James Horner - An American Tail: Music From The Motion Picture Soundtrack

James Horner's best. Trust me.

As a strict fan of James Horner, I admit first off the bat that there are a lot of his scores that I simply don't like. Mostly the ones made in the last 10 years which lack that magic we came accustomed to with his work.
You should know that I am very picky when it comes to music, and hardly anything on my iPod is labelled with a 5 star rating.

Anyone who is seeking a James Horner fix who has missed this gem is definitely missing out, and trust me as one of Horner's biggest fans, I am telling the TRUTH. I understand that it is so hard to pick the good from the bad on Amazon given everything is basically given 4 or 5 stars despite their quality.
But this is a 5 star soundtrack. It is James Horner's best. I love the Titanic album like no other, in fact it's my favourite album, but I treasure the An American Tail soundtracks like no other (yes, both of them, in fact, I believe the OST to the 2nd movie is better, but that's another story).

I like sad music, quite frankly. Not sad "Evanescence", or sad "emo/alternative". I appreciate tunes and melodies like no-one else I know, and I recognise that this is one of the most incredible original movie soundtracks you are likely to find... unless in the future a more beautiful piece comes along.
I believe Horner said once after recording a piece for the movie 'Casper' that he could sense a sort of magic in the atmosphere, and most would chalk that up to crazy talk but I don't. Music can summon up great energy, and An American Tail OST has that same atmosphere. I dare you to listen to the rousing main title at its peak, or the last moments on the final track without finding it even remotely beautiful.

Here's my tired review for selected track:

1. Main Title:
Beautiful from start to finish. All I can say is that when the main theme gets on its way and explodes loudly onto the scene, I get chills every single time. This is what makes the album. Right here in the first track.

4. Give Me Your Tired, Your Poor
Somewhat genius track that makes me ask more and more how this soundtrack didn't win an Oscar. It's straight out of old Disney films in some places with haunting choirs, while the beginning and the ending (being virtually the same) extract sincere emotion of losing a loved one.

9. Reunited
This is actually my favourite track on the album, for only the first 40 seconds. It's flute solo at the start and the tune it plays, eventually introducing a harp to it, gives us a sense of utter hopelessness that is so sad it's almost overwhelming. And the beauty of this one is that if you've heard the song "Dreams to Dream" in the second album, you'll hear the first verse here, where it was created. ("Dreams to Dream" is my favourite song of all time, for the record)

10. Flying Away And End Credits
What a track! From the very start it's on its way and what I really like about this particular Horner album is that it knows where it's going and it goes there in leaps and bounds. This track is happy, and replays the themes you've heard throughout the movie, but some, like the main theme, in a slightly different way.
And the last 50 seconds, in my opinion, is the most wonderful musical arrangement ever. I could go on and on about it forever. It is what I want to hear more of in the music world. Two notes, played 4 and a half times in a row, but with 5 separate, and beautifully different chords... Melodic and the epitomy of musical desire.

To end on a slightly overdramatic note... This is the kind of music I think they play in Heaven.


I hope my review has been helpful and not too over-the-top for you. :) February 17, 2008

good music... however...

This CD is wonderful, however has any one noticed how similar "somewhere out there" and parts of Beethoven's Piano Sonata #8 in C Minor, Op. 13, "Pathétique" - 2. Adagio Cantabile, are very similar. Interesting. January 20, 2008

Truly a rarity

It is rare that a movie from your distant childhood can still remain as wonderful as you remember it. An American Tail is so for me. And the James Horner soundtrack is wonderful in every regard, from the opening theme to the wonderful songs spaced throughout. For everyone who grew up in the eighties and early nineties, as well as the young-at-heart. June 30, 2007

Somewhere out there, in the vast universe of music, there is a great song that you can really relate to

"Somewhere out there" is a lovely song, and one that I can really relate to. January 10, 2007

Before 'Titanic' and 'The Missing', there was American Tail

James Horner does an absolutely outstanding job of composing the score for An American Tail. Included are nearly all of the instrumental pieces from the movie, and all of the songs from the film. If you're a fan of the movie, and loved the music, this item is a must-have. For those of you who have a 'James Horner' collection, don't leave this one out. This is some of his best work, along with 'Titanic'. December 10, 2003

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