The Water Horse: Legend Of The Deep

James Newton Howard

Rating: 7.6


Alan Menken created a certain fantasy sound with movie scores like The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and Aladdin. Since then, he has been endlessly mimicked, with varying degrees of success, as originality in a childrens’ fantasy film has been hard to come by. But it seems we finally have a new kind of fantasy in James Newton Howard's music. Where other scores try to impress you with their sheer scope, this score succeeds because of its simplicity. Where other scores try to bring you to tears with their pure beauty, the charm of Howard’s score is in its effortlessness.

Howard and his bosses must have (correctly) assumed that Americans would not particularly notice the fact that this music is Irish, instead of story-correct Scottish. Or it could have simply been the director’s choice, and it actually might not have been a bad one. The two are certainly similar, having common Celtic origins. What is very interesting is the use of traditional Irish instruments, some of which have become uncommon even in Irish music; uilleann pipes (similar to Scottish bagpipes, but softer in tone and more difficult to play) and Irish harp are both used in the score, revealing a curiously strict regard for Irish musical tradition. The harp in Irish music fell curiously out of fashion for a while, and has only recently started to enjoy a revival. But Howard masterfully handles the incorporation of these and other exotic instruments into the framework of the conventional orchestra.

For the first half of the score, Howard never really unleashes the full power of the orchestra, with much of the album staying in the realm of background conversational music. But that is where the charm really succeeds. The first part of the album version meanders through many a delicate scoring technique, with harps, guitars and Irish whistles playing a large part in the textures. The soaring, romantic strings are refreshingly restrained, and the woodwinds get a chance to take center stage frequently, a rarity in modern film scoring.

The result of all this restraint is that, when moving moments are called for, their effect is much more pronounced because the audience has not already been wearied with overblown music, or constant string melodies trying their hardest to be “soaring.” "Run Angus," "Swimming," and "There's No Monster" all offer stirring moments of strong emotion, but none are cliche in their emotional impact. In "Saving Crusoe," "The Net," and "The Jump," we find out how accomplished an action-scene scorer Howard can be. In fact, they are good enough to stand comparison with the climax of emotions in Manken's "Battle On The Tower" from Beauty and the Beast, which is one of the highest compliments I can give. Some may not like the meandering qualities in the beginning of the album, but they must understand that this is what really makes the ending work so well. The early sections introduce musical themes and textures so nicely that you care about them and what will happen to them. Then the music is thrown into bold action cues which obviously put in danger all that Howard created in the first half. When he finally releases the tension in "End Of The Story," Howard has succeeded in telling a complete story through music.

The one song, "Back Where You Belong (Theme from Water Horse)" appears at the beginning of the album, and flows much better with the score than is typical of songs written for film. Sinead O'Connor, like Howard, shows tasteful restraint in her singing, and the resulting emotion is powerful rather than over-the-top. This ballad really shows how a song can help a score, without drawing unneeded attention to the artist and away from the story.

The album concludes with "The Water Horse Suite," a compilation of many themes from the rest of the score, performed by The Chieftains, who are probably the most widely known Irish musical group of today (an excellent, authentic touch). Yes, yes, I know the story is not Irish. Cultural infidelity in relation to the movie aside, Howard has created a confluent piece of art. This is fantasy.

-Colin Thomson


Track List:

Back Where You Belong (Theme From The Water Horse)
The Water Horse Main Title
Angus Feeds Crusoe
You Didn't Even Get Wet
The Workshop
Ann
Bathtub
Driving To The Loch
Run Angus
The Fishermen
Angus In Training
Swimming
The Children Laugh
The Dinner Party
There's No Monster
Saving Crusoe
The Net
The Jump
End Of The Story
The Water Horse Suite

This review appeared in Patrol Magazine. Visit it at www.patrolmag.com