Not only was the score for Cutthroat Island considered a breakthrough and a superior effort at the time, placing Debney on the map for a wide variety of studios and producers, but it has endured extremely well over the subsequent dozen years since its recording. Debney himself looks fondly back at the experience; he would not set foot in the same recording studio until 2004's The Passion of the Christ, and even he recognizes that Cutthroat Island --no matter how troublesome the production turned out to be-- is his crowning achievement from an artistic standpoint. And why not? It's about as rowdy and ambitious of an orchestral composition written anytime in the digital age. The only aspect of the score better than the updated vibrance of the swashbuckling genre is the quantity of it. The film would feature over two hours of music, requiring Debney to write and record at an incredible pace. The music literally exudes the sense of urgency and excitement that Debney must have been feeling when writing it. The rhythmic movement of his score is relentlessly charged, overwhelming at its best and engaging at its worst. A bold attitude is never absent from Cutthroat Island; the music continuously strikes an aggressive tone and hits the listener over the head with it in a deceptively elegant manner. Part of the recording's success is owed to the phenomenally athletic performance by the London performers. Only John Williams (and perhaps James Horner on a rare occasion) could work out this ensemble to such an ambitious level. Precise orchestrations led by Brad Dechter and even more precise performances by the group offer a resilient power that never yields in the score's major statements. The percussion section earns significant kudos; the performer on the cymbals alone must have been on his or her toes during the entire process. The choir features a masculine, adult sound without emulating the more uniform tones of Hans Zimmer's maturing usage at the same time. Debney employs it somewhat sparingly given the impressive length of the recording, but the usage is made to count when necessary. The vocal group also stretches to meet some unconventional needs, including some deep throat-style groaning in "Escape from Mordechai's."

Three major themes occupy most of the bombastic and memorable portions of the score, with several less obvious motifs securing transitional sequences throughout. Two of the three ideas overlap regularly, and they are the representation of Davis' character of Morgan as well as an overarching adventure interlude for the entire film. Because of Morgan's heroics from start to finish, her idea is natural to represent the bulk of the running time, and an extended treatment of these interwoven two ideas exists twice in "Main Title/Morgan's Ride." A better example of the film's general action theme is "Carriage Chase," an exhausting seven minutes of glorious action that, in places, pulls some ideas for the brass section from Horner's The Rocketeer. The other major thematic idea for Cutthroat Island is the love theme, and while there are some characteristics of the preceding action themes that would resemble Arnold's Independence Day, this sweeping string theme for the two leads is a shameless pull at Arnold's Stargate. This theme, more than the others, is responsible for the speculation about Arnold's involvement, even in the case of temp track imitation that Debney has been known for in the hectic schedule of his later career. In the film, the love theme doesn't receive as full a treatment as would be presented on the various album releases, though "Discovery of the Treasure" provides some development. Other minor motifs inhabit Cutthroat Island, including a growling of low-range brass and percussion for the evil uncle Dawg character. A sailing motif highlighted by "Setting Sail" is a blatant pull of inspiration from Korngold (quite shameless, really), but its execution is so dynamic that you can't help but admire the tribute. A theme of wonder, used during some of the more poignant, fantasy-laced parts of the film, mirrors the choral style of James Newton Howard in scores ranging from Waterworld to I Am Legend, led by the majestic "To the Bottom of the Sea." Subtle representation in the orchestration is used for smaller elements; the incorporation of tingling percussion in a cue like "Discovery of the Cave" is saturated with the anticipation of gold. Likewise, the more usual use of clanging percussion is always a good accompaniment for sword-fighting scenes.

The complexity with which Debney weaves his themes together is astounding. Some of the more outrageous action cues offer two simultaneous lines of counterpoint to the primary statement, producing a harmonious result that is as surprisingly adept at a technical level as it is entertaining. His arrangement of the primary themes, as well as a wealth of unique secondary material, keeps Cutthroat Island fresh despite its lengthy running time. It's not uncommon for both reviewers and fans alike to comment on the urge to leap out of their seats and conduct along with the score while enjoying it in privacy, and while it may be a rare circumstance when such a massive action score causes that reaction, there is an understandable infectious appeal built into the score's refusal to quit. The album situation for Cutthroat Island was less than optimal for its first ten years in release. Two 1995 albums offered 70 minutes of the score's most important material, arranged by Debney into a satisfying listening experience. The Silva Screen release from Europe was the most widely available of the two; an American counterpart with the same contents under the suspect nu.Millenia label offered seemingly poorer sound quality. While the American album completely disappeared from the market, copies of the 1995 Silva product circulated with regularity until an expanded treatment was offered for Cutthroat Island by the Prometheus label in 2005. On two CDs, 146 minutes of material was offered in remastered sound quality (you still have to love those wildly rolling cymbals) and in film order. Alternate takes and other music not included in the film are accompanied by a seven-minute demo that Debney used to be hired, a really interesting take despite its sparse electronic rendering; only minor tweaking was needed to translate the cue to the final recording. The additional material varies widely, some of it impressive enough to justify the release but none is as dramatically elegant as "The Wedding Waltz," which did not make the film's cut. The same general contents, with a few short additions, were cleaned up by La-La Land Records in 2016 for an attractive, very limited pressing that was then re-issued by Quartet Records in 2024. Overall, Cutthroat Island is a rare score that can support a comprehensive 2-CD release, and while the original 70-minute Silva album itself was enough to merit five stars, the Prometheus and La-La Land presentations simply lengthen the enjoyment with few detriments. Seek any of those albums with the utmost confidence.  *****   @Amazon.com: CD or Download