Gladiator: More Music From The Motion Picture

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• ZIMMER HANS / GERRARD LISA GLADIATOR (MORE MUSIC)

Free Music Notes for Gladiator: More Music From The Motion Picture

Free Music Review: Not as good as the original disc, but still an excellent buy
Hit: 5 Stars

Perhaps to clarify; the music here aren't really "from" the motion picture. Rather, the majority of the tracks are alternative versions of Zimmer's works for Gladiator, unused music, and "initial" versions of the music that finally appeared in the movie. The disc itself is reasonably well-filled, and there is a nice five-page fold out with excellent linear notes written by Zimmer on a track by track basis, and the reverse end has a beautifully laid out series of pictures from the film. In Zimmer's notes, he writes how did inspiration for the track come about, thoughts on it, and on occasion notes why it wasn't used eventually in the movie. In addition, there is enough variation here from the original motion picture tracks, so listeners who are interested in this disc but want to be sure that the music isn't simply rehashed or "extended" versions can be confident.

The tracks that I suspect will be highlights for many include track 1, which includes contributions from an Armenian instrumentalist, and even a spanish guitar part that though sounds more in place with a Zorro movie but made for excellent listening nevertheless. Track 2, "Now we are free (Juba's mix)" is one of the many variations from the end-credits music, with the vocal part still being done by Lisa Gerrad. It was definitely very interesting to hear what the fabulous end-credits music *could* have sound liked if this alternative had been used instead! Track 5 on this disc contains music that was heard from the movie but not included on the first disc, specifically the music heard when Maximus makes the journey across the desert after having been purchased by Proximo. Track 12 is a synthesised version of the Gladiator Waltz (track 3 from the original motion picture- or the opening "Battle in Germania" for listeners who do not yet own the original soundtrack CD) and does not yet contain the parts that were played by the orchestra in the final version. Track 13 is truly unique too- it contains the melody of "Now we are free", but played solo on a Chinese traditional instrument, the Yan Chin, by Gerrad.

The only spot that could possibly bother some listeners are the vocal parts from the movie incorporated into the movie, similar to the second disc of music from Braveheart. This is an entirely individual preference of course, but I could have preferred to listen to the music without Russell Crowe, Richard Harris or Joaquin Phoenix speaking the same lines as in the movie.

But on the overall, this was still an excellent disc for myself; and I suspect that I will be listening to it loads of times- as I did for the first original soundtrack disc!

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