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The Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief soundtrack. Who needs Harry Potter when you’ve got Percy Jackson? That’s what you might hear Chris Columbus saying these days, out loud, to anyone who might be within earshot, if you happen to bump into him in a West Hollywood Starbucks. He might be wearing a sandwich board with the legend “Liked Potter? Try Percy!” written across it, and ringing a cowbell. Hell, if David Lynch can promote Laura Dern’s Oscar credentials on the side of a cow, why the hell not?

Actually, there’s a pretty good reason why not: because everything to do with the promotion of Percy Jackson & The Overbaked Title is already saying it. Let alone the tone, genre, narrative structure and lead character. And since Harry Potter made a shedload of money, we can assume this: Percy Jackson is in it for the dollars.

That’s not to say the film won’t be any good, nor that Rick Riordan’s source material isn’t a good read for feisty young adults with gods and monsters on the brain. Let’s just be aware – it’s setting itself up in the mould of a behemoth, and it wants your pocket money.

So what does that mean for the Percy Jackson soundtrack? It means it’s epic and orchestral, all high production values and good old fashioned Hollywood grandeur, eery and atmospheric and occasionally creepy with plenty of high octance string arrangements clearly meant to inject a note of classy suspense to fight and chase sequences involving CGI beasties. Much like the Potter soundtracks. It comes courtesy of Canadian composer Christophe Beck, whose previous scores include such artistic triumphs as Bring It On, Confidence, Elektra, School For Scoundrels, and both Garfield films. Well, if it pays the bills…

The fact is, this kind of money-chasing big budget project aimed at vast audiences of youngsters and their ever hopeful cinema attending parents doesn’t demand a ground breaking score that goes against the grain and challenges assumptions, it demands a luxurious orchestral soundscape of terrific musical skill which meets and enforces expectations and emphasises quality (and budget size). And Beck has provided that with aplomb.

Of course I should say, that’s what a Chris Columbus film of this type demands. Had Terry Gilliam had a bash at Percy (and we know he very nearly helmed a post-Columbus Potter) both film and soundtrack might have been vastly different. And here’s a tasty factoid for you: when Mike Hodges, writer and director of the classic Brit thriller Get Carter, made Flash Gordon, he had the entire score composed and performed by Queen. Wouldn’t the cinematic landscape be a more wonderful place with a few more out-of-the-box ideas like that? Something for Chris Columbus to think about when he’s ringing his cowbell.

You can download the Percy Jackson soundtrack as mp3s here
Or get it on CD here

Percy Jackson Soundtrack (Lightning Thief OST) – Track List
1. Prelude – Christophe Beck (2:29)
2. The Minotaur – Christophe Beck (5:09)
3. Chiron – Christophe Beck (2:02)
4. Victory – Christophe Beck (1:32)
5. The Fury – Christophe Beck (2:16)
6. Dyslexia – Christophe Beck (1:02)
7. The Hydra – Christophe Beck (6:53)
8. Medusa – Christophe Beck (2:42)
9. Son Of Poseidon – Christophe Beck (1:56)
10. The Parthenon – Christophe Beck (3:42)
11. Hollywood – Christophe Beck (2:32)
12. Lost Souls – Christophe Beck (2:34)
13. Fighting Luke, Part 1 – Christophe Beck (3:54)
14. Fighting Luke, Part 2 – Christophe Beck (2:47)
15. Hades – Christophe Beck (2:46)
16. Mount Olympus – Christophe Beck (1:27)
17. Poseidon – Christophe Beck (3:07)
18. Homecoming – Christophe Beck (3:06)
19. End Credits – Christophe Beck (7:12)

Leave your thoughts on Percy Jackson and the Percy Jackson soundtrack in the comments. If you’re looking for a particular track leave a description and someone normally replies.