Track Listing

1. Tell me now (what you see)
2. Woad to ruin
3. Do you think I'm saxon
4. Hold the ice
5. Another brick in Hadrian's wall
6. Budget meeting
7. All of them

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #5963 in Music
• Released on: 2004-08-02
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Soundtrack

Amazon.co.uk Review
What are legends for if not reinventing?--and/or hyper-inflating into Hollywood summer fare? In retooling the Arthurian legend for the goth-beguiled video game age, mega-producer Jerry Bruckheimer did away with details small (the lady in the lake, sword in the stone, etc.) and large (this Arthur is actually Eastern European, by way of Rome). Composer Hans Zimmer picks up that gauntlet, producing an orchestral score bristling with massed brass, chorus and percussion--if little of the indigenous mysticism that made his work on Gladiator/ so rewarding. What there is of that precious commodity is frontloaded via the song "Tell Me Know (What You See)," his evocative opening collaboration with Clannad's Moya Brennan. From there, Zimmer emphasized this version's Eastern conceits with a half-dozen suites of cues that thunder in the Russian classical tradition--and all the melodic range of "Jingle Bells." Zimmer--not to mention Poledouris--has done it better, but fans of outsized orchestral Gothic moodfests may yet take this one to heart. --Jerry McCulley

Album Description
The King Arthur soundtrack features the score by the widely acclaimed composer Hans Zimmer. Zimmer won an Oscar in 1994 for Best Score for his work on The Lion King and has also been nominated a further six times for films such as Gladiator, Rain Man and The Thin Red Line. His King Arthur soundtrack is equally as epic and grand in scale, and could very well be one of his greatest works to date.

Customer Reviews

Somewhat short, yet well composed
First, your probably wondering how I'm reviewing this album. Well, iTunes already sells a digital version of the album since the US premiere of the movie.

I have to say, everything Hans Zimmer has composed, from Gladiator to King Arthur, is brilliant, and always original. He has a way of capturing the essense of a film in the score he composes, and each score is exquisite and cultural in its own way. Although I was not fully pleased with how the film itself turned out despite other reviews, I greatly enjoyed Hans Zimmer's work on King Arthur; and now listening to this score, it seems to turn the movie around... funny how he always has a way of doing that.

Seeing this film was about the Arthurian legend, there was a largely Celtic (Guinevere, Merlin, and the Woads), yet Roman (Arthur, Germanius, etc) theme, which requires such an interesting soundscape for Hans Zimmer to approach. Having had done Gladiator, he was well trained to work with such soundscape. However, I was treuly amazed how well Celtic and Roman themes were balanced...with Celtic dominating, like in the film...since in the film we only hear of Rome, but never see it or taste the essense of the Roman Empire.

"Tell Me Now [What You See]" is great beginning track... it wasn't necessarily a soundtrack song, but a track by itself in its own right. Beautiful vocals by Moya Brennan, as top-notch as Lisa Gerard was for Gladiator, helped bring this somewhat Celtic themed title track together amazingly. I think it's a really great start to setting the mood and tone of the soundtrack to follow.

My only, if somewhat minor, reason for 4 was the length of the soundtrack. I will admit Hans Zimmer is a man who deals with "quality not quantity" like his collegue Klaus Badelt, however I wish I could have heard a mere 10-15 minutes more of Hans' brilliance. Also, Hans takes a liking to cmposing large 10 minute pieces, which I admit are phenominal (like the Gladiator Waltz)...and King Arthur has two of them which is great, and almost a third.

Even if you were unsure about the film, this piece of Hans Zimmer's work should be added to your collection! Without a doubt it is some brilliant and refreshing work! Good job Hans!

very stirring stuff!!
Being a bit of a soundtrack (the epic film kind) fan I really was impressed with this one. I have many of the histoprical film soundtracks (Gladiator, Last of the Mohicans, Last Samauri etc) and I must say this one rates as one of the best. In fact the only soundtracks for me better than this are the Fellowship of the Ring and Return of the king.
I really enjoy chilling out reading a book with beer with this kind of music in the background and like I said this is one of the best.
Sure as in many soundtracks there can be that element of repetive themes that occur throughout one particuler film and this is no exception yet strangely as with other scores (saving private ryan, starwars etc ) I did not find this off putting.
When the soundrack tries to be stirring it succeds, when it it tries to be emotive it succeeds and is not overly long with unnecesary elements in it.
Also I was beginning to get a bit sick of Lisa Gerard "the haunting" celtic sounding singer that Hans Zimmer tends to wheel out quite regulerly for his scores (Gladiator, Troy etc) yet here it was actually quite moving,(check out the opening track)
All in all I never thought Hans Zimmer could excell from his Gladiator soundtrack yet here i actually think he has succedded!

Hans does it again
Let me first say that I've been a fan of Hans Zimmer since Gladiator, and listening to his work from before and since, this is amongst his top 5, along with The Last Samurai, Lion King and The Thin Red Line.

Beautifully crafted and dominant throughout the film, Zimmer makes best use of a few key themes by careful variation. It is almost impossible to watch the film without being lured in by the dark Celtic forces that feature. Lovely end credits song that opens the CD, followed by a succession of beautifully orchestrated pieces, this album is a treasure that doesn't disappoint. Whether you like the film or not (it was better than I feared!), do enjoy this soundtrack.