Details:
- Film: Twenty Four
- Soundtrack composer: Sean Callery
- Original year of release: 2004
- Number of tracks: 24
- Soundtrack duration: 63 mins 27 secs
- Tracks with vocals/distracting aspects: 5 Tracks (11 mins 59 secs) (Tracks 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
- Film score duration (with distracting tracks removed): 51 mins 28 secs
- Suggested suitable book genres: Actions, thrillers, science-fiction novels, pretty much anything with energy and pace to it.
DLS Summary:
The soundtrack for the ‘24’ series is possibly better than you would have expected it to be. It’s far from the litany of cheesy 90’s guitar riffs alongside groovy drum beats that you might expect when you think back to the aspects of the score you might recall. Instead, there’s loads of wonderfully atmospheric tracks which knit the entire album together perfectly. There’s also a huge amount of variance across the different tracks, and a wealth of musical talent in the overall composition of the backing music.
For reading with, the soundtrack is absolutely excellent. The tracks flow and bleed into each other incredibly well. Yes, there’s moments when the energy of the piece almost comes flying out at you, like it does sometimes within the soundtrack for ‘300’ (2007), but this is still probably not enough to derail you from your book.
For an action-rich thriller or the like, especially if set in the 1990’s or later, this is an ideal soundtrack to accompany your reading.
DLS Review:
The soundtrack starts off as you’d expect, with the main ‘24’ theme music. For those that religiously followed the series, the first hints of the music are all it takes to bring back instant memories of the hit show and have snippets of the plot reeling through your mind.
This opening track is actually an extended and longer version of the classic 24 theme, than you’re probably expecting. Running for 4 mins and 41 secs, the track continues to play around with the same mounting and escalating musical themes, delivering that constant sense of urgency and drama that’s such a part of the whole thing.
Track Two is a bit more of a funky piece, starting out with some 80s / 90s style bass that pumps out a big slice of funk before some crunchy-distorted guitars come in to give the whole piece a definite 1990’s kick, sounding like something that band ‘Republica’ might conjure up. Nevertheless, despite it’s 90s funk and crunchy guitars it’s still not a bad track for reading a high-octane thriller book to.
Track Three is a much more subdued and reserved offering. It’s got loads of those gentle ‘24’ strings which we invariably associate with the series, subtly adding an emotive streak through the musical piece for those who the sound of this music sparks instant memories of the series.
Track Four is back to the funkier side of things, bass and loose, lightly struck drums deliver a track that doesn’t really move much from where it starts off, delivering a constant repetitiveness to the entirety of it.
Track Five is a beautifully atmospheric offering, with delicately sung vocal notes and haunting, hanging strings on a background of lingering bass. Delicate, evocative and haunting. Also, it’s absolutely perfect for reading to.
Track Six sounds like something pulled from the ‘300’ (2007) soundtrack, with its changing ferocity and the almost Oriental/Persian mix within the music.
Track Seven is more of the backing music we recognise from the show. It’s again not too in-you-face or dominating, but instead provides a degree of momentum to be swept along with. Another excellent track for reading with.
Track Eight is an eerie piece with a sort of escalating tension built into its veins. There’s again that Oriental/Persian tone within the musical piece. Nothing overtly suggestive, just a few light whispers of something of that nature. Again, another superb reading track.
Track Nine opens with some Spanish guitar which single-handedly sets down a decidedly isolated and strangely unnerving feeling to this very subdued and reserved piece. Haunting and wonderfully evocative.
Track Ten is a far more energetic piece, packed with urgency and adrenaline like you’d expect from ‘The Rock’ (1996) soundtrack or similar. Despite its energy, it’s still very easy to read to, and slots in effortlessly well with the rest of the soundtrack.
From here on its very much the same sort of moving between quietly atmospheric and purposefully reserved, to full blown energy-rich tracks to sweep you up in the intensity of the moment.
Track Twenty is where this changes. This track is performed by ‘Tricky’ and is a trip hop track with Tricky’s vocals along with those of some lass. Not one for reading with obviously.
Track Twenty-One is a remix of the original ‘24’ theme, although this remix includes snippets of the title sequence narration from Jack Bauer and then moves into a sort of urban dance piece. Again, not for you and your book.
The final three tracks are literally the CTU phone ringtones. I kid you not!
As a soundtrack for reading to:
The soundtrack as a whole:
© DLS Reviews
