Howard's work for Hidalgo is a fluffy, predictable, enjoyable journey full of Western themes, somewhat cliched Arabic interludes, and predictable styles for broad expanses. At the same time, it borders on being one-dimensional and stereotypical, with a distant drum roll in "Morning of the Race" that even reminds listeners of the opening of Lawrence of Arabia. The bouncing Western theme for Hopkins and his horse (identical in many ways to Howard's own Wyatt Earp sound) is nowhere near to being as interesting as the center portions of the score that occupy the scenes of the race itself. The faint resemblances to Elmer Bernstein rhythms in the cues for the American West sometimes wander into the domain of Randy Edelman silliness (Shanghai Noon comes to mind), and the performances of the theme that accompanies these rhythms are occasionally lacking in convincing spirit by the ensemble. On the other hand, Howard shows flashes of brilliance at other moments, especially when utilizing a dozen instruments of Arabian origins and the voice of Hovig Krikorian. Introduced in "Arriving in the Desert," the culmination of these performances exists in the outstanding "Montage," a piece that sets a steady pace with the ethnic percussion and showcases Krikorian's voice while backed by the simple power of the orchestral ensemble and a few tastefully applied synthetic effects. It's at moments such as this when Howard collectors get their goose bumps, and it was said at the time that if only he could extend the passion and intrigue of these sounds into the greater majority of the running time in his scores, Howard could transcend to that next level. The final, heroic cues of Hidalgo return to the positive, albeit generic personality of the music for the American West. As a whole, the score is structured very similarly to that of his previous effort, Peter Pan. It opens and closes with a limited, but certainly passable and likable statement of theme and personality but languishes in its midsection with often drawn-out underscore that lacks the power necessary to sustain the listener's interest. Where Hidalgo exceeds Peter Pan, though, is in the few moments of ethnic magic to be heard in three or four cues throughout, and along with the multiple broad thematic statements for grand vistas, Hidalgo will likely please the casual Howard collector. It treads on familiar ground, but offers a few enjoyable deviations along the journey. The album is shorter than expected, probably due to the recording of the score in Los Angeles, and is missing a few lengthy action cues heard in the film. The intoxicating "Montage" cue alone is worth the price of this product.  ****   @Amazon.com: CD or Download