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Horner was successful at giving each portion of the score appropriate moods. Allow me to explain. The tracks that highlight the early scenes of the film are thrilling and suspenseful. "A Stormy Ride to the Library" is a finely written track. Very booming. The songs in the middle are a wonder to behold. Horner is a true master at capturing the emotions of the film. "Towards the Open Sea" is a prime example of this. The main theme of THE PAGEMASTER is heavenly and thank goodness he weaves it in throughout. The score truly shines toward the end. "Swallowed Alive/The Wonder of Books" is, in my opinion, a triumph of modern film music.
To finish up, THE PAGEMASTER is not one of James Horner's more recognized efforts. This has always remained a mystery to me. Although, most of his best work has been created for movies that were less than successes. In this case, the music far eclipses the film in sheer quality. The album also includes two vocal songs. They're not all that bad but it was a good idea to place them at the beginning. The score is all in one complete cluster. This score was once widely available all over the nation from late 1994 to early 1996, but it has since become quite hard to come by. If you are lucky enough to come accross THE PAGEMASTER, you will be unearthing one of James Horner's finest hidden treasures.
