Doctor Who: Series 3


Silva Screen Records (0738572125028)
Movie | Released: 2007 | Format: CD, Download
 

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# Track Artist/Composer Duration
1.All The Strange Strange Creatures (The Trailer Music)4:08
2.Martha's Theme3:42
3.Drowning Dry1:54
4.The Carrionites Swarm3:23
5.Gridlocked Cassinis1:17
6.Boe3:43
7.Evolution of The Daleks1:53
8.My Angel Put The Devil In MeYamit Mamo3:09
9.Mr. Smith and Joan2:06
10.Only Martha Knows2:31
11.Smith's Choice1:42
12.Just Scarecrows To War1:31
13.Miss Joan Redfern1:51
14.The Dream of A Normal Death1:56
15.The Doctor Forever4:19
16.Blink (Suite)2:55
17.The Runaway Bride4:18
18.After The Chase1:26
19.The Futurekind1:44
20.Yana (Excerpt)0:54
21.The Master Vainglorious3:22
22.Martha's Quest3:20
23.This Is Gallifrey: Our Childhood, Our Home3:17
24.Martha Triumphant2:49
25.Donna's Theme3:14
26.The StowawayYamit Mamo3:36
27.The Master Tape1:55
28.Abide With Me W.H. Monk2:29
 74:24
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Doctor Who: Series 3 - 08/10 - Review of Tom Daish, submitted at (English)
It's incredible to think that Doctor Who went from long running sci-fi to cancelled and back to nationwide phenomenon; indeed it's said to be even more popular than it was in its 70's heyday when Tom Baker was the enigmatic Timelord. It doesn't seem to have quite broken into America, but its sense of the absurd might not sit that well with American audiences used to their sci-fi a little more straight laced. Sadly, it means the same fate has befallen Murray Gold's superb music which didn't even get a mention in most 2006 soundtrack lists despite the first album containing some of the most outrageously entertaining music for TV, or film for that matter, of last year. This new volume could potentially constitute the difficult second album and, if I'm honest, it's not quite as strong as the first disc, but these things are all relative. Without a hint of the classic Grainer main theme this time, the album opens with The Trailer Music which begins with a recap of some of the music from Series 3, before plunging into the kind of boisterous action music for which the new Doctor Who has become in/famous; it has to be said that sometimes Gold does go a bit over the top and it can become a little overwhelming in the show itself, but scores like that generally make the most entertaining albums.
Series 3 brought in new companion, Martha Jones, who receives her own theme; it's a bit more assertive and less mysterious than Rose's rather wistful tune, but in the tradition of the series, instantly memorable and given a nice concert treatment here. Although containing music from one series, rather than two as for the original album, only a handful of episodes' music is featured, but the choices are sound, notably the cues from Human Kind/The Family of Blood and the three part finale seeing the return of the Master. Human Kind and The Family of Blood is classic Who, mixing scary monsters, in this case a murderous family and their scarecrow minions, and the Doctor disguised as a human, Mr Smith, with no knowledge of his existence as a Timelord, having to choose,when Martha must reveal his 'secret' between a quiet, 'regular' life and one in peril saving the Universe from itself. The music reflects these two sides with the delicate chamber proportions of Mr Smith and Joan and Miss Joan Redfern (played by the always terrific Jessica Hynes), plus the more edgy Only Martha Knows, one of a handful of outstanding cues I was keen to hear in isolation. On the flip side, Just Scarecrows to War mirrors the pre World War 1 setting with militaristic drums and flutes.

Having Derek Jacobi turn from the human incarnation of The Master into his real self and then regenerate into John Simm is a bit of casting genius and the introduction of such a brilliant character needed some equally terrific music (and better than that John Debney provided for the 90's TV movie). The Master Vainglorious introduces all of the major ideas for the character; a rocking synth motif brings back memories of the older series' electronic music, but soon gives way to a swirling string motif which, the liner notes inform me, reflects the music for The Wicked Witch of the West from The Wizard of Oz, a nice allusion and a great motif. The major key fanfare motif seems a bit upbeat and optimistic for such a dastardly villain, but still works, particularly alongside the almost Korngoldian fanfare for Martha's Quest. One of the Series' best installments didn't really feature the Doctor at all, but being by Stephen Moffat, it's hardly surprising that Blink was one of the finest. Featuring a gentle, but mysterious bassoon melody, the brief Suite also hints at the darker side of a genuinely scary episode of aliens that look like statues and can only move when not being watched; hence the title. It also features some of Gold's more writing with percussion and edgy, repeated string patterns.

At the risk of treating them too casually, some odds and ends round out the disc. The Runaway Bride introduces Donna, set to return briefly as companion for some of the fourth series, and contains more Korngoldian swashbuckling, notably for the first time a car chase has involved a TARDIS in hot pursuit. Curiously, the notes make reference to Donna's Theme being similar to Martha's, yet the concert arrangement of Donna's theme doesn't really bear this out, the melody being a bit more comedic and mischievous. However, the variant of Martha's theme heard in The Doctor Forever, originally featured in The Runaway Bride, is an especially nice alternate which moves off in a different direction after the initial three notes. The 2007 Christmas special is set on the Titanic and the song The Stowaway, performed by Yamit Mamo, is featured. A mixture of The Corrs (remember them? No? Me either) and Gold's own theme to the original Queer as Folk mix into a bit of jaunty Celtic jauntiness; cheesy as hell, but good fun none the less. Evolution of the Daleks also features a song, performed on disc by Mamo, and given the retro New York setting, is a suitably enjoyable big band show tune, nicely contrasting with the heavy chorus of the underscore proper. While not having quite as many highlights as the first volume, Gold and arranger/orchestrator Ben Foster, continue to provide one of the best shows around with some of the best music. In any year this would be a fine release, but given the paucity of most film score in 2007, likely to be one of the best of the year. So, when's that Torchwood release coming?! Never satisfied, me?! Who'd have thought it...


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