Track Listing

1. All The Strange, Strange Creatures (The Trailer Music)
2. Martha's Theme
3. Drowning Dry
4. The Carrionites Swarm
5. Gridlocked Cassinis
6. Boe
7. Evolution Of The Daleks
8. My Angel Put The Devil In Me
9. Mr Smith And Joan
10. Only Martha Knows
11. Smith's Choice
12. Just Scarecrows To War
13. Miss Joan Redfern
14. The Dream Of A Normal Death
15. The Doctor Forever
16. Blink
17. The Runaway Bride
18. After The Chase
19. The Futurekind
20. The Master Vainglorious
21. Martha's Quest
22. YANA (Excerpt)
23. This Is Gallifrey: Our Childhood, Our Home
24. Martha Triumphant
25. Donna's Theme
26. The Stowaway
27. The Master Tape
28. Abide With Me

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #267 in Music
• Released on: 2007-11-05
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Soundtrack
• Running time: 74 minutes

Album Description
The original music from Series 3 plus The Runaway Bride and Voyage Of The Damned.
Includes the songs `My Angel Put The Devil In Me' from "Daleks In Manhattan" and `The Stowaway' from "Voyage Of The Damned"

About the Artist
Murray Gold is one of the most accomplished composers working in television today, receiving BAFTA - Original TV Music Award nominations for Casanova, Vanity Fair and Queer As Folk, the latter winning the Royal Television Society Best Music Original Score. His fully orchestrated score for Doctor Who has been widely regarded as a major element in the revival of the much loved series.

Customer Reviews

Goldsmith would have liked Gold
I edited a film music magazine for several years, and at the risk of name dropping was honoured to be invited to London several times to attend the recording sessions of several Jerry Goldsmith scores and Varese Sarabande projects. Goldsmith was always very reticent to talk about music - he felt it should really speak for itself - but he was always open about other composers, especially those he admired. A word he would often use was "musicality". Always intended to be the greatest compliment and a reference to both a high level of skill and understanding, "musicality" was a word he associated with Franz Waxman, Alex North and Bruce Broughton, and no doubt many others who never cropped up directly in any of my conversations.

Murray Gold has musicality in spades and, like Bruce Broughton, I'm fairly certain Jerry Goldsmith would have considered him a "very talented young man".

The first collection of cues on the Seasons 1 and 2 CD were good, as Gold found his footing within the framework of the new show, but this CD shows a confidence and assuredness of touch that surely marks him as a major force within the British TV industry (and don't forget, this has a legacy of composers such as Ron Grainer, Christopher Gunning and Laurie Johnson etc, who managed to make the transition to films fairly successfully - a fate that surely must await Murray Gold at some stage).

A lot of modern British TV scores tend to be underwhelming and bland, almost as if the composer is frightened to draw attention to themselves for fear of upsetting the writer or director by being as noticable as the words and pictures. Of course, good scoring doesn't do that - rather, the opposite, it enhances the emotional and narrative context and subtext. Gold's use of proper themes and, when warranted, the full power of the orchestra at his disposal is therefore refreshing, almost a harking back to the days of Denis King and the great Barry Gray.

There is nothing to criticise about the lack of Ron Grainer's iconic theme here, as it was featured prominently on the first CD, and besides, this is Gold's time to shine if you'll pardon the pun. And shine he does. While some of the action cues may seem a little overworked on occasion (the swollen choral chant for the Daleks in New York is perhaps the most notable example), Gold's ability to write and explore themes and motifs is simply stunning. Martha's theme is a delicate, slightly lonely and haunting affair, as she remains just outside of the Doctor's sphere of affection - although interestingly, such is her influence that it is her theme that provides the basis for the swashbuckling "Doctor Forever" theme, a grand and vibrant piece that wouldn't be out of place in a Korngold or Bernstein pirate score (oh, and the way the harp is used at one point is absolutely brilliant).

Other highlights are the chilling, atmospheric "Blink", evocative of Joe Hisashi's Mononoke Hime forest music and dripping with mystery, the percussive and bold "The Carrionites Swarm", and "The Master Vainglorious", a pounding and inventive take on the rhythm of the Grainer theme, with synthesisers adding musical madness to an already barking performance by John Sims.

And anyone who went to a UK cinema in the early part of 2008 will no doubt recognise the opening track, "All the Strange, Strange Creatures", a thunderous powerhouse based on a recurring action motif associated with the Doctor, here extended into what can only be described as one of the most exciting individual cues I've ever come across. On my iPod, this gets as many plays as the likes of Capricorn One and The Wind and The Lion - and if you know those scores, you'll know that no higher praise can be forthcoming.

Outdoes the series 1/2 soundtrack by far. Great stuff.
Unlike some others here, I'll avoid the temptation to make a "Gold" joke about this. :)

The revived Doctor Who's third series (the 2007 one) is represented by this soundtrack. It contains a little beyond the third season, it has a song from the Dec 25, 2006 Christmas episode, as well as the Dec 25, 2007 Christmas episode (which at the time it came out was before the story had aired). This soundtrack, like the other one was done by composer Murray Gold, who has handled all the music for the new Doctor Who.

It's turned out to be fabulous. It's orchestral unlike the old series. That could be down to budget, but the old show's music never sounded like this, and I'm convinced it's a large part of the overall feel of the series now. There's all kinds of things on here. There's a few actual songs (with lyrics), but most is soundtrack stuff - and it's really good. As with the series itself, the third series (29th overall) soundtrack is better than the stuff that preceded it.

If you were a fan of the 2007 series of Doctor Who, then you should be all means check it out. I know lot a lot of people like listening to soundtracks (mostly because of there being no lyrics), but this is fantastic! Even my two year old loves listening to this, and she's never seen the show! When track 2 comes on, "Hey, it's Martha's song!"

One minor nit, though.. The show tune number from the Dalek episode "Daleks in Manattan" is here (My Angel put the Devil in Me). Unfortunately, it's not the original version. The woman who sang the song from the Christmas 2007 episode sings it here (Yamit Mamo), and while it's a good version, it's not the original. I really wish the original version was on here instead.

THE OTHER GOLD STANDARD
Another brilliant DOCTOR WHO soundtrack from MURRAY GOLD. And if this composer has a single unmelodic bone in his body, well, I've yet to hear it on disc.

The music for Series Three demonstrates once again just how key it is to the ongoing success of DOCTOR WHO. Going right back to THE PARTING OF THE WAYS, could you imagine CHRISTOPHER ECCLESTONE's Doctor, having just absorbed the time vortex from ROSE TYLER via a life-saving kiss then blowing the energy back into the heart of the TARDIS, without that achingly beautiful piece to accompany the visuals? No? Me neither. It hits the spot every time.

So, too, in Series Three's finest single episode, THE FAMILY OF BLOOD. The music that accompanies the dissolve from the WW1 battlefield to the Veterans' Memorial Service (THE DOCTOR FOREVER) combines to deliver such an emotional impact that it's virtually impossible not to be brought to tears. Of course, the point here is 'combines'. There's no doubt that Gold's music is a complete success in it's own right, but ultimately the benefits of being able to 'picture' events as conjoured up by every crescendo, con brio and affettuoso is the lifeblood of all great motion picture soundtracks. Even JAWS.

Action and adventure forms a major part of the proceedings here and Gold is so bursting with ideas that on occasion you're left feeling a bit Oliver Twist-y, wanting more, wishing certain phrases were repeated because they're so exciting and addictive. ALL THE STRANGE, STRANGE CREATURES immmediately brings a smile to the face for being both strident and cheeky, and its placement in pole position is perfectly judged, ideal for our second trip into the Wonderland that is the province of the BBC National Orchestra of Wales.

Standout tracks? Well, don't be too surprised when I say that pretty much every track is a standout. For me at least, it really is a case of listening from start to finish, because around every corner there's always some kind of sonic surprise awaiting. However...if absolutely pushed on the matter, then I would have to place GALLIFREY: OUR CHILDREN, OUR HOME right at the top of pile...amongst those gleaming citadel spires, within the mountains of solace and solitude, along the continent of wild endeavour. Sorry. But you'll know exactly what I mean when you hear it.

I suppose there's really only one thing missing from this album - and it is indeed conspicuous for being absent: yes, the new ramped-up opening titles theme. Guitars and a heavy drumbeat combine to...well, between you, me and the Helmic bloody Regulator let's just say it rocks. Didn't see that one coming, Murray, but where is it when you need it? Next Christmas? Fair enough.

Mr Gold is even master of the sleeve note. If the amusing "whistling" incident is anything to go by, he's more than aware of his importance in the WHO universe and certainly not afraid to say what he thinks. And as Britain's best and most important contemporary film composer - right up there with the Horners, Elfmans and Goldsmiths of this world (sadly, in Jerry's case, the NEXT world) - he is unquestionably great news for the continuing success of DOCTOR WHO...and even better news for us.

The other Gold Standard. Buy it now.


UNRESERVEDLY RECOMMENDED