1. Death Camp
2. Ambush
3. Mutant School
4. Magneto's Lair
5. Cerebro
6. Train
7. Magneto Stand Off
8. The X-Jet
9. Museum Fight
10. The Statue of Liberty
11. Final Showdown
12. Logan and Rogue
Amazon.com
Michael Kamen has become one of the most respected movie soundtrack producers and composers of the modern age. And he's never lost his connection with pop music, either: most recently, he conducted the orchestra for Metallica's S & M. Juilliard-bred, Kamen has orchestrated work for David Bowie and Kate Bush, among others, and his work with Eric Clapton on the movie score for 1987's Lethal Weapon merged his two worlds into one. The summer blockbuster X-Men is a perfect match for the man who brought both Terry Gilliam's classic, Brazil, and Die Hard to life. Here, the battle of Professor X (Patrick Stewart), who must protect mutants born with unusual powers--they can mindread and fly--against the holocaust threatening their freakish existence creates massive tension that Kamen's score elaborately fulfills. Using the L.A. All-star Orchestra at full throttle, Kamen is at his Wagnerian best for "Museum Fight" and "The Final Showdown," and is noticeably more gentle with the epilogue, "Logan and Rogue." Kamen knows how to action-pack a score for maximum effect. --Rob O'Connor
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X-Men: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
- Audio CD: 0 pages (2000-07-11)
- Publisher: Decca
- Label: Decca
- Format: Soundtrack
- Studio: Decca
- Average Customer Review:
 based on 58 reviews
- Sales Rank in Music: #76771
Avg. Customer Review:
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
Customer Rating: 
Summary: What really makes this soundtrack a true X-Men based medium 2005-03-08
Comment: So far, there have been two takes on the X-Men music: Michael Kamen's score and John Ottman's score. The differences between their scores are great, but the attitudes they created in their music are very similar. However, as far as which one comes out on top, Kamen does so, but this soundtrack may not do Kamen's score justice.
Kamen uses an up-to-date scoring style, with a bit of techno instruments mixed in with the orchestra. Ottman chooses to keep to a more traditional scoring style, as his idols are traditional musicians such as John Williams. This is a great difference in the scores of each film, but Kamen's style keeps more true to a theme such as X-Men. X-Men takes place in the future, and a techno style scoring keeps more true to that theme. In addition, when watching these films, you may feel the difference in this (for instance: in X-Men, use Magneto's stand off with the cops compared to X2's segment of Magneto in Striker's base and twisting the plot).
The attitudes that both composers create are very similar, and they are wonderful takes on the themes that reflect upon each character/group/event. So it's hard to say which theme is better over the other. However, the theme that is COMPLETELY different between the two scores is the theme for the X-Men, themselves. Kamen's theme for the X-Men is hard to describe, but it is very unique and fits the X-Men persona perfectly. Whereas Ottman's score is a very heroic theme that represents a superhero team. This is the trouble with Ottman's theme for the X-Men: it can be associated for any other superhero team, from the Avengers to the Justice League to the Fantastic Four (of which Ottman is scoring as well). It spares any uniqueness that could reflect the persona of the X-Men and just gives us an upbeat, superhero theme that amuses us. We're bound to hear a similar theme again from some other superhero franchise.
This X-Men soundtrack is really, as I feel, a wonderful score to such a franchise, but unfortunately, it's edited a bit much and leaves out some important instrumentals, which is evident once you listen to the end credits in the movie. Overall though, Kamen used all the necessary means to convey the X-Men universe in its grandest fashion, including the techno instruments and themes. But what truly makes this a solid piece for the X-Men is Kamen's style. This score could not have come to fruition without Kamen and his thinking. It's too bad that he died; I would have greatly anticipated his second take on the franchise if he was ever given the opportunity. But as a recommendation, otherwise, Ottman is a good choice; just PLLEEAASSE change or alter the X-Men theme to one more similar to Kamen's, then you're on the 'X-Men level.'
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
Customer Rating: 
Summary: Adequate if uninspired score 2003-12-03
Comment: First I love Michael Kamen's work. I think his Robin Hood score is one of the best ever written and I enjoyed most of his work. This cd is no exception. I do enjoy it, but there are better scores out there, especially in the super-hero department. Some of Kamen's tracks are excellent. The Death Camp beginning is great as is his theme for Logan and Rogue. HIs theme for the X-Men, while not as bombastic as Ottman's theme for X2 is still a fine if extremely underused piece of work. HIs villain themes and other filler music were not the best however. Unfortunately they are featured on almost every track of the cd. Also lacking is an end credits track to showcase the entire score. Overall the score to X-Men is not bad and in places is quite good, but in others it's simply unfullfilling.
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
Customer Rating:
Summary: Most appropriate to the X-Men 2003-11-30
Comment: Of all chances, with Ottman not being able to compose and conduct the first film and Kamen stepping in, how did it become the perfect way for X-Men to come out in an ironic way?
Kamen came in when Ottman was to busy, yet Kamen came out with the best score to X-Men I could imagine. I just wish he was still alive.
You'll always hear about the title "Logan and Rogue", as you should because it is so pleasing to the ears and the most appropriate to the scenes in the movie.
Soundtracks always work the best in the movies, so you should really listen to the music in X-Men. You will then understand why Kamen took care of X-Men so well. Look at the scenes when Logan is fighting to save Rogue and his fights with Sabretooth, and Magneto confronting the X-Men and the police. And be sure to stick around for the end credits. I've heard from some of my peers that they liked the credits while they were conversing with each other. And every time I watch that movie or whenever I feel like it I listen to the end credits.
I swear you won't be disappointed with it especially if you respect Michael Kamen as much as I do. I find that he has his music true to the feelings of the movie, and that's what makes him so great.
Kamen died recently in November of 2003 due to multiple sclerosis at age 55.
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
Customer Rating:
Summary: Logan and Rogue 2003-06-30
Comment: This CD is fantastic, but I lack of enough words to express how much I like the last track: "Logan and Rogue". It is just so beautiful, full of meaning, full of emotion that the CD is worthwhile just because of that song. If you haven't heard that song you should give it a try. After watching the movie I looked for the soundtrack just because heard that melody in one of the final scenes of the movie and i had to have it. =)
3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
Customer Rating:
Summary: Does not fulfill expectations 2003-06-11
Comment: I bought this score because I enjoyed the movie and particularly remembered certain moments that I really like the music. That is just about the same reaction I have to the score itself; remembering certain moments I really liked. X-Men is not a well compiled soundtrack. Although there are some great sections in the music, I was upset to find that I had to wait through several minutes of dull fill-in music in almost every track. X-men is missing a main title track (even though it might resemble "Cerebro") and an end title track. In fact, the end of the CD is quiet, anti-climatic, and doesn't really make me want to listen to it again. I give this score a 3 because there are a few fleeting sections that shine through the gloom of the bad arrangement.
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X-Men: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
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