The Legend of Silk Boy Soundtrack [2010]

[score note]
All he needed was the opportunity. Alain Mayrand, like so many talented composers out there, simply needed the chance to display his talents and the newly released soundtrack, The Legend of Silk Boy, provided him with that opportunity. Of course, having opportunities is one thing but one must be ready to deliver on such chances and Alain does so quite impressively. The interesting aspect about his work on Silk Boy is that one would think that the composer was a long-time veteran of the industry given the level of polish associated with the music. This score is a dandy.

The Legend of Silk Boy, which features Jackie Chan as the headliner in the cast , is a symphonic adventure full of thematic charm, an appealing warmth, and a near-perfect pace. While I normally feel rushed when listening to the frantic nature of most animated scores, Alain's music seems to have captured an ideal balance between the demands of the genre and that of the listening experience. Not once did I feel pressed when listening to this album and I tip my cap for the manner in which Alain transitioned from one scene to the next. This is especially important since the score shifts tones fairly rapidly at times, which includes heroic themes, moments of peril, flights of fancy and magical wonder. Quite an impressive palette, wouldn't you say?

Another high note about this album is the level of quality that is associated with even the briefest of sequences. While there is a fluid nature about this score and how it is presented on album, the craftsmanship associated with the shorter spurts are quite brilliant. Alain maximized nearly every second of the score's running time to give us a grand and vibrant experience.

The soundtrack checks in at well over an hour and it's time that simply flies by. I'm not usually game for albums that stretch past 60 minutes but Silk Boy was different since there is a vast amount of color and variation to enjoy. Indeed, the material warranted a longer soundtrack release and I'm not complaining; I'll return to this score regularly to take flight with Silk Boy because it's an adventure that is delivered with heart and soul and that love translates to the music.

The Chinese 3D animation film The Legend of Silk Boy dedicated to the Shanghai Expo opens today (August 20th 2010) in the Expo Garden, M1905.com reports.

Jackie Chan is the voice of the hero, Xu Rongcun, while the film’s director, David Liu, also worked on Star Trek, Transformer and Toy Story.
The Legend of Silk Boy is set amid China’s first attendance at the World Expo in 1851 in London.

Xu Rongcun, dubbed China’s First Businessman at the World Expo, won the gold and silver medals for the Chinese silk he sold in London.

The film is based on the book Adventure of the Silk Boy written by his 70-year old descendant Xu Xizeng.

The cast also includes Li Bingbing, Li Yang and comedian Zhou Libo, who speaks in a Shanghainese dialect for his character.

Tracklist:
1. Soaring Over Old London 1:49
2. Xu Rongcun's London Escapade 1:41
3. The Filthington Family March 1:56
4. The Queen's Presentation 1:13
5. Filthington's Forced Exit 1:38
6. Tammy and Silkboy 2:55
7. The Clash of the Robot Gladiators 2:36
8. The Deceitful Entreaties of Filthington 2:29
9. Tammy's Bad Day 1:42
10. What's Wrong with Following My Dreams? 3:53
11. Sneaking In 3:33
12. Sucked Into The Magical Painting 1:41
13. Rough Landing / Meeting Lucky and Anya 2:39
14. Spores on the Wind! 3:36
15. Round 'Em Up and Move 'Em Out! / Filthington's Conjuring Mishap 2:56
16. Arrival at The Enchanted Forest 3:01
17. Filthington's Lament 1:09
18. Over the Hill, Across the Desert and Into the Sandstorm 2:05
19. Bubble Flight Over The Great Tree / Meeting the Ginseng King 1:49
20. The Ginseng Slammatocious Vibe 3:17
21. The Epic Battle for the Talismans 2:47
22. The Goddess Revealed 2:40
23. Return to Shanghai / Grandfather's Great Escape 2:50
24. Engage! 1:07
25. The Fantastic Highway Chase: Part I 3:43
26. The Fantastic Highway Chase: Part II 2:01
27. The Flying Bus / The Jaws of Doom 1:45
28. A Flower Done Wrong / Arriving at Destination 1:50
29. Freeing the Goddess 1:13
30. Filthington's Bluff / The Goddess Departs 1:35
31. Saying Farewell 1:38
32. All is Well that End's Well… Almost! 1:42
33. "One Boy's Dream" 2:32

Enjoy