I have found the VotDT soundtrack to be quite addicting! it's so epic and my favorite tracks are "Into Battle" and "The Painting"!

I would have to agree. I didn't buy the soundtracks for the first two movies....it just wasn't my thing. And when I saw VDT for the first time, I didn't like the music, but that has changed. I think I was just annoyed that it was so different fromt he first two, but I actually really like it now.

I love "Into the Battle" and "The Painting" and "Opening Titles"

I also just bought the PC soundtrack on itunes.....its pretty decent. I think I just have a lot of positive associations cause I love the movie so much and have seen it so many times.

I would be happy with either Harry Gregson-Williams or David Arnold doing "The Silver Chair." If Apted does the silver chair he will probably have David Arnold again because they are friends, but I wouldn't mind HGW doing some future films!

I don't want either of them to come back. I was wildly underwhelmed by both's scoring, though HGW's scoring was better than Arnold's. I did not know that HGW only allowed Arnold to use one theme. That seems a bit ... odd.

LWW had just about everything right about it as being the first Narnia movie and I personally think HGW just lucked out with getting a really good film to score plus his already present talents. His PC score wasn't really as good as I had expected except for the opening things, and it suffered sophomoric slump like the movie did. David Arnold had some bright places in his soundtrack and my favourites for his scoring tend to run with my favourite scenes in VDT. He used some really different instruments on certain parts. But part of me remembered he also scored the recent BBC TV Sherlock, so some sounds/rhythmic devices he used sounded recycled. I agree I think it would be great to have someone totally new do the scoring next time round.

I highly doubt Gregson-Williams wouldn't allow David Arnold to use any other themes. That wouldn't make sense.

I think, beyond the total disconnection from LWW and PC, what I didn't like was the style of music used. It seemed generally too "childish" and happy-go-lucky in many places, and in exciting places (except Dark Island), the music sounded like James Bond and not Narnia.

I have to disagree slightly with Arvan, I dont think the music was childish at all, nor was it James Bond like. It was however, like you said, much different than LWW and PC, but not exactly in a bad way.
I liked that they changed it slightly because much more of this movie is based on water and not on land so I think changing it was a good idea.

In the past two movies the music has been a sort of spiritual sort? Like 'The call' by Regina Skelton and 'Cant take it in'. It had an earthy feel to it

Random question but does anybody else get a slight feeling in their chest when the main theme music for the Narnia films comes on? I think its called 'Journey to Aslans Camp.' It feels to me like pride of some sort? I cant exactly out my finger on it but its the feeling I get.

That pride is a cross between glorious nostalgia and music that is actually good. (It's the only copy-and-paste job in the film and is the only music actually composed by Harry Gregson-Williams.) Everyone is so busy praising everything they can that they don't realize the lack of quality in the VDT score. I'm not saying it's bad; it's just not as good as LWW or even PC's soundtrack.

The idea that VDT's music should be different is good, but Arnold overdid it. The score was not only disconnected thematically, but the music was less mature and not more. This is the third in the series, for heaven's sake! The soundtracks should grow with the characters. Instead, Arnold pulled back and made it simple (and for the most part boring in my opinion). Light strings, flutes and chimes were used to make the movie "more magical", but only succeeded in my losing interest. The music barely went anywhere, minus the last few tracks. There was practically no choir, and no emotion seemed to come through the strings during the first three quarters of the film.

One interesting use of instruments was the sleigh bells that appear when Lucy reads the snow spell. That was something I wish Arnold would have done more: use different instruments, and expand the musical palette. If you don't understand what I mean, listen to "Arrival At Aslan's How" and then compare it to "Blue Star". Notice how the strings sweep more and feel more glorious and dramatic? Also, notice the larger feel and wider sound? This is five kings and queens walking. Then in "Blue Star" we've got a discovery and the sailing Dawn Treader. Yet the bigger event got a much less powerful soundtrack!

Yeah, on youtube there was a mix of songs from VODT, and to be honest they sounded alot like an animation movie soundtrack, although they sometimes are very good, this wasnt that good.
I did compare the blue star and Arrival at Aslans How, it was much better standard on the previous movies . (Arrival at Aslans How - much better. )

The orchestra in LWW and PC was by far better than the music in VDT. because it captivated the scene that was playing, especially at the battle of Beruna.

Arvan, I'm thinking that in order to truly compare Arnold and Gregson's styles and see which one was better, "Arrival to Aslan's How" and "Blue Star" aren't really the right songs to compare. "Arrival" is the arrival of the kings and queens after 1300 years of absence. However, "Blue Star" is the kings and queens waking up from a good night's sleep and seeing a blue star that they've looking for...yes, a great discovery, but not necessarily the best correlation. Remember, that the very music for "Arrival" is from their coronation, and I don't think that music as glorious as the coronation music would be appropriate for the section of "Blue Star." I think the songs that would be better to compare to "Arrival" would be "Ship to Shore," "Time to Go Home," "First Sword", or maybe even "The Painting." Even though Arnold may have a softer feel to his style, does that mean that it can't be as glorious? I always feel like crying during "Ship to Shore" and "Time to Go Home."

Obviously, the best correlation would be "High King and Queen of Narnia," but since HGW wrote that one, THAT comparison doesn't really work...

Harry did NOT write "The Kings and Queens of Old". That would be a better comparison, and even then it doesn't match PC in excellence. BTW, "Blue Star" also is music for the sailing Dawn Treader, not just waking up to the star.

I always feel like crying during "Ship to Shore" and "Time to Go Home." )

I don't feel like crying. I did the first time I heard them, because they were the best on the soundtrack and still couldn't compare to the first two.

I just finished watching Prince Caspian, and I was reminded how much i love the soundtrack. I especially love Oren Lavie's Dance Around The Memory Tree. All of the movies have had great music.

I would say that LWW has THE BEST soundtrack! It really portrays feeling and depth. The PC and VDT soundtracks were....less to be desired for (in my opinion). There were some very good ones, but if I heard the music with a bunch of other instumental music, I wouldn't tell it was Narnia. Where as the LWW track stand out somehow.

You're quite right, LWW's soundtrack was by far the best. However, PC was VERY recognizable. That was its problem: Gregson-Williams didn't develop his themes enough, and often copy-and-pasted music from LWW into PC.

You've hit VDT's problem spot-on, though. It's completely and totally unrecognizable.

I personally disagree. It's (VDT's score) not completely unrecognizable. At least the beginning and ending themes aren't (especially Time to Go Home).

I'm saying in comparison to the previous films, it's unrecognizable. I'm not saying it's unrecognizable in general.