This site was conceived as a side project by a "tekkie" friend of mine who suggested I use my journalistic experience to write about something I love. We bandied about some ideas before settling on this one - largely because I had collected movie soundtracks for much of my life and thought I could write about them. We wanted the site to be user friendly, well-written and reliable.
Over time, I hope to attract other writers keen to contribute to the site, who don't mind foregoing the financial benefits they may be used to in the short-term for something that may, or may not, be profitable further down the line.
The gradual demise of the cd format, re-emergence of vinyl, along with the expansion of blu-ray dvd and downloads translate to an ever-changing market place; despite this, most of us still buy cd's and dvd's and I hope that you will use the Amazon links on this site to buy online.
We have also included mini YouTube video links that accompany the reviews, so that you can listen to your favourite theme music while watching a related trailer or clip from the movie; because film is a visual medium, there seems no better way of presenting it.
Finally, a note on the type of soundtracks featured. Though purists generally view albums such as "Top Gun", "Flashdance" and others like them, as unworthy of coverage on a film soundtrack site, preferring instead to focus on orchestral scores, we have taken the view that these albums have earned their place based on their continued saleability and affection with a large section of cinema-goers. We wanted to reach as broad an audience as possible and have developed the site with this in mind, without forgetting those fans for whom composers such as Bernard Herrmann and Jerry Goldsmith, among many others, are considered on a par with the master composers. We hope you can find your best movie soundtracks on this site.
Jerry Goldsmith’s impressive score to Paul Verhoeven’s steamy thriller is a sedate affair; rather than go for the jugular (or the ice pick!), he has used a fair amount of restraint (and you could argue, intelligence), exploiting the sensual, mysterious elements in the story, while playing down the sleazier side show, to classy effect. When he does up the excitement a notch, most impressive in ‘Night Life’, the result is sleek, stylised and full of atmosphere. ‘Roxy Loses’, pulls out all the stops, with full string and brass sections, reminiscent of Pino Donaggio’s score for ‘Blow Out’, while ’Catherine’s Sorrow’ weaves the (rather over used) main theme into an effective new one. Despite being re-released in complete form in 2004, with additional, rather brief cues and expanded liner notes, this original release remains the most cohesive version available. Seductive. Basic Instinct Movie Soundtrack. Review: Tim Mowbray.
1. Main Title (Theme From Basic Instinct).
2. Crossed Legs.
3. Night Life.
4. Kitchen Help.
5. Pillow Talk.
6. Morning After.
7. The Games Are Over.
8. Catherine’s Sorrow.
9. Roxy Loses.
10. An Unending Story.
Other Versions Available:
Basic Instinct Soundtrack CD
Promethius, CD, 2004, XPCD 154. Rating: Track Listing:
1. Main Title 2:13
2. First Victim 1:39
3. Catherine & Roxy 5:14
4. Shadows 0:41
5. Profile 0:49
6. Don’t Smoke 2:26
7. Crossed Legs 4:49
8. Beth & Nick 2:21
9. Night Life 6:03
10. Home Visit 1:13
11. Your Wife Knew.
12. Untitled.
13. That’s Real Music.
14. One Shot.
15. Kitchen Help.
16. Pillow Talk.
17. Morning After.
18. Roxy Loses.
19. Catherine’s Sorrow.
20. Wrong Name.
21. She’s Really Sick.
22. It Won’t Sell.
23. Games Are Over.
24. Evidence.
25. Unending Story / End Credits.
26. First Victim (alternate version).
Boy’s From Brazil Movie Soundtrack.
1978, 20th Century Fox.
Jerry Goldsmith.
Intrada, CD, 2008, Special Collection Volume 75. Rating:
Originally released in 1978, the LP version of ‘The Boys From Brazil’ was an effective, if incomplete offering; its high point, a well executed suite running for nearly twenty minutes incorporating many of the highlights. This double CD release takes one of Goldsmith’s best ever scores to new heights with a wealth of material not included on the original. Written for Franklin J. Shaffner’s Nazi thriller about notorious Dr. Josef Menegle’s plans to restore the crumbling fascia of the Third Reich by cloning Hitler from his South American hideaway, is an interesting if ultimately overbaked production, filled with grand performances and well known stars, including Lawrence Olivier and Gregory Peck as Mengele. Underpinned by a beautiful Viennese waltz that intermittently subverts into a dark Wagnerian nightmare, Goldsmith’s score plays up to the films sometimes melodramtic nature, while providing it with added ballast in the form of some understated character motifs, such as those written for Olivier’s character, Nazi hunter Ezra Lieberman. The second CD features the original album, along with source music: both have cleaned-up sound. Detailed liner notes and plenty of film artwork make this one of the most impressive releases this year. Limited edition of 5000. The Boys From Brazil Movie Soundtrack. Review: Tim Mowbray.
Disc One:
1. Main Title.
2. The Killers Arrive.
3. What Does He Want.
4. Find It / Don’t Believe Me.
5. Kill Him.
6. Reuters News.
7. Broken Bottles.
8. We’re Home Again (Film Mix).
9. S29 (track details unknown).
10. Without Hope / Frau Doring.
11. Do Yours.
12. The Dam.
13. Over The Top / Frieda Maloney.
14. December 11th.
15. The Hospital (Revised).
16. Jungle Holocaust.
17. Old Photos.
18. You!
19. The Right One.
20. Print! / The Dark Room / End Title.
Disc Two:
1. Suite from ‘The Boys From Brazil’
2. We’re Home Again (Album Mix).
3. Frau Doring.
4. The Dogs & Finale.
5. Siegfried Idyll [excerpt] (Richard Wagner).
6. The Blue Danube [excerpt] (Johann Strauss II, adapted by Arthur Morton).
7. Ismael’s Samba [radio source] (Arthur Morton).
8. The Hospital.
9. The Killers Arrive [without percussion overlay] .
Sorry! no clips of the score itself were available on YouTube. Here is the trailer instead.
Star Trek: The Motion Picture, 20th Anniversary Edition.
1979, Paramount.
Jerry Goldsmith,
Columbia/Legacy, CD, 1999, 489929 2. Rating:
Re-released to mark its 20th anniversary, Jerry Goldsmith’s landmark science fiction score, remains an outstanding achievement, packed full of strong thematic material and atmosphere. Though the first ‘Star Trek’ film was plagued with production problems and criticised for being convoluted and slow, its score suffered no such setbacks with an Academy Award nomination. Hailed as some of Goldsmith’s best work, it is difficult to argue with this sentiment; from the hypnotic ‘Ilia’s Theme’ (see YouTube clip below) that hints at the mystical elements of the score to ‘Klingon Battle’, an energetic action cue and the majestic main theme, used in many of the sequels, Goldsmith manages to touch every base with a huge amount of style. The effective use of synthesizers, particularly as Vigur’s spaceship gets a grip on the Enterprise, still sound interesting twenty years on – no mean feat considering the speedy development of electronic sound effects at the time. This special edition also comes with a second CD featuring an album from 1976 examining Gene Roddenberry’s thinking behind the series and featuring interviews with cast and science fiction master Isaac Asimov; a rather oddball but entertaining addition to this outstanding score. Star Trek: The Motion Picture Movie Soundtrack. Review: Tim Mowbray.
