February 18, 2002

The New Age of Middle Earth
Jason B.

There is a new album out in stores called "Music Inspired By MIDDLE EARTH". It was the last two words, etched in gold and far larger than those preceding it, that initially caught my eye. It was located in the New Age category of Border's music section, it's case prominently displayed, and yet my first excited conclusion was that I'd found a companion volume to the Howard Shore score, not unlike those available for the film scores of "Braveheart" and "Gladiator". However, upon closer inspection it became obvious that this music is completely independent of Peter Jackson's outstanding film version of the Tolkien classic. This music is based solely on the books, and is composed by Diane and David Arkenstone. Yep, that's right, that's the name. Arkenstone. For any of you who've ever read "The Hobbit", the name has obvious meaning. If your memory needs a little jogging, however, than the Arkenstone was a beautiful gem, almost like a "silmaril", and was prized by the Dwarves above a mountain of wealth. But this is beside the point. The point is that after having sampled a few of the thirteen tracks, notably "The Riders of Rohan", I immediately purchased the album and went home to listen to it in it's entirety. Having done so, I now feel the album is just as good, if not actually better, than the Howard Shore score. In fact, I remember the Shore score taking some time to get used to; it wasn't quite as midieval as I've always imagined Middle Earth, and seemed a bit dry and disconnected. I can say now that all in all I like the Shore score, but I love the Arkenstone album. And besides, the guy's name is Arkenstone. That has to mean something, right?