Crusoe (Original MGM Motion Picture Soundtrack)
World premiere release of Michael Kamen’s moving, emotional score dated in 1988 for Caleb Deschanel personal vision of Robinson Crusoe, starring Aidan Quinn and Elvis Payne. Michael Kamen (Highlander, Robin Hood Prince of Thieves, Licence to Kill, Mona Lisa) provides one of its best efforts: a reflexive, ethnic influenced score dominated by a melancholy melody that reflects the character of Crusoe. The music was performed by The National Philharmonic Orchestra. Now after spending nearly as long in Michael Kamen’s archives as Daniel Defoe’s castaway did on the author’s remote island, Crusoe has finally been rescued for CD. Its score is presented here in the form the composer originally conceived for its (never-released) soundtrack album. Crusoe remains one of Michael Kamen’s most intimate and evocative works, portraying Crusoe’s island as a state of mind as much as a rugged place for adventure. More importantly, his work showed it was a place where so-called civilized and primitive music could share a common bond of humanity. The package includes a 16-page full color booklet, and liner notes by Daniel Schweiger, who discuss the film and the score, and also includes interviews with Caleb Deschanel and sound engineer Stephen McLaughlin.