Secret Of Nimh Original Soundtrack

One of Jerry Goldsmith’s finest works and, personally, one of my favorite film scores ever! If you can find a copy, but it immediately— you will not be sorry! The music is so beautiful, exciting, thrilling, frightening and moving! Gorgeous score to a gorgeous film!

What could be better than Jerry Goldsmith at top form?

This version is even better than the original. The music is nice and clear, with no skipping at all. The arrangements are all in order and I love it just as much as I did when the movie first came out.

While it's available, get it if you can. If you want a full written review, check out the CD version, which is the same. But the record sounds better anyway...

The soundtrack was one I so desperately wanted. I really hope they make this into an MP3 version.

NOTE: This review refers to the just released 2015 INTRADA version of the soundtrack. As I mentioned in my Days of Thunder soundtrack review, I always feel trepidation when a company like Intrada announces a brand new reissue of a beloved soundtrack. And it's really kind of weird. I SHOULD feel unconflicted positivity, right? After all, most of these reissues have bonus material never-before-released. And there's usually the promise of "remastering," which should make things all the better. Well, it's that last part that causes the trepidation. Sure, sometimes the sound is great. (Varese Sarabande’s 2007 “Burbs” soundtrack and the more recent “Ladyhawke” from La-La Land both sound fantastic.) But more often than not, the "remastering" results in a worsening of the sound. It seems that some people’s definition of improvement means that you should try to make these formerly-warm analog recordings conform to modern-day Simon Cowell ideals. I.E. Digitally crushing the highs and lows of volume dynamics in a misguided attempt to make it more “exciting,” and scrubbing out any hint of “imperfection” (which unfortunately also tends to strip away the warmth and texture and clarity). Examples: The recent disappointing, La-La Land release of Searching for Bobby Fischer, which sounds a bit muddy. Or the aforementioned Days of Thunder. Or the ultimate example, the remastered version of The Empire Strikes Back from when they put out the “special editions” of the original trilogy in theaters. In that case, John Williams’ once grand orchestra was reduced to sounding like a high school band playing in a dampening broom closet. Blessedly, this new version of the Secret of NIMH belongs in the good category. In fact, I dare say it sounds fantastic, even better than the original (which, ostensibly, is the purpose of remastering). All the original warmth and texture have been retained. But more than that, there seems to be greater clarity than the original Varese Sarabande version from 1982. Additionally, there seems to be more pronounced spacial range than the original, with the various sound elements now more distinct from one another, yet they still retain that sense that they’re part of a unified whole. Seriously, it sounds great. It should be noted that there is a lot less new material here than in other similar soundtrack reissues. Indeed, the Intrada site notes that there is truly only one new track that’s actually heard within the movie. According to the booklet, “’At Your Service’ accompanies Mrs. Brisby as she journeys into the lair of the intelligent rats, encountering the kindly but irascible Mr. Ages and the friendly rat master-of-arms Justin." The book notes that there were additional sound elements heard during this sequence of the movie, but they, unfortunately, remain lost. The other new material comes in the form of “demo” tracks. (And being demos, the sound mix is a slight step down from the main tracks.) (1) There’s a “Flying Dreams” demo with similar instrumentation as is heard in the original end credits—except this time with Sally Stevens singing the vocals, and with more orchestral embellishment. This is a different vocal take than the Sally Stevens singing that’s heard within the movie and it sounds wonderful. I’m glad that this found the light of day. (2) Another demo version of “Flying Dreams,” this time sung by Paul Williams. This one is interesting as the instrumentation is very spare. Just some dual piano parts and no orchestra. (3) Finally we have pianos duetting with one another (a different arrangement than the previous track), but with no vocals. Here’s the complete track listing: 1. Main Title 2. Allergic Reaction/Athletic Type 3. Flying Dreams—Lullaby (Sally Stevens) 4. The Tractor 5. The Sentry Reel/The Story of NIMH 6. At Your Service. (The only all-new track from the movie itself) 7. Escape from NIMH/In Disguise 8. Flying Dreams (Paul Williams) 9. Step Inside My House 10. No Thanks 11. Moving Day 12. The House Raising 13. Flying High/End Title 14. Flying Dreams – End Title Demo (Sally Stevens) 15. Flying Dreams – Demo (Paul Williams) 16. Flying Dreams – Demo (Piano Duet) As I say, it’s not a lot of new material compared to other special soundtrack releases, but for fans of Goldsmith’s original beautiful score, I think it’s worth it. The new sound mix really *does* do justice to the material, and the few extra tracks are a treat. P.S. The opposite side of the booklet facing the CD has an "alternative" cover, different than the yellow-tinted motif that most people associate NIMH promotional materials with. (I'm including a scan of it in my review.) This new one has a darker blue theme going on. Frankly, I wish they had just made THIS the cover of this new Intrada version, to differentiate it in people's minds from the previous releases.

The Secret of NIMH has always been one of my favorite movies, and I was excited to see this new edition of the classic soundtrack. The score sounds as good as the the original CD( The Secret Of N.I.M.H. ), and you also get an additional track ("At Your Service") and three demo recordings of the song "Flying Dreams". For true fans, the new CD also comes with a booklet filled with photos of the film and three text pieces. The longest is a detailed discussion of the film and score by Jeff Bond. The next piece is from the composer Jerry Goldsmith and comes from the 1982 LP release; it includes his discussion on the music. Lastly, there are some details on the production of the new edition from Douglass Fake.

nice music too much of one song