The Dark Knight [Vinyl]

While this soundtrack score didn't blow me away, I think it's certainly a worthy addition to the "Batman" catalog of scores as well as fitting music for "The Dark Knight." I find track 3, "Harvey Two-Face," to easily be the best track here...almost a ballad so to speak, and yet flows with the rest of the album. This score isn't significantly different than the music of "Batman Begins" but then again, exploring some familiar territory adds a sense of continuity between the films. After all, this is a sequel.

I purchased both the regular version as well as the limited edition today, so I'll now give some comparisons for those of you undecided about which to buy:

-Track listing is identical for both. No bonus track on limited edition. Certainly would have been nice, but alas.

-Although the 2 versions have different cover art, note that the inside booklet of the limited edition has the same cover art as the regular version, as it's the exact same...Read more

The score for The Dark Knight is in one word, incredible. Zimmer and Howard have crafted a complete soundscape for this character and the world he exists in. I love the original Batman Begins score to death and the only way that this score surpasses the previous one is that it feels more grounded. The characters and world are already established so the score has something to build off of.

The two-note motif has already become iconic and synonymous with Batman. With this score we get two new themes. The first one is the new motif for The Joker. It's only one note and Hans spent 3 months fine tuning it to become the perfect sound. The first track is pretty much all of The Joker's music. It's harsh, industrial and gritty and I love it. It works so well even if you are more of a traditional score fan and don't like it one cannot deny how well it works with the image.

James Newton Howard was in charge of Harvey Dent. This music had to represent a fallen idol;...Read more

Two of Hollywood's most respected, most popular, film composers, Hans Zimmer and James Newtown Howard, have joined forces in composing the most exciting film score I have heard this year not composed by John Williams. Theirs for " The Dark Knight" is quite riveting, with a substantial emphasis on a brooding, melancholy quality for much of the film's music. Indeed, I believe they've surpassed Danny Elfman in composing a score which captures so vividly, the many personal demons which beset Bruce Wayne (Batman), while also giving memorable musical motifs too to his long-time lady friend Rachel Dawes and the dashing young Gotham district attorney Harvey Dent, and, of course, the Joker. Fans of contemporary film music will surely want to add this CD to their collections; it is, without question, among the best of this year.