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CD Reviews Dances with Wolves and Robocop
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| Posted By: Luke Goljan, Nick Joy on November 28, 2004 - 10:00 PM |
CD Reviews Dances with Wolves and Robocop
Dances with Wolves (Expanded) *****
JOHN BARRY
Epic Soundtrax EK 63555
24 tracks - 75:29
As with this year's expanded The
Good, The Bad and the Ugly and Once
Upon a Time in the West re-releases, there's something strange
about listening to a revised classic score that has entered your psyche
in such a significant way. You're humming along, anticipating the next
note or chord change when suddenly something sounds wrong. Where did
that horn or flute solo come from? I've listened to this score hundreds
of times, and that's wrong! It's your ability to overcome the intrusion
of "rogue" stanzas and bonus segments that will determine whether you
want or need this expansion of John Barry's score. If you treat the
original release as a sacred cow you might be offended by the
tinkering, but if you just can't get enough of this Oscar-winning
classic, you'll be in Dunbar heaven.
To review the regular tracks would be folly. Who doesn't already know
the gorgeous slow string Americana of the ubiquitous John Dunbar theme
or the expansive journeying material for Forth Worth. These staples of
modern American culture are just as likely to crop up in a high school
band concert, a "film hits" compilation or shopping mall muzak; quite
simply, they are beyond review. Instead, I'll focus on the "extra
value" additional and alternate tracks.
But before you discard your "Definitive Collector's Edition" of the
score, note that this new release does not include the two
radio-friendly pop remixes of the 1995 release. These remixed tracks
are not missed, but completists might want to hold on to them.
Furthermore, in the way that the "Definitive" release proved to be
anything but, this new "complete" release might add nearly 20 minutes
of new material, but still runs 25 minutes short of the full 100+
minutes recorded by Barry. However, it's unlikely that a more complete
CD set will get released (it would have to be two CDs), and presumably
the principal reason for this new release is to tie-in with Barry's
70th birthday.
First the bad news: There's no great undiscovered gem that has finally
seen light of day after 14 years. The previous releases contained such
an abundant mix of thematic material, and there was no suggestion that
significant tracks or themes were missing. However, what the new CD
does offer is a set of variations on the main themes. To compliment the
wide-open vistas of the Old West, Barry's score in this new form is
given greater space to breathe. Familiar themes return in different
tempos and arrangements, augmenting the familiar with welcome new
colors and unexpected slants. The new material is peppered throughout
the length of the disc and debuts in "Main Titles /Looks Like a
Suicide" which now has an extra three-and-a-half minutes to introduce a
solemn variation of the John Dunbar theme as well as a perky precursor
to the Fort Hays material.
"The Buffalo Hunt" is presented in its original film version, two
minutes longer than the original album mix (which is also here at the
end of the album), this time embellished with choral material in a new
central section. "Falling in Love" is a flute-led variation of the
theme subsequently developed in "Love Theme." Elsewhere, the "Pawnee
Attack" is bolstered by two- and-a-half minutes, while "Victory" is a
rousing finale to the last battle. The whole experience is completed
with the film version of the John Dunbar theme, a slight twist on the
album mix.
Topped off with liner notes by the legendary Jon Burlingame, this is an
essential irresistible package for anyone who was waiting for the best
possible release of the score, while also sitting comfortably alongside
the other version(s) you've had on the shelf for
years. -- Nick Joy
Robocop ****
BASIL POLEDOURIS
Varèse Sarabande 302 066 429 2
19 tracks
Finally, a re-issue of a classic score that not only lists the right
track titles, but even shows the disc's running time! Of course, the
playlist is exactly the same as the old release, with the exception of
four pieces of source music. And that's really the problem with this
release. Most of us have it already. Thus, we all know that Basil
Poledouris' score kicks the hell out of the audience when it needs to,
and then pokes at the heartstrings moments later.
New liner notes and four not-so-amazing source music cues don't hold a
candle to Varèse Sarabande's previous efforts with the
expansions of the other Paul Verhoeven films, Total Recall and Basic Instinct. It's not worth the
hype when all you get is a few extra cues and supposedly re-mastered
sound quality (it sounds about the same). The completists will buy it,
because that's what they do. Come on, Varèse, why don't you
re-issue something everyone is really clamoring for, like The 'burbs?
That said, Robocop still has
plenty of kick. The action music is rousing and the emotional touches
of Lewis' theme are ethereal. Then we've got the synths that are never
overpowering, the thrusting horns, and the droning strings for Clarence
Boddicker. The score jumps all over the spectrum and nails every
emotion it needs to. Sort of makes you wonder why Verhoeven went with
Jerry Goldsmith for Total Recall,
regardless of how great it turned out (especially since Total Recall's main titles sound a
hell of a lot like Conan).
And if not that, it definitely makes you wonder why they replaced
Poledouris with Leonard Rosenman, who turned in a less-than stellar
score for Robocop 2. The
bottom line: Robocop rules.
If you don't own it already, go buy it right now.
-- Luke Goljan
MailBag@filmscoremonthly.com
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Today in Film Score History:
May 17 |
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| Cy Feuer died (2006) |
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| Elmer Bernstein begins recording his score for Wild Wild West (1999) |
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| Heitor Villa-Lobos died (1959) |
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| Hugo Friedhofer died (1981) |
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| Ikuma Dan died (2001) |
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| Jay Chattaway records his score for the Star Trek: Voyager episode “Equinox: Part 1” (1999) |
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| Joanna Bruzdowicz born (1943) |
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| Joshua Homme born (1973) |
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| Ron Grainer begins recording his score for The Omega Man (1971) |
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| Taj Mahal born (1942) |
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| Trent Reznor born (1965) |
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