Search - Jerry Goldsmith, National Philharmonic Orchestra :: Total Recall: The Deluxe Edition

Goldsmith most energetic score restored!

Colin Neal | Reading, Berkshire. England United Kingdom | 02/02/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is a surprise but very welcome release of Total Recall's full score, running at 70 minutes, it's twice the length of the original album and the standard by which soundtrack albums should be made. Jerry Goldsmith, who became reluctant to score action films in the nineties produced one of his finest pieces of bombastic, almost orchestral-techno sci fi scores. The most notable thing, is the quality of the production, orchestration and recording. His simple and sparse use of synths throughout are excellent - the orchestra stops a synth flute sound plays solo, giving the album the dream like quality to go with the film.My only criticism is that the album is slightly too long / repetitive. It's slightly too thematic so it becomes the usual Goldsmith reworking on different instruments. This is fine in the film but on a music CD, I think we could have lived without a couple of tracks.Given the choice between the standard album and the deluxe version, I'd recommend this one. Plus, if you're a Goldsmith fan, or soundtrack collector this is exactly what we want to be seeing more of. There are also some good sleeve notes on the album by Robert Townson, the album's producer."

The Full Brilliance Of Goldsmith & Total Recall Realized

Michael Daly | Wakefield, MA USA | 12/18/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"In 1990 came the release of Total Recall, among the most exciting and interesting sci-fi films of the last two decades. A big part of the film's appeal lay in Jerry Goldsmith's monstrous and innovative score. The original issue of the soundtrack included only ten tracks, leaving roughly half the score unavailable in its original format.For the tenth anniversary of the film the complete score has been released, and it is not only welcome, it is something of a revelation to hear the roughly seventeen tracks used in the film but not included in the 1990 soundtrack issue.The biggest drawback to the original issue was its overemphasis on action cues as opposed to more understated tracks. This flaw is more than corrected in the Deluxe Edition - it displays a surprising balance in the score that is often lost when heard in the film.Presented in chronological order, the tracks encompass the entirety of the film, from the haunting opening theme to the myriad soft tracks and harsh action cues that keep the film going. Using both synthesizers and a full acoustic orchestra, Goldsmith presents much of his music in unconventional rhythms, most notably the 4:3 beat that permeates End Of A Dream. The synthesizer gets prominent use in virtually every track and adds greatly to the many soft numbers that give the film its depth.Given the heavy amount of action in the film, it stands to reason that bombast would figure prominently, such as in Clever Girl and the tracks covering Richter and Cohaagen's pursuit of Arnold Schwarzenegger's Quaid. It therefore comes as something of a surprise to hear Massacre, covering the discovery and slaughter of the underground headquarters of Martian rebels. This track is quite understated despite nonetheless displaying power. The CD closes with an unexpected treat - the Rekall jingle that figures prominently in the first quarter of the film - a nice way to close out Goldsmith's finest sci-fi score."

"power-house score by legendary icon Jerry Goldsmith"

J. Lovins | Missouri-USA | 12/19/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Varese Sarabande and Jerry Goldsmith have something in common...they are both outstanding in their craft of soundtracks - this deluxe edition of "TOTAL RECALL is without a doubt the epitome of film scoring. All twenty-seven tracks are "pure" non-stop action cues, never letting up - keeping you in suspense from beginning to ending.Jerry Goldsmith's career leaves a trail of action films with futuristic settings - "Capricorn One" (1977), "Alien" (1979), "Star Trek:The Motion Picture" (1979) and "Outland" (1981)...but this non-sci-fi score from "The Wind and the Lion" cue features the best work to date "Raisuli Attacks", nothing until now has ever come so close. Goldsmith is faced with this quintessential action score, complex and relentless - and Jerry was up for and met the challenge with flying colors - "TOTAL RECALL" is the zenith of our composers vast collections of film scores.This special edition of Goldsmith's score from "TOTAL RECALL" is over seventy minutes long - powerful as percussion leaps from track to track...dramatic passages cascading with the main theme is dominant...synthesizers and strings introduce the orchestral sound of the film's score.Of course my pick for the highlight - "END OF A DREAM" has the orchestral tour-de-force of rhythmic strings and percussion backing a potent brass offensive, which Goldsmith wrote to underscore the climactic planet core meltdown...this my "film-score-buffs" could be Goldsmith's greatest action cue of his career, nearly six minutes of "Pure Goldsmith"...you gotta love it!Total Time: 74:00 on 27 Tracks...Varese Sarabande 066197...(2000)"