This is another entry in my "Complete Score Breakdown" series, focusing on the complete scores to films who've had abbreviated previous releases or have gone unreleased.
Today we are looking at Drop Zone by Hans Zimmer.
One of my favorite Zimmer action scores, a vintage 90's actionfest by the composer that holds up alongside Peacemaker, Broken Arrow and Crimson Tide in its thunderous and energetic tunes, aided significantly by Pete Haycock's guitar work and additional music by Nick Glennie-Smith and John Van Tongeren. I think everyone knows the music towards the beginning of "Too Many Notes, Not Enough Rests" and its ubiquitous use in trailers towards the end of the 20th century.
The current CD runs 35:40, excluding the track "Hyphopera" written by Ryeland Allison, which is more of a song. In recently watching the film -- which still gives me thrills and chills in its depiction of skydiving action and beauty, despite the rest of the film's shortcomings -- I learned that there are 24 minutes of unreleased material.
Most of the expanded material is variations on the main theme, propulsive guitar work helping to set up the evocative Florida and D.C. locations, and some really great undiscovered action music. The highlight of the unreleased material is the exhilarating cue I call "Gift Wrap" and the film version of the CD track "After the Dub", which in the movie is 14:40 long (compared to the CD's version 8:07). There is also a film version of "Hi Jack" which includes solo vocal not found on the CD (same female voice that is featured on the CD track "Flashback & Fries").
I hope Varese Sarabande expands this score someday -- it was one of the first CDs I ever owned, and I think the first Zimmer score I ever owned. Quite simply if you dig Zimmer's 90's action sound, you'll love the complete score.
CURRENT CD RELEASE RUNTIME: 35min40sec COMPLETE SCORE RUNTIME: approx. 59min40sec TOTAL UNRELEASED SCORE RUNTIME: approx. 24min
Complete Score Cue Titles and Cue Times: (unreleased tracks named by me for the sake of identification)
1. Drop Zone (1:48) 2. Attack in the Yard (0:20) 3. Takeoff (2:45) 4. Hi Jack Pt. 1 (2:00) 5. Hi Jack Pt. 2 (2:35) 6. Terry's Dropped Out (1:00) 7. Research (2:00) 8. Photos (0:20) 9. He Paid... (1:28) 10. Practice Jump (0:52) 11. Moncrief Plans (0:25) 12. Flashback & Fries (4:18) 13. Miami Jump (5:10) 14. Swooping and Snooping (3:00) 15. Chopper's Aboard (1:03) 16. Moncrief's Deal (0:25) 17. Gift Wrap (2:08) 18. Chute Sabotage (1:17) 19. Too Many Notes, Not Enough Rests (10:40) 20. After the Dub (14:40) 21. Swooping in for Leedy (1:02)
Current CD Release track titles and track times:
1. Drop Zone (1:45) 2. Hyphopera (1:41) 3. Hi Jack (4:35) 4. Terry's Dropped Out (1:01) 5. Flashback & Fries (4:21) 6. Miami Jump (5:14) 7. Too Many Notes, Not Enough Rests (10:39) 8. After the Dub (8:07)
The actual cd varese is just perfect in term of listening fluidity,i just can't understand all these fanboys who want every note of the music for nothing and any reason.
Nice job, Deputy. Zimmer certainly composed very rousing action music, and I always liked the use of guitar in this score. Sometimes I thought the percussion overwhelmed the themes but at other times, the themes were clear. I’m glad to see a breakdown of the score. New insights never hurt.
My favorite Zimmer anthem theme is from Crimson Tide. The main theme is so well-articulated and clear as well as being well-synced to visuals of the movie, and I listen to it often.
I always loved this score! This, along with the others you mentioned (Crimson Tide and The Rock especially) need to be released in expanded form to be fully appreciated. These scores were all victim to HZ's decision to merge many tracks into 'suites' that were out of chronological order. I always found them to be a better listen when heard in proper film order.
Nice job, Deputy. Zimmer certainly composed very rousing action music, and I always liked the use of guitar in this score. Sometimes I thought the percussion overwhelmed the themes but at other times, the themes were clear. I’m glad to see a breakdown of the score. New insights never hurt.
My favorite Zimmer anthem theme is from Crimson Tide. The main theme is so well-articulated and clear as well as being well-synced to visuals of the movie, and I listen to it often.
Keep up the good work.
Thanks Joan!
And Bondo321, I agree about the suites. They do make for enjoyable listens but nevertheless I vastly prefer film order and shorter cues, most of the time.
You are welcome, Deputy. If you check out my Need For Nostalgia Part II topic, you'll see that three of us so far (Joan, Jim, Sean) have singled you out for good topics, so never think you post in vain.
You are welcome, Deputy. If you check out my Need For Nostalgia Part II topic, you'll see that three of us so far (Joan, Jim, Sean) have singled you out for good topics, so never think you post in vain.
Oh I hadn't visited that thread yet. Gosh I will just have to head over there now! Thanks!
The actual cd varese is just perfect in term of listening fluidity,i just can't understand all these fanboys who want every note of the music for nothing and any reason.
The position of Thor has already been filled, thank you.
The actual cd varese is just perfect in term of listening fluidity,i just can't understand all these fanboys who want every note of the music for nothing and any reason.
Still perplexes me after all these years when people can't grasp the difference between the concepts of fact and opinion. Seriously, what's so hard about it? You have an opinion that the Varese CD is perfect in terms of listening fluidity; I have a differing opinion that it's not a perfect CD and is missing a lot of great unreleased music that I personally would like to hear. It's okay for both of these opinions to co-exist.
I'm not sure why you need to understand another opinion rather than just accept it, but I will try to make it as simple as I possibly can: because we like the music.
Why do you think these wonderful specialty labels consistently crank out expanded and complete scores as often as they do? Often it's because of "all these fanboys who want every note of the musc for nothing and any reason".
Wow this is awesome! I own the expanded releases to Peacemaker and Broken Arrow (I still listen to Broken Arrow daily), as well as the original Crimson Tide CD. I am a very huge fan of Hans Zimmer and the chunk of great 90s actions scores he and his group made at the time.
I've never heard Drop Zone before, but now I really want it after listening to these samples. That guitar is just off the charts! I guess this score falls in line with Crimson Tide, Face/0ff, and The Rock. Where, although they are great, great scores, there seems to be no signs of expanded releases on the horizon.
Just watched this on Netflix recently. While it's super cheesy, it does probably have the best skydiving footage for any Hollywood movie I've seen. Blows away Eraser. Fun score. I don't have the varese, but I'd be down for an expaded.
I saw the film at the theater in 94, and bought the CD. Haven't listened to it for ages though, and I didn't find it as strong as many other Zimmer 90s scores, so I would not buy an expansion.
What I would love though, is a release of Zimmer's first collaboration with John Badham - Bird On A Wire from 1990.
great to see a breakdown of this score as I had the CD playing in my car last week on repeat (I choose new ones every week) and thought to myself that this is a great score but a bit to short.
My Zimmer faves are among his early ones as Backdraft, Black Rain, K2, Crimson Tides and Pacific Heights are among his best
About Nick Glennie-Smiths involvement, I think he did the cue Flashback & Fries and music for Pete´s First jump, the "Take out the leader" cue and a theme for Swoop among others I love those heavy guitars on this and K2
I revisit this score probably at least once every month because of my fiction writing. I have had the CD on repeat the last week. I really hope we get a remastered and expanded release of this score. What is on the original album is great. Too Many Notes, Not Enough Rests is an action packed track. The mastering sounds flat on the album to me. Am I the only one who feels this way?
I would really like the Plane Take Off track and the film version of the second half of Hi-Jack when Terry falls out of the plane. I ripped it from the DVD for my own listening purposes and muted the center vocal channel. Still not as good as having an official release.
Drop Zone is the Hans Zimmer style that I like best. This goes right along side The Rock, Crimson Tide, and the Peacemaker in terms of style. I wish he would go back to this now and again.
Question. The mark of Too Many Notes, Not Enough Rest that kicks in at about 2:02, is this the first film where he used that style? It comes back up again in many of his other films
Question. The mark of Too Many Notes, Not Enough Rest that kicks in at about 2:02, is this the first film where he used that style? It comes back up again in many of his other films
Yep, that’s the famous temp track used in trailers and of course Pirates of the Caribbean, that everyone lost their minds over accusing HZ of being unoriginal (while forgetting about the existence of temp tracks) lol
Question. The mark of Too Many Notes, Not Enough Rest that kicks in at about 2:02, is this the first film where he used that style? It comes back up again in many of his other films
Yep, that’s the famous temp track used in trailers and of course Pirates of the Caribbean, that everyone lost their minds over accusing HZ of being unoriginal (while forgetting about the existence of temp tracks) lol
I believe it’s original in DZ.
It has to be in my top three favorite of Zimmer ever. That 20 seconds or so, simply epic.
