Track Listing

1. Batman
2. First Confrontation
3. Clown Attack
4. Roasted Dude
5. Descent Into Mystery
6. Joker's Poem
7. Charge Of The Batmobile
8. Up The Cathedral
9. Final Confrontation
10. Roof Fight
11. Flowers
12. Batman To The Rescue
13. Photos
14. Beautiful Dreamer
15. Bat Cave
16. Love Theme
17. Attack Of The Batwing
18. Waltz To The Death
19. Finale

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #16211 in Music
• Released on: 1989-08-07
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Soundtrack
• Original language: English, French
• Dimensions: .20 pounds
• Running time: 126 minutes

Customer Reviews

Never bettered
This is the soundtrack that defined a genre and a composer (it's so good that Elfman copied bits of it when writing his Spider-Man score).
Since there are so many Batman themes, I'll just say that "the one on the original cartoon? The one from the original movies with Burton and Keaton? and Jack Nicholson? This is the one".
Never has music so suited a character, the sweeping, Wagner-esque Batman theme is so fitting for the Dark Knight's brooding persona that is has become the natural association whenever people think of Batman (aside from a fat Adam West).
But not content with one main theme for a character, Elfman also has a few tracks devoted to the Joker's zany and insane character including an eeriely cheerful waltz towards the finale.
This is powerful music (3 minutes into track 16, tell me you can't feel the power of revenge) and it builds to a climax from haunting around the first half to full blown action in the second yet never losing it's pacing or going too over the top.
This is a worthy addition to your CD collection and if you want to make it even better, listen to it after the turgid "Batman and Robin" soundtrack

Top Score. Danny Elfman at his best.
Santa and Christmas. The Sandman and tired eyes. Danny Elfman and superb scores. Some things are inextricably linked and this is a fine example of the last (examples of the first two are, unfortunately, hard to come by). Nightmare Before Christmas, Scrooged, Batman, the list is endless; each one fairly similar to the last and yet retaining the unmistakeably Elfman-like ingredients which many copy but seldom pull off- a nugget of originality, padded out with flawless thematic flesh and sprinkled with sugar plum darkness. This score is no different- dark and brooding when it needs to be, playful and extravagant in other places but a balanced and intelligently executed unit nevertheless and an essential score for any serious collector. Michael Keaton was the only TRUE Batman; just as Elfman is the only guy who can accompany him as he stalks the cloying, grimey shadows of a crime-ridden Gotham introduced in the original film and improved in Returns, but ruined thereafter.....

Timeless
This trend-setting score has stood the test of time and sounds just as impressive now as it did fifteen years ago. Elfman's gothic style of scoring became almost a template for subsequent superhero movies and a revisit to this CD will demonstrate why. The Batman theme is fantastic: no matter how often Elfman uses this dark march (Main Theme, Batman to the Rescue, Attack of the Batwing), it never tires and never fails to excite. Things turn silly when it comes to the Joker and tracks like 'Face Off' and 'Waltz to the Death' are Tchaikovsky-like waltzes that compliment the action and the use of 'Beautiful Dreamer' borders on farce for Joker's infatuation with Vicki. As for Vicki Vale, there is a brief (and slightly tedious) theme for her relationship with Bruce that is based on Prince's 'Scandalous' but the connection is too disguised to spot easily.

What sets this score high above others is the soundscape that is established. Tracks like the mysterious 'Childhood Remembered' and gothic 'Up the Cathedral' really ground you into this fantasy world and the pulsing 'Descent into Mystery' is a career highlight that is always on replay on my stereo. The quality of the disc is good, showing off the size of the orchestra (it's big) and most of the score is on the CD without skipping too much out. This should, without a doubt, be in your soundtrack collection.