JOHN WILLIAMS Fan Network – JWFAN
John Williams News, Discussion, Articles, Reviews, Analyses and Much More! | www.JWFan.com
JWFan Forums
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
CD & Digital
Williams/Spielberg
Re-recordings & Compilations
HOOK (1991) – Original Album Review
TRACK LISTING & SOUND CLIPS
Review by Frank Lehman
I got my first dosage of this score when I bought the Williams o­n Williams Spielberg Collaboration #2. And I was perfectly satisfied with the five awesome Concert Versions of some of the themes and scenes. A long time passed between when I got that CD and the Hook o­ne. A month or so ago, I had gone to the records store to buyE.T.. I was shocked to find that they had neither the old edition or the expanded o­ne. Then I saw it. The Hook CD. Just sitting there waiting for me to take it. So guess what I did…I bought it! And even though I was a little skeptical about buying this score at first, for the movie was o­ne of the o­nly Spielbergs' that was intended for real little kids, I knew I would come to be thankful I did. And I was!
If there's o­ne word to sum up the entire Hook score, it would have to be Magical. The music is spirited, uplifting and emotional. The music lifts you up the second you hear Peter Pan's theme, and doesn't let you fly back down until you've heard it all. Another thing I noticed about the music is that it is, for the most part, much more triumphant at times than many other Williams scores. Track # 13 is completely triumphant, even during the piano rendition of Peter's theme, you can feel like the characters have accomplished something by remembering their childhood. It is really remarkable. Even with the sleezy (not quality wise, I meen the feeling of the music) theme for Hook and Smee, the entire CD is, for the most part, well…, happy!
The first track is really great. It isn't from the movie, instead, they put the trailer music o­n the CD. The theme o­n that track I will call the Flying theme, even though I am not sure what it is supposed to called, I will call it that for reference. The second track is cute, with little kids singing, but it gets really annoying after the first time you listen to it. It is, however, the first time you hear Tinkerbell's theme, which is a plus. Overall, except the first portion of it, you should try to avoid that track. The next o­ne is "Banning Back Home". Even though the title may not make much sense, the music certainly does. Williams composed a light-hearted Jazz piece for this track, and it sounds really neat. "Granny Wendy" is a nice track, which can be really relaxing.
Then comes the really good stuff. It starts with "Hook-Napped", a frightful, desperate and panicy piece. There are two pauses in this track, so don't be confused if you don't hear anything for a while. After the second pause, listen for a rendition of the theme from the Prologue. Without even seeing the movie or knowing the name of the track, I could automatically tell you that the rendition was depicting something to do with a great pirate ship o­n the stormy black seas. John Williams just knows what we expect to hear and feel and puts it down in the form of music. I think that it's amazing…
Then comes "The Arrival of Tink and the Flight to Neverland". Fluttering winds and quick string notes are played when Peter and Tink meet o­nce again, and soaring flying music bursts as Peter is lifted to Neverland. Recorders (I think, maybe they are piccollos or something else.) Basoons, and Fiddles play "Pirate" music o­n "Presenting the Hook". Later you hear a full fledged version of Hook and Smee's theme. The next track gives us the first taste of the Neverland theme, along with some fun Lost Boy's Music. "The Lost Boy's Chase" is a great action oriented piece which was written in much the same way of "The Basket Chase" of Raiders or the Bike Chase music from E.T., whith a rolling sort of sensation to it. "Smee's Plan2 is the next track, which is a bit too short in my mind. It would have been 10,000 times better if they put o­n the concert version from the Williams/Spielberg CD o­n instead.
"The Never Feast" and "The Banquet" music is really great, introducing a really great theme for the food. It is quite uplifting and enlightening to listen to. "Remembering Childhood" is and awesome track, starting with what I believe to be Peter's Children's theme in all its glory and continues with a touching rendition of the Neverland Theme as Peter recognizes his house, turns into a lullaby with a soft, sentimental version of Peter's theme played o­n the piano, and finaly gets up and flies away with the magnificent Flying and Peter's theme as Peter takes a short flight. But the track doesn't end all nice and cozy. It ends in a few minor notes which immediately follow into the next track. The next track, "You Are The Pan", is definitely o­ne of John Williams' best…very best! It begins with majestic, powerful choral music for the scene were Rufio pronounces Peter to be the o­ne and o­nly Pan, and continues into some of the most touching and heartfelt and beautiful music that ever was written. The music segues to the scene where the Lost Boys are torn against choosing Peter or Rufio as the o­ne to carry Pan's Sword. Even though the scene doesn't sound that impressive, the music is. I'm not going to go o­n about it. Just listen to it and you will see what I mean.
"When you are Alone" is another cute, this time set to the Children's theme, but like the second track, it gets annoying. The battle music o­n "The Ultimate War" is really great. It is almost all upbeat and truimphant, with the Flying, Peter, Banquet and Hook theme all roled into o­ne really top notch piece. It seems to flow much better than say, "T-Rex Rescue" from Jurassic Park, but that is just my opinion. The final track is also very good. The haunting, and sad choral music in the middle is really beautiful, although the last music sounds way too much like Home Alone. Well, I think that I have just exhausted all the space I have to make a web page by telling you all the good things about Hook. Now, o­nto the bad.. . . .
The score may get o­n o­ne's nerves (it is in essence a kiddie score. Quite a few cutsie moments and stupid (yes, STUPID– listen to track 2) songs. Another thing some people will dislike about this score is its lack of dark music, and aside from "Hook-Napped", it is. I would suggest E.T. to those kinds of people, for, along with its beautiful E.T./Elliot music, there is a lot of dark, low and sinister, almost scary music for the Government Agents which will please you. There also is a fair amount of missing music o­n the CD, with a rather large portion missing from "The Ultimate War", which is sad, but like The Last Crusade, the music o­n the CD makes up for it quite nicely. If you enjoy spirited, truimphant, varied and happy music, Hook is the score for you!
I give it 9 and 1/2 stars!
*********-1/2
← JAWS (1975) – Album Review (Re-recording)
SLEEPERS (1996) – Album Review →
1971 Film Score
(Original Score Adaptation + Original Album)
(Complete Score + Original Album)
(Complete Score)
(Complete Score Reissue)
(Original Album Remastered)
Spotlight on John Williams
New recordings of Williams film music themes and suites (2CD)
The Time Tunnel: Vol. 1
1966 TV score
(3CD Set including John Williams' complete score for the series pilot)
John Williams and 'The President's Own'
2003/2008 Live Recordings
War of the Worlds 2-CD
2020 Live Recording
The River: Music from the Motion Picture
(Original Album + Complete Score)
Far and Away: Expanded Edition
(Original Soundtrack Album)
Disaster Movie Soundtrack Collection
1972-1974 Film Scores
(4CD Box Set featuring the complete scores for The Poseidon Adventure, The Towering Inferno and Earthquake)
More releases:
Reissues & Expansions
Archives Select Month December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 September 2010 August 2010 May 2010 April 2010 December 2009 October 2009 September 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 January 2009 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 June 2007 February 2007 November 2006 September 2006 August 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 January 2006 December 2005 September 2005 August 2005 July 2005 June 2005 May 2005 April 2005 March 2005 February 2005 November 2004 September 2004 August 2004 June 2004 May 2004 March 2004 February 2004 December 2003 November 2003 October 2003 September 2003 August 2003 July 2003 June 2003 May 2003 April 2003 March 2003 February 2003 January 2003 October 2002 August 2002 July 2002 June 2002 May 2002 April 2002 February 2002 November 2001 August 2001 July 2001 June 2001 May 2001 November 2000 June 2000 April 2000 February 2000 October 1999 June 1999 June 1998 June 1997 June 1996 June 1994 June 1993 June 1992 June 1990 June 1989 June 1988 June 1987 June 1986 June 1983 June 1982 June 1981 June 1980 June 1979 June 1975
The John Williams Collection
The Legacy of John Williams
John Williams Discography
Copyright © 2022 JOHN WILLIAMS Fan Network – JWFAN. All Rights Reserved. The Magazine Basic Theme by bavotasan.com.