Spider-Man (Original Motion Picture Score) 20th Ann. Ed. - 2002 Soundtrack - Danny Elfman - Black Vinyl - Sealed 180 Grm LP + Poster

B7 End Credits

''Danny Elfman’s score for Spider-Man (2002) has been something of a superhero soundtrack icon for years, from both the thunderously heroic Spider-Man and moodily malevolent Green Goblin themes all the way through to the exquisitely thought-provoking Responsibility motif, and now with La-La Land Records’ loving and long-awaited expansion and remastering; it’s altogether simply, utterly spectacular. There’s no denying that Danny Elfman’s score for the 2002 Spider-Man movie is one of the most well-known superhero soundtracks around. And in fairness, what a score it is; from the moodily malevolent motif for Willem Dafoe’s Green Goblin to the quietly hopeful piece for Peter Parker, all the way up to the thunderously, unapologetically heroic piece for Spider-Man himself, this soundtrack is quite simply a work of art, and has been since its first album release now twenty years ago.

 

The expanded score presentation opens of course with “Main Title (Album Version)”, which is not only the most well-known cue from the original soundtrack, but also the likeliest reason why Elfman’s work overall here has gotten so much merit since it released twenty years ago, and it isn’t without good reason. High-pitched strings open the piece, with a short, gentle rendition of Elfman’s Spider-Man theme sounding through before percussion starts to pound away in the background, and the full orchestral heroism of the score then steps emphatically onto the soundtrack stage. Grandiose vocals, swirls of now frantically triumphant strings and proud bursts of brass are central here, with Elfman utilizing them to great effect to flesh out the two main themes of the film; Spider-Man first, and then Peter Parker’s (or as it’s more widely known, the Responsibility theme). The former motif is of course thunderously heroic and leads the action charge both here and across much of the album, while the latter Responsibility theme is quieter and more reserved (usually anyway, here it plays just as thunderously as the main Spider-Man theme), taking the forefront in the more emotional moments of both the film and the score. Both main themes introduce themselves rather brilliantly here, and if you haven’t heard it already, I would highly encourage listening to Elfman’s “Main Title” piece as you read this. It is quite simply one of his best pieces of music.. ever.'' (ZanobardReview)