Dr. Jekyll and Ms. Hyde
Mark McKenzie
" overall extremely enjoyable "Written by Thomas Glorieux - Review of the regular release
Many will comment that Mark McKenzie is stuck performing lousy movies. Well not perhaps lousy movies but probably ones that people simply don't want to pay money for. But that doesn't mean Mark McKenzie doesn't give it all he's got. Sometimes I wonder how on earth he simply continues to create these inspiring melodies for movies that aren't even worthy of it.
Dr. Jekyll and Ms. Hyde is a mix between his amazing lyrical voice and the comedic outbursts of a Beetlejuice. At first, the second one sounds rather disappointing. but the score is overall extremely enjoyable nonetheless.
The score opens with Mark's typical suites of the musical material. And "Overture" doesn't disappoint one bit. Opening lyrical and thematic with 2 magical fanfares, it is the wacky violin in between that gives us the Dr. Jekyll / Helen theme (people who dig Christopher Young's Drag me to Hell will surely enjoy this too), showing once again that Mark deserves work no matter what.
While I am simply stunned of McKenzie's transforming music, it is the rest that could have sounded somewhat better. I don't mean better of quality (because it will top other efforts for sure), but perhaps it didn't need to be so comical. Of course I understand what it has to achieve inside the movie, so nuff said about that. Because we still have to give credit to a bombastic ode to the Golden Age music, when we stumble upon the giant organ in "Old Movie Music".
The Dr. Jekyll / Helen Theme gets numerous statements during the entire score, playful ala Goldsmith in "Off to Work, comical in the second part of "Something Electrical", the pompous versions in "Breakfast Transformation", "The Unstable Gene" and "Narrow Escape" and the marching "Taking Back My Chromosomes", meaning McKenzie unleashes them all around the score.
The mysterious "Great Grandfather's Books", the energetic "Charades" or the sexy "Irresistible Helen" are all interesting enough, but it is the brilliant magical material of McKenzie that sets this score alight. Sometimes you have to marvel at the sheer wondrous quality of McKenzie's music, even if it lasts for about a second. The opening of "Something Electrical" is simply brilliant and the return of the secondary magical fanfare after a rousing first minute in "Final Transformation" is simply astounding. In that track and in "Acid Love Potion" the Dr. Jekyll / Helen theme is unleashed for the last time.
While zany and comical throughout the score, Dr. Jekyll and Ms. Hyde is orchestral enough to enjoy it from start to finish. Most of the tracks capture one version or another from the Dr. Jekyll / Helen Theme, and just in moments does McKenzie unleash these beautiful magical fanfare moments, enlightening the listen with an unfelt feeling of brilliance and class. While these moments are the best of the entire score, it is not uninteresting to discover a McKenzie score that dares to push the pedal to the metal, creating thereby a score that jumps around enjoyable and comical.
Tracklisting
1. Overture (6.09) Excellent track
2. Old Movie Music (2.21)
3. Off to Work (2.20)
4. Great Grandfather's Books (2.37)
5. Something Electrical (2.17)
6. A Little Surprise (1.45)
7. Breakfast Transformation (2.34)
8. Charades (2.21)
9. Irresistible Helen (1.40)
10. Helen Deflates (2.03)
11. The Unstable Gene (2.12)
12. Taking Back my Chromosomes (1.57)
13. Narrow Escapes (2.16)
14. Footsy * (1.54)
15. Final Transformation (2.46) Excellent track
16. Acid Love Potion (2.45)
* Habanera taken from the Opera Carmen by Georges Bizet, performed by Patricia Swanson
Total Length: 40.15
Dr. Jekyll and Ms. Hyde is a mix between his amazing lyrical voice and the comedic outbursts of a Beetlejuice. At first, the second one sounds rather disappointing. but the score is overall extremely enjoyable nonetheless.
The score opens with Mark's typical suites of the musical material. And "Overture" doesn't disappoint one bit. Opening lyrical and thematic with 2 magical fanfares, it is the wacky violin in between that gives us the Dr. Jekyll / Helen theme (people who dig Christopher Young's Drag me to Hell will surely enjoy this too), showing once again that Mark deserves work no matter what.
While I am simply stunned of McKenzie's transforming music, it is the rest that could have sounded somewhat better. I don't mean better of quality (because it will top other efforts for sure), but perhaps it didn't need to be so comical. Of course I understand what it has to achieve inside the movie, so nuff said about that. Because we still have to give credit to a bombastic ode to the Golden Age music, when we stumble upon the giant organ in "Old Movie Music".
The Dr. Jekyll / Helen Theme gets numerous statements during the entire score, playful ala Goldsmith in "Off to Work, comical in the second part of "Something Electrical", the pompous versions in "Breakfast Transformation", "The Unstable Gene" and "Narrow Escape" and the marching "Taking Back My Chromosomes", meaning McKenzie unleashes them all around the score.
The mysterious "Great Grandfather's Books", the energetic "Charades" or the sexy "Irresistible Helen" are all interesting enough, but it is the brilliant magical material of McKenzie that sets this score alight. Sometimes you have to marvel at the sheer wondrous quality of McKenzie's music, even if it lasts for about a second. The opening of "Something Electrical" is simply brilliant and the return of the secondary magical fanfare after a rousing first minute in "Final Transformation" is simply astounding. In that track and in "Acid Love Potion" the Dr. Jekyll / Helen theme is unleashed for the last time.
While zany and comical throughout the score, Dr. Jekyll and Ms. Hyde is orchestral enough to enjoy it from start to finish. Most of the tracks capture one version or another from the Dr. Jekyll / Helen Theme, and just in moments does McKenzie unleash these beautiful magical fanfare moments, enlightening the listen with an unfelt feeling of brilliance and class. While these moments are the best of the entire score, it is not uninteresting to discover a McKenzie score that dares to push the pedal to the metal, creating thereby a score that jumps around enjoyable and comical.
Tracklisting
1. Overture (6.09) Excellent track
2. Old Movie Music (2.21)
3. Off to Work (2.20)
4. Great Grandfather's Books (2.37)
5. Something Electrical (2.17)
6. A Little Surprise (1.45)
7. Breakfast Transformation (2.34)
8. Charades (2.21)
9. Irresistible Helen (1.40)
10. Helen Deflates (2.03)
11. The Unstable Gene (2.12)
12. Taking Back my Chromosomes (1.57)
13. Narrow Escapes (2.16)
14. Footsy * (1.54)
15. Final Transformation (2.46) Excellent track
16. Acid Love Potion (2.45)
* Habanera taken from the Opera Carmen by Georges Bizet, performed by Patricia Swanson
Total Length: 40.15