| CLOSE WINDOW |
|
FILMTRACKS.COM
PRINTER-FRIENDLY VIEW 
Review of Amazon (Alan Williams)
FILMTRACKS RECOMMENDS:
Buy it... if you can't get enough of that huge IMAX sound to go
along with the visuals, with fully symphonic and choral passages
accentuated by brilliantly mixed ethnic percussion and woodwind solos.
Avoid it... if, as is the case with Alan Williams' subsequent IMAX score for Island of the Sharks, you simply can't get beyond the temp track adaptations that will be obvious to any film music collector.
FILMTRACKS EDITORIAL REVIEW:
Amazon: (Alan Williams) The 1997 IMAX production
Amazon was nominated for an Academy Award for its uniquely
beautiful visuals and deference to the cultures of the South American
region. As film music collectors well realize, IMAX films often inspire
the best and most memorable scores from lesser known composers, and Alan
Williams is one such regular to the genre. In the late 1990's, Williams
introduced himself to many soundtrack collections with a pair of scores
for IMAX films in the sub-tropics that both excelled at their task of
providing expansive, melodic music to accompany the stunning visuals.
Between Amazon and Island of the Sharks the following
year, Williams brought IMAX music to a level of popularity that he would
struggle to maintain in subsequent years, though the lack of a
continuation of the same recognition for his endeavors does not in any
way cheapen these two earlier entries. As expected, Amazon
features orchestral, ethnically percussive, and vocal performances of
epic proportions, equaling the grand scope of the film. As would be the
case with Island of the Sharks, you get an impression from the
finished score that Williams was guided by some obvious temp track
usage. Interestingly, many of the same sources of inspiration guide both
scores, including the expansively melodic sound of John Barry in the
themes and the percussion and electronics of Jerry Goldsmith in the
rolling rhythms in between. The title theme for Amazon is without
a doubt a variation, in many ways, on James Newton Howard's main title
for Waterworld, with the entire sequence of the opening theme
from the 1994 score adapted for usage here. A nearly identical bed of
deep percussion leads to a weighty brass and string theme unmistakable
from Waterworld, even down to the interlude for flute that draws
the theme down from its crescendo. Regardless of its origins, it is a
very effective and encompassing theme, and in many ways, it is an even
better orchestration than that heard in Howard's Waterworld. Once
you get past that theme, which is performed in full twice more in
"Flight" and "End Credits," the score for Amazon hides its
influences far better.
A secondary theme for "Mamani" is introduced in "Mamani" and "Mamani Arrives" before sending the audience off to a noble conclusion in "Journey's End." This theme shares some of the same progressions as a typical 1980's John Barry theme, but not in as distractingly an obvious way as would be evident in Island of the Sharks. The role of the percussion in Amazon would echo the technique by Jerry Goldsmith in Medicine Man and The Ghost and the Darkness, but recorded here in a vibrant mix that accentuates it far better. Solo woodwind performances, usually on native instruments of an exotic sound, are well balanced with the ensemble and contribute significantly to the middle section of the score. A chorus is used with greater frequency in the second half, sometimes utilized in traditional Hollywood fashion as counterpoint to a theme (its use in the title mirrors Howard's Waterworld as well until it heads off into a chant). One such moment of movie magic in "The River" is a highlight of the score. A somewhat progressive light chant in "The Zoe" almost takes on a new age ambience in the pleasant progression of "Journey's End." Even though the score is strictly orchestral, some of the slower passages are minimal on volume and rely on the woodwind solos to maintain your interest. With the free-floating percussion and woodwind passages comes the feeling that Amazon is what James Horner's Vibes would have sounded like had it been performed by a regular ensemble. These softer sequences of purely ethnic material can sometimes become a bit long, but on the whole, Williams inserts enough interesting texture to avert boredom. Overall, the majestic parts of this score are difficult to dismiss, though as a consistent listening experience, Amazon stands one step behind the more fluid movement of Island of the Sharks. The best highlights of either album, however, are indeed contained in Amazon, despite the clear evidence of temp track adaptation. Williams repackages these ideas with great skill, and on a technical level, Amazon is a superior effort. Released only through a specialty label, the album was already difficult to obtain only a few months after its release. For IMAX enthusiasts, it's well worth the search. ****
TRACK LISTINGS:
Total Time: 41:12
NOTES & QUOTES:
The insert includes a short description of the film and the following note from Williams:
The combination of the traditional orchestra along with ethnic woodwinds, percussion and choir, created a musical tapestry as rich as the rainforest itself. I thank Kieth for the stunning visual images which stimulated my emotions and led to the music of the Amazon."
Copyright ©
1998-2024, Filmtracks Publications. All rights reserved.
The reviews and other textual content contained on the filmtracks.com site may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of Christian Clemmensen at Filmtracks Publications. All artwork and sound clips from Amazon are Copyright © 1997, Hybrid Records and cannot be redistributed without the label's expressed written consent. Page created 8/21/98 and last updated 2/18/08. |
