Nominated for 14 Academy Awards, winner of 4 Golden Globes, including best original score and best original song, the film "The Titanic" is breaking records across the boards.

The album has hit number one on the Billboard chart, a feat that hasn't been accomplished by a soundtrack since 1982's "Chariots of Fire."  If you've seen the film it's not hard to understand why the music score is making this large of an impact.

I had heard all the hype about the movie and thought, "it's a movie about a boat sinking."  It really didn't interest me a bit.  Then a funny thing happened.  More and more people were buying the soundtrack and telling me what a wonderful movie it was - people who had gone back to see the film 3, 4, and 5 times.  Some even more times than that.  Well, if it was that good, then I felt I had to go see what it was about.  I'm glad I did.

The film was spectacular.  It took me across the boards emotionally, but I'd have to say that one of the many things that made the movie so fabulous was the musical score.  Even today, it's hard to listen to this soundtrack without getting tears in my eyes.  The music is absolutely beautiful and each song brings back some emotion from the film.  I firmly believe that this is what a soundtrack should do.  There are points in the soundtrack where I found myself closing my eyes and envisioning the boat cutting through the ocean waves.

The music is incredibly powerful and tied up in images of the film.  I have discovered that I cannot listen to "Celine Dion's" perfomance of "My Heart Will Go On" without getting all misty-eyed.  The same thing happened to me at the theater.

This soundtrack is beautiful music whether you've seen the film or not. However, if you have seen the film, the soundtrack is a must-have for your collection. Do yourself a favor and go out and buy it.  Put it on, close your eyes and let the music wash over you.  This is music to feel, music to experience.

Think back to the early 80's.  Can you remember the movie "Fame?"  Young people going to performing school, hoping to learn all they can to break into the world of entertainment? Musicians, actors, dancers - every single one talented in their own way?

Then there was the T.V. series.  The same basic concept except they took it a step further by involving us more in depth into the lives of a select few students and teachers.  We were given the chance to get to know them and care about them (maybe), and each week there was a new problem, a new occurrence, some new obstacle for one (or several) of the students to overcome.  Now this same show has been resurrected and updated for the 90s. "Fame L.A." is the new series and the soundtrack gives a small sample of the talents involved in the new show.

The first single from the series' soundtrack is "Was It Something I Didn't Say" by "98degrees."  It's a soft, R&B song; very romantic and soulful. These are not newcomers.  "98degrees" went gold their first time out with "Invisible Man," a song about unrequited love which reached #12 on Billboard's Hot 100 Pop Singles chart.  It looks like this song is destined to be another hit.

If I had to pick what I liked best about this album, I'd have to say it was "Heide Noelle Lenhart's" contributions.  Heidi is one of the stars of the T.V. show and she sings four songs on this album.  She is a fresh new voice and these songs really stand out.  "Nobody's Saviour" is a simple, yet catchy tune.  Great guitar playing, great lyrics, and yet so simple.  Heidi had at one time decided not to pursue a career in acting, instead heading off to the halls of academia and a career as a kids' counselor.  However, she had always known she'd be a singer or an actress, and it wasn't long before she was going off to auditions. She surprised herself by landing a lead role in the NBC series, "California Dreaming."  I guess this sent her on her way and there's no turning back now. "Far Cry" is another, slower-paced song with a heartfelt sound to it.  There is the same beautiful acoustic guitar playing with an sort of orchestral sound in the background.  These songs are simple, elegant, and beautiful. Definitely worth a listen.

"City of Angels," by the band "Blush," is another of the standout songs.  It has a great sound, original with a bit of an edge to it.  The soundtrack also includes a new song by Irene Cara, "Out Here On My Own," along with a rerelease of her hit single, "Fame."  I think most everyone remembers this one.

This is a good soundtrack but probably not one you'd look twice at if you don't watch the series.  I think it's worth picking up if you're looking for something with good new music, new performers, and even for the nostalgia of looking back on the old hit series.  Ok, not everyone falls into this category, but I have to admit that it brought back a few memories hearing Irene Cara singing "Fame" again, and it also gave me the chance to be introduced to some new performers.

Imagine "Alien" meets "Peter and the Wolf" and you get some idea of the impact of Jerry Goldsmith's original score to the movie "Deep Rising." Opening with much the same eerie atonal effects he gave us in "Alien" but with an undersea flavor, Goldsmith adds a drumline to build the expectations to a fever peak.

A past master at the slow buildup, he is challenged to keep the crowd on the edge of their seats waiting for the inevitable moment that man meets monster. Mixing throbbing drums, extensive use of the tympani, and electronic keyboards, he actually brings shivers to your spine. (Too bad the movie didn't do the same.)

Changes in tempo are your clue to impending doom, each rise to a crescendo bringing us closer to the final result. The music is a both a foreshadow of things to come and a warning device. Like "Peter and the Wolf" the bassoon is the hunter - only this time it is the beast who is hunting and woe betide the poor soul on screen when the bassoon begins to play for death is nigh. The strings play a requiem for those souls as they meet their fate. Trumpets blare and the chase is on again.

Goldsmith won an Oscar for his score for "The Omen" and nominations for "Alien" and "Poltergeist" among others, but in each case the film he scored was the equal to his music. Unfortunately his latest effort outshines that of the cinematic portion, destined for a cheap rising in video stores near you. It's a shame that many will not appreciate the wonders of the score due to their desire to hit the rewind button on the VCR long before the film is finished. For those folks I suggest you cover the screen and use your imagination to give the soundtrack a more fitting picture. Better yet buy the soundtrack and enjoy a deeper satisfaction.