Back to the Future II

Many people consider this second Back to the Future adventure (the film) the weakest. I disagree. Both the second and third hold an equal 2nd place in my heart. I just love the playing with time in this one, where every small change has a big chain reaction in the future. Score wise the score received less attention than perhaps expected. Perhaps the lack of the classic songs in the first had more of an impact than expected. Still Alan Silvestri returned with what at first sounded like a rehash score. An album that copied and pasted its sounds, themes and structure like it was a quick paste job. Again I tend to disagree. Of course it sounds like every inch of Back to the Future, but the nuances are different. And like the film, the nuances make the experience. Especially now in this restored version of Intrada. What's especially powerful are either the big action pieces, where the rhythm and power now flies from the screen, or the nuances and tiny hints that Silvestri uses to underscore every small detail and change. Back to the Future II was always very detailed in its eeriness and darkness, but now it even sounds more impressive. And when Silvestri lets the heroes crawl out of the dark alternate pit of 1985's horrifying reality, the heroic color makes even more sense. Especially when he unleashes my all time favorites "Chicken / Hoverboard Chase" and "Western Union", having two of the best main theme statements of the entire BTTF trilogy. For Silvestri fans and BTTF fans in general, this is a must buy. Whether it's a bit too long or not, every inch of this disc holds meaningful music. And powerful statements of dark and heroic themes, it made the universe of Back to the Future II so rich. And now you can go back in time with thundering sound quality that let's not a single note of Silvestri go to waste. Now put that CD in the player and say the magic words: How 'bout a ride, mister?

Back to the Future is nothing without its themes, and they return all here.
I love how Silvestri tackles the dark tale. His powerful no nonsense brass, drums and strings make all the more effect.
The drums in this version are amazing. And the sound enhance their powerful effect even more.
The sound in general, now this recording jumps off the screen and into your living room.
I can appreciate the dark eerie music of most of the cues, but I know it will bore others as well.

Back to the Future II (1989 release) ***1/2
Back to the Future II (2015 release) ****1/2

Track Listing

CD 1: 64.38
1. Back to Back / It's Your Kids (2.39) Excellent track
2. Main Title (Extended Version) (3.21) Excellent track
3. The Future (5.23)
4. Chicken / Hoverboard Chase (3.13) Excellent track
5. A Flying DeLorean? (4.30)
6. I'm In The Future / Biff Steals DeLorean (2.13)
7. Chicken Needles / Jenn Sees Jenn (2.57)
8. Biff’s World / 27th Floor (2.09)
9. My Father (2.04)
10. "Alternate 1985" (3.04)
11. Gray's Sports Almanac / If They Ever Did (4.27) Excellent track
12. Something Inconspicuous (1.34)
13. You'll Never Lose / Old New DeLorean (3.20)
14. Pair O' Docs (1.28)
15. The Book (4.51)
16. Nobody / Tunnel Chase (5.48) Excellent track
17. Burn the Book (2.25)
18. He's Gone (0.44)
19. Western Union (1.53) Excellent track
20. I'm Back / End Logo (1.00)
21. The West (0.58) Excellent track
22. End Credits (4.37) Excellent track

CD 2: 35.26
1. Back to Back (Alternate) (1.02)
2. Main Title (Alternate) (3.54)
3. The Future (Alternate) (5.23)
4. Hoverboard Chase (Alternate) (2.50)
5. A Flying DeLorean? (Alternate) (4.31)
6. Biff's World (Alternate) (1.34)
7. If They Ever Did (Alternate Segment) (2.06)
8. You’ll Never Lose (Alternate) (2.52)
9. Western Union (Alternate #1) (2.04)
10. I'm Back (Alternate #1) (0.34)
11. Western Union (Alternate #2) (1.59)
12. I'm Back (Alternate #2) (0.25)
13. End Logo (Alternate) (0.17)
14. The West (Alternate) (1.17)
15. End Credits (Alternate) (4.38)