Sony Classical and Madison Gate Records release Alan Silvestri's score The Walk. Twelve people have walked on the moon. Only one has ever, or will ever, walk in the immense void between the World Trade Centre towers. Philippe Petit, guided by his real-life mentor, Papa Rudy, is aided by an unlikely band of international recruits, who overcome long odds, betrayals, dissension and countless close calls to conceive and execute their mad plan...

Alan Silvestri returns to spectacular form with his beautiful score for The Walk. I've been a fan of Silvestri's work since the '80s. I know his Back to the Future scores inside out, but over the years I have to admit that I've not had much opportunity to listen to most of his later scores. For me, his ability to always deliver something totally different has meant that I've found the majority of his other scores to be a little lacking. With The Walk (oddly enough, like Back to the Future, another Robert Zemeckis movie) Silvestri turns in music with a heart and soul; that has a personality all of its own; it's an integral part of the movie as much as the main cast.

For me, scores like this, are where I'm most at home. Beautiful, melancholic and big and bold. There are moments when this sounded not unlike James Horner's work in the '80s/'90s. There's also a hint of John Williams's work on Saving Private Ryan and, more obviously Silvestri's own wonderful scores for the Night at the Museum movies.

The score contains 15 tracks (56 min, 22 sec). Personal highlights are... well, pretty much every second of every track... but if I had to chose my favourite tracks they would have to be 'Pourquoi?'; 'The Walk'; and 'There is No Why'. It was also interesting to hear Beethoven's 'Für Elise' which slowly transforms from the familiar piano solo into a full orchestrated version.

This is a beautiful score which should be on every serious soundtrack collector's wish list.

10

Darren Rea