Cinemusic.net
by Michael Lyons

When I first got this album, the score to an IMAX film, I wasn't sure what to think. In the past, most IMAX films that I have seen, save EVEREST, haven't featured a particularly strong or memorable score. Because of this, I wasn't too sure what to expect from Alan Williams's score to the IMAX film AMAZON. After several listens, however, I came to realize that not all IMAX films have poor, uninspired music; AMAZON's quality rivals that of many mainstream, major film scores.

The first thought that springs to mind when listening to AMAZON is the robust strength it shares with the music of James Newton Howard. The orchestration, the way the themes are constructed and sound, all work as well as some of JNH's more popular work. Though another Williams IMAX score, ISLAND OF THE SHARKS, sounds nothing like JNH. The similarity never hinders the score; rather, AMAZON seems superior when compared to ISLAND OF THE SHARKS.

The score itself opens with the title track, "Amazon." Arriving with ethnic percussion and flutes, the score then moves into its title theme. Carried by choir and strings over a layer of brass and driven by ethnic percussion, the theme is broad and epic, and it's good! The album continues with the most beautiful track on the CD, "Mamani", which begins with a lovely flute solo before giving way to a light choir. Then, using classic style orchestration of strings and horn, Williams introduces a second theme, and carries it throughout the remainder of the track with several variations.

The rest of the score features two main styles: the first is a more primal sounding idea, dominated by harsher drums and ethnic flutes which probably signify the danger looming in the Amazon. The other idea harkens back to the structure presented in "Mamani", as its beauty and thematic wonder easily depict the beauty opposing the natural danger mentioned before. Of note is track 16, "Journey's End," which features a chanting choir over horns and sounds like music you'd hear in a film trailer or television commercial. Overall, AMAZON is definitely a pleasant surprise. Fans of scores like DINOSAUR or MEDICINE MAN will definitely like this score, as its strengths lie in what makes those scores excellent too. It is also a wonderful introduction, for me and for anyone else, into the work of Alan Williams, a truly under appreciated composer. Even with the possible restrictions of a temp track, Williams's music has a voice of its own, and it will be my pleasure to discover more of his work in the future.