This promo 2-disk compilation contains music written for films and TV by composer Richard Band who is widely known for scoring numerous horror B-movies such as the Re-Animator 1&2, the Puppet Master series, The Arrival etc, as well as many successful TV series such as Buffy: The Vampire Slayer, Walker: Texas Ranger, Dawson Creek etc. The two CDs are cleverly labelled 'Drama' and 'Comedy' and within each CD many sections appear such as 'Sci-fi', 'Romantic', 'Adventure' etc. The compilation focuses mainly on the composer's television work and surprisingly omits almost all of his early horror-movie scores. The first CD provides a taste of the composer's remarkable dramatic scoring capabilities -- - from the epic, full bodied 'Overture', somehow reminiscent of Newton-Howard's Waterworld (although I can't say which one was written first), to the magnificent, choral 'Hyperion Bay', to the pounding, action-packed 'Robo-Warriors' with its splendid fanfares, and 'Metalstorm'. Dawson's Creek's light-hearted and warm melodies add a up-lifting touch to the CD, while in Stargate SG-1, he skillfully integrates David Arnold's original themes in his work yet contributing his own strongly original voice. In Dragonworld, he craftily paints the music with ethnic orchestral colours. In Castle Freak, there is Richard Band's brand of horror with atonal string passages and distorted, metallic, synthesised sounds assist in that! Add to that 7 superb tracks from Buffy: The Vampire Slayer in which eerie string music is interweaved with choral passages. Finally Waterworld (CDROM game) is a lovely theme rendered by strings and brass mixed with chanting wordless choir. The second CD in comprised of music from comedy features and cartoons and it exhibits the same remarkable diversity in compositional styles as presented in the first CD, and it certainly is a delightful compilation that contains many highlights such as the funny 'In the Dog House', the jazzy 'Shrunken Heads', the detailed and colourful 'Dungeon Master', influenced by the music of Bernard Herrmann, etc. Several hilarious "Cartoon Bumpers" are interspersed throughout the CD elevating the comic and light-hearted mood of the CD. Not often is such craftsmanship found in a compilation like this and if you are familiar with Richard Band's music you will be pleasantly surprised. He demonstrates a great diversity and ability to adapt to the needs of the drama or comedy on-screen and to produce scores that contribute significantly and enhance the emotional impact of the show, whether this is a TV movie, a cartoon, a film or even a CDROM game. These who are familiar with his music will probably find the omission of his early horror scores disappointing. Highly recommended! Reviewer Kostas Anagnostou	Reviewer Kostas Anagnostou Reviews from previous months Reviews carry sales links but you can also purchase from:
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