The Great Train Robbery

Jerry Goldsmith

 
" The Light Train Robbery "

Written by Thomas Glorieux - Review of the deluxe edition

It seems The Great Train Robbery shares a lot of similarities with ... Dennis the Menace of all sorts. It does share the same devious little plans and fun little escapades. But this score fares a little bit better on the melodic side. It's more playful and less harmful. Thus it fares better as a listening experience. The fun main theme is of course responsible for that. Because it's another fun theme coming straight from Goldsmith's mind, delivering once again the feeling of a train stopping at the end of "Main Title". Basically the theme turns up all over the place, and its rollicking finale is for "End Title" (which is another career highlight in delightful-ness). As said in between it's all about the fun, the tricks, the heist and its escapades between the characters. The fun is never ending here, but the originality is. Especially if it's based almost all the time on the theme. An exception where it dares to go a little further is "The Gold Arrives". Still based on the theme, this example is a little bolder because of its instrumental approach and its action packed sound. Ah, good times with this score. It's light, it's fun and it flies by. But this is more than enough considering it doesn't deliver much new after a while. Still the finale is amazing and shows you what a true artist Goldsmith was.

The theme is the star of the album, and in various cues an amazing crowd pleaser.
Fun sound all around, the playful music almost never ends.
Though playful and very entertaining, it's focusing too much on its theme.

Track Listing

1. Main Title (2.36)
2. Breakfast in Bed (1.50)
3. No Respectable Gentleman (2.25)
4. Clues (3.56)
5. Rotten Row (2.42)
6. The First Key / Bordello Raid (0.52)
7. Kiddie Kaper (2.04)
8. Street Attack / Chasing the Station (3.10)
9. Over the Wall (2.00)
10. Night Entry (2.30)
11. Double Wax Job (2.59)
12. The Tombstone (1.15)
13. Departure (0.44)
14. The Gold Arrives (2.37) Excellent track
15. Torn Coat (1.53)
16. End Title (2.58) Excellent track

Total Length: 36.31
(click to rate this score)  
 
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(total of 4 votes - average 4.75/5)

Released by

Varèse Sarabande 302 066 500 2 (deluxe edition 2004)

Conducted by

Jerry Goldsmith

Orchestrations by

Arthur Morton