For all the major super hero films that have come out in the past 5 years or so, it's hard to pick out any as having great scores. Think about it -- from Daredevil to X-Men, where are the truly memorable soundtracks out of the whole lot? Many of these efforts are serviceable and in some cases, quite good, but overall, there aren't any that have reached an epic status. Now that Marvel has ushered "Ghost Rider" into theaters, another composer enters the realm of heroes to try his hand at scoring in the genre.

Christopher Young is a composer who has consistently delivered quality work throughout his career. The only thing that has held back was the chance at scoring a blockbuster film. Now that he is on board in the Marvel universe, hopefully that will all change and many more listeners will be exposed to his work. Starting with "Ghost Rider," you would have to say he is off to a very good start.

From the very first minutes of the soundtrack, I could tell that this film was receiving a professional, well-written score. What I found very welcoming is that the music sounded so fresh and original. After listening to so many recent soundtracks that have been made without a well defined orchestral presence, the early moments of "Ghost Rider" proved to be a good tonic. This is especially the case in how this first track concludes, offering 45 seconds of hard charging rhythm that proves to be an exciting hit of music.

As the movie deals with bikers, and specifically, a hellish hero on 2 wheels, there is a good amount of electrical guitar work at play during many moments of the soundtrack (appropriately so). While many fans may find this style to be a bit much, we have to remember that we're at the mercy of the film and the music is constructed as such. It hampers the listening experience only slightly, and the rest of the score elements certainly pick up the slack.

The real highlight of the disc appears on the final track, 'The West Was Built on Legends.' This finale piece offers a dynamic and stirring choral segment that adds another notch of quality to the final grade of this score. What makes this piece stand out so well is that the choir is performing in such perfect unison. When we here choral work in these recent times, a lot of it comes across in one tone, often as if voices flooding a room. In Ghost Rider's choral highlight, the direction is distinct and performed with enthusiasm. It's at once dark and heroic, much like the title character for which the film is named. The album does end somewhat abruptly with this track, but that's probably because there is a commercial song waiting in the wings for the closing credits.

Whether this film goes on to be a big hit or not, I don't know. What I can say is that Christopher Young was a fantastic choice to helm the music of this project. If this outing is any indication of what's to come, then Spider Man fans will be in for a real treat!

Final Score: Christopher Young makes the most of his opportunity with "Ghost Rider," creating a score that is an accurate representation of the story and one that makes for an enjoyable listening experience for fans of any genre.