Air Force One
Jerry Goldsmith
" Welcome aboard, patriotic Jerry Goldsmith! "Written by Thomas Glorieux - Review of the regular release
Whatever people considered of Wolfgang Petersen's patriotic flash upon the number 1 plane of the world, I considered Air Force One to be both exciting and intensely riveting. And whatever to think of Wolfgang Petersen's decision to throw Randy Newman of the set is entirely your choice of who you love the most, jazzy Randy or legendary Jerry.
Frankly I have heard Randy Newman's work and it's nothing like his jazz period. I must even admit that the action music is not as patriotic at all, furthermore it stings far better on the adrenaline list. The full bootleg that covers the expanded music of Joel McNeely (and especially the choral written Russian piece) shows more of Goldsmith's work, yet none of that matters because we must review the work on this Varèse Sarabande release.
It might not be long enough for some but it is just enough do decide what was all the fuzz about. Air Force One isn't the best of Goldsmith, that's for sure. But in the end it gave the film all its glory (over emphasized or not that's your call) and it delivered the boost on album.
Furthermore it isn't difficult to pick up the patriotic side of the score. From the very first minute it is present with a total overblown main theme performance. But the thing is, everyone will like it when it appears this way. "The Parachutes" is then also an excellent start of the score, with suspension music continuing the show for the rest of the time.
Almost any track offers a patriotic swelling of the theme, even short but perfect in the very quiet "No Security". One thing I will not hear fans complaining about is the main theme itself, a mix of The Edge's emotional theme, First Contact's broad main theme and a dash of patriotism surrounding it.
The most suspenseful track is the longest. "The Hijacking" offers thrill and excitement while a load of powerful suspension with a theme briefly heard off in track 1 is stated. More suspension follows in "Escape from Air Force One" and an immense overblown version of the main theme (I like it) is stated in the final track "Welcome Aboard, Sir". It might not be all that intriguing to hear, especially considering that Goldsmith didn't have a lot of time to compose this back up score. But the more it ignites the better, and Goldsmith on three weeks is still the better than most of 6 months.
Yet once again in those weeks Randy Newman carefully developed his themes in a manner that more depth was found in his writing. Alas for Randy Newman Wolfgang Petersen didn't like the effort, tossing it away in return for a more patriotic stirring effort. The score of Goldsmith does give a boost and the theme sells each time, but even for its running length I enjoy it on an occasion, but I don't really listen to it very often. Perhaps it is the undeniable quality loss because of the short time, or perhaps it is because Air Force One does link itself enough to efforts I'm not truly crazy for (Executive Decision, U.S. Marshals and The Last Castle).
What is clear is that Air Force One would have failed with a lot of composers. Considering it didn't happen with Jerry Goldsmith showed you, you could always depend on good old Jerry. The score is overtly patriotic, so those who love that style will get some pleasure out of it. Even I am getting a lot of pleasure out of the annual listen, albeit not being stimulating enough. It's fun but misses a magical versatile touch. But it also means that Goldsmith succeeded in pleasing the director in several weeks, something Randy Newman sadly couldn't do when he invested all his time when writing his thrilling action score. Yet rejections of Wolfgang Petersen haven't always paid off right? ;-)
Tracklisting
1. The Parachutes (5.21) Excellent track
2. The Motorcade (2.42)
3. Empty Rooms (3.50)
4. The Hijacking (7.52)
5. No Security (3.05)
6. Free Flight (4.53)
7. Escape from Air Force One (5.27)
8. Welcome Aboard, Sir (2.11) Excellent track
Total Length: 35.42
Frankly I have heard Randy Newman's work and it's nothing like his jazz period. I must even admit that the action music is not as patriotic at all, furthermore it stings far better on the adrenaline list. The full bootleg that covers the expanded music of Joel McNeely (and especially the choral written Russian piece) shows more of Goldsmith's work, yet none of that matters because we must review the work on this Varèse Sarabande release.
It might not be long enough for some but it is just enough do decide what was all the fuzz about. Air Force One isn't the best of Goldsmith, that's for sure. But in the end it gave the film all its glory (over emphasized or not that's your call) and it delivered the boost on album.
Furthermore it isn't difficult to pick up the patriotic side of the score. From the very first minute it is present with a total overblown main theme performance. But the thing is, everyone will like it when it appears this way. "The Parachutes" is then also an excellent start of the score, with suspension music continuing the show for the rest of the time.
Almost any track offers a patriotic swelling of the theme, even short but perfect in the very quiet "No Security". One thing I will not hear fans complaining about is the main theme itself, a mix of The Edge's emotional theme, First Contact's broad main theme and a dash of patriotism surrounding it.
The most suspenseful track is the longest. "The Hijacking" offers thrill and excitement while a load of powerful suspension with a theme briefly heard off in track 1 is stated. More suspension follows in "Escape from Air Force One" and an immense overblown version of the main theme (I like it) is stated in the final track "Welcome Aboard, Sir". It might not be all that intriguing to hear, especially considering that Goldsmith didn't have a lot of time to compose this back up score. But the more it ignites the better, and Goldsmith on three weeks is still the better than most of 6 months.
Yet once again in those weeks Randy Newman carefully developed his themes in a manner that more depth was found in his writing. Alas for Randy Newman Wolfgang Petersen didn't like the effort, tossing it away in return for a more patriotic stirring effort. The score of Goldsmith does give a boost and the theme sells each time, but even for its running length I enjoy it on an occasion, but I don't really listen to it very often. Perhaps it is the undeniable quality loss because of the short time, or perhaps it is because Air Force One does link itself enough to efforts I'm not truly crazy for (Executive Decision, U.S. Marshals and The Last Castle).
What is clear is that Air Force One would have failed with a lot of composers. Considering it didn't happen with Jerry Goldsmith showed you, you could always depend on good old Jerry. The score is overtly patriotic, so those who love that style will get some pleasure out of it. Even I am getting a lot of pleasure out of the annual listen, albeit not being stimulating enough. It's fun but misses a magical versatile touch. But it also means that Goldsmith succeeded in pleasing the director in several weeks, something Randy Newman sadly couldn't do when he invested all his time when writing his thrilling action score. Yet rejections of Wolfgang Petersen haven't always paid off right? ;-)
Tracklisting
1. The Parachutes (5.21) Excellent track
2. The Motorcade (2.42)
3. Empty Rooms (3.50)
4. The Hijacking (7.52)
5. No Security (3.05)
6. Free Flight (4.53)
7. Escape from Air Force One (5.27)
8. Welcome Aboard, Sir (2.11) Excellent track
Total Length: 35.42