Sounds from a Spinning Wheel - A Soundtrack for The Wheel of Time
Author: Atane Valthon
Published: November 15 2020 Tar Valon Times Blog
“A Soundtrack for the Wheel of Time” is an interesting project for multiple reasons. The soundtrack itself was released in 2001 on Magna Carta Records, and yet the seeds for the record’s creation were planted in the 1999 PC game, “The Wheel of Time.” Robert Berry was approached by GT Interactive Software and Robert Jordan to do the soundtrack for the game. Afterwards, Robert Jordan also approved the release of the expanded soundtrack album. Adding to the continuity of the project, Darrell K. Sweet, the artist who created the cover art for the books, also did the artwork for the Soundtrack.
When I think of music from the Wheel of Time, I tend to think of the sound of flutes, harps, fiddles, drums, and perhaps banjos; not just an Anglo-Saxon sound, but truly a collection of different cultural styles and sounds of music. If the same is what you are looking for, prepare to be surprised. What we receive seems to be progressive rock with a Celtic influence. There are a few songs that I prefer on this album, including “Return to Emond’s Field” and “Traveling the Ways,” as they really seem to communicate the tension and the danger of those particular journeys. Some of the songs have lyrics, including “A Theme for the Wheel of Time” and “Ladies of the Tower;” the difference between these two songs is that the vocals for “A Theme for the Wheel of Time” seem to be muddled on the recording. It is difficult for me to actually hear what the vocalists are singing, apart from the chorus of the song; on the other hand, the vocals for “Ladies of the Tower” are crisp, clean, and are enunciated clearly. My biggest issue with the album is the eighteenth track, “Rand’s Theme (Fanfare for the Dragon Reborn)” because I was expecting fanfare: loud, triumphant music that communicated an important person was arriving. Instead of that, for the first three quarters of the song we got what I would think of as “Farmer Rand” going about his business having a mostly pleasant day, with the last quarter adding in some menacing undercurrents.
Is this a bad album? Not at all, Robert Berry is clearly skilled, as are those with whom he collaborated. Is it my favorite album or something that I expected? It is not my favorite album, because the style of music largely is not one that I vibe with, and it’s certainly not the album I expected. If you decide to listen to this album, I would recommend that you go into it remembering the initial project from which this album got its start: A PC game from 1999. If you are intrigued by this review, the album can be streamed on Spotify, and can be found on the iTunes Store. In the future, join us for further reviews and speculations on music inspired by The Wheel of Time and the music for the upcoming television show.
Sources for this article:
Magna Carta Recent News
Robert Berry Discography
