I must admit that there isn't a
great deal of variety in the score, much of it is low and
sonourous, probably accompanying endless underwater scenes of
little submarines floating about looking at dingy special
effects. This is perhaps the problem, James Horner at least had a
love story and a tragedy to score, John Barry just had lots
looking and luckily a bit of raising toward the end. This disc
perhaps evidences the argument that Barry would have been an
ideal choice to score Cameron's overbudget (but ultimately more
successful) effort. There are a few more interesting passages
though, Dog Attack is a briefly growling action interlude,
although I can't possibly see what it has to do with the rest of
the film. To Cornwall is a very non Barry-like jig, which is then
followed by a much more Barry-like piano and saxophone passage,
which is extremely good indeed. Flood has a little more drama
toward the end of the cue, but has a very slow blow build up of
grumbling strings and the odd oboe solo. Raise the Titanic
is probably a score that will grow on me as Barry's extra
little themes become more apparent and I get more used to the
material, unlike everyone else, I know virtually nothing of the
score (and when I heard the suite Silva recorded previously
several years ago wasn't fussed, but I've changed my opinions
since then). Barry fans will almost certainly be delighted, but
if they were expecting the main theme a lot, then it has to be
said that it doesn't actually happen much and the rest is
generally constructed of a secondary theme and other typically
Barry like motifs (one of which sounds like it could be from a
Bond score, but I couldn't be sure.) The City of Prague have certainly
put a great deal of effort into producing an excellent recording,
the sound quality is predictably top notch, but it is the fine
orchesrtal performance that is most impressive. Then again, they
always seem to do John Barry's music with just that bit more
conviction than any other composer's music. With this and Zulu,
it would be nice to build up a repatoire of Barry's unreleased
scores, even if Varese have taken the slightly more curious
option of re-recording and slightly expanding some of Barry's
more well known efforts. If the performances remain at the
quality they are from both labels, then we are certainly in for a
treat. Rating ~ Total Time ~ 50:21 If Raise the Titanic
isn't the most requested CD release in the history of the world,
I don't know what is. Evidently enough people actually saw the
film to hear the music to request the score. I seem to remember
the film being pretty lame, but don't remember anything about the
score. Of course, many people will compare the approach with that
taken by Mr Horner on Titanic, but Barry does it
his way and Horner did the whole Oirsh thing. The Prelude is what
you'd expect for a film about such a large ship, noble and
stately and thoroughly John Barry. I think it's the bit that
everyone remembers (although I have to admit that it wasn't
nearly as great as I'd thought it would be and don't think it
quite compares to many of Barry's classic main themes). Much of
the remaining music is built around that theme, albeit in
slightly less stately orchestrations (the biggest rendition is
saved for the triumphant moment when the ship herself, now raised
from the Atlantic... yes, quite.)
