Xena: Warrior Princess Vol. 6

Xena: Warrior Princess Volume Six is a well-filled pair of discs showcasing just some of the extraordinarily prolific output Xena composer Joseph LoDuca has written for the popular adventure show. Rob Tapert and Lucy Lawless note that LoDuca has written 134 hours of music for Xena and the album reflects the postmodern nature of the show, ranging from serious action, suspense and dramatic writing to pure-camp silliness, from full orchestral scoring to electronic atmospherics and ethnic/world/folk music pastiches. Opening with a stirring 20-minute suite from "Fallen Angel", the Season Five opener, the episode "Ides of March" is featured strongly, while 25 minutes from "Friends in Need" find LoDuca creating simple but effective sampled Japanese soundscapes. There are eight cues from "The Ring Trilogy", including the music from probably the most famous kiss in fantasy television since Kirk and Uhura. The second CD has eight tracks grouped as "Bonus Cues", but the absence of any explanatory notes for these and the selection of 14 "Special Requests", including the Python/"Lumberjack Song", is frustrating. Even the most die-hard fans might have trouble working out just where every last one of these often comic pieces come from, but otherwise this very diverse release should satisfy Xena devotes and modern film music fans alike. --Gary S Dalkin

Label: Unknown
Studio: Varese Sarabande
Released: 2001-09-03
Format: Audio CD

Extras/Features:
Soundtrack