Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves

by Adam GreenbergThis is primarily a score album, though there are a couple of non-orchestral songs represented, most notably Bryan Adams' "Everything I Do," which became a huge hit single around the same time. Most of the works are essentially what you'd expect from a Robin Hood movie -- horns, strings, and flutes, all played in a vaguely Old English manner. The rest is mood music. Given that it's a score, the music of course is meant to work well within the confines of the movie's background. Released on its own, it loses some of its power. Still, it sold well due to the Bryan Adams single, which probably needs little or no review of its own. To help capitalize on this single, one notices that the score occasionally returns to themes from the big song. Michael Kamen, known for his forays into mainstream (non-classical) music, while sticking with his full symphony, does some very good work here in evoking the moods of the movie. This is one of the few score-based soundtracks that could possibly stand on its own, though it's still relatively weak when compared to music written to stand alone.