I'll be the first to admit that the movie Cutthroat Island was not all it was hyped up to be. While I thought it was a decent though unsuccessful attempt to capture the adventure and romance of early pirate epics that inspired George Lucas when he wrote Star Wars, this movie cannot capture that level of fun.
But am I writing a movie review here or a soundtrack review? Well, I think that it's a soundtrack review so let me get on with it. As many of you probably know, John Debney has been around for a while now. He's known to those of you out there who have bought up the pre-special edition release of Superman: The Movie which he performed with the Royal Scottish Orchestra, or more recently with End of Days. This however is probably one of his best scores to date. The score promises much more than the movie can deliver which is why it is a pleasure to listen to this score without the movie.
What's so good about it? Well, for one thing, it sounds a lot like the music of David Arnold. David Arnold is quickly becoming one of my favorites so the fact that this music sounds like his is all the more reason to listen to it. The action is lound, exciting and intense. The first track alone is reason enough to buy the soundtrack. With soaring vocals and a thundering orchestra backing it up, you had best turn down the bass and volume on your stereo lest you blow out your speakers. That's not to say that Debney can't write softer toned pieces as well. The cues for those romantics out there will leave nothing to be desired. He creates a mood very much in the fashion of the era in which this film takes place.
I often take this score out for a listen when I'm feeling tired or run down and need a boost of energy. This score never fails to pick me up. And when I listen to it I don't think about the movie it was meant for but I come up with my own images and run around my room with a cutlass in one hand and an eye patch over one eye coming up with my own high seas adventures against my own mental cutthroats. Join the adventure. Try and find a copy, you'll be happy you did.
Total time: 70:24
1. Main Title: Morgan's Ride (4:38)
2. Carriage Chase (7:20)
3. The Language of Romance (2:39)
4. Setting Sail (1:03)
5. To the Bottom of the Sea (2:43)
6. Morgan Takes The Ship (4:30)
7. The Funeral (1:30)
8. The Rescue (3:41)
9. Discovery of the Treasure (2:19)
10. The Big Jump (2:38)
11. The Storm Begins (2:33)
12. Morgan Captured / Sword Fight (5:23)
13. Shaw Steals the Map (3:30)
14. Escape from Mordechai's (2:09)
15. Charting the Course (2:19)
16. First Kiss (1:54)
17. The Battle (6:09)
18. Dawg's Demise/The Triumph (3:31)
19. It's Only Gold/End Credits (9:42)