I heard this score two years ago on an unmentionable paired with Super Mario Bros.. While SMB is probably my #1 unreleased holy grail currently, I'm pretty interested in a legit release for No Mercy as well.
The music is quite honestly the definition of 80s synth cheese, but I was particularly fond of the 2-minute River Crash track. If I remember right, the movie is owned by Columbia/TriStar, notorious for missing/lost/damaged masters.
Thoughts on No Mercy? Or perhaps is a score release forthcoming?
86 was a good year for 80s synth cheese. I liked this one a lot (but prefer The Delta Force). Check out Silvestri's Clan of the Cave Bear if you haven't already.
I had the cassette of this one - no idea what happened to it - and rather liked it. I know bits of this score ended up on the soundtrack of John Woo's THE KILLER (along with bits of RED HEAT, of all things).
Just got ahold of a VHS copy of AMERICAN ANTHEM Also from "86" with a cool blend of orchestra and synths from Silvestri.
Was expecting a really bad sports movie but it was pretty good, and I've always had a soft spot for Janet Jones.
I thought it was awful; any given episode of Make It Or Break It is far superior (even from the lame final season). Kudos to Janet Jones and Alan Silvestri for being its sole bearable elements... if anyone from Warner Bros.* wants to give the go-ahead for a score album, I'll be there.
*It was made by Lorimar Motion Pictures, so WB is the logical owner of the flick now.
Terrible score. Silvestri's all-synth music is flat-out unlistenable.
The only really truly terrible score he have ever made (that I have heard) is Sidekicks. Only the Opening dream sequence is interesting. I rather see No Mercy being released than Sidekicks.
Terrible score. Silvestri's all-synth music is flat-out unlistenable.
The only really truly terrible score he have ever made (that I have heard) is Sidekicks. Only the Opening dream sequence is interesting. I rather see No Mercy being released than Sidekicks.
Love the theme. The rest of the album is OK, not great and inventive and exotic like Clan Of the Cave Bear of course, but overall it is still a fun listen. If memory serves the main theme is repeated quite a bit during the short score. I think my old TVT cassette still plays
It doesn't really seem this would be a high priority reissue project, but a good no frills budget reissue would be nice.
I've always loved the bad guy's theme from NO MERCY. Silvestri blends in these escalating 'swamp sounds' into the percussion - like insects. At least, that's what they sound like to me. It's seriously unsettling when heard in the film. I would love to see this score get a complete release. The film is an old school 80's fish out of water cop thriller - the kind they just don't make anymore.
I played my Silva Screen LP of this last night. The pressing is impeccable. Not a snap, crackle or pop in earshot. I'd forgotten much of it, but the main theme sprang back to mind upon first playback. It is quite 'of its time' (dated?) sounding and lots of it reminded me of his CLAN OF THE CAVE BEAR music, albeit with some pounding 80s drum beats and Gloria Estefan style rhythms. I much prefer CLAN though, which has a dreamy, timeless quality to it, which this definitely doesn't. One cue reuses that mournful melody from his YOUNG GUNS II score as well. Probably temp track love there. If I'm honest, I probably wouldn't spring for a CD release if one came out. It's been well over 20 years since I last played this and may be another before I do so again (if God spares me, as me Dad always used to say).
Unlike Kev, I gravitate towards this kind of Silvestri these days. The ol' Synclavier stuff etc. Well, that, and the calm, lyrical stuff. Less keen on the orchestral action adventure things.
As for NO MERCY, it's one of the few Silvestris I don't yet have - but I do have two tracks on a fan-made compilation which are great.
Oh, I like his synclavier stuff just fine Thor. CLAN is an absolute favourite of mine and I really dig DELTA FORCE, CRITICAL CONDITION, SHATTERED and the likes (I never really took to CAT'S EYE though). I just found this one to be distinctly average.
Well, you may be right. I've really only heard the two tracks I have ("Main Title" and "What Do You Say"), and I absolutely love those. But maybe they stand out on the album, and the other tracks are less engaging.
