Soundtrack Review: Prison Break Seasons 3 & 4 (2009)

Posted by Jorn Tillnes

August 7, 2009

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061609 0728 SoundtrackR12 Soundtrack Review: Prison Break Seasons 3 & 4 (2009) This is a review of the television score Prison Break Season 3 & 4 by Ramin Djawadi.

“Darker and ultimately more fun than season 1 and 2, at least the music…”

Back in 2005, Prison Break was meant to be a short-term solution to Fox’s schedule while waiting for 24 to start, however it didn’t go quite as planned. It became an unexpected hit with audiences. Whether it was the insane story, the chilling suspense or Michael Scofield’s awesome tattoos, it got to live on for 4 seasons. The music was composed by a (then) unknown German composer Ramin Djawadi who before the series, had only had done some limited TV and Blade: Trinity. In 2007 the music for season 1 and 2 was released and just recently, Varese Sarabande put out the music for season 3 and 4.

Track List

Main Title Season 3 (*****)
Michael Scofield (****)
Dirt Nap (*****)
Aim For The Heart (****)
Fin Del Camino (***)
Orientacion (***)
Just Business (****)
Pasion (****)
Chicken Foot (***)
The 6 Pïs (***)
Breaking And Entering (****)
Selfless (***)
Scylla (***)
Bang And Burn (*****)
Safe And Sound (****)
The Art Of The Deal (****)
Happily Ever After (***)
Revenge (*****)
Free (****)
Spark Of Love (*****)
End Of The Tunnel (****)

Unique Style

I’ve always felt that the music is very unique and immediately recognizable as the sound of Prison Break. This is characterized by its flute sound which Ramin Djawadi uses a lot throughout the score. Season 1 and 2 was pretty low-key compared to this latest offering. The tempo has increased and the motifs are darker and more complex. That is perhaps the biggest change from the previous seasons and it makes for an overall better experience. However, while Season 1 and 2 was over an hour long in total playtime Season 3 and 4 is only 48 minutes! Surely 2 seasons of this TV show must warrant some more music?

It’s shorter, but the music has evolved in the right direction and one can say the same about the composer Ramin Djawadi. The sounds are more complex, there’s more experimentation and while the style remains the same (and it’s easily recognizable) there’s a definite change to the trained ear. Okay, so they removed the 2 minutes+ main title and replaced it with a 36 second one which is a bad decision. However the subtle changes of adding more electronic sounds and suspense makes you quickly forget its apparent flaws.

No Surprises

You get what you expected from a Prison Break score, but you will also be a little surprised by the change in tempo and intensity. You only have to listen to cues like ‘Bang and Burn’ to know what I mean, with its fast percussion and dramatic horn sweeps. The themes haven’t evolved. It’s the same main theme which you will hear snippets from throughout the score. There’s nothing more to see here, move along now. That is perhaps its biggest flaw, but the uniqueness of the sound and style makes up for it. Besides, the main theme is very entertaining (but too short). I should mention that ‘Spark of Love’ contains some stuff I haven’t heard much of in this series, a properly emotional theme. It’s nice thematic work on its own and goes to show that Ramin Djawadi can produce sweeping emotional music, not just beats and background music.
Conclusion

No one can deny that the Prison Break scores have got a unique style and it provides for an entertaining listen and gives you a lot of enjoyment. Despite missing obvious themes (except the main title) it keeps a high standard and works perfectly as background listening. It won’t give you chills or tears but ultimately it’s more fun than season 1 and 2. Go get it if you enjoy the TV show or the season 1 and 2 soundtrack release. There’s more of the same here with a few differences to make it a strong score.

061609 0728 SoundtrackR22 Soundtrack Review: Prison Break Seasons 3 & 4 (2009)