John Williams - Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

Of course I had to start this blog with Johnny. Sorry for the terrible mind-flow thing that's going on, I haven't yet decided how to do this.

For some reason many people hate the new Indy. Can't understand why myself, I think it's great, but that's not my problem. They certainly can't hate it because of the music, at least I hope so, because the score is a solid work from Johnny, as good as his normal work is. I'm a bit annoyed that the tracks are not in chronological order though, makes comparing the movie experience and the listening experience more difficult.

I wonder who wanted to use the whole Riders March as the first track, if it was Spielberg or Lucas or Johnny himself. Not complaining though, it's still fabulous and a good way to make people remember that it's still the same old Indy we knew and loved.

Call of the Crystal, and the tracks alike, is actually very B sci/fi movie-ish, which is the point of the whole thing (those were popular in the 50s, that's why Indy is against aliens in the 50s). A bit scary too. I like it, it's quite simple yet full of little details, as Johnny's things usually are.

I never notice while watching the movie how upbeat and happy The Adventures of Mutt is. It's downright perky! And so full of everything that it's not really a good track to listen on its own (definitely needs a car chase to the back).

Irina's Theme is surprisingly melancholy, and yet properly ominous. I think I detect a hint of Episode III in the background. The Spell of the Skull had some starwarsian elements in it too, but I like how it turns from concerning to scary and back again.

The tracks on this soundtrack are surprisigly long actually, many over 4 minutes there. Most of it has the Indy-curse I guess, the tracks need a picture behind them to work. Not a lot of themes I could listen in the background while writing or surfing the net. There's also a lot of repetition which makes following through the whole tracks a bit of an effort.

Superb beginning in The Jungle Chase! Probably my favorite track on the whole album, it has a good balance of everything in it. There's no track that would cause shivers though, but for a track to do that the movie has to wake immensly strong feelings in me, and none of the Indy-movies does that, I'm afraid.

I do have to say I'm a little disappointed because the soundtrack isn't too great on it's own. But that's how some of Johnny's themes are, they need a very spesific feeling or moment to work their magic. For me to get to that feeling without the movie is a lot harder than with it, so the tracks without a spesific theme become tedious. They fit the movie perfectly though, drawing so much more out from it that the mere picture would. I guess that's his blessing and his curse -Johnny can make the perfect score that will support the movie in a perfect way so the audience will get the most of it, but on its own the music doesn't get the momentum to sweep me away from this material world.

Hidden Treasure and the City of Gold is a mouthful for a track title, and a mouthful for a track too, but it's one of the better ones on the soundtrack, especially the end is very interesting and demands a second listening. That's really what I want for a track, that it wakes my interest and makes me want to listen to it again and again and again. Strong emotions are also something that a track needs to get out of me for it to be good.

Well this has gone long enough. A good soundtrack with the movie, but unfortunately there's really no tracks that could go with everyday listening. However when Fall comes and the evenings get dark and gloomy I can see myself listening to this while sitting in the dark, getting more afraid with the minute. There's some really beautiful and complex parts in almost every track, but for me to have the energy to listen them through it needs to be a more appropriate moment for this, and a beautiful summer morning is not that.