Ready Player One
Alan Silvestri
" Ready Silvestri Fan? "Written by Thomas Glorieux - Review of the regular release
Ready Player One is a fun film with a lot of nostalgic feelings, and directed with lots of passion by Steven Spielberg. Not returning for the ride is John Williams, but Alan Silvestri instead. Somehow a perfect fit considering Wade after all drives The Delorean of Back to the Future? Well you will not hear the theme once, not once in this score, not once in the film. A bizarre and honestly disappointing feeling and a partial statement of this theme in "Real World Consequences" doesn't make up for that. Other statements of other scores do appear, but never a Jurassic Park one, what's up with that? Well, we could argue about the fact nostalgic feelings are left for the picture itself, but it's true that Silvestri does deliver some kind of a thrill ride inside the Oasis itself. After all, his score does sell some coins for you collectors to gather. On disc, they are scattered due to the 2 CD presentation.
It doesn't matter that Ready Player One isn't Silvestri's best, it's what good comes out of the Oasis. Like the main theme, a noble and proper main theme that (like Welcome to Marwen) shows composers what they are forgetting to bring to their music. Through a theme you connect to the picture, the characters, the story. And here, it gives grandeur and emotion to the world of the Oasis. What gives even more grandeur is the top notch track "Looking for a Truck". Not only is it Silvestri delivering his usual rhythm, but it is fueled by a wonderful main theme statement and a fantastic old school adventurous finale. In the film it's amazing to hear as well. Furthermore "What are You" and "Welcome to the Rebellion" are perfect tranquilizers countering the excitement of "Hold On to Something"" and "Last Chance", leading up to the real easter eggs of the score. Namely the old school main theme version and the suite of Ready Player One. No Ready Player One is not the best, because it forgets to bring a perfect listening experience. But it does have loads of goodies stashed away, and just like in the Oasis you will have to find them. And I had a blast considering it's old school music showing the composers of today how it all sounded like back then. Leave it to Steven Spielberg to pull all that nostalgia out of Alan Silvestri. Enough for you to quote The Shining literally: "Heeeere's Alan"!
Old school theme, it's like Silvestri keeps knocking them out of the park in 2018.
Even more old school, the track "Looking for a Truck". Plain old 80's excitement in 2018. Nuff said!
CD 1 may test your patience, it's the second CD that pulls out all the stops.
Where's that Back to the Future statement? If there was ever a time, it was now!
Two Cd's is pushing it. There's a wonderful 50 minute score in this.
CD 1: 40.33
1. The Oasis (1.49)
2. "Hello, I'm James Halliday" (2.01)
3. "Why Can't We Go Backwards?" * (4.18) Excellent track
4. An Orb Meeting (4.11)
5. Real World Consequences ** (3.30)
6. Sorrento Makes an Offer (3.34)
7. Welcome to the Rebellion (3.14)
8. High 5 Assembles (4.24)
9. Orb of Osuvox (3.45)
10. Sorrento Punked (3.57)
11. Wade's Broadcast (5.51)
CD 2: 43.48
1. Arty on the "Inside" (2.33)
2. Looking for a Truck *** (5.36) Excellent track
3. She Never Left (2.41)
4. Last Chance (3.20)
5. "Get Me Out of This" (1.35)
6. "Hold On to Something" (5.14) Excellent track
7. "This is Wrong" (3.49)
8. "What Are You?" (3.29)
9. "There's Something I Need to Do" (5.01)
10. Main Title (2.26) Excellent track
11. End Credits (8.03) Excellent track
* contains a theme from "King Kong" composed by Max Steiner
** contains a theme from "Back to the Future" composed by Alan Silvestri
*** contains a theme from "Godzilla" composed by Akira Ifukube
It doesn't matter that Ready Player One isn't Silvestri's best, it's what good comes out of the Oasis. Like the main theme, a noble and proper main theme that (like Welcome to Marwen) shows composers what they are forgetting to bring to their music. Through a theme you connect to the picture, the characters, the story. And here, it gives grandeur and emotion to the world of the Oasis. What gives even more grandeur is the top notch track "Looking for a Truck". Not only is it Silvestri delivering his usual rhythm, but it is fueled by a wonderful main theme statement and a fantastic old school adventurous finale. In the film it's amazing to hear as well. Furthermore "What are You" and "Welcome to the Rebellion" are perfect tranquilizers countering the excitement of "Hold On to Something"" and "Last Chance", leading up to the real easter eggs of the score. Namely the old school main theme version and the suite of Ready Player One. No Ready Player One is not the best, because it forgets to bring a perfect listening experience. But it does have loads of goodies stashed away, and just like in the Oasis you will have to find them. And I had a blast considering it's old school music showing the composers of today how it all sounded like back then. Leave it to Steven Spielberg to pull all that nostalgia out of Alan Silvestri. Enough for you to quote The Shining literally: "Heeeere's Alan"!
Old school theme, it's like Silvestri keeps knocking them out of the park in 2018.
Even more old school, the track "Looking for a Truck". Plain old 80's excitement in 2018. Nuff said!
CD 1 may test your patience, it's the second CD that pulls out all the stops.
Where's that Back to the Future statement? If there was ever a time, it was now!
Two Cd's is pushing it. There's a wonderful 50 minute score in this.
CD 1: 40.33
1. The Oasis (1.49)
2. "Hello, I'm James Halliday" (2.01)
3. "Why Can't We Go Backwards?" * (4.18) Excellent track
4. An Orb Meeting (4.11)
5. Real World Consequences ** (3.30)
6. Sorrento Makes an Offer (3.34)
7. Welcome to the Rebellion (3.14)
8. High 5 Assembles (4.24)
9. Orb of Osuvox (3.45)
10. Sorrento Punked (3.57)
11. Wade's Broadcast (5.51)
CD 2: 43.48
1. Arty on the "Inside" (2.33)
2. Looking for a Truck *** (5.36) Excellent track
3. She Never Left (2.41)
4. Last Chance (3.20)
5. "Get Me Out of This" (1.35)
6. "Hold On to Something" (5.14) Excellent track
7. "This is Wrong" (3.49)
8. "What Are You?" (3.29)
9. "There's Something I Need to Do" (5.01)
10. Main Title (2.26) Excellent track
11. End Credits (8.03) Excellent track
* contains a theme from "King Kong" composed by Max Steiner
** contains a theme from "Back to the Future" composed by Alan Silvestri
*** contains a theme from "Godzilla" composed by Akira Ifukube