Music For A Darkened Knight

BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES was one of, if not THE most influential American animated television shows of the last 15 years. Coming in the wake of Tim Burton's BATMAN films, it raised the bar for action cartoons by being smart, stylistic, expertly cast, and masterfully scored. Shows coming after B:TAS have had to acknowledge its accomplishments, either in carrying on its template or making a conscious break from it. But in all the time since it finished its original run in September 1995, the show's Emmy-winning score has never had an official release available to the public. Until now.

In December, La-La Land Records put out a 2-CD compilation that covers musics from 11 of the series' episodes, as well as the title themes and an 18-page booklet with liner notes from writer Paul Dini, Danny Elfman, Daniel Schweiger, and Eddie Gorodetsky. Shirley Walker, the series' lead composer, passed away in 2006. But in one of the set's best treats, Walker is heard discussing the main theme on a piano and giving an impromptu lesson on how it could be rearranged and manipulated over the course of many episodes. There is also a 14-minute "Gotham City Overture" that compiles themes for many of the series' main characters. The music presented throughout the set runs the gamut from whispering to thunderous, brooding to playful, triumphant to tragic. I've had my copy since yesterday and have been listening to it non-stop since.

The set was limited to 3000 copies, and last time I checked they said there were less than 500 left. So if this sounds like something you might want (and it should), click over to their site and order your copy ASAP.

1/29 EDIT - Under 200 copies left! Go go go!

1/31 EDIT - Sold out!