Average Rating: 
Rating:  - Good at first, Magnificent after repetition!
This CD is wonderful! I ran out to the store and bought it the day it first became available, and I have listened to it for hours. I enjoyed it the first time I heard it. After watching the movie (four times & counting) nearly a month later, I haven't been able to take this out of my CD player for very long (sometimes switching it for Blind Guardian's "Nightfall in Middle Earth" for variety).Howard Shore has really captured the sweeping emotions of Peter Jackson's excellent film: from the mythic opening track "The Prophecy;" to the simple and delightful "Concerning Hobbits;" to the imperious and frightening "Shadow of the Past" and "Treason of Isengard;" to the enchantment of "The Council of Elrond/Aniron;" to the determination and triumph of "The Ring Goes South;" to the desperation and grief of "The Bridge of Khazad Dum;" to the weirdness of "Lothlorien;" to the bittersweet "Breaking of the Fellowship." Enya's haunting "May It Be" is the perfect ending to the soundtrack. My favourite bits of the soundtrack are tracks 11, 12 & 13, 15, 17, 18. Shore uses very powerful choral work in several of the pieces, performed stirringly by the London Voices, The London Oratory School Schola. Edward Ross, in particular, makes "The Bridge of Khazad Dum" incredibly powerful. "Concerning Hobbits," which becomes the hobbit theme, reminds me of the hymn "This is My Father's World." I think that's appropriate, because of the innocence and simplicity of the hobbits. The soundtrack is made infinitely more powerful by viewing the movie. I think that's true of all movies, of course; after seeing the movie you know exactly what's happening during moments of the soundtrack. Just as there were parts of the movie that moved me to tears, there are parts of the soundtrack that nearly do so, during repeated listenings. This is probably one of my top five soundtracks of all time, and it's coming close to edging out number one Gettysburg and number two Gladiator. I heartily recommend this CD!
Rating: - A New Look
When I first heard Shore was writing the score I was like who is that? And found some other soundtracks he had written. I was a little skeptical at first, but when the CD came out I had to buy it. Howard's melodies and use of instruments makes this one my favorite and best soundtracks out to date. Howard has produced a completely new sound, blending different cultures, from British, to Irish, to even tribal. This CD contains just an hour and 12 minutes of his 3 hours score he wrote for the Fellowship. I'm hoping that they might release another CD with more music from movie. Which would be a wonderful thing. As for the origional songs from the books. They wasnt done in the movie do to boring exposition and doesnt move the story along, the reason for non of those songs on the soundtrack, I have heard there are talks for doing a few tracks from songs and poems in the books which would also be great for a collection. Overall, the score I think is an unexpected success for both Howard Shore and Lord of the Rings fans. I hope this review is helpful for all.
Rating: - One of the greatest contemporary movie scores of our time
When Tolkien's epic fantasy came to life on the big screen, it did so with a bang. But as with any movie, superb acting and cinematography are nothing without a great soundtrack. Thankfully, Howard Shore delivers to us one of the greatest soundtracks in recent movie history.Words do it no justice...you have to experience the soundtrack for yourself. It is powerful, emotional and moving, as well as inspiring. Each individual song has a running theme. Fans of the movie can simply listen to the soundtrack and place the exact event from the film in their minds right then and there. Popular artists such as Enya also contribute to the soundtrack, with exclusive songs and back-up vocals to some parts of the track. I have two gripes with the soundtrack, however. One is music related...not all the tracks from the movie are included. There are a number of follow-up segments and individual pieces of music in the film that were simply not brought over to the soundtrack. Its too bad really...those short but sweet musical pieces would've been a fine compliment to the overall soundtrack. My second gripe is about the cd's special content...none of it pertains to Lord of the Rings. Its all Enya related content. Granted, Enya is a talented artist, but I didn't buy the cd because of Enya, I bought it because I love the LotR soundtrack. You get Enya wallpaper, Enya screensavers, Enya buddy icons, links to Enya related websites, but very little Fellowship content. It is very disappointing. The Limited edition is little more than red leather-bound casing with cardboard sheathing inside to place the cd. You should be careful, because the paper case may scratch the cd if you mishandle it. There is gold foil embossment of the Lord of the Rings title on the case, otherwise there are no bonus tracks or content on the Limited Edition. But that doesn't matter...you're a collector and a fan of LotR...that's why you would buy the Limited Edition. Don't let the disappointing special content sway you from the purchase of this cd...this musical score is among the best ever recorded for a feature film. Even if you have never seen the movie, purchase this cd if you are a fan of classical, contemporary music. You will not be disappointed.
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