John POWELL and Harry GREGSON-WILLIAMS
Chicken Run
OST
RCA VICTOR 09026-63702-2
[63:04]
Crotchet
Amazon
UK
Amazon
USA
Nick Park always insisted on eschewing the traditional Tom & Jerry approach
when it came to music for his Wallace and Gromit films in favour of music
that might be applied to any feature film. As he observed, his were real
characters, in real, well quite real, situations with real feelings. He maintains
the same philosophy for Chicken Run and Powell and Gregson-Williams
deliver a gung-ho heroic score very much in the mould of A Close Shave.
The score is an eclectic patchwork quilt of material reminiscent of Ron Goodwin
in Where Eagles Dare mode, Jerome Moross's The Big Country,
Eric Coates in The Dam Busters mode, and Elmer Bernstein's The
Great Escape etc. It is a kaleidoscope of many styles which I am sure
work well with the animation: Scottish, Celtic/Irish, Country and
Western/hoe-down , the rumba, waltz, vaudeville and Italian etc. etc. There
is much military music with heroic brass and snare drum flourishes; and hot
swing and fowl jazz if you will allow the pun. There is a real confusion
- sorry, profusion of styles. Most tracks are taken at a hectic pace with
only one or two pauses for breath to signify some sentimental or romantic
episode. Two songs are included, both quite appealing: 'Flip, Flop and Fly',
performed by Ellis Hall and 'The Wanderer' by Dion.
Fun but exhausting
Reviewer
Ian Lace
