Music Composed by Hans Zimmer
Rating: ***

Well, what do you know? It’s another Jerry Bruckheimer summer action movie, and with it comes another Hans Zimmer summer action score. Being a score for a Bruckheimer, without listening to it, you should know what kind of score you’re going to get. Even so, the resulting effort is an enjoyable listen with a few surprises thrown in here and there.

The album kicks off with a song, “Tell Me Now (What Do You See)”, written by Zimmer and Moya Brennan, who also performs the cue. If the song sounds a lot like something Enya would sing, you’d be right; Moya is Enya’s sister. The song is based on the main theme of the score, and is harmless enough; the traditional rock bass and drums are supplemented with Zimmer’s trademarked brass and choral sound, while Brennan’s voice is quite lovely.

The proper opens with “Woad To Ruin” (gotta love those clever track names). This cue, much like the last cue of the album, “All Of Them!”, act as 10+ minute theme suites. “Woad To Ruin”, after opening with a really neat brass fanfare, summarizes all of the themes heard in the score, while “All Of Them!”, after opening with a really chilling vocal statement from Brennan, launches into what basically amounts to a theme and variation piece on the score’s main theme.

Hans Zimmer

The middle cues of the score are certainly far more varied, but are all still formed around the basic Zimmer sound for Bruckheimer films. Lots of augmented brass with pounding, massive percussion rule the roost, with strings and choir backing things up. This time, though, the choir is real, unlike the synthesized choir that had been a Zimmer standard since Crimson Tide. This choral work, arranged by Rupert Gregson-Williams, is varied and impressive, adding depth to the score that Zimmer’s normal deep male choir would have failed to provide.

In addition, a few surprises pop up here and there in these middle cues. In “Do You Think I’m Saxon?”, Zimmer almost directly quotes James Horner’s Braveheart, but the choir enhancement amps things up a bit. “Hold The Ice” features an un-altered French Horn solo that is a pleasant, soothing touch. The crowning achievement of the score, however, is the massive action cue “Budget Meeting”. Here, Zimmer pulls out all the stops, with massive theme statements, percussion sections, and choir work melding together to create, quite possibly, Zimmer’s finest action cue since his work in Gladiator.

If you go into King Arthur expecting something groundbreaking and fresh, you’ll be disappointed easily. However, if you like the Zimmer action sound, with the usual washy mixing, power anthems, and driving action music, the fresh tidbits that can be found throughout the album make it a worthwhile purchase. Especially if you want to put the windows down, turn up the volume, and blast “Budget Meeting” while screaming down the highway. (Originally posted September 9, 2004).

Music Composed by Hans Zimmer; Orchestra Conducted by Nick Glennie-Smith; Addt’l Music by Nick Glennie-Smith and Rupert Gregson-Williams; Recorded by Nick Wollage and Geoff Foster; Produced by Bob Badami and Trevor Morris; Availability: In print; Label (Catalogue): Hollywood Records, (2061-62461-2); Release Date: July 27, 2004

01. Tell Me Now (What Do You See) (4′34)
Performed by Moya Brennan
Written by Hans Zimmer & Moya Brennan
02. Woad To Ruin (11′31)
03. Do You Think I’m Saxon? (8′42)
04. Hold The Ice (5′42)
05. Another Brick In Hadrian’s Wall (7′11)
06. Budget Meeting (9′43)
07. All Of Them! (10′24)

Total Playing Time: 57′45