Right on top of my list, this CD is an amazing leap in the world of action scores. Insteading of pounding percussion, shreiking brass, trembling strings and whirling woodwinds, (which serve there purpose wonderfuly in the right hands) we are treated to a deep, thoughtful masterpiece. James Newton Howard's "The Fugitive" expertly blends elements of horror, drama, action and emotion in a package one can only describe as completely and utterly unique and original.
May 20, 2007I bought this cd immediately after seeing the movie, many many years ago, and I still love listening to it today.
It is distinctive, interesting, and quietly engrossing. Great background music for reading or doing homework.
A small complaint--i think they omitted one of the better tracks from the movie, heard while the prisoner bus is driving down the highway. Oh well, everything else is great.
October 24, 2005This CD mostly evokes the excitement of the movie. While there are a few songs that aren't memorable, most of them are up-tempo songs that really capture the spirit of the movie.
Really good CD to put in and get energy from to get moving for your day.
May 21, 2002Even for someone who wasn't yet alive at the time of the original TV series, "The Fugitive" has still left a powerful impact on me. It's one of my all-time faves. It's so powerful that right after I saw it, I had to order it at my nearest music store---only to have to go through weeks of waiting due to a computer glitch on the supplier's end! So when I was finally able to buy this one, it was well worth the wait.
After listening to the soundtrack in the movie several times, I can tell you that, like Mark Isham's "The Net", "The Fugitive" soundtrack contains only the main themes rather than the entire score (at least two of them are heard twice) with a bonus track: a jazzy, low-down version of the music we hear at the end of the entire chase featuring Wayne Shorter, solo sax. Quite a few of the tracks sound like medlies that unless you see the movie, you won't know where they're going. Speaking of Shorter, this was the first movie soundtrack in which I ever heard a saxophone used so brilliantly to convey such drama in a movie.
James Newton Howard did a terrific job over all; this soundtrack really does "sound" like Harrison Ford! I highly recommend it. August 22, 2001
 |  | One of the Seminal Scores of the 90's |  |
This CD is in many ways the finest action score of the decade. "The Fugitive" deftly weaves together several compelling and memeorable themes against backdrops of breathtakingly thrilling and surprisingly quiet incidental music. All of the music, action and otherwise, is quite varied and intense-each track stands apart very well, from the rest. The "Theme" track, though not heard in the film, is a very nice aside with a beautiful statement of both halves of the primary theme by soprano sax and piano. The music is also surprisingly original; the sax is a bit eccentric, as are some of the subtle electronic effects, which adds some distinctiveness to a great score. And when it finally ends, one feels an almost visceral sense of relief after the tension. The CD is about 40 minutes long, which includes the essential music from the film.
In contrast to a review below, which said this music is not "pleasant..."(though some of it is) that's the nature of the beast with action soundtracks. They are not supposed to be quiet and demure all the way through. December 23, 2000
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