| THE MUSIC |
| THE UNRELEASED MUSIC |
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All of the following text was written
by former webmaster Taalcon.
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While the CD Soundtrack album
for Willow contained a hefty 73 minutes and 17 seconds of the film's
wonderful score, including many of the highlights, it is nonetheless
incomplete. Over 30 minutes and 37 seconds of music were not included on
the album. Listed here is all the un-released music, and a review of each.
As an added bonus, I've included RealAudio extracts of the cue from the
film - sound effects, dialogue, and all - so you can hear the music that's not
isolated in a score album. Click on the title of
the piece to view a streaming-audio version of the soundclip. A quick warning
about my reviews: I get very emotional about film music. I'm not
a music major, never took music theory classes, but was in a school
band program up through my senior year in high school.
I do use musical terms in my review, and, while I do believe most of them
are used accurately, some of them may be used improperly. You have been
warned. Thank you, have a nice day, enjoy the music! :)
All tracks are currently available in two formats: RealAudio available for download (small file-sizes, but there's a little degradation in sound quality. Very good, but not perfect), and Streaming RealAudio. Clicking on the title of the selection will give you the Streaming RealAudio version. Following the review of each piece will be the link for the downloadable version. Enjoy! The Death Dog Attack (2:17): A very good percussive action cue which underscored the Death Dog's scourge of the Nelwyn villiage. The track begins with a repeating quick 4-note motif (which is repeated many times in the film, but appears more slowly. I think of this as the 'evil' motif.) It then goes into relentless brassy music as the Nelwyn soldiers attempt to kill the beast. As the beast is finally slaughtered, the music lowers in volume, and calms down. However, with Willow's realization that his wife might be in danger, the music swells once again to an emotional crescendo and Willow rushes home - to find his wife safe and sound with the child. A solo horn then plays a sad 7-note phrase, and the evil-motif plays softly in the background in the strings as Willow decides to take the baby to the Village Council. Put this cue on a new disk! (download RealAudio) General Kael (1:13): A short, dark, ambient piece that directly interrupts the cue 'Willow's Journey Begins' as it appears on the CD. It occurs immediately after the scene in which the baby 'spits up' on Burglekutt. The cue begins with a loud and dark phrase as it underscores the first appearance of General Kael. Bavmorda asks Kael to help in the search for the baby. It ends with a soft 2-note phrase which fades into the rest of the 'Willow's Journey Begins' music. This is a piece which wouldn't be a great loss if it didn't appear on the disk, and in fact, would be a hard piece to place, seeing where it is in the film. The only way it would really work is if they put the 'film edit' of 'Willow's Journey Begins' on a new disk. (download RealAudio) Madmartigan (1:10): The piece begins with a soft, gentle version of what I consider 'Madmartigan's Softer Side' theme. As he claims that if Willow gives him Elora to look after, he'll have a reason to go on living, a playful flute version of Madmartigan's 'Heroic theme' plays. The piece ends with a gentle horn rendition of the 'Softer Side' theme. I really enjoy this piece, and would REALLY want this on a new disk. It's short, yet sweet. (download RealAudio) Cherlindrea (5:34): This fabulous piece of music begins with a gentle rendition of Willow's theme as Madmartigan departs with the baby. The music then swells into a BEAUTIFUL heart-lifting melody as Willow and Meegosh begin their journey home. As they state that they 'deserve medals', another playful rendition of the 'Heroic Theme' kicks in, which is very enjoyable. The music grows soft, until suddenly, the humorous and bouncy Brownie music (which is NOWHERE on the Soundtrack Album, I might add) kicks in as two Brownies fly overhead on a bird - with the baby in it's talons! The music continues to stay wild until Willow and Meegosh fall into a brownie pit-trap. The fun brownie music continues as Willow regains consciousness - but now he's tied up like Gulliver! They set him free on the command of Cherlindrea. Now some gorgeous mystical music comes in - Elora's Theme. It's absolutely beautiful. Ron Howard has described it as being almost spiritual. This music continues as Cherlindrea asks Willow to help the baby, Elora, and to visit the sorceress Fin Raziel, who has been exiled on an island by Bavmorda. The music ends with a repeating 2-note choral phrase, which fades into nothingness. PUT THIS PIECE ON A DISC, PLEASE! (download RealAudio) Inside The Tavern, Part 1 (1:15): This piece is most similar to the Nelwyn Festival music. It's a bar tune that's quite catchy, yet exotic in it's own way. It underscores the scene when Willow first arrives at the Tavern. It's short, but very fun. Put it on a disc! (download RealAudio) Dust of Broken Heart (0:28): This piece begins with chimes as the Dust of Broken Heart falls onto Rool, which causes him to become infatuated with a much larger and deadlier cat. The piece ends as the cat's screech sends him out of his daze. This piece includes the first appearance of the 'Dust of Broken Heart' motif that recurs later in the film, but can be found nowhere on the soundtrack album. Once again, put it on a disc! (download RealAudio) Inside The Tavern, Part 2 (1:45): Continuing exactly after the Dust of Broken Heart cue ends, it's actually a continuation of the music from Inside The Taven, part 1. However, If it were put on a 2-CD full-score disk, I would want it broken up in this fashion, not as one continuous piece. The inclusion of the Dust of Broken Heart sequence in the middle of these two parts of the Tavern song would help tell the story through the music better. I believe if a full-score CD was sequenced in the film order, you would definitely be able to know the events going on in the film just by listening to the music, it works so well. My opinion :) (note: The music is quite difficult to hear in this soundclip because of all of the dialogue and sound effects that occur in these scenes.) (download RealAudio) The Search Goes On My Queen (0:32): A soft, dark, ambient piece that underscores a scene in which General Kael reports in to Queen Bavmorda. While much like the 'General Kael' cue, it is its own stand-alone piece - not chopped within another cue - and, while not particularly memorable, would add a bit to the narrative structure of a 2-CD full score release. (download RealAudio) Fin Raziel (3:42): This strange and ambient music sounds much like the beginning of the Horner cue 'The Journey Begins' from the movie VIBES. However, the ambience music changes midway to a subtle rendition of the 'Softer Side Theme' as Madmartigan leaves. As Willow heads over to Fin Raziel's island, the ambience music continues. This strange music swells as a talking opossum declares that she is Fin Raziel - as transformed by Bavmorda. The scene changes with chimes, and the ambience music returns for a last time, and fades out. Once again, not the most memorable piece in the score, but I think on a 2-CD set, it would fit well within the narrative structure of things. It contributes to the development of the music as a whole. Many people would be able to live without it, but I say put it on a disc! (download RealAudio) Capture (1:48): This cue begins a string of ABSOLUTELY MUST HAVE unreleased cues. It begins with a "Star Trek 3/ALIENS"-ish fanfare as Nockmaar horses and troops are sighted heading our hero's way. Some intense string music swells as Madmartigan appears as a captive, and Willow is taken hostage as well. When Sorsha kicks Madmartigan in the face, a very powerful, harsh version of the 'softer side' theme blares in, followed a softer repeating (minor key?) version of the first 4-notes of the 'Heroic' theme. Woodblocks and an exotic whistle play as the brownies try to decide on their next course of action. I WANT THIS ON A DISC! It's a MUST HAVE! (download RealAudio) Trek Through The Snow (1:13): Another beautiful, MUST HAVE piece, that begins as Madmartigan vows that he hates Sorsha. The music swells into a simply gorgeous musical theme. This is soon inturrupted by the Evil Motif as Kael arrives on the scene. The music then decrescendoes a sustained string-played note to a fade-out ending the cue. PUT IT ON A DISC! (download RealAudio) Transforming Raziel / Sun, Moon, Starlit Sky / Snowy Escape (7:52): The longest, last, and best of the unreleased music. It begins with mystical music as Willow attempts to transform Raziel, but he blunders, and Raziel is transformed into a crow. Brownie music comes in as they appear. Madmartigan attempts to take their spear to pick the lock, but they smack him with the pouch containing the Dust of Broken Heart, and Madmartigan falls into a daze. They then jump into a tent to steal back Elora, but upon seeing a sleeping Sorsha, Madmartigan immediately falls in love with her under the Dust's spell. This scene includes the first appearance of the Love theme, which is gorgeous. Sorsha awakes, and places Madmartigan at knife-point. Madmartigan exclaims "You are my sun, my moon, my starlit sky! Without you, I dwell in darkness!" The music swells into the theme as Sorsha is smitten by the words. The evil motif jumps in as Kael breaks in on the scene. Fun action music then slams in at full speed as the escape from the snow base begins. Madmartigan grabs a sword, and a heroic phrase (although not THE Heroic Theme) breaks in as Willow discovers that Madmartigan is as good with the sword as he claimed to be. A rhythmic beat comes in and plays under a diminished form of the (original) Heroic Theme as Willow and Madmartigan use a shield as a sled. Brownie music comes back in as the two 9-inch men appear wondering where everyone went. Original action music continues as the heroic duo sled down the large hill of snow on the shield. The music comes to a horn blare as Madmartigan falls off the sled and begins tumbling down the hill. Trumpet staccatos mark Willow's sled crashing into a small hut. The cue ends with swirling strings as a Madmartigan-snowball crashes into the same hut. For the love of everything that's good in the world, PUT THIS TRACK ON A DISC RIGHT NOW! It should be a crime not to have this cue released! (download RealAudio) |