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“CHRISTOPHER YOUNG has composed one of the most
unique scores of the year, and his ears deserve to burn a little for
the effort.”
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Blazing New Trails
Review by Cap Stewart
Collisions at
intersections are
never a pretty sight.
Malfunctioning lights,
bad weather, driver
error—whatever the
cause of the accident,
the results aren’t
pleasant. Passenger
cars simply weren’t
designed to be bumper
cars.
Some might say the
same thing about
certain musical
genres. For example,
western and horror
elements don’t readily
come to mind as being
inherently compatible.
Neither would a rock
band and a gothic
choir be considered
the best combination.
In the case of the
movie GHOST RIDER,
however, director Mark
Steven Johnson and
composer CHRISTOPHER
YOUNG thought
otherwise. Indeed, the
musical approach to
the film is quite
unique. The
combination of
western, horror,
gothic choir, and rock
elements is largely
successful—almost good
enough to be called a
beautiful collision.
I’ll admit, GHOST
RIDER is a CD that had
to grow on me. It took
several listens to
acclimate myself to
the score’s sound. The
industrial elements
are still my least
favorite aspect of the
music. They include a
drum set (played by
the drummer from White
Zombie), a double bass
drum kit, and guitars
(played by two
guitarists from Nine
Inch Nails). There are
times that the
industrial
sound—especially when
it involves the double
bass going wild—makes
one’s head feel like
it will burst into
flames. Maybe that
isn’t an accident.
Whatever the case, the
sound fits the
character of
motorcyclist Johnny
Blaze quite well, and
it somehow avoids
derailing the rest of
the album.
Quiet moments on the
CD are few and far
between. This is a
loud score with a
sizeable orchestra
(with well over a
hundred members).
Young definitely put
his ensemble to
work—especially the
choir members and the
musicians in the brass
and string sections. I
don’t know if they got
paid overtime for
their effort, but they
deserve it.
There are two major
themes that come into
play. The first is the
Ghost Rider theme,
which is present in
some form or fashion
in practically every
track. It’s a good,
strong theme, never
growing old during the
fifty-eight-minute
running time. The
second major theme,
used much more
sparingly, is the love
theme. Played softly
on guitar, it provides
a sweet and intimate
atmosphere, giving the
listener a few chances
to catch his breath in
the middle of all the
musical bombast.
I’m reminded of a
saying that goes
something like this:
if your ears are
burning, someone must
be talking about you.
If that saying is
true, you might think
a burning—or, in this
case, flaming—head
would mean the whole
world is talking about
you. Well, GHOST RIDER
isn’t that good of a
film. The music,
however, is a
different story.
CHRISTOPHER YOUNG has
composed one of the
most unique scores of
the year, and his ears
deserve to burn a
little for the effort.
Rating:
6/10
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Track Listing and Ratings |
|
Track |
Track Title |
Track Time |
Rating |
|
1 |
Ghost Rider |
3:16 |
**** |
|
2 |
Blackheart
Beat |
3:06 |
*** |
|
3 |
Artistry
in Death |
4:13 |
** |
|
4 |
A
Thing
for
Karen
Carpenter |
2:01 |
*** |
|
5 |
Cemetery
Dance |
5:31 |
** |
| 6 |
More Sinister than Popcorn |
5:40 |
*** |
| 7 |
No Way to Wisdom |
2:15 |
*** |
| 8 |
Chain Chariot |
6:18 |
*** |
| 9 |
Santa Sardonicus |
3:36 |
** |
| 10 |
Penance Stare |
5:26 |
*** |
| 11 |
San Venganza |
3:22 |
*** |
| 12 |
Blood Signature |
2:08 |
*** |
| 13 |
Serenade to a Daredevil's Devil |
1:53 |
*** |
| 14 |
Nebuchadnezzar Phase |
5:52 |
**** |
| 15 |
The West Was Built on Legends |
3:59 |
**** |
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Total Running Time (approx) |
58 minutes |
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