On Stranger Tides escalates from there to closing mega-thrills so determinedly spiced that your palate is left almost jaded." Jack Adrian says that "Tim Powers has further refertilized the Sabatini swashbuckler," and describes the novel as a skillful blend of "high seas adventure with sorcery and black magic." Kim Newman based the name of a vampire in his "Anno Dracula" series on the main character of "On Stranger Tides". Ron Gilbert has been widely quoted that the "Monkey Island" series of adventure games was inspired by Disneyland's "Pirates of the Caribbean" ride. However, he stated in a blog that the ride was mainly
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (soundtrack) ago", and that he decided to add a "Spanish element" to "On Stranger Tides". Many musicians worked with Zimmer in the score. The biggest collaborators were Mexican duo Rodrigo y Gabriela, whose music Zimmer met after being given their album by a friend. Zimmer said they were picked for the soundtrack because the duo "play rock n' roll with flamenco guitars". American composer Eric Whitacre helped with choir-based songs, most notably the mermaid theme, and brought along his soprano wife, Hila Plitmann. Penélope Cruz's brother Eduardo Cruz wrote a tango song, and Geoff Zanelli contributed to many tracks. Trumpetist Arturo