Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron (CD - 2002)

Personnel: Bryan Adams (acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bass guitar); Heitor Teixeira Pereira (acoustic guitar, electric guitar); Ba (acoustic guitar); Davey Johnstone (electric guitar); David Channing (12-string guitar); Craig Eastman (fiddle); Martin Tillman (electric cello); Sarah McLachlan (piano); Matt Mahaffey (keyboards, drums, background vocals); Gavin Greenaway, Mel Wesson, Pat Leonard, Steve Jablonsky, Hans Zimmer (keyboards, programming); Mickey Curry, Ashwin Sood (drums); Pointless Brothers (background vocals).

Audio Mixer: Bob Clearmountain.

Recording information: AIR Recording Studios, London, England; Compass Point, Bahamas; The Warehouse Studio, Vancouver, British Columbia, Cana; Warehouse Studio, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

Director: Geoff Foster.

Photographer: Dirk Rudolph.

Arrangers: Jim Dooley; Mel Wesson; Rupert Gregson-Williams.

Children's flick SPIRIT tells, in animated style, the time-honored story of the friendship between an unbridled horse and a dispirited young human. Who else would be more logical to tap for the music to such an animated flick than Canadian rocker of the '80s, balladeer of the '90s Bryan Adams? Ok, it doesn't seem like a natural lock. Pop musicians do cross over to animation all the time; however, Randy Newman comes from one of the first families of film scoring and Elton John's music always seemed ready-made to majestically soar over inspirational credits. But let's not forget that Adams had a part in three of the biggest pop hits to grace movie screens ("Everything I Do (I Do It For You)," "Have You Ever Rally Loved A Woman," and "All For Love"). So, it is pretty unfailingly logical.

Solid, stirring pop songs abound here, and fellow Canadian superstar Sarah McLachlan guests ethereally on the sweet pop ballad "Don't Let Go." Overall, SPIRIT, a collection of Adams songs laced with a smattering of the esteemed Hans Zimmer's score, soars unrestrained, a perfect backdrop to a motivational movie. minimize