As long as I'm still in the business of cataloging reviews, I should probably note that a new one popped up on Amazon shortly after Christmas. This one focuses on The Rarities disc more than the others, which is nice to see since we tended to de-emphasize that in our own press for the sake of clarity. So, courtesy of H4RR7H of New Zealand, our newest review:

As I understand it Doug Adams has achieved a several-year-long project here, with Shore's mammoth library at an arm's reach. This book is a must for collectors, because as a result it also includes "The Rarities Archive" audio CD with track-listing as follows:

01: The Fellowship Of The Ring - Prologue: One Ring To Rule Them All [Alternate]

02: The Fellowship Of The Ring - The Shire/The Hobbits [Mock-Up]

03: The Fellowship Of The Ring - Out From Bree [Theatrical Version & Alternate]

04: The Fellowship Of The Ring - Flight To The Ford [Alternate]

05: The Fellowship Of The Ring - Moria [Mock-Up]

06: The Fellowship Of The Ring - The Fighting Uruk-Hai [Alternate]

07: The Fellowship Of The Ring - The Argonath [Alternate]

08: The Two Towers - Gwenin In În ("Arwen's Song") [Alternate/Mock-Up]

09: The Two Towers - Arwen's Song [Complete] featuring Liv Tyler

10: The Two Towers - Emyn Muil [Alternate]

11: The Two Towers - The Rohan Fanfare [Mock-Up]

12: The Two Towers - The Eaves Of Fangorn [Alternate]

13: The Two Towers - The Ent Theme [Mock-Up]

14: The Return Of The King Trailer featuring Sheila Chandra & Ben Del Maestro

15: The Return Of The King - The Gondor Theme [Mock-Up]

16: The Return Of The King - The Muster Of Rohan [Alternate]

17: The Return Of The King - The Seige Of Gondor [Alternate]

18: The Return Of The King - Shieldmaiden Of Rohan [Theatrical Version]

19: The Return Of The King - Sammath Naur [Alternate] featuring Renée Flemming

20: The Return Of The King - Frodo's Song ("Into The West") [Alternate/Mock-Up]

21: The Return Of The King - Elanor [Alternate] featuring Sir James Galway

22: Howard Shore & Doug Adams - In Conversation (Part 1)

23: Howard Shore & Doug Adams - In Conversation (Part 2)/Frodo's Song Ver. 2 featuring Sir James Galway

This CD... words cannot describe the gross anticipation and successful delivery of these tracks! Jam-packed with 79 minutes of uncut material, it also includes a fantastic interview with Shore regarding the production processes of the music and a hint at the Hobbit which Howard appears to be returning to compose for.

Where during The Fellowship Of The Ring, as Arwen summons forth the ford, the music fades out. Shore wrote an incantatory choir piece to accompany this and it is just excellent - it's included here within the original material expanse of a recording coinciding with the surrounding scenes from the film.

An alternate thematic entry of the Gondor theme originally occurred at the Argonath's reveal camera pan, which as Adams emphasises, was replaced with the History of the Ring. Here the original version is offered in fresh reception.

Arwen's Song, preformed by Liv Tyler who portrays Arwen in the films, is available in complete form with this release including an additional line sung by Aerosmith's lead singer's daughter.

Another favorite is the Return Of The King Trailer score, which is unique in it's variation, building up to the final installment of the trilogy.

The book is the perfect companion, and I commend Adams on a extremely erudite report on Shore's scores. 

Back soon with a belated year-end wrap-up and January's Ongoing Discussion board!