DANCES WITH WOLVES (EXPANDED)

Label: Sony 63555
Date: 1990
Tracks: 24
Time = 75:46

Expanded original soundtrack from Academy Award-winning ("Best Picture") Kevin Costner western. Melodic, memorable score also yields fifth Oscar for John Barry. Warm, flowing John Dunbar theme becomes stepping stone for broad canvas, filled with many ideas. Rich, chordal music for Buffalo herd gives massive size to spectacular images. Romantic music for Kicking Bird, gentle idea for "Two Socks" (the wolf), rich, stirring "journey" theme for Dunbar's search (both physical, spiritual), intense battle music, so forth. More themes than you can shake a stick at. Terrific plus: exciting hunt sequence following spotting of buffalo herd gets world premiere! Long-awaited by John Barry fans, chordal passage for buffalo gives way to rousing chase sequence with new idea for French horns under swirling strings, punctuated by trumpets. Album also offers several other new tracks. Especially welcome is complete version of "Looks Like a Suicide" music, happily replacing original fadeout and annoying edit with additional material. One of the great cinema scores gets royal treatment. John Barry conducts. Bullseye!