Recorded by Philip Glass, with additional work by John Kusiak. The Fog of War soundtrack is one of the most powerful I’ve heard from recent films: It perfectly complements Errol Morris’s acclaimed, award-winning 2003 documentary. Tracks on this album range from gentle (The War to End all Wars, an ironic name) to heavier tracks (Private and Public, Norman Morrison), flowing with the ranging emotions and experiences that are described by Robert McNamera (Secretary of Defense for JFK and LBJ). But what if you listen to the soundtrack without having seen the movie? It can be enjoyed, but much of its power derives from the images movie viewers know of, such as 67 Cities, with snapshots of Japanese cities destroyed by air force bombers, Blind Moles, with the image of a missile being wheeled to a launch pad, or Invitation, with McNamera explaining the phrase “the fog of war”. Some of the tracks are also quite short (43 seconds in some cases, though that is also their length in the film). Bottom line: The Fog of War soundtrack can be appreciated on its own merits, but when put together with Errol Morris’s film, it becomes an unforgettable masterpiece.

Recommended: Yes

Great Music to Play While: Reading or Studying