The compilation album, entitled "Film Music of Hans Zimmer," appropriately enough, is a 2-disc set that brings together re-recordings of his notable works from Silva Records.  While some of the tracks on the album had previously appeared on prior compilations, it still makes for a nice set for completists or for anyone who appreciates a compiled presentation of Zimmer's best offerings.

 

One if the initial points you'll notice when listening to this release is that the tracks are interpreted in a predominantly orchestral fashion, cutting away some of the layers of music that are often stacked together in Zimmers' typical style.  The orchestral flow will make you realize that Zimmer (and company) really do write effective and entertaining music!  This comment is especially dedicated to many of the detractors out there who question Zimmer's talent due to the modern resources he tends to employ.  Stripped to the core, however, it's excellent score material that would be hard to argue.  On the flip side, when doing a 'best of' on Hans Zimmer, one cannot avoid electronics altogether as some cues require it out of necessity.  The electronic samplings heard on this album pale in comparison with that of the original works, but to be fair, re-recordings can't compete with the resources of Zimmer's Media Ventures/Remote Control Productions. 

 

Jumping to some of my favorite excerpts from the release, I was really impressed with both the final two tracks of the album, "Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl" suite and the finale from "Gladiator" The suite from Pirates 1 in particular was a real treat to listen to, full of melody and adventure with a stellar representation of the main themes from the film that started the franchise.  The concluding track from "Gladiator" was also interesting as the vocals from Lisa Gerrard were not included in the re-recording, but we're treated to an instrumental version of this moving track.  By stripping the vocals aside and using instrumentation in its place, the track took on an almost new tone to it.  Other standout cues include music from "The Last Samurai" and "Crimson Tide," both translating well with the re-recording.

 

Although most of the album is well performed, some tracks seemed to stall due to the pacing and performance, the most notable of which being the "Pearl Harbor" material.  There were also some omissions on the album as well. I would have liked to have heard music from "Prince of Egypt" and from the underrated, "King Arthur."  Whether this was a creative decision or one based on rights to the material, I'm not sure, but music from both those movies would have made for strong additions to an already successful offering.

 

While there will always be a debate about the modern impressions of film music that Hans Zimmer has brought to the industry, I've always appreciated his music and his interests in developing thematic content in his work.  The latter is perhaps the best reason to support his music as in a day and age where underscore is overvalued, Zimmer continues to produce distinct efforts that have a voice of their own.  Look no further than the "Essential Hans Zimmer" for evidence of that. Silva delivers another worthwhile release with this one.