For the very first time, this release brings together music from all three Lord Of The Rings films alongside the three Hobbit movies in a 2CD set performed by The City Of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra...

As is to be expected, this is a Silva Screen Records release after all, this compilation album is wonderfully produced. It's an ideal gift for those that enjoyed Howard Shore's scores, but can't afford to splash out on all six albums. What we have here are 31 tracks (2 hr, 12 min, 16 sec) of the highlights from the original albums. Some may argue that the title "The Complete..." is a little misleading, as while it may be music from the complete saga, it's not the complete collection of all the scores.

Obviously if you're a hardcore Tolkien or Shore fan, then you'll already own the originals and you could argue that there's very little point in adding this to your collection. While I own the originals, I don't know them inside out, so I could tell very little difference between the tracks here and the originals. In fact (and I know this is blasphemy) but personally I'd rather listen to this collection than wade through the originals, which can on occasion be a little repetitive.

This collection is performed by The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra, so you know that you're going to get a wonderfully album. What we get is a beautiful new recording which should please fans of the films who want edited highlights. Even if you own the original releases I'd strongly recommend you buy this (or at the very least make your own compilation album using the same tracks as are reproduced here).

Track listing (in case you already own the originals and are interested in knowing what is included on this set):

CD 1

01. Old Friends (From "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey")
02. Misty Mountains (From "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey")
03. Over Hill (From "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey")
04. A Thunder Battle (From "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey")
05. Dreaming of Bag End (From "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey")
06. Song of the Lonely Mountain (From "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey")
07. The Quest for Erebor (From "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug")
08. Feast of Starlight (From "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug")
09. Protector of the Common Folk (From "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug")
10. Kingsfoil (From "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug")
11. I See Fire (From "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug")
12. Sons of Durin (From "The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies")
13. Courage and Wisdomm (From "The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies")
14. There and Back Again (From "The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies")
15. Ironfoot (From "The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies")
16. The Last Goodbye (From "The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies")

CD2

01. The Prophecy (From "The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring ")
02. Concerning Hobbits (From "The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring ")
03. The Shadow of the Past / A Knife In The Dark (From "The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring ")
04. The Bridge of Khazad Dum (From "The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring ")
05. The Fellowship (From "The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring ")
06. May it Be (From "The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring ")
07. The Riders of Rohan (From "The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers")
08. Evenstar (From "The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers")
09. Forth Eorlingas / Isengard Unleashed (From "The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers")
10. Gollum's Song (From "The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers")
11. Hope and Memory / Minas Tirith (From "The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King")
12. The White Tree (From "The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King")
13. Twilight and Shadow (From "The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King")
14. The Fields of Pelennor (From "The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King")
15. Into The West (From "The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King")

10

Darren Rea