> Liz'The theme music to "Jurassic Park" is very cool...ohh and The "Truman Show"'zie

Agreed. Although I'm of the opinion that Jurassic Park is one of John William's lesser works (his "greater" works being soundtracks such as Star Wars, Indy Jones, Superman, and more--the list could go on and on) I still think that just about any music written by him is worth owning.

The neat thing about the soundtrack to the Truman Show is that it isn't just written by one composer. If you look at the credits on the soundtrack CD, you'll see that at least three musicians contributed to it. Maybe four. (I own the CD but am too lazy to run all the way up to the attic to get it.) But all the songs on it mesh together very well; they sound like they were always meant to be together. The Truman Show is one of my favorite soundtracks. I knew the first time I watched the movie that I wanted to buy the CD.

It doesn't happen very often that I decide *while* I am watching a movie that I want to buy the soundtrack. I think it's only happened twice; once with the Truman Show, and again last night, while watching The Green Mile for the first time.

I don't care much for modern symphonic musical trends. Discord and cacophany is not music in my book, it's simply, well, discord and cacophany. Classical music is called by that name because it has stood the test of time. I really don't think that a lot of modern so-called "classical" music is going to stand that test. I could be wrong, but that's my opinion. But I do think that the legacy of great classical composers like Beethoven, Bach, Vivaldi, Mozart, Brahms, etc. is still being carried on today by film composers.

My music collection consists of roughly 70% classical recordings, 20% soundtracks, and 10% miscellaneous other stuff. But my soundtrack collection is growing more rapidly than the rest. (When I say soundtrack, I include stage and film work in that.) John Williams and James Horner are right up there in my book with Bach and Vivaldi.

If I think about it, it makes sense. It seems like most Modern symphonic music is written with the goal to just be different from anything that's come before. To shock people. Film music is written with a goal in mind: to convey meaning and emotion; to aid a viewer in correctly interpreting the ideas and themes that a filmmaker is attempting to get across.

Keep in mind that I am *only* thinking of and referring to symphonic soundtracks. Movie soundtracks that are nothing more than a bunch of current pop or rock songs strung together don't count. The Matrix is a really cool movie, but I thought the soundtrack stunk.

Gri"Out on a limb? You decide."shny