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Signs | 
 enlarge | Creator: James Newton Howard
Label: Buena Vista Pictures
Category: Music
List Price: $13.98
Buy New: $12.99
You Save: $0.99 (7%)
New (29) Used (15) from $5.82
Rating:  50 reviews
Sales Rank: 32959
Format: Soundtrack
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.6 x 5 x 0.5
MPN: 162368
UPC: 720616236821
EAN: 0720616236821
ASIN: B00006AWG7
Release Date: July 30, 2002
Shipping: Eligible for Super Saver Shipping
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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| Tracks:
| • | Main Titles | | • | First Crop Circles | | • | Roof Intruder | | • | Brazilian Video | | • | In The Cornfield | | • | Baby Monitor | | • | Recruiting Office | | • | Throwing A Stone | | • | Boarding Up The House | | • | Into The Basement | | • | Asthma Attack | | • | The Hand Of Fate - Part I | | • | The Hand Of Fate - Part II |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com
For decades strange, intricate symbols have appeared pressed into farm fields across the globe. Enormous, puzzling messages from an extraterrestrial civilization--or an incredibly elaborate hoax staged by... whom? Those are the questions that drive M. Night Shyamalan's narrative, but as in the director's other thrillers (The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable), the answers aren't always where you expect them. As he's done for Shyamalan's previous films, composer James Newton Howard creates a musical undercurrent of mystery and unease, with nervous arpeggios and sullen, swelling strings ratcheting up throughout the score's unsettling first half. The film is dotted with apparent visual homages to past sci-fi films, and moments of Howard's orchestral score have occasional parallels with the more action-oriented passages of John Williams's landmark Close Encounters score. But there's more than brooding atmospherics, tension-building, and the occasional booming crescendo here. A sense of gentle spirituality gradually evolves as well (largely via the composer's sensitive use of minimalist techniques), with Howard's music ultimately achieving a quiet, satisfying sense of resolve that's missing from all too much of Hollywood's hollow dramatic thunder. --Jerry McCulley
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| Customer Reviews: Read 45 more reviews...
 TERRIFYINGLY SPLENDID October 13, 2008
Signs shook the film industry to its core.Though people praise the cast's performace,there is one other character who was there the whole time.James Newton Howard's musical score for Signs is quite possibly his greatest work to date.Like Jaws,that unforgettable 3 note melody used throughout Signs was just as influential in creating those intense moments of panic and curiosity as any human performance.Most amazing is Mr. Howard's ability to take that melody and weave it throughout all 13 tracks on this album while still giving each track it's own emotional uniqueness.So whether you're listening to this album while driving down the road or standing on your porch,whenever you hear this music,just look up at the sky and ask yourself...are we really alone?
 Jauntingly Terrifying while Soothingly Peaceful February 8, 2008
While the film's music is not diverse or changing much, like some of JNH's other works (eg. King Kong, Batman Begins), it does leave many great moments of intense songs and other peaceful heartfelt progressions. This is one of my favorite albums just for the songs Asthma Attack and Hand of Fate. Those two songs alone show how amazingly Howard can take one three note motif and transform it into entire album. While the album in a whole can seem to drag and never end if you listen to it from start to finish to start to finish (obviously because of this never-ending three note motif and the unchanging key), it is a great album to have in, playing in a mixture of other albums. My overall thought is, though it doesn't have the quality to make you feel alive or even in tears like Batman Begins can (or even Zimmer's Pirate's 3), it is a masterpiece just to listen to how many different progressions Howard can make off of one motif. I would recommend it to a musician highly. Otherwise, 3 1/2 stars seems sufficient.
Tubular Bells grows up and becomes a daddy July 17, 2007
James Newton Howard's preternaturally spooky sound track to the Mel Gibson move SIGNS is worth its weight in the corn carved out and wasted by those damned aliens. Having grown up in Pennsylvania corn country, I can tell you that corn is *heavy*.
Howard crafts his soundtrack using ingenious variants on a three-note theme that is even eerier when listened to sans video than during the movie itself. It is astonishing how powerfully a soundtrack like this evokes the fear and anticipation of the movie's plot line.
The bulk of these tracks set your teeth on edge, making the occasional harmonic resolution akin to a warm bath or jumping off a bridge and discovering that they remembered to attach the bungie chord after all.
The composer's weapon of choice for this gloriously conceived assassination of good feeling is the humble flute. Howard takes a page from 'Tubular Bells' to pull it off, triumphantly chipping away at security with this simple wind pipe.
SIGNS is one amazing anthology of tightly themed and emotive music. It's a brilliant listen even without reference to its fun parent, the movie.
Impressive! April 14, 2006
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
In a world clouded by John Williams, it has been difficult for other film composers to get themselves "heard." Along with Hans Zimmer, James Horner, and Howard Shore, James Newton Howard has begun to edge his name into popular cinematic circles. His new release "Signs" is actually what drew me to the theater to see the film. The enticing three-note pattern which is the foundation for the entire score was enchanting and invoked enough curiosity in me that I saw the film on opening day (even though the plot seemed bizzare). While the overture is impressive, I was a bit underwhelmed by the interior tracks on the album. While the music is great for "background" effects the typical moving chordal structure is altogether boring in comparison with every other suspense movie score out there. The album elevated itself to "impressive" status with the final two tracks (The Hand of Fate parts 1 and 2). These two tracks are stand alone music. Opening with an "in your face" recapitulation of the motive in the overture, evolving into a sweet, reflective lyrical section, and beginning to build again with an interesting staccato violin duet the finale is quite unique. The Hand of Fate part One concludes with a soaring horn line above the main theme and evolves into a pensive pseudo-choral in the Hand of Fate part Two. The CD is worth it just for the overture and the Hand of Fate Duo!
Scary, Isn't It.... October 18, 2004
5 out of 6 found this review helpful
One of the best suspense soundtracks ever made in my opinion. Howard is a very good composer and has gotten even better with Signs. The three note motif that is played thoughout the movie is so simple yet suspenseful. Signs is one of my favorite movie. One of the reasons is because of the music. The music shows us the situation that these people are living in a much scarier way.
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