| Average Rating: |
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| Sales Rank: | 208 (lower is better) |
| Price as of: | 11/27/2008 5:10:39 PM MST |
| Price Used: | $7.94 |
| Shipping: | Free Shipping on most orders over $25* |
| Availability: | Usually ships in 24 hours |
| Release Date: | 2004-11-02 |
| Label: | Warner Bros. Pictures |
| UPC: | 093624889724 |
| Binding: | Audio CD |
| Published By: | Warner Bros. Pictures |
| ASIN: | B00063F8B2 |
| Category: | Music |
Tracks on The Polar Express by Warner Bros. Pictures
- The Polar Express -- Tom Hanks
- When Christmas Comes To Town -- Matthew Hall and Meagan Moore
- Rockin' On Top of the World -- Steven Tyler
- Believe -- Josh Groban
- Hot Chocolate -- Tom Hanks
- Spirit of the Season -- Alan Silvestri
- Seeing is Believing -- Alan Silvestri
- Santa Claus is Comin' To Town -- Frank Sinatra
- White Christmas -- Bing Crosby
- Winter Wonderland -- The Andrews Sisters
- It's Beginning to Look Like Christmas -- Perry Como
- Silver Bells -- Kate Smith
- Here Comes Santa Claus (Right Down Claus Lane) -- Bing Crosby and The Andrews Sisters
- Suite From the Polar Express -- Alan Silvestri
Editorial Reviews and Product Descriptions
Album Description
Promising to be this holiday season's family film blockbuster, the revolutionary computer-animated The Polar Express-based on a best-selling children's book, starring the voice of Tom Hanks and directed by Academy Award winner Robert Zemeckis-is a classic Christmas film with a modern look. The soundtrack album also mixes the classic with the contemporary, with immortal versions of the greatest Christmas songs ever penned, such as "White Christmas" from Bing Crosby and new recordings from Josh Groban "Believe", Aerosmith's Steven Tyler "Rockin' On Top Of The World" and others. This Christmas everyone will be getting on board The Polar Express.
Amazon.com
In adapting Chris Van Allsburg's beloved, 1986 Caldecott Medal winning children's Christmas fable, director Robert Zemeckis fused the technologies of live-action motion capture and CGI to an unprecedented degree, producing a visual sensibility that perfectly embodies the netherworld between fantasy and reality that made the book so inviting. Musically, Zemeckis has shrewdly teamed longtime collaborator Alan Silvestri with hit tunesmith Glen Ballard for the original half his soundtrack, then given the rest over to a star-packed tribute to pop Christmas past that includes such timeless chestnuts as Bing Crosby's "White Christmas," "Winter Wonderland" by the Andrew Sisters and Perry Como's "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas." But the Silvestri/Ballard originals here are the main event, from Tom Hanks' vigorous vocal mugging on the title track and "Hot Chocolate" through the innocent charm of "When Christmas Comes to Town" and the over-the-top, jumpin' jive of Steven Tyler's "Rockin' On Top of the World." Josh Groban's "Believe" overdoes the treacle, but Silvestri's rich choral workouts and underscore suite are grand Hollywood-scaled tributes to the spirit of the season. Also available in a deluxe, illustrated children's book format gift edition that includes an actual encased jingle bell embedded in the cover. --Jerry McCulley
Customer Reviews
Like the movie: Good - but should have been much better - Reviewed on 2008-11-30
This CD spends a lot of time in my player around Christmas. Why the three star rating then, you ask?
The first half of the CD, which features original songs from the movie, is great. Josh Groban's "Believe" is the highlight of the disc. The original songs "When Christmas Comes to Town" and "The Polar Express" are enjoyable as well.
The second half of the CD contains the same old Christmas classics from Frank, Bing, and Co. that appear on almost every other Christmas compilation out there. It seems like a waste; the movie featured a great score by Alan Silvestri, but unfortunately, only three of his compositions made it onto the CD (two songs, plus the medley that plays during the closing credits). Personally, I would have preferred a bit more of the film's score and a lot less of the verge-of-public-domain tracks that are played in every department store from Halloween until December 25th.
My other complaint with this CD is that Tom Hanks, while a great actor, is a horrible singer. Actually, his "singing" can be described more as shouting over the other vocalists, than singing. I enjoyed the rendition of the title track in the movie, but Hanks' vocals on the album version border on annoying. Luckily, he only appears on two tracks.
So there you have it. Would I recommend this CD? Yes. It has it's faults, but is still a must have for the holiday season.
A good blend of family friendly holiday music, movie songs, classic Chistmas songs, popular, adult contemporary, rock, standards - Reviewed on 2008-11-21
The Polar Express soundtrack is one of our family favorites, the music spans from the music in the movie that the characters sing, to the Josh Groban song everyone is looking for, to the Standards Christmas Singers (Andrews Sisters, Bing Crosby) and to finish it all of Aerosmith's Rockin' on Top of the World.
This cd runs the gamut, and it's great for the whole family.
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Book Subjects
- Adventure
- Animation
- Carols
- Christmas
- Christmas / Chanukkah
- Family
- Fantasy
- Film Music
- Holiday Music
- Original Score
- Pop
- Soundtrack
- Soundtracks
- Soundtracks & Film Scores
- Soundtracks & Scores
- drama
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