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Reviewed by Chris McEneany, 4th December 2010.
One of the most beloved of action scores and a massive influence on such hyper-kinetic yet emotionally charged material ever since. Goldsmith would explore and evolve his themes over the course of two more Rambo movies (Brian Tyler composed the fourth instalment, though he couldn't avoid paying homage to the master), but the raw guts of the character’s musical voice came into being with this incredible work of stirring adventure, moving pyschological complexity and haunting militarism. Rambo was given life by Stallone, but Goldsmith provided the impetus to get the blood pumping around his granite-hewn body. This pumping powerhouse score is the template for modern outdoors adventure music. It moves in-synch with the violence and with the rugged atmosphere of the environment, and yet it creates such iconic themes that it is hard to imagine the genre ever properly existed before Jerry Goldsmith wrote them.
With considerably improved sound quality that really provides pristine instrumental clarity, a detailed history of the score in a finely illustrated booklet, and bolstered by Intrada’s proud involvement in the score's continual popularity, this luxurious 2-disc release of First Blood is a fan’s dream come true. Rambo stands defiant on the cover-art, and this muscular and adrenalised score tells his story with passion, vigour and depth. Without Goldsmith's haunting lament-infused main theme, the character would not be half as sympathetic. Without his brawny energetic action cues, Rambo would have given up the chase and, like Col. Trautman once advised, Teasle could have picked him up “working at a gas station … there'd be no fight and no-one would get hurt.” So, Jerry, it's all your fault that Stallone and Rambo came to own the genre with one of the biggest bodycounts since World War II. With the label having already released a fantastic complete score for Rambo III, we just need them to unleash the mighty second instalment in all its glory and with improved sound. But, for now, there is enough musical testosterone here to keep Jerkwater, USA, in need of “a good supply of bodybags!”
Thankfully, Intrada's magnificent release is not limited and fans should have no problem picking up a copy from them ... which I urge them all to do.
Happy Birthday, Intrada … you drew First Blood with this one, and now it has come home.
Read the full review...
One of the most beloved of action scores and a massive influence on such hyper-kinetic yet emotionally charged material ever since. Goldsmith would explore and evolve his themes over the course of two more Rambo movies (Brian Tyler composed the fourth instalment, though he couldn't avoid paying homage to the master), but the raw guts of the character’s musical voice came into being with this incredible work of stirring adventure, moving pyschological complexity and haunting militarism. Rambo was given life by Stallone, but Goldsmith provided the impetus to get the blood pumping around his granite-hewn body. This pumping powerhouse score is the template for modern outdoors adventure music. It moves in-synch with the violence and with the rugged atmosphere of the environment, and yet it creates such iconic themes that it is hard to imagine the genre ever properly existed before Jerry Goldsmith wrote them.
With considerably improved sound quality that really provides pristine instrumental clarity, a detailed history of the score in a finely illustrated booklet, and bolstered by Intrada’s proud involvement in the score's continual popularity, this luxurious 2-disc release of First Blood is a fan’s dream come true. Rambo stands defiant on the cover-art, and this muscular and adrenalised score tells his story with passion, vigour and depth. Without Goldsmith's haunting lament-infused main theme, the character would not be half as sympathetic. Without his brawny energetic action cues, Rambo would have given up the chase and, like Col. Trautman once advised, Teasle could have picked him up “working at a gas station … there'd be no fight and no-one would get hurt.” So, Jerry, it's all your fault that Stallone and Rambo came to own the genre with one of the biggest bodycounts since World War II. With the label having already released a fantastic complete score for Rambo III, we just need them to unleash the mighty second instalment in all its glory and with improved sound. But, for now, there is enough musical testosterone here to keep Jerkwater, USA, in need of “a good supply of bodybags!”
Thankfully, Intrada's magnificent release is not limited and fans should have no problem picking up a copy from them ... which I urge them all to do.
Happy Birthday, Intrada … you drew First Blood with this one, and now it has come home.
Read the full review...