The Boy and the Beast (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

I haven't been this excited about a new movie score in a very long time. I'm very old school in my movie music tastes, and love the work of Elmer Bernstein, Jerry Goldsmith, Hugo Friedhofer, to name just a few of my heroes. Most of the underscoring of the last couple of decades leaves me pretty cold, with the exception of Michael Giacchino, Rachel Portman, and Angel Illarramendi and a few others, who actually have distinctive voices when they compose. Those distinctive voices are what I miss the most in this era of what to my ears sounds like the most homogenized drivel imaginable. That is why this amazing score by Masakatsu Takagi has me so revved up with enthusiasm. The guy is BRILLIANT! His action cues are exhilarating and whip up into the most joyous frenzies. They are NEVER the now cliche thump thump motor music that we get by the ton today for action scenes. The closest comparison composers I can come up with are the Ginastera of ESTANCIA, and today's Michael Torke. And it's always musical, and brilliantly and transparently scored. At times it sounds as if the passion cannot be contained and is going to blow itself up with its own joy in itself. And then, all at once, it transforms into the most delicate and inspiring melodies, with appropriately delicate orchestrations. Sometimes the most lyrical of piano solos so touching and tuneful, they give me goosebumps. And the big stuff is SO big, full orchestral from someone who really knows what to do with an orchestra. Brass and strings rampant in a feral way! If you haven't guessed, I love this score, and recommend it highly. I hope we get a lot more from Maestro Takagi.

if you love the movie get this

Great soundtrack but it is just a repackaging of the repackaging cd. So its just a little bit more work when ripping worth it in my opinion for a Soundtrack that costs about $12.