Paycheck Soundtrack CD

Original score composed by John Powell.
Composer: James McKee Smith.
Personnel: John Powell (programming); Jo Ann Turosky, Katie Kirkpatrick (harp); Al Hershberger, Katia Popov, Tamara L. Hatwan, Robin Olson, Ken Yerke, Julia Ann Gigante, Marc Sazar, Mari Tsumura, Norman Hughes, Gina Kronstadt, Joel Derouin, Mark Robertson , Patricia Johnson , Richard Altenbach, Roberto Cani, Bruce Dukov, Natalie Leggett, Phillipe Levy, Sarah Thornblade, Roger Wilkie, Armen Garabedian, Michael Markman, Liane Mautner, Dimitrie Leivici, Charlie Bisharat, Mario Diaz de Leon (violin); Matt Funes, Marlo Fisher, James V. Ross, Michael Nowak, Pamela Goldsmith, Brian Dembow, Keith Greene, David F. Walther, Piotr Jandula, Victoria Miskolszy, Darrin McCann, Robert Berg (viola); Steve Kujala, David Shostac (flute); Emily Bernstein, James Kanter (clarinet); Rick Baptist, Wayne Bergeron, John Fumo (trumpet); Steven M. Holtman, Robert Sanders, Alan Kaplan, Alexander Iles, Charles Loper (trombone); Fred W. Greene, John VanHouten (tuba); Phillip Edward Yao, David Duke, Yvonne S. Moriarty, Bill Lane, Brad Warnaar, Brian O'Connor, Jim Thatcher (horns); Randy Kerber (piano, keyboards); Michael Fisher (percussion); Germaine Franco, Daniel Lerner (drum programming).
Audio Mixer: Shawn Murphy.
Recording information: Paramount Scoring Stage.
Arrangers: James McKee Smith; John Powell .
Paycheck is an adaptation of a Philip K. Dick short story directed by John Woo and scored by John Powell. Powell's previous work on films like Shrek, Two Weeks Notice, and Woo's Face/Off showed a flair for fusing contemporary and classical, and his work here is a flawless stew of electronic mayhem and orchestral elegance. The piano cues employed throughout the piece bring to mind the schizophrenic motif from the Nightmare on Elm Street films, and they provide a sinister breath between the bombast of tracks like "Hog Chase" -- a mad concoction dripping with James Bond-meets-Bollywood excess. Scoring action movies must be a tiresome assignment, as a great deal of the composer's time is spent propelling characters through the films at a speed that defies the establishment of memorable musical interludes. Powell manages to find a unique middle ground, utilizing percussion as his engine and strings as his vehicle. The result is a lush, textured joyride that stands apart from the film it was designed for, and an exercise in utility with an emphasis on creativity. ~ James Christopher Monger