Dinosaur: An Original Walt Disney Records Soundtrack

With his score to the effects-heavy Disney dazzler Dinosaur, James Newton Howard proves there's no emotion or action he's beyond evoking with convincing bravado through his prodigious command of melody. Beginning with the water-pure, exploratory, near new-agey opening track, "Inner Sanctum/The Nesting Grounds," Howard sets his listeners up for a range of emotions. Danger and adventure come with "The End of Our Island," a highly textured face-off between hunter and hunted with excellent cymbal- and timbale-driven percussion. "Raptors/Stand Together" has a creepy sense of stalking, and "The Carnotaur Attack," is every bit as ominous as the theme to Jaws. Then there's "Kron & Aladar Fight" with a clashing that suggests chaotic energy. A mood of triumph comes with the inspiring march "Across the Desert," and "Finding Water" satisfies with its quality of resolution. "Breakout" provides the unmistakable sense of succeeding at some Sisyphean task and attendant celebrations. Traditional African rhythms, as on "The Courtship," support vocal arrangements by Grammy- and Tony-Award winning Lebo M. (best known for his work on The Lion King) and sometimes chirpy, cheerful chanting, as in "It Comes with a Pool." Less gut-driven but not a pinch less powerful is the gentle, beautiful "The Cave," an orchestral piece well worth several punches of any CD player's Repeat button. For a closer, this 16-song CD's "Epilogue" sweepingly parts the clouds to reveal sunshine and hope as only Disney could and, as usual, it works. In a little less than an hour, the Dinosaur soundtrack succeeds in taking its listeners on a 65-million-year journey without a regrettable moment. --Tammy La Gorce