A few tracks into the second CD of music from Xena: Warrior Princess, one gets a general feeling of “westernization” on this album. No, not meaning that suddenly everything’s gotten to be like a guitar-twanging score from a Fellini western, but that the Mediterranean elements that so characterized the early scores are starting to be phased out in favor of a more traditional western/orchestral tone.
With the second season’s exploration of slightly less serious, campier territory than the first, little musical numbers began to creep in as well, though I’m happy to hear the “Joxer The Mighty” song here – Joxer remains my favorite character in the Herc/Xenaverse, and for God’s sake, someone build some surreal sitcom around Ted Raimi in a starring role now, it’ll be gold. But I digress. There are also grander vocal outings as well, with the operatic “Xena Kicks Bacchae Butt” and more understated “At Mother’s Tomb”. Suffice to say, season two’s overall tone is accurately reflected in this collection of music from that year.
With tracks 9 and 10, I find myself thinking primarily one thought: “Wow, Joe LoDuca listened to Peter Gabriel’s Passion somewhere between the first two seasons, didn’t he?” LoDuca (well, I think it’s LoDuca – see related notes in our recent review of the first volume of Xena music) throws in some modernization on the percussive end of things, reminding me of nothing so much as some of the more interesting (if anachronistic) tracks from the aforementioned album which gathered Gabriel’s soundtrack cues for The Last Temptation Of Christ. Not that this is altogether a bad thing, mind you.
There’s also some seasonal fun with a healthy helping of music from A Solstice Carol, a Christmas-themed episode which made for some loving musical tips of the yuletide hat.
Overall, an interesting CD whose music is indicative of an overall shift in the “feel” of the series.
- Main Title (1:22)
- At Mother’s Tomb (3:00)
- Xena Kicks Bacchae Butt (2:03)
- Pop Goes Xena (1:11)
- Quicksand (1:25)
- Squeal (2:01)
- Sword Play (1:27)
- Homeland (3:29)
- Capoiera Fight (1:23)
- Many Winters Ago (2:17)
- Stowaway (1:53)
- You Really Believe That (1:05)
- Rrarr! (3:48)
- Friend (1:37)
- Crucifixion Of Xena / Up The Mountain (2:28)
- To The Rescue (1:42)
- Fighting Destiny (2:08)
- Talk With Solan (1:12)
- The Ballad of Joxer the Mighty (1:12)
- Solstice Night (2:13)
- The First Fate / Suspended Gabby (3:22)
- Where As Me / Gabby & Toys (2:20)
- More Fun And Games / Feather Fight (3:12)
- Hard Core Fishing (1:23)
- River Wild (1:37)
- Xena Is Bitten (1:33)
- Restoration (2:11)
- Caught In The Current (3:48)
- Callisto Becomes A God (2:04)
- Swamp Creatures / Imposter (2:40)
Released by: Varese Sarabande
Release date: 1997
Total running time: 67:03
