DEEP IMPACT

JAMES HORNER

Rating:

Original Review: For James Horner, repeating the phenomenal world-wide success of Titanic was always going to be a difficult task. I don't think even he could have possibly imagined what a world-wide effect the movie would have, or that his soundtrack would top the American Billboard charts for 10 straight weeks, the first score album to do so in history. In addition, the double Oscar and Golden Globe wins have elevated him to a new level of fame and recognition outside the film score world, and so when it was announced that his next assignment would be to score Mimi Leder's epic asteroid drama Deep Impact, he knew as well as anybody that the world would be watching closely. So what does he do? He plays it safe. Deep Impact is a vintage Horner score, full of all the things which make him who he is as a composer, and which fans of his music know and love so well. To be completely honest, upon a first listening there is nothing here which instantly makes you sit up and take notice. It all seems to drift by quite gently without really going anywhere, but upon repeated listenings you begin to notice some of the clever subtleties and intelligent nuances of the score. I only noticed one *direct* lift from another Horner score (the main theme from To Gillian on her 37th Birthday seven minutes into 'Drawing Straws'), but there are quite a few familiar Horner trademarks which make guest appearances throughout, such as the nervous horn blasts and rhythmic snare drum licks from Apollo 13, the slow and subtle string melodies from To Gillian, and the synthesised chorus and action cues from Titanic (which are especially noticeable in the first cue, 'A Distant Discovery', during 'Our Best Hope...' and half way through 'Drawing Straws'). But the really surprising thing about Deep Impact is the fact that, considering the movie is all about a huge asteroid crashing into the Earth and causing humongous tidal waves (among other things), the score is mainly very, very quiet and very, very delicate. The majority of cues are performed by pianos and soft strings and brasses and, at times, the music is so quiet that you can hardly hear anything coming out of your speakers. There are some highlights at the beginning of the album, such as the initial performance of the patriotic main theme in 'Crucial Rendezvous', the clever Ransom-esque action sequence in 'The Comet's Sunrise', and the gentle and romantic 'The Wedding', but by far the best cues on the album appear during the second half of the score. For the 35 or so minutes from 'Sad News' onwards, Deep Impact really cooks, and Horner turns up the emotional content to the absolute maximum. There are moments of genius during 'Leo's Decision', one of the most dramatic and moving tracks on the album, 'The President's Speech' has a definite air of authority and heroic nobility, while the slow, rhythmic string passage three minutes into 'Drawing Straws' is brilliant. However, it is the final track - 'Goodbye and Godspeed' - which really lingers in the memory the most. For the first time, the full orchestra is accompanied by a (real) choir, and it is during this section that Horner's immense talent for being an emotionalist as well as a composer shines through perfectly. For the first part of the cue's 11-and-a-half minute running time, layer upon layer of tension is laid on by Horner - so much so that, when the release finally comes and the main theme is played in all its orchestral glory, the emotional impact is sensational. I once read somewhere that Deep Impact does "everything to make you cry short of cut an onion on your face". I'm not completely sure about that sentiment, but Horner definitely does everything asked of him here and more. I doubt whether this score will make him as many new fans as Titanic did, but those familiar with any of his earlier works will certainly not be disappointed.

Track Listing: Running Time: 76 minutes 29 seconds

Sony Classical SK-60690 (1998)

Music composed and conducted by James Horner. Orchestrations by James Horner and J.A.C. Redford. Recorded and mixed by Simon Rhodes. Edited by Jim Henrikson. Album produced by James Horner and Simon Rhodes.


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These web pages were designed and maintained by Jonathan Broxton copyright 1998. All opinions and views expressed on these pages are my own and are in no way intended to reflect those of my employer, the Trent Institute for Health Services Research, or those of the University of Sheffield.