I have been an avid viewer of Doctor Who since it returned to our screens in 2005 and have been particularly fond of Murray Gold's music, which covers a whole range of emotions. Now to have it on CD is a lovely Christmas gift.
There are some very lively pieces like "Westminster Bridge", some thoughtful moments like "Clockwork TARDIS" and some real tearjerkers, particularly "Doomsday". It is all extremely rich and would be suitable for a major motion picture. However, this album is not as good as it could be. While Neil Hannon's jazzy "Love Don't Roam" is wonderful, his version of "Song For Ten", the song featured in the 2005 Christmas special "The Christmas Invasion" just doesn't suit Hannon's smooth voice. Personally, I would have preferred to hear a fuller version of Tim Phillips' version and the Phil Spector-like sound that accompanies him (fortunately, this can be found on the official Doctor Who website).
As well as this, the album version of the "Doctor Who" theme is a rather thrown together amalgamation of elements present in the 2005 and 2006 versions. The traditional sci-fi effects coupled with the huge orchestra in the middle eight don't seem to mix or compliment each other very well, and this is the one song which could have done with some extra touching-up and unification. Also, some fans will be disappointed that certain scores from episodes like "The Girl in the Fireplace" and "Army of Ghosts" are not present either.
Still, to get over 31 tracks for such a good price was well worth the wait, and both casual and longtime fans of the show won't be disappointed with the effort that has gone into making this CD. Highly recommended.