Music Composed by Kevin Kiner
Rating: ****

A small film about hover-boat racing in the 1970s American South, Madison has been seen by very few people, and were it not for fan-favorite Christopher Young’s involvement, I doubt anyone in the film score community would ever have given the film’s score a second glance. Because Young made a partial contribution to the score, however, BSX Records has deemed the score worth the risk of a limited release, no doubt banking on both Young’s fans and the people who panic and buy any CD limited to 1000 copies. But while my natural reaction to an album that reads “Themes by Christopher Young, score by Kevin Kiner” tends to be one of skepticism, the score for Madison has proven to be one of the most pleasant surprises I have reviewed in quite some time. This is not a hackwork patched together by two lazy composers looking for an easy buck, but an entirely entertaining and frequently thrilling piece of escapism. Quite how much of the credit belongs to Young and how much belongs to Kiner, I have no idea. I don’t know whether Young wrote all the motifs or just the major themes, and I also don’t know if his sketches also included the arrangements and various layers of counterpoint. But whoever is responsible for the bulk of this score (and I’m leaning towards a pretty even fifty-fifty split), the results are stunning. Madison presents us with a wealth of great thematic material, all sent through pitch-perfect arrangements and interpretations. It doesn’t do anything radically different with the genre, but it does display every genre convention in the best light possible.

The score opens with the titular “Madison,” a suite that comprises the score’s biggest highlights. A vaguely medieval melody opens the suite, an unexpected but welcome element that sets the perfect escapist tone for the album. Very quickly from here, however, we meet the more traditional rah-rah-rah sports racing music, and results are breathtaking. The form, replete with racing string accompaniment and strident brass fanfares, is clearly derived from Goldsmith’s Rudy, but Young and Kiner fill the music with so much boundless enthusiasm that it’s impossible to care. Young presents us with a rich gamut of broad and long-winded themes that pour through faster than we can count them, while Kiner keeps the pace soaring with almost psychotic energy. In terms of sheer thrills and intensity, this is music that may actually out-Rudy Rudy; if you try playing this in your car, you will get pulled over for speeding.

The album tones down considerably after this breathtaking start, but that doesn’t affect the quality of the music. Inexplicably, Young has even more themes that weren’t introduced in that suite ready for wear, wistful summery melodies that inspire bittersweet sunset-sighs. Despite the dangerously treacle-bound genre, the music manages to stay poignant without caving to gooey sentiment, a feat that few scores that aren’t composed by Mark Isham manage to pull off. Again, equal credit should go to both Young for his yearning melodies and Kiner, whose delicate arrangements make those melodies float. My favorite example of this occurs in “I Quit,” where Kiner sends one of Young’s most longing themes through an achingly beautiful arrangement for strings and solo trumpet. This is supremely moving material, full of heart and little manipulation.

Young and Kiner maintain the clam tone until around the midway point; after this point, the thrilling passages we heard in the overture come back in full form and carry the album to a rousing finish. The only slight complaint I might make is that because the Overture suite contains most of the exciting passages note-for-note, by the time we actually get to the climax the excitement is almost old news. I won’t dwell on that though, because the music is thrilling enough that I can happily listen to it again and a cue like “Final Heat” certainly carries an even bigger impact coming on the heels of so much gentle longing. Capping everything off is the majestic “Victory,” spotlighting yet another momentous theme that recalls John Barry’s expansive work of the early 1990s (particularly Cry the Beloved Country). It’s a great finish to a consistently moving and entertaining album.

As a serious or original film score, Madison doesn’t break any new ground (has there been a sports score since Rudy that has broken any new ground?), but it thrills, moves, and occasionally stuns in ways that very few sports movies outside of Rudy have ever managed. The performance by the City of the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra has attracted some mild criticism, but the performers’ vivid enthusiasm for the music widely makes up for any misplaced notes. It’s also worth mentioning that the concert hall acoustics of the recording give the music an epic splendor, strangely reminding me of the great fantasy scores of the early 1980s. A limited 1000 run for a soundtrack release is frequently a sign that the score isn’t good enough to sell copies without the help of the eBay vultures, but Madison is a firm exception to the rule. Though copies are still available as of this writing, it’s only a matter of time before people really start to tune into how damn good the music is – so don’t hesitate. If you’re a sucker for inspirational sports scores, Madison will quickly become one of your favorites.

Music Composed by Kevin Kiner; Original Themes by Christopher Young; Conducted by Nic Raine; Orchestrations: Nic Raine and Kevin Kiner; Engineer: John Luard Timperly / Scoring Mixer: Mark Evans; Produced by Kevin Kiner and Mark Evans; Availability: Limited edition of 1,000 copies; Label (Catalogue): BSX Records, (BSXCD 885); Release Date: January, 2006

01. Madison (7′06)
02. Opening (2′06)
03. Leaving Town (1′43)
04. Happy Anniversary (2′55)
05. Bank Stall (0′52)
06. I Quit (2′11)
07. Let’s Go / Cavern (2′15)
08. We Need To Talk (1′18)
09. Grandma’s House (1′58)
10. Mayor Draws Plan (3′54)
11. Town Rallies (1′37)
12. The Gold Cup (1′33)
13. Atlas Explodes (3′22)
14. Jim Stalls Engine (0′38)
15. What’s Wrong? (0′48)
16. Fishing (0′54)
17. Stealing / Porch (3′20)
18. The Gold Cup (3′13)
10. You’re The Driver (1′55)
11. Stick Of Dynomite (2′24)
12. Final Heat (4′17)
13. Victory (3′12)

Total Playing Time: 53′31