Both are good for Goldsmith fanatics (hi), but BREAKOUT gets much more play. It's terrifically varied, a very strong album overall, with equal parts action, suspense, love theme, even a breakout to mariachi in the end, pun intended.
VELOCITY is good too, but more low key-suspense oriented scoring - I love the early use of a Basic Instinct piano-ostinato here.
Well cap´n, you're only going to get the one(s) WE prefer here, so it's a bit of a gamble going on what our own preferences are... but since you asked, I much prefer BREAKOUT over HIGH VELOCITY. HV does have a some cracking good stuff on it, but it also has more than its fair share of low-key suspense noodlings. Luckily it's not just Goldsmith treading water - there are a lot of interesting sounds in there, but overall BREAKOUT is much better. In fact, I think it's one of his most "under-discussed gems". Gritty '70s Jerry chase music, lovely romantic theme before he became too heart-on-sleeve, interesting sounds...
BREAKOUT on the whole for me is a better more enjoyable listen, yet HIGH VELOCITY has a couple tracks or parts that I totally dig.
I love Goldsmith's "Love Themes" in both BREAKOUT and BREAKHEART PASS both starring Charles and Jill.
And hey, CABOBLANCO isn't chopped liver in the Latin Flavored Goldsmith world! There is some superb stuff in that score! Wow, the BRONSON / GOLDSMITH TRILOGY, to be sure!
I love them both equally, but I will say that Breakout is the more consistent listen, whereas I think High Velocity has more awesome highlights and a bit more unique/unusual sound due to the cimbalom, melodic tympani, and other cool effects. I find all the suspense underscore for it riveting. Don't understand those who find it boring in parts.
Also, though I don't love it quite as much as Breakout and High Velocity, I will second the mention of Caboblanco as also being a very worthy score. And it's not a Bronson trilogy, zooba -- don't forget Breakheart Pass!
My mileage does not vary at all from what everyone else has said, and I too enjoy Caboblanco a lot - it's got one of those big wonderful out-of-the-blue main titles that Goldsmith did so well. Though too much of the chestnut "the very thought of you" - I just kept Jerry's interpolation of it when I mp3'ed it. I'd recommend them in this order:
Awesome, that's pretty consistent advice - thanks, guys! I listened to all of Breakout on youtube and really liked it, but I'd heard that High Velocity was sort of a companion score to Breakout which is why I sought the advice. I'll definitely consider picking up High Velocity and Caboblanco in the future though!
I love them both equally, but I will say that Breakout is the more consistent listen, whereas I think High Velocity has more awesome highlights and a bit more unique/unusual sound due to the cimbalom, melodic tympani, and other cool effects. I find all the suspense underscore for it riveting. Don't understand those who find it boring in parts.
Also, though I don't love it quite as much as Breakout and High Velocity, I will second the mention of Caboblanco as also being a very worthy score. And it's not a Bronson trilogy, zooba -- don't forget Breakheart Pass!
Yavar
I was referring to BREAKOUT, CABOBLANCO and BREAKHEART PASS (which I mentioned) as the Bronson/Jerry Trilogy, not including HIGH VELOCITY.
"But I'm really here to chime in on Breakout - I too find myself returning to that score time and again. (High Velocity not so much.) Doug Fake wrote a wonderful note on Intrada about the first cue when it was released, about the mid-section with the striking vibraphone-plus effect, and it's a track I love to come back to from time to time" --------------------------------------- By: Kev McGann (Member) A lot of my early Goldsmith listening was done via TV-to-tape dub, as lots and lots of his scores were not available on LP back then. I remember playing my BREAKOUT tape to death. The opening, as we watch a bus drive along a dusty South American road, pull over and let some prisoners get out...then the Federales start shooting at them...at which point Goldsmith's Tex-Mex style rhythm has given way to his fantastic crazy/bat-sh!t orchestral shrieks, just rattles the senses like no other! Even my little sister, overhearing me playing it around that time, remarked how she hated it and loved it at the same time! Just sensational scoring for a low-rent almost TV-like movie. THAT'S the Jerry I will always cherish the most. ------------------------------ Here's what I said (above middle) about BREAKOUT on the other JG thread in current discussion. Oh, and I agree with others above, in that CABO-BLANCO is also quite brilliant and I would place it as a tie or a close second with BREAKOUT with HIGH VELOCITY coming in third.
Good thread Chris, thanks for thinking of these two - it's one of the things I love about this board - I now feel compelled to revisit these two after work is over, looking forward to it - and The Swarm. Just because. Perfect hot weather action works, these.
I do want to point out that the lengthy opening to High Velocity, entitled Welcome to the Phillipines, is not at all representative of the majority of the score.
I think of Velocity ' s opening track as one of those 'gift' cues - meaning you wade through 3 mins of ok-ness, typically source & then are rewarded with a great, vibrant piece. HV's mostly low-key suspense tone is still terribly fascinating, 'cause its Jerry, so don't let yourself be fooled. If you haven't gone down that lost highway of Jerry Goldsmith fanaticism yet....you will. It gets us all in the end! Fun ride, however, discovering all those scores you once new by film title only. You kids have it made nowadays, so much has been issued in the past 15 years of his work, I'm still in awe of it all.....
I don't know if you mean me, but I've been a Goldsmith fanatic since the seventies. It's just a few here or there I can like but not love because whatever you love about him, he's got so much of everything that you can pick and choose. For me, it's Twilights Last Gleaming from this period that's the bees knees of suspense scoring, along with Coma, and... Oh, enough, you get the point.
Wasn't trying to call anyone out Sean, just musing I suppose. I love all his eras, although I'm an 80's kid at heart & that's where I began with JG...each year things just intensified for me, even the 90's stuff most people diss. But I love his whole catalog, from Adrian Messenger & Thriller to Angie & Matinee, ahead & back again.
Im sure we're overdue for a reissue/redo of Breakout . It certainly is a wonderful score from Goldsmith. The thing about the Prometheus album is it lacks any real climax and just seems to end. Its missing the last action cue as well as the end credits which is a recap and expansion of that great Border Crossing cue.
Oops. Just discovered when i ripped it years ago i missed the last 6 min Stalking / End Title. My bad. its a perfect album. Though for those who dont have maybe a redo is in order.
