
Nothing excited me more than the prospect of another score release in the coming year. And sure enough, The Two Towers came along. Howard Shore was once again in top form, although the tone of both the film and the score changed for sure. Gone were the beautiful, carefree melodies of The Shire (which were my favorite pieces of Fellowship), and in their place were the pounding rhythms of orc armies and the dreary and mysterious percussion of Fangorn Forest. Despite the bleak nature of things, there is great beauty within the score. The stand-out theme (among the dozens used in the film, both recurring and new) is associated with Rohan, and it's the music that you'll probably find yourself humming after watching the film on DVD. Often played by the hardinger fiddle, Shore's melody manages to capture the folksy grandeur of the civilization of horse masters.
Of course, this was all available on the original soundtrack, which was much cheaper and took up less space. Is the upgrade worth it? Well, that depends. Many of the key moments of the original film were included on the first album. The Rohan theme is there, as are the emotional pieces underscoring Gandalf's return and Sam's speech to Frodo. If you are a casual fan, the OST will suffice. I won't be giving it up, as it's a nice arrangement and more suitable to brief playthroughs.

Obviously, there is a wealth of material on this release (which clocks in at over three hours) that has never before been released. In fact, some of the material on this volume wasn't even included in the film, excised for directorial or editorial purposes. Rohan is much more than the aforementioned fiddle solo, and we are given a full soundscape as we follow the journey from Edoras to Helm's Deep. The battle of Helm's Deep is finally given proper due. The battle fills almost the entire third disc, and the brutal clash is a wonder to behold. If you thought that Gandalf's return to Helm's Deep was beautiful in the film (or on the original soundtrack album), you'll be surprised to find it even more powerful on this release due to the added, unreleased context on both ends.
Buying the album will also get you Part Two in Doug Adams' series of liner notes discussing, among other things, Shore's use of themes. This is a handy guide that will elaborate on, for instance, all of the different motifs dedicated to the Hobbits. You don't need Part One of the series (available in Fellowship's complete recordings) to "get" the themes from the first film, as they are pointed out in this volume as well. As if this massive booklet wasn't enough, Adams has released dozens of additional pages analyzing the score track-by-track on the official Rings soundtrack site.

If you're going to buy this one, I think it's safe to say that you'll need to buy its predecessor, Fellowship of the Ring: The Complete Recordings, as well. Towers, like the film itself, is the middle act of a trilogy. If you only buy one volume, you'll be missing on the context and expansion of its two companions. If you're looking for just a taste, I'd recommend sticking to the original release from 2002. It is still an excellent piece, if incomplete, and you'll probably find yourself aching for more.
In the words of Homer Simpson, "Now we play the waiting game." Lord of the Rings: Return of the King: The Complete Recordings is due out in 2007, and a release of alternates and rarities is coming at some point thereafter. Doug Adams' book on the subject of Howard Shore's score is also due next year, so keep your eyes open if you're as geeky as I am.

1 comment:
excellent - you totally sold me on in - i NEED to hear these discs now..
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