Survivor

This summer's guilty pleasure now has a companion. CBS's hit show "Survivor" was this summer's runaway hit and now there is a soundtrack to accompany it. Now you can re-live all the great moments from the TV Show including rat eating and those tortuous immunity challenges. Russ Landau and David Vanacore combined on the score for the show drawing inspiration from traditional Pacific Islander music as well as kitschy synthesizer sounds.

The highlight of the album has to be the now-familiar opening titles track "Ancient Voices" which is presented in regular and extended versions. When I listened to it for the first time on CD, I got goose bumps as I remembered all my favorite moments from Jenna breaking down over lack of a video from her kids or Sue tongue-lashing Kelley or mispronouncing tapioca. The other highlight of the album is track 18 "Tally the Votes" which provides memories of all the tribal councils as each member of the tribe votes to off a castaway and Jeff Probst tallys the votes. Then there is the segue as the offed castaway is sent packing. I can visualize them one by one walking down that lonely path until only one is left. I cannot remember any of the other tracks specifically from the show, but they all have that certain feel that flows together. I did feel that David Vanacore's tracks rely a bit much on synth sounds and gimmicky surround effects (particularly "Explorer"). He does redeem himself since he wrote "Tally the Votes". Russ Landau's tracks are definitely the high point of the album. His tracks include favorites like "Snake Island", "Chase Race", and "Rituals".

The CD booklet and artwork are all top-notch. It was a nice touch to include photos of all the cast members (I still can't believe Sean is a neurologist). I would have like a few more liner notes, maybe some text by Jeff Probst since he is absent from the CD entirely. The cover of the CD seems to be more of a picture of another CBS staple "Gilligan's Island" rather than Pulau Tiga, but still evokes a tropical island.

For those of you who are not "Survivor" fans, I would still recommend picking this album up. It fits nicely in the CD player when you are working on the computer or tooling around the house. It's not quite a Philip Glass masterpiece, but it allows you to concentrate on what you are doing, while still enjoying some tunes. For those of you who are "Survivor" fans, what are you waiting for? Miss this and you will most certainly be voted off the island. WARNING: Listening to this album repeatedly can inspire one to go and sign up for the next "Survivor". With great theme music, anyone can survive can't they?