Jarhead
Thomas Newman
" Private Thomas Newman isn't going to play reveille for us "Written by Thomas Glorieux - Review of the regular release
Not every movie turns out to be the movie it was intended to become. Because after American Beauty and Road to Perdition, expectations were probably too high for Jarhead, Sam Mendes drama film about Anthony Swofford's 1991 Gulf War memoir. Even though it became a box office winner, Jarhead wasn't as widely appreciated as Mendes previous movies, something which can surely be said about Thomas Newman's music as well. Newman is the normal composer on Mendes movies (apart from Away we Go of 2009) and assisted Jarhead with his more known eclectic style. A style which surely works for the film it supports.
Opening with sfx and a rock laden attitude, Jarhead immediately distinguishes itself from other Thomas Newman scores, if solely for the electric guitar that obliterates the string / flute / clarinet ideas you might have thought about when you started playing this CD. Well forget about those intentions, because Newman keeps the score moody, rhythmic and as bouncy as can be expected. It never turns into the awkward phase of 2000, 2001 and 2002 (Erin Brokovich, In the Bedroom), but it ain't that far ahead, and melodically it ain't a score to remember. Sadly for that, it also makes the score and tracks harder to appreciate.
There's eerie mood ("8 Men 5 Camels", "Horse"), there's ethnic roughness ("Full Chemical Gear", "Listen Up") (a track which surely will remind you of Black Hawk Down), eclectic weirdness ("Unsick Most Ricky-Tick", "Desert Sunrise"), a stab at drama ("Jarhead for Life" featuring one of the few times we hear actual strings), catchy ideas including whistling ("Dickskinner") and dramatic urgency ("Permission to Fire", "Scuds"). The songs that are scattered around the score are easier to appreciate, even though I don't care at all for the last song by Tom Waits.
In all honestly, Jarhead is a return to those experimental scores of the early millennium. A return to those times we heard experimentation over actual melodic development, and supportive ideas instead of well thought out music. Yet in all honestly, with Thomas Newman it works, and I'm sure it will sound incredibly perfect for the picture. Meaning I'm sure you couldn't ask for a better score than this. So, if you accept all that and you don't mind a score that works on the background, I'm sure Jarhead will pleasure all your needs.
Track Listing
1. Welcome to the Suck (1.25)
2. Raining Oil (2.19)
3. Battery Run (1.14)
4. Mirage Bedouin (1.34)
5. Don't Worry Be Happy: Bobby McFerrin (04:51)
6. No Standard Solution (1.03)
7. 8 Men 5 Camels (1.33)
8. Full Chemical Gear (2.02)
9. Unsick Most Ricky-Tick (1.28)
10. Morning Glory (1.32)
11. Bang a Gong (Get It On): T-Rex (4.26)
12. Desert Storm (1.54)
13. Desert Sunrise (1.45)
14. Zoomies (2.17)
15. Horse (1.31)
16. Pink Mist (2.15)
17. Jarhead for Life (1.29)
18. O.P.P.: Naughty By Nature (4.31)
19. Dickskinner (3.35)
20. Permission to Fire (4.54)
21. Dead Anyway (2.05)
22. Scuds (3.00)
23. Listen Up (1.43)
24. Fight the Power: Public Enemy (3.48)
25. Soldier's Things: Tom Waits (3.19)
Total Length: 61.33
Opening with sfx and a rock laden attitude, Jarhead immediately distinguishes itself from other Thomas Newman scores, if solely for the electric guitar that obliterates the string / flute / clarinet ideas you might have thought about when you started playing this CD. Well forget about those intentions, because Newman keeps the score moody, rhythmic and as bouncy as can be expected. It never turns into the awkward phase of 2000, 2001 and 2002 (Erin Brokovich, In the Bedroom), but it ain't that far ahead, and melodically it ain't a score to remember. Sadly for that, it also makes the score and tracks harder to appreciate.
There's eerie mood ("8 Men 5 Camels", "Horse"), there's ethnic roughness ("Full Chemical Gear", "Listen Up") (a track which surely will remind you of Black Hawk Down), eclectic weirdness ("Unsick Most Ricky-Tick", "Desert Sunrise"), a stab at drama ("Jarhead for Life" featuring one of the few times we hear actual strings), catchy ideas including whistling ("Dickskinner") and dramatic urgency ("Permission to Fire", "Scuds"). The songs that are scattered around the score are easier to appreciate, even though I don't care at all for the last song by Tom Waits.
In all honestly, Jarhead is a return to those experimental scores of the early millennium. A return to those times we heard experimentation over actual melodic development, and supportive ideas instead of well thought out music. Yet in all honestly, with Thomas Newman it works, and I'm sure it will sound incredibly perfect for the picture. Meaning I'm sure you couldn't ask for a better score than this. So, if you accept all that and you don't mind a score that works on the background, I'm sure Jarhead will pleasure all your needs.
Track Listing
1. Welcome to the Suck (1.25)
2. Raining Oil (2.19)
3. Battery Run (1.14)
4. Mirage Bedouin (1.34)
5. Don't Worry Be Happy: Bobby McFerrin (04:51)
6. No Standard Solution (1.03)
7. 8 Men 5 Camels (1.33)
8. Full Chemical Gear (2.02)
9. Unsick Most Ricky-Tick (1.28)
10. Morning Glory (1.32)
11. Bang a Gong (Get It On): T-Rex (4.26)
12. Desert Storm (1.54)
13. Desert Sunrise (1.45)
14. Zoomies (2.17)
15. Horse (1.31)
16. Pink Mist (2.15)
17. Jarhead for Life (1.29)
18. O.P.P.: Naughty By Nature (4.31)
19. Dickskinner (3.35)
20. Permission to Fire (4.54)
21. Dead Anyway (2.05)
22. Scuds (3.00)
23. Listen Up (1.43)
24. Fight the Power: Public Enemy (3.48)
25. Soldier's Things: Tom Waits (3.19)
Total Length: 61.33