CD REVIEWS - AND WHEN DID YOU LAST SEE YOUR FATHER? & LIONS FOR LAMBS


And When Did You Last See Your Father?
Music by Barrington Pheloung
Silva Screen SILCD1254 (UK)
22 Tracks 63:18 mins

This recently released British film, starring Colin Firth and Jim Broadbent, charts the troubled relationship between a father and son over four decades and features a score by Inspector Morse composer Barrington Pheloung, beautifully played by the London Metropolitan Orchestra.
Two themes pervade the score, the first a fairytale-like," music box-styled theme, heard in the opening "Stars - The Magical Fascination;" the second a winding, intensifying string theme, capable of high passion and/or warmth. There are also more intimate moments and key parts for woodwinds, harp and piano. A very nice listen throughout.
Source music by Bach, Schubert and Bellini complete the album's running time, and there are notes from both the composer and director Anand Tucker in the accompanying booklet.


Lions For Lambs
Music by Mark Isham
Varese Sarabande VSD-6862 (EU)
16 Tracks 37:06 mins

Robert Redford directs and stars, alongside Tom Cruise and Meryl Streep, in yet another recent release dealing with the Middle-East troubles.
Composer first worked with the actor/director on A River Runs Through It and the pair reunite for this project, in which the composer opts for orchestra, although could almost have gone with his alternate synthetic approach, as much of the music just sits there tensely in the background, with drums providing threat here and there. Seldom does the score break free, though there is some action in "Firefight." Only does any real passion enter with "Taxi Ride," which builds nicely with subtle use of voice and then moves tensely to a climax. This is followed by the powerful "Get To Me!" and then the score's highpoint "Last Shift," which builds hopefully with trumpet and voice to a proud, heroic crescendo, concluding on impassioned strings.