by James Christopher Monger Guitarist/composer/Real World fusionist Michael Brook's soundtrack for Al Gore's environmental doomsday documentary An Inconvenient Truth relies heavily on the eclectic artist's gifts for atmosphere. Brook's serpentine soundscapes echo Daniel Lanois' work on Billy Bob Thornton's Sling Blade, relying on distinctly American-sounding motifs that illuminate Gore's rural upbringing while maintaining the feel of the ominous smokestack that graces the album's cover. It's like Aaron Copland filtered through one of Bill Frisell's mid-'90s studio sessions, and while it doesn't make for a particularly riveting listen, it does capture the film's weight. Composed, Produced and Performed by Michael Brook Recorded at The Lavanderia, Los Angeles Mastered by: Ron Boustead at Precision Mastering Music Editor: Sharon Smith Album Design: Richard Henderson Imagery Courtesy of Paramount Classics Thanks to: David Guggenheim and Jay Cassidy for inviting me into so many of their projets, and for always making it fun and interesting. Lesley Chilcott for marshaling people and resources to make the score to the film possible. Hugo Vereker, Richard Henderson and, of course, Julie Rogers for their patience, counsel, feedback and support. Al Gore for dedicating so much effort to something important to all of us and encouraging progressive, open-minded, critical thinking and debate in a time when cynicism and slogans often prevail. I highly recommend investigating the issues of global warming both through this film and the many resources currently available on the web.