Dances with Wolves is undoubtedly one of John Barry's finest works outside of his Bond scores. It won him his fifth Oscar and deservedly so. A score as grand as the movie it is for, this score will definitely be one that soundtrack fans will associate with John Barry for the rest of his life. It is proof of the talent the man has for composition. Starting off with the quaint Main Title/Looks Like a Suicide, and The John Dunbar Theme, Barry introduces his main themes for the film. While these two are probably the most well known since they are on many Barry Compilation CDs, the entire soundtrack is just as good.
The next two tracks, cover the portions of the film where Kevin Costner heads out west to his fort. While effective on their own, watching the movie on the big screen with this music playing in the background, the themes are elevated from a audio experience to a visual one as well. Two Socks - The Wolf Theme is a soft piece for Two Socks the wolf that I love to listen to over and over. Comparing it to my other favorite track, The Buffalo Hunt, they are completely opposite. The Buffalo Hunt is a majestic theme that has the power of the herd of stampeding buffalo from the movie. Such a variety in themes and power make Dances With Wolves one of the best soundtracks Barry has produced. It would be a crime not to get it.
Total time: 64:12
1: Main Title / Looks Like a Suicide (3:57)
2: The John Dunbar Theme (2:15)
3: Journey to Fort Sedgewick (3:22)
4: Ride to Fort Hays (2:00)
5: The Death of Timmons (2:25)
6: Two Socks the Wolf Theme (1:28)
7: Pawnee Attack (3:45)
8: Kicking Bird's Gift (2:08)
9: Journey to the Buffalo Killing Ground (3:39)
10: The Buffalo Hunt (2:41)
12: Stands with a Fist Remembers (2:07)
13: The Love Theme (3:52)
14: The John Dunbar Theme (2:05)
15: Two Socks at Play (1:57)
16: The Death of Cisco (2:12)
17: Rescue of Dances with Wolves (2:07)
18: The Loss of the Journal / The Return to Winter Camp (2:07)
19: Farewell / End Title (8:40)