Little did I know what imaginative and creative music was in store for me when first listening to "Secondhand Lions." I have not yet seen the movie as it's not released here in Australia until February 2004, and to be honest I know very little about the films premise. What drew me to the album early was Patrick Doyle, the composer. I'm a big fan of his since first hearing "Henry V" and so I couldn't wait any longer to get a listen to his next album. And so too is "Secondhand Lions" director Tim McCanlies a BIG fan who in the liner notes of the album wrote "I wanted a GREAT score: most soundtracks these days are just underscore with no real melody, no memorable theme…and THIS was very definitely a movie with lots of "themes", it needed memorable themes." That is just what he got, themes, memorable tunes and plenty of melody. Very exciting.

Interestingly enough this score has many styles and moods all wrapped up into one album. It's a fascinating display of talent both varied and resourceful. Doyle has written a mysterious score that touches upon romantic, comic, dramatic, somber and worldly. Throw in some thrilling action adventure, some classic swashbuckling (with a dab of Arabic music weaved in) and you have a fully symphonic roller coaster ride.

The magic that brings all this together is those great themes Tim McCanlies loves so much. And so do I. There are a number of very remarkable themes that find their way in throughout but the major one (the one I love the most) is a softer moving theme heard in variations on "Be My Uncle" and "Walter Comes Home." Ethnic tunes are addressed by their own themes encompassing specific instrumental motifs but none more emotional than Doyle's own son, Patrick Doyle Jr., who has an amazing solo performance on track 21 "She Was A Real Lion" accompanied by an enchanting orchestra softly in the background. The following track, "Walter Leaves", leads in with a continuation of that piece, but solely orchestral, before ending on a dramatic moment. The final track titled "Piano Suite", a solo version of the main theme performed on piano, is absolutely breathtaking and a perfect way to end the album.

When you pop the CD into your computer you will be greeted with a menu housing all the enhanced material. Features you will find are some photo galleries with photos from the recording sessions and Berkely Breathed illustrations. There are also some desktop goodies; sheet music of the main theme for print out and web links, but the best feature of them all is the exclusive interview with director Tim McCanlies and composer Patrick Doyle. It's relatively short but full of intriguing information. It's fascinating to know that the score was recorded in Bratislava at the Bratislava Radio Center, a design hall built for concert music. Fans might not want to miss this little treasure.

Final Verdict

Thanks to this score I'm eagerly anticipating the film in February. I'm totally hooked on this latest effort by Patrick Doyle. It has now become my favourite work of his and I recommend it to those who are still unfamiliar with Doyle and want somewhere to begin. It's easy to listen to and get swept away in its energy. On top of that the recordings are first-rate. The short running time of 45-minutes ensures that all 26 tracks are precious and invaluable but also leaves you yearning for more. If I had to sacrifice the great enhanced features for more music then I'd probably opt for that, but what we get now is quite a good little package so I'm not complaining. There are too many highlights to mention but rest assured that there is something here for you. If you want to know just how wide Doyle's range can go then pick yourself up a copy of "Secondhand Lions" and hear the quality for yourself.

Please be sure to read the original review