Racing Stripes

Review by Thomas Glorieux:

Silly movies can come out anytime, but when its Disney based you can see this through the fingers. And Racing Stripes is just aimed for kids. And perhaps I'm being just friendly about it because a Belgian directed this piece, one of the few people who can direct a movie in Hollywood and get away with it. Of course it will never win prices but there was at least a promising box office result and the fact high honored actors lend their voice to the whole movie still says something. Now the most surprising choice, considering Frederic Du Chau already directed Quest for Camelot for Disney could be composer Mark Isham on the set. Not directly a family based composer, but Isham equally scored Fly Away Home, the other celebrated score by many fans from him. Because, believe it or not, Du Chau knows his composers, first Patrick Doyle and now Isham and they both delivered on their parts. Isham especially makes sure what he did wrong for fans with Miracle, he corrected with Racing Stripes, a wonderful to listen to score with lots of heroic blasts and many adoring themes it makes the score really shine. The songs are equally eligible for an occasion. Bryan Adams' one is more typical him, meaning we heard the style before but Sting's one is based around a theme of Isham, and works on its subdued side well enough for a better recommendation. As now for the score, Isham immediately will surprise you with 'It Was a Dark and Stormy Night', first some Texan guitar but moves soon to an action based brass festivity, occasionally crossing the path with Miracle's style, and the often used African style also is heard here. 'At Home on Walsh Farm' introduces us to the song theme as the emotional theme, and gets near the end even downright Texan jiggy!

But what's good about Racing Stripes is the ability of various themes, and in more then pleasing orchestral order, 'I'm A Racehorse' shows us the good heroic theme, and the emotional theme in order, only to be lead by African vocals, song theme and heroic theme versions in a nice pleaser namely 'The Blue Moon Races'. Some time there is room for some more comedic music, but I have to say the lively rhythm and saxophone with violin surely gives 'A Pelican Named Goose' some feel. 'Tucker Lays it Out!' brings back the emotional theme, already heavier on the orchestral side, while even sirtaki is noticed in 8. 'Upstaged By a Zebra' then suddenly blows you away when a true fanfare knocks you silly by its orchestral power, its really rousing. The emotional theme around 13, African vocal and style in 15 briefly and another rousing heroic theme version in 'Spring Training', even more powerful then ever heard before. The song theme and dark sounding suspense is for 'Ambushed!' while 'They're All In' has some action scoring. Yet, as with most Disney scores there always must be a big happy rousing finish, and 'The Big Race' doesn't disappoint, again Isham's themes make notice, a variation on the heroic theme, the rousing fanfares of track 13, the African song briefly while the emotional theme suddenly takes over that exploding orchestral grandeur and shows what Miracle only could deliver in the final decisive track. Yet this makes Racing Stripes all in all more then that Miracle, and shows Isham is truly a good composer, when he forgets to score the bleak jazzy thrillers and goes for something more alive and upbeat. Of course a Disney film is just that in a nutshell but still you have to deliver on that part. And Racing Stripes will become a favorite for many that found Miracle to lack that spunk, heroic grandeur and rousing form too much.

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Tracks

Single Disc

1. Taking The Inside Rail: Sting (4.16)

2. It Was A Dark And Stormy Night (4.05)

3. At Home On Walsh Farm (5.01)

4. I'm A Racehorse (2.51)

5. The Blue Moon Races (3.39) Excellent Track

6. A Pelican Named Goose (1.19)

7. Tucker Lays It Out! (2.25)

8. Goose Makes A Hit On The Iron Horse (2.10)

9. Run Like The Wind (2.04)

10. Twilight Run (2.27)

11. Upstaged By A Zebra (2.46) Excellent Track

12. A Brave Decision (1.48)

13. Glory Days (3.18)

14. If You Build It, They Will Come (2.21)

15. Out Of Africa (1.06)

16. Spring Training (2.31) Excellent Track

17. Ambushed! (4.48)

18. Filly In Distress (1.05)

19. Race Day (1.03)

20. They're All In (1.12)

21. The Big Race (7.19) Excellent Track

22. In The Winner's Circle (1.54)

23. It Ain't Over Yet: Bryan Adams (3.18)

Total Length: 64.47

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

=== Link to Composer Site: Mark Isham ===