Deep Rising
Jerry Goldsmith
" Guilty pleasure! "Written by Thomas Glorieux - Review of the regular release
There have been arguments that this is Goldsmith's weakest score of the year 1998, alongside U.S.Marshals. But truth be told, I disagree. U.S. Marshals may be more approachable, but it's less interesting because it is standard Jerry Goldsmith. This score is actually a lot of fun. Deep Rising was actually the first Stephen Sommers summer blockbuster movie (after more respected titles like The Adventures of Huck Finn and The Jungle Book), and it had the honor of containing a sea monster that was basically very large. And so Jerry Goldsmith responded with a loud score, to cope with the giant action swashbuckling that was happening on screen.
Luckily, I saw the movie and heard the score in context first, before hearing it on CD later. And perhaps this was a good thing. Because then I actually knew what to expect. The low tones and brute pounding orchestrations meant that the monster's tentacles or claws were sneaking up to the people. The quick orchestrations that flew from low tones to high levels in a matter of seconds was presenting the creature gliding through the various hallways and small rooms, attacking the people inside. And when Goldsmith delivered us his (as always) good / cool theme, Deep Rising wasn't weak anymore.
It's true, the main theme does kick but and is discovered in the fun "Underwater Grave", the excellent "Leila's Gone" and the cool "Hang On". But there's a monster theme as well, and when you've heard it appearing in "Underwater Grave", you'll hear it popping up everywhere.
So that means "Let's make a Deal" surely becomes the most suspenseful one, "E Ticket" the baddest one (this is terrific stuff compared to most of today's action music) and that the main theme in between all that does the trick more then aplenty.
Clocking at just the right time for a soundtrack like this, Deep Rising is a score that gets better the more it ages. Like a good wine, there is nothing better than to taste the intricacies once you've tasted nothing like this in today's music. Proving my point that even the standard Goldsmith efforts contain much more class than most of today's music (the last 10 minutes are sensational stuff). So, let's not dwell on the bad parts too long shall we, because Deep Rising just shouts out "have a ballsy good time" from the very first second.
Tracklisting
1. Underwater Grave (2.38)
2. Lost Communication (2.56)
3. Collision Course (1.15)
4. Boarding (3.46)
5. Wet Repairs (2.26)
6. Let's Make a Deal (6.54)
7. Wall of Water (3.19)
8. Leila's Gone (2.05) Excellent track
9. E Ticket (3.36) Excellent track
10. Hang On (2.54) Excellent track
Total Length: 32.23
Luckily, I saw the movie and heard the score in context first, before hearing it on CD later. And perhaps this was a good thing. Because then I actually knew what to expect. The low tones and brute pounding orchestrations meant that the monster's tentacles or claws were sneaking up to the people. The quick orchestrations that flew from low tones to high levels in a matter of seconds was presenting the creature gliding through the various hallways and small rooms, attacking the people inside. And when Goldsmith delivered us his (as always) good / cool theme, Deep Rising wasn't weak anymore.
It's true, the main theme does kick but and is discovered in the fun "Underwater Grave", the excellent "Leila's Gone" and the cool "Hang On". But there's a monster theme as well, and when you've heard it appearing in "Underwater Grave", you'll hear it popping up everywhere.
So that means "Let's make a Deal" surely becomes the most suspenseful one, "E Ticket" the baddest one (this is terrific stuff compared to most of today's action music) and that the main theme in between all that does the trick more then aplenty.
Clocking at just the right time for a soundtrack like this, Deep Rising is a score that gets better the more it ages. Like a good wine, there is nothing better than to taste the intricacies once you've tasted nothing like this in today's music. Proving my point that even the standard Goldsmith efforts contain much more class than most of today's music (the last 10 minutes are sensational stuff). So, let's not dwell on the bad parts too long shall we, because Deep Rising just shouts out "have a ballsy good time" from the very first second.
Tracklisting
1. Underwater Grave (2.38)
2. Lost Communication (2.56)
3. Collision Course (1.15)
4. Boarding (3.46)
5. Wet Repairs (2.26)
6. Let's Make a Deal (6.54)
7. Wall of Water (3.19)
8. Leila's Gone (2.05) Excellent track
9. E Ticket (3.36) Excellent track
10. Hang On (2.54) Excellent track
Total Length: 32.23