Soundtracks can be great. But They are natural - soundtrack to a movie. Howard Shore Took the trouble and Took The three musical scores of the LOTR movies and put them together in one coherent symphony instead of the disjointed collage did Soundtraks Usually are. The result - recorded live in front of an audience - is stunning. It is a real symphony and the 'Orchestre de la Suisse Romande' does a great job of conveying the drama and grandeur of the film in a Purely musical form If you have to choose between getting the soundtracks or this. Go for this record. Musically it is way more satsifying.
