Tango & Cash
Harold Faltermeyer
" 80's score shows electronic virtues. "Written by Thomas Glorieux - Review of the regular release
If you say "the eighties", you think back at those teen comedies, cool songs, fun kitsch, Corey Haim, Corey Feldman, Brad Fiedel, Harold Faltermeyer and so much more. Whoever grew up in that era felt good because it was such a fun time. Nothing was taken seriously and the teenage bounciness was ruling the planet.
In that time some of the most fun movies were made, think of Indiana Jones, Back to the Future, all those teen comedies that felt so cute. However cute is not the word for this motion picture debut of a film score because Faltermeyer is anything but cute. The word you're looking for is once again fun. It's cheesy now, it's always electronic and it's fun from tango to cash. It is basically La-La Land's première recording of one of Harold Faltermeyer's more enjoyable releases namely Tango & Cash.
The fun action comedy starring Sylvester Stallone & Kurt Russell was all about overblown macho behaviour and unbelievable action seriousness. But what the hell, it was and still is fun to see and now hear this piece of '80 bounciness again. It's nice to see La-La Land making a statement by reinstating those '80 treasures, because with Spaceballs, Tango & Cash, Breakheart Pass and Extreme Prejudice their releases have been just tagged with that '80 sound. Now it's been done to one of Faltermeyer's more approachable scores.
Why is simple! The themes are catchy, nothing more, nothing less. We start with Tango's theme, a bouncy typical Faltermeyer tune (a bit like Beverly Hills Cop sometimes) in "Bus Chase / Cocaine". The other theme is for Cash which is heard in "Cash Intro / Chinese Assassin" and now this one is really bouncy and over the top. It literally spells out the character of Kurt Russell on screen. These two themes reappear until we reach "Bad Guys Plot" which presents us with some mood but also the bad guy theme. This is nothing more than a moody underscore tune but it sure represents Jack Pallance's role in the movie effectively.
Sadly the middle portions are a bit moody and actually boring, "Stake Out / Set Up / Switching Tapes" starts with probably the best performance of Tango's theme but after that, all dreary underscore. Some suspense is noticed in "News at Eleven", the bad guy theme reappears in "Perret Gloats / No Golf Course", electronic atonality is found in "Chaos" and a lullaby welcomes us into "Slinky's Cell".
So much for the more inappropriate selections because after that, more approachable Faltermeyer action begins. Actually it's surprising how easily likeable his action music is here. Ok, it is basically a variation on the themes but it sure does work. "Laundry Chute" has electric guitars, while cool moments are spotted aplenty in "Fubar / Shock Therapy" and "Cash in the Tunnel / Guards Come / Conan Fries".
Perhaps cheesy but totally fitting for the genre is the "Love Theme". It is so bouncy, it can only fit a movie here. "Hi Five / Owen's Toy" is even more over the top but once again who cares?! For "Off Road Battle" we return to the action music, stating what we heard in tracks 12 and 13. "Final Assault / The Bomb" then switches between the action tunes and the eerie underscore for about six minutes, leaving one last love theme to guide us down memory lane.
This surely is one of his most requested scores. It's totally electronic and it's cheesy at times, but my god did it enlighten the movie in such a cool way. The begin offers us the themes and the middle somewhat boring underscore, but from track 11 we are back in such a cool rush that it doesn't matter Faltermeyer is scoring anything anymore. What matters is that he did it so effectively for Tango & Cash.
Tracklisting
1. Bus Chase / Cocaine (2.49)
2. Cash Intro / Chinese Assassin (2.48)
3. Tango at the Office (0.22)
4. Cash's Gun / Chinese Toilet (1.40)
5. Bad Guys Plot (3.31)
6. Stake Out / Set Up / Switching Tapes (4.47)
7. News at Eleven (1.48)
8. Perret Gloats / No Golf Course (1.28)
9. Chaos (0.43)
10. Slinky's Cell (0.53)
11. Laundry Chute (2.13)
12. Fubar / Shock Therapy (2.48)
13. Cash in the Tunnel / Guards Come / Conan Fries (9.41)
14. Most Disturbing (1.04)
15. Dog Explodes / Tape Doctor (1.09)
16. Love Theme (2.13)
17. Brother & Sister (1.26)
18. Ponytail's Apt. / Plan "A" (1.15)
19. Hi Five / Owen's Toy (1.06)
20. RV From Hell (2.11)
21. Off Road Battle (5.00)
22. Final Assault / The Bomb (6.39)
23. Love Theme Reprise (2.11)
Total Length: 59.45
In that time some of the most fun movies were made, think of Indiana Jones, Back to the Future, all those teen comedies that felt so cute. However cute is not the word for this motion picture debut of a film score because Faltermeyer is anything but cute. The word you're looking for is once again fun. It's cheesy now, it's always electronic and it's fun from tango to cash. It is basically La-La Land's première recording of one of Harold Faltermeyer's more enjoyable releases namely Tango & Cash.
The fun action comedy starring Sylvester Stallone & Kurt Russell was all about overblown macho behaviour and unbelievable action seriousness. But what the hell, it was and still is fun to see and now hear this piece of '80 bounciness again. It's nice to see La-La Land making a statement by reinstating those '80 treasures, because with Spaceballs, Tango & Cash, Breakheart Pass and Extreme Prejudice their releases have been just tagged with that '80 sound. Now it's been done to one of Faltermeyer's more approachable scores.
Why is simple! The themes are catchy, nothing more, nothing less. We start with Tango's theme, a bouncy typical Faltermeyer tune (a bit like Beverly Hills Cop sometimes) in "Bus Chase / Cocaine". The other theme is for Cash which is heard in "Cash Intro / Chinese Assassin" and now this one is really bouncy and over the top. It literally spells out the character of Kurt Russell on screen. These two themes reappear until we reach "Bad Guys Plot" which presents us with some mood but also the bad guy theme. This is nothing more than a moody underscore tune but it sure represents Jack Pallance's role in the movie effectively.
Sadly the middle portions are a bit moody and actually boring, "Stake Out / Set Up / Switching Tapes" starts with probably the best performance of Tango's theme but after that, all dreary underscore. Some suspense is noticed in "News at Eleven", the bad guy theme reappears in "Perret Gloats / No Golf Course", electronic atonality is found in "Chaos" and a lullaby welcomes us into "Slinky's Cell".
So much for the more inappropriate selections because after that, more approachable Faltermeyer action begins. Actually it's surprising how easily likeable his action music is here. Ok, it is basically a variation on the themes but it sure does work. "Laundry Chute" has electric guitars, while cool moments are spotted aplenty in "Fubar / Shock Therapy" and "Cash in the Tunnel / Guards Come / Conan Fries".
Perhaps cheesy but totally fitting for the genre is the "Love Theme". It is so bouncy, it can only fit a movie here. "Hi Five / Owen's Toy" is even more over the top but once again who cares?! For "Off Road Battle" we return to the action music, stating what we heard in tracks 12 and 13. "Final Assault / The Bomb" then switches between the action tunes and the eerie underscore for about six minutes, leaving one last love theme to guide us down memory lane.
This surely is one of his most requested scores. It's totally electronic and it's cheesy at times, but my god did it enlighten the movie in such a cool way. The begin offers us the themes and the middle somewhat boring underscore, but from track 11 we are back in such a cool rush that it doesn't matter Faltermeyer is scoring anything anymore. What matters is that he did it so effectively for Tango & Cash.
Tracklisting
1. Bus Chase / Cocaine (2.49)
2. Cash Intro / Chinese Assassin (2.48)
3. Tango at the Office (0.22)
4. Cash's Gun / Chinese Toilet (1.40)
5. Bad Guys Plot (3.31)
6. Stake Out / Set Up / Switching Tapes (4.47)
7. News at Eleven (1.48)
8. Perret Gloats / No Golf Course (1.28)
9. Chaos (0.43)
10. Slinky's Cell (0.53)
11. Laundry Chute (2.13)
12. Fubar / Shock Therapy (2.48)
13. Cash in the Tunnel / Guards Come / Conan Fries (9.41)
14. Most Disturbing (1.04)
15. Dog Explodes / Tape Doctor (1.09)
16. Love Theme (2.13)
17. Brother & Sister (1.26)
18. Ponytail's Apt. / Plan "A" (1.15)
19. Hi Five / Owen's Toy (1.06)
20. RV From Hell (2.11)
21. Off Road Battle (5.00)
22. Final Assault / The Bomb (6.39)
23. Love Theme Reprise (2.11)
Total Length: 59.45