Track Listing

1. Manchester 1866
2. Chase
3. Unexpected Meeting
4. Scarlet
5. Raid by the Airship
6. London World Exposition
7. Ateller of Roy
8. Crystal Palace Waltz
9. Ray's Dilemma
10. Sortie of Scotland Yard
11. Fight in the Exposition Ground
12. Launch!
13. Temptation
14. Fly in the Sky
15. Two Delusions
16. Collapse and Rescue
17. Ray's Theme

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #39125 in Music
• Released on: 2005-03-08
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Soundtrack
• Original language: English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Spanish
• Dimensions: .20 pounds

Customer Reviews

A delightful surprise!
As a rule, I don't expect much from composers coming out of Media Ventures. Occasionally they surprise me, as was the case with Harry Gregson-Williams, but for the most part, they never really develop their own musical voices -- one need only listen to almost any score by Nick Glennie-Smith, Klaus Badelt or Trevor Rabin to realize how interchangeable most of their work is. After hearing his fantastic contribution to Hans Zimmer's score for TEARS OF THE SUN (the best cue on the album) and his profoundly disappointing score for THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE, I wasn't quite sure what to expect from STEAMBOY. But whatever I did or didn't expect, I was in for a delightful surprise. This hidden gem is a terrific piece of music. Not the most sophisticated composition in the world, but its nonstop energy and fun have made it one of my most frequently listened-to CDs over the weeks since I bought it. Stylistically, think early James Horner or Michael Kamen. The score's backbone is the beautiful "Ray's Theme," which pops up time and again and gets an absolutely gorgeous arrangement at the end of the CD, but in addition to this fantastic theme, there's a huge amount of fun action music. Surprisingly for a composer coming from MV, there's not a whole lot of brass, and the synths are minimal -- what there is is a lot of fun exciting stringwork, quick ostinatos, that sort of stuff, with enough variation and enough quiet material interspersed to keep it interesting. The second half of the CD is almost nonstop action; I'd point out highlights, except almost every single track is a highlight. From beginning to end, this CD is a wonderful listen. If you enjoy James Horner's THE ROCKETEER, Harry Gregson-Williams' SINBAD: LEGEND OF THE SEVEN SEAS, or any fun, fast film music -- don't overlook this one. Take a chance on it. I guarantee it'll be worth it.

Runtime: 60:56

Jablonsky at his best
As another reviewer said, I don't usually have great hopes for anything that comes out of Media Venture (now Remote Control). But, with Steamboy, Jablonsky managed to rise above his training and write an extremely fun, action packed, and distinct score. He doesn't take refuge in layered, dramatic chords, but has nice, simple themes. He keeps the soundtrack exciting, while tempering the action with some quieter tracks. Overall, a very solid score.

Steve Jablonsky does it again...
While the entire album reflects the pacing and emotion of the film, the last track, "Ray's Theme" is the real gem. Much like the movie, the soundtrack builds to it's climax when Ray finally steps into the role of "hero" and the music follows suit. I purchased the CD for that final track, but I enjoy the finale much more after listening to the entire score. If you liked the movie you'll like the soundtrack.