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Hans Zimmer explodes into adventure with his highly entertaining and very unique score to Sherlock Holmes. When I first read that Hans would be doing a Guy Ritchie film I became a little curious. Ritchie is known for using mostly songs and little to no score in his films. So, why would he hire a composer who is known for making music stand up and take charge in the narrative? I don’t know why, but I’m glad it happened. The score is incredibly fun and is a concoction that only Zimmer and his featured soloists could have come up with.

Hans says the score took inspiration from Irish and gypsy music. So the tunes are off key in places and utilize uncommon instruments such as the banjo or the custom hybrid “Experibass”. It has the swashbuckling waltzy feel of his theme for Jack Sparrow yet all the instrumentation and attitude of an Ennio Morricone western score. In other words, it brings what you see on the screen to vivid life. The track “Not In Blood, But In Bond” showcases one of the many amazing soloists in a hauntingly beautiful track. This track plays over the slow motion sequence of the wharf bombing and will honestly give you chills. Yet you will have a ridiculously goofy track like ” I Never Woke Up In Handcuff’s Before”, which has a Middle Eastern flair accented by an accordion that eventually weaves the main theme in.

The film itself is hugely entertaining and there is not a dull moment in the entire score (or the film). The highlight is of course the 18-minute track titled “Psychological Recovery . . . 6 Months”. It’s practically all the music from the final act of the film and it’s one helluva ride. The structures and sounds bleed Zimmer and will keep you riveted and smiling all at once. Hans is still the only composer I know who knows best how to create these grand emotional ascending arcs that continually build and build and then erupt, which is exactly what the final act of the score does.

Sherlock Holmes was a great way to end the year. It was like getting a summer action score in the winter when usually all we have is the “serious” stuff. Hans Zimmer continues to go out of his way to try and not tread over old ground. He continually creates emotionally driven music that lifts the films he scores to new heights. I still love the fact that he can do all this crazy and innovative instrumentation and the sound is still unmistakably Zimmer. I also love the “Black Hawk Down” strings that come in at 10:35 into “Psychological Recovery . . . 6 Months”. If there are any Modern Warfare 2 players out there they might recognize it. I don’t know if Hans or Lorne is responsible for that one, but it made me smile.
Rating: 5 / 5

I’m always pleasantly surprised when a movie comes along and blows me away with its score, and two movies that I seen in theaters in 2009 hold that honor: Sherlock Holmes and Fantastic Mr. Fox. Hans Zimmer’s score to Sherlock Holmes is not only one of the best from 2009, but one of the best I’ve ever heard and listening to it again on CD just reinforces that.

Using instruments not commonly found in the traditional film score like the cimbalom (a hammered dulcimer) and the use of a “broken pub piano” with influences of world music, Zimmer gives the score a unique sound that is both refreshing and instantly recognizable.

The music has character, and that isn’t something you can say about a lot of Hollywood film scores when it is saturated with clichéd grandiose, “epic” music or the seemingly generic horror film score. Sherlock’s music takes you from the movie and into late-19th century London. It captures the mood perfectly. The heaviness of the crowded streets, the thrill of Holmes’ adventure, and even into Holmes’ mind of pure chaos.

The motif of the score is extremely simple and just captures the whole persona of Sherlock Holmes in all his zaniness perfectly, and all it is is just a little rise and fall action. It is effective, and it will stick with you long after you’ve listened to the CD or watched the movie. It’s the genius of the score that this works. The motif is simple, but the music is bombastic with incredible orchestral pulses. It is a nice juxtaposition thrown in by Zimmer.

I’m glad that Zimmer didn’t rest on his laurels and give us another Pirates of the Caribbean or Gladiator, but instead gave us quite possibly his best work to date. It is just full of life and is very fun to listen to, and you just don’t want it to stop. For a man that has composed some pretty serious scores, this one just oozes playfulness and humor through out the entire thing much like the main theme from Pirates of the Caribbean.

The production of the CD is also stunning. Everything sounds crisp and clear. Every part is easily heard. Every transition is seamless. Every pulse is felt. The sound engineers really outdid themselves with this one. It is a fantastic sounding recording and one fantastic sounding orchestra.

With a unique sound and interesting motif, Zimmer’s score to Sherlock Holmes was not only one of the best written for 2009, but one of the best ever written. Fans of Zimmer should no doubt pick up this beauty of a CD, and anyone that had their doubts of Zimmer, this CD will surely change your mind.

Rating: 5 / 5