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Artwork copyright (c) 1996 Twentieth
Century Fox Film Corporation; review copyright (c)
2003 James Southall
***
30:58
UNNAMED ORCHESTRA
conducted by
JERRY GOLDSMITH
ARTHUR MORTON
ALEXANDER COURAGE
BRUCE BOTNICK
Music Editor
KEN HALL
Produced by
JERRY GOLDSMITH
BRUCE BOTNICK
VARESE SARABANDE
Serial number
VSD-5746
CHAIN REACTION Adrenaline-pumping
action score A review by JAMES SOUTHALL One of a few routine action movies scored by
Jerry Goldsmith around the time, Chain Reaction never gets mentioned by
anyone, even his fans. The truth is that it's a perfectly decent score, a
middle-of-the-road effort by the composer; but a middle-of-the-road effort by
Goldsmith is still streets ahead of most composers (think of scores for routine
action movies by other composers and you see what I mean). It begins with
"Meet Eddie" which presents the main theme, an unusually long-lined
(and surprisingly restrained) piece for solo trumpet (with occasional electric
guitar accompaniment) that strives for the same sort of effect as Goldsmith's
Rambo theme, but never quite gets there. "Assassins" gives the first clues as
to where the score is heading, with the first hints of real action music, a
terrific burst of horns and timpani that only Goldsmith could conjure up.
"Ice Chase" is the first really big action cue, six minutes of
unadulterated masculine material. It's as well-constructed as ever, and
just as thrilling as ever too. No matter what film he is working on,
Goldsmith seems able to come up with action music at the drop of a hat that is
simply second-to-none. It very much continues with "System Down"
(a much darker cue) and the terrific "Open Door", an outstanding
piece. "Out of the Hole" is a typical romantic conclusion,
highly-attractive. There are many composers who have been able,
over the years, to write good music for films with "hooks" - something
unique about that film that enables the composer to take hold of it and use it
as inspiration for his score. But what Goldsmith has been able to do, with
remarkable consistency, is write very interesting music for films that just
don't have that hook, that something special about them. Chain Reaction
is yet another example of it. Buy
this CD from amazon.com by clicking here! Tracks
- Meet Eddie (4:52)
- Assassins (5:16)
- Open Minds (2:46)
- Ice Chase (5:49)
- No Solution (2:41)
- System Down (2:27)
- Open Door (3:12)
- Out of the Hole (3:31)