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Artwork copyright (c) 1990 BMG Ariola; review copyright (c)
2004 James Southall
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THE CASSANDRA CROSSING
Surprisingly good action/suspense music for
disastrous disaster movie A review by JAMES SOUTHALL Jerry Goldsmith's collaborations with director
George Pan Cosmatos may not have been on the greatest movies of all time (The
Cassandra Crossing was the first, followed by Rambo II and Leviathan)
but the composer's music is always interesting and rather more than the
respective films deserved. Pick of the bunch has to be this fantastic
effort for Cosmatos's ridiculous 1976 disaster movie (in every sense of the
word) in which passengers on board a train are exposed to a deadly disease and
so cannot get off it again. Of all the action/thrillers the composer
scored in the late 1970s (Capricorn One, Twilight's Last Gleaming,
Damnation Alley) this is probably the finest score (which is saying more
than you might think). The stylish main theme is inescapably
reminiscent of Ennio Morricone's sexy themes for European romances at the time
(in keeping with the movie's setting), distinctly sexy and memorable. It
is probably that which sets this score above its obvious contemporaries from the
composer, with many fine performances heard on this album (including an
amusingly old-fashioned vocal version in "I'm Still on my Way",
performed by Ann Turkel and a delicious pop instrumental version, "It's All
a Game", which has startling similarities to the style of Morricone's
celebrated "Chi Mai" piece). Despite the strong thematic material, what
many will like most is the first-rate action music, some of the most aggressive
and powerful Goldsmith's ever written. The highlight is the pulse-pounding
"Helicopter Rescue", a top-notch example of Goldsmith's unmatchable
action/suspense style. Also terrific is the more fluid
"Break-In". Elsewhere, "I Can't Go" is an incredibly
melodramatic piece entirely in keeping with the camp 70s style of these disaster
movies. The Cassandra Crossing is a terrific score, one of the best
examples of the composer's taut style of the day. The CD was only released
in Italy (by RCA) but is still available if you look hard enough. Buy
this CD from amazon.com by clicking here! Tracks
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