beyond. Altogether this pretty much makes Hook the best of the best, and of John Williams coming in the first place, it must be one of the grandest compliments I could ever give. Hook, the double CD release offers all this and more, but the original here is equally an excellent listen on its own. Don't think this score can't achieve the scope of John Williams but the 2 CD score simply has more music, and when of this quality you start to consider a thing or two. Hook as an album simply stuns you no matter what whether if 75 minutes or through the 144 maximum load. It remains simply Williams' best to capture the fantasy level and is without question the biggest blunder the Oscar board ever neglected. It deserved to win and most of all, it deserved an nomination to begin with. Pure film music heaven is reached when listening to Peter Pan's amazing fantasy Hook.

Hook "2 CD Bootleg"

Being one of the ultimate classics in Williams' career, it was the one score in the list of the composer that deserved to win the Oscar for best original score. It deserved the award more then any other score of that year, being with Backdraft the two most sparkling and dazzling scores of 1991. But even better was its absence as nominee, the board that decided the absence of Williams' fantasy score still neglected a true winner in the line and personally they screwed up big time. For me it's because of the film. It was to many a complete flop and a soundtrack's success continues with the success of the movie. But my interest in films and its music (whatever stupid it may be) gave me the impression that Spielberg's movie was adventurous, emotional and funny (short: "perfect") while its score gave that all with thematic abundance. The original release had much to offer, but still there was enough material that wasn't found on the CD, and that is all included on this 144 minute lasting album, you read the number correctly. I'll mention it quickly, the new material isn't really that great or important but it still fulfills any Williams' heart with great joy. Some tracks are better and definitely mixed in order and others become more dazzling because some parts simply fit with the success story of this score. They make Hook 'The Complete Score' a wonderful experience that will serve the true Williams fan, heck the true movie music fan.

On the first album there are at least 17 new tracks available, short or somewhat longer and each bring a certain magic that what missed when you listened to the original score. Like 'The Nursery' when the pirate music is heard during the movie for the first time, 'The Dog Barks Hook' is the kidnapping scene from the children, 'Wendy Tells Peter the Truth' is the first of two versions where the strong male choir makes its entrance. With 'Pirates' we witness Hook's dirty crew and 'Peter Fails Hook's Test' is a 7 minute duel between Peter and Captain Hook (notepad versus gun). 'You are Peter' is in fact the second piece of the track 'You are the Pan' on the original soundtrack, presented here in the right order. And to conclude we get Hook's themes in 'Hook's Blues' (Hook trying to kill himself), 'Hook Gives the Children Lessons' and 'Hook's Madness' (Hook's kill the watch room). They bring a certain new atmosphere to the whole score and add some nice material that was missing from the original, but this is really only for the ultimate fans of Williams and its initial movie.

Starting the second disc is such an example of mixing and editing, the first moments are the excellent finale music of Jack hitting a home run (or was it a run home?), then the original 'Remembering Childhood' is inserted into the cue, before ending with the dazzling track 'You are the Pan'. This is really the right order how it should be played and it's really a fantastic track to hear all the 3 fanfares in one amazing cue. 'Tinkerbell Big! / Finale Battle' is once again some new material mixed with a this time bigger track of the original. No doubt on my mind, this is really sensational music. 'Death of the Lost Boy' is new material when Roofio is killed by Hook. Continuing the pleasure is 'Return Home and Finale / End Credits', its once again some new material with the original end title, well not exactly, they inserted new end credits for this piece with the soft main theme and the lost boys chase among others. In fact, I thought that this was the final battle music when Peter and Hook fight for the last time. So this is not included on the score, which is a shame because it is really great stuff. All the next tracks are added material, different versions of the known tracks and one cue that wasn't used in the end of the movie. They all make this a spectacular score filled with 99% of Williams' music.

Important note is that the begin song 'We Don't Wanna Grow Up' is not included on this double CD release and that the song 'When You're Alone' is in fact heard in the last track, after the second version of the 'Never-Feast'. Hook will dazzle everyone, but for some it will happen when they would listen to the original score, for others when they have the pleasure of hearing its complete version. People simply wanting a good overall note of Hook should buy the original score because every sensational track is included on that one and with 75 minutes you get a serious amount of listening material. But this score will thrill everyone that is the ultimate fan of Williams and who wants to hear almost every spot of Williams' composed music. For those that find it important, the tracks are also better mixed and especially found in the right order. Plus you get added material with multiple versions of different tracks. The sound isn't crystal clarity but it's very good. So the ultimate fans could find this one a necessity to their collection but those who haven't got Hook yet (Shame on you) should purchase the original Hook, it's not a tragedy or you have to spend 32$ on it, like I did with this double and ultimate Williams collector's item. Statement after all this; "Those that aren't drooling yet are either dead or didn't read this review with the correct glasses".

Hook: *****
Hook "2 CD Bootleg": *****

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Tracks

Single Disc

1. Prologue (1.29) Excellent Track

2. We Don't Wanna Grow Up * (1.49)

3. Banning Back Home + (2.21)

4. Granny Wendy (2.56)

5. Hook - Napped (3.55) Excellent Track

6. The Arrival Of Tink And The Flight To Neverland (5.55) Excellent Track

7. Presenting The Hook (2.58) Excellent Track

8. From Mermaids To Lost Boys (4.24)

9. The Lost Boy Chase (3.31)

10. Smee's Plan (1.43)

11. The Banquet (3.07)

12. The Never - Feast (4.39) Excellent Track

13. Remembering Childhood (11.02) Excellent Track

14. You Are The Pan (3.58) Excellent Track

15. When You're Alone * (3.13)

16. The Ultimate War (7.51) Excellent Track

17. Farewell Neverland (10.17) Excellent Track

* Lyrics by Leslie Bricusse

+ Piano solo performed by Mike Lang

Total Length: 75.24

Hook "2 CD Bootleg"

Disk One: 72.39

1. Prologue (1.29) Excellent Track

2. Banning Back (2.22)

3. Granny Wendy (First Release) * (2.03)

4. The Nursery * (1.05)

5. Wendy Tells Bedroom Stories * (1.31)

6. The Watch * (0.53)

7. The Dog Barks Hook * (1.57)

8. Hook-Napped (3.55) Excellent Track

9. The Police Leave * (0.53)

10. Wendy Tells Peter The Truth (Original Version, Not Used in Film) * (2.19)

11. Tinkerbell Arrives / Flight To Neverland (5.54) Excellent Track

12. Presenting The Hook (Most of this music was cut from the film) * (3.43) Excellent Track

13. Pirates! * (2.37)

14. Peter Fails Hook's Test (Most of this music was cut from the film) * (7.37)

15. Mermaids (1.12)

16. Home Of The Lost Boys (Original Film Version) * (4.00)

17. The Lost Boys Chase (3.26)

18. You Are Peter * (2.40) Excellent Track

19. Hook's Blues * (2.13)

20. Smee's Plan (1.42)

21. Pan Is Challenged * (1.15)

22. Hook Gives The Children Lessons * (3.02)

23. The Banquet (3.19)

24. The Never-Feast (Long Version) * (6.09) Excellent Track

25. Hook's Madness * (3.57)

Disk Two: 72.08

1. Remembering Childhood / You Are The Pan (Unused Version) (14.32) Excellent Track

2. Tinkerbell Big! / Final Battle (9.54) Excellent Track

3. Death Of The Lost Boy * (2.21)

4. Return Home And Finale / End Credits (16.03) Excellent Track

5. Exit Music (Cut From The Film) * (1.38)

6. Wendy Tells Peter The Truth (Final Film Version) (2.18)

7. Tinkerbell Arrives / Flight To Neverland (Unused Version) (5.19)

8. Tinkerbell Arrives / Flight To Neverland (Second Unused Version) (5.27)

9. The Never-Feast (Second Unused Long Version) (6.03)

10. The Never-Feast (Final Film Version) (8.07)

* For The First Time On CD

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