Tremors

Tremors, a product of the good old 90's. A movie that has everything. A great cast, chemistry, scares, thrills, comedy, gore and a bunch of mutations caused by radiation. Perhaps a creation by the government, Big surprise for the Russians. Anyway, the movie became a cult phenomenon, spawning 6 sequels (or prequels) and one series. Call it what you will, but actors like Michael Gross as Burt Gummer made sure the bastards kept being knocked out cold. The music is by Ernest Troost and Robert Folk. Ernest Troost's evocative style combining folk and blues, combined with the balls to the walls orchestral frenzy by Folk surely made for a thrilling combo, but it took 30 years for that music to appear on CD (a double CD). Folk's music is incredibly short, and the bulk is for Troost. Truth is, it's too much hearing his (often not used music) on 1 CD, all the while you need to wait for the punch of Folk. If you ever use the music as heard in the film, in the order of the film you'll have a score that makes everyone run like goddamn bastards! Pardon my French.

Anyway, Troost's addition is good for what it is, setting down the tone of Perfection, Nevada. His opening tunes are cool and upbeat, fueled forward by the harmonica. When his music is upbeat, you get a real kick out of his tunes. "Main Title", "Drive to Rhonda" and the incredibly fun "Pole Vaulting" are keepers. Even the tense atmospheric music is fun to a degree, most notably in the beginning when nobody knows what's happening. Because the score's chockfull of ideas, call it motifs to warn the audience when something's about to happen ("Rhonda with Graboid" and "Uzi 4U"). Troost and Folk play very keen with the idea that these snakeoids are here to grab anything they can get their tentacles on. A much underused but simple love theme is noteworthy too. But it's in the action that Troost's music is lacking depth (pardon my pun), and even though Troost tries to bring some heroism to the fore, it falls immediately out of place. The heroism is not the problem ("Chang Dies", "Rec Room" or "The Dozer Rescue"), but it's not fitting when you compare it with the rest. Enter Robert Folk to take care of those "sons of bitches".

Folk's a master of the rhythmic action music, and Tremors is surely one of his most ferocious examples. Everything's based on fanfares, pace and power. And in those 20 minutes Folk gives Tremors the aftershocks Troost's music was lacking. The bastards don't stand a chance, not with the thrill of atonal tracks like "Horses Stop" or "Barb Wire I". The fanfares are already fueling things up considerably in "Barb Wire II" and "Tractor". But the score is truly making a buck when action and suspense find one another. The relentless thrill of "Graboids After Val", the fanfares of hope for "Dozer Crashes" or the downright brilliant send off of all flying suckers in "Away from Rock" and "Final Confrontation". This is Robert Folk in Toy Soldiers' brilliance right there.

Tremors was first released on a promotional scale, covering only Troost's music. Folk's music made it to a (whatever format) 2 CD suite selection and again covered what pretty much's presented here. But if they decide to present the music like it's heard in the film (without Troosts 'unused' selections and with Folk's music in the right order, you again have a great sounding album. This is what should have been the format. CD1: the original soundtrack as heard in the film (featuring music by Troost and Folk), CD2: the 'unused' cues by Troost and the bonus tracks. Sometimes you just don't get why it's not made that way. Anyway, for classic fans and Folk admirers, the 20 minutes alone are worth it. Alongside a good selection of Troost's music and you got a great little album the graboids can' even grab. That's it GRABOIDS. Jeezus Walter.

Classic 90's stuff right there folks.

Troost's Tremors: ***
Folk's Tremors: ****

CD 1: 65.28 (Ernest Troost)
1. Main Title (From The Motion Picture Tremors) (1.55)
2. Drive to Rhonda / Into Perfection (2.25)
3. Rhonda With Graboid (1.12)
4. On the Road (1.41)
5. Finding Edgar (1.09)
6. Fred Dies (0.49)
7. Finding Fred (2.52)
8. The Snake Thing (1.11)
9. Graboid Revealed (0.59)
10. Best Horseman (0.54)
11. Horses Stop (1.59)
12. Three More (1.07)
13. Rock and Night (1.33)
14. Pole Vaulting (1.12) Excellent track
15. Graboid Attacks Rhonda / The Split (1.55)
16. Barbed Wire (2.09)
17. Love Theme (0.30)
18. Chang Dies (1.37)
19. Uzi 4U (2.49)
20. Rec Room (2.05)
21. All Cheer / Hey Guys (1.31)
22. Nestor (1.17)
23. Miguel's Plan (1.13)
24. Tractor (1.34)
25. Don't Move (2.55)
26. The Dozer Rescue (4.10)
27. Run for the Rocks (2.50)
28. Goin' Fishin' / Graboid Guts (2.55)
29. Away from Rock / Final Confrontation (2.44)
30. Feel Like Making Noise / Val and Rhonda (2.12)

BONUS TRACKS
31. Main Title (From The Motion Picture Tremors) (Alternate) (3.41)
32. The Snake Thing (Alternate) (0.48)
33. Pole Vaulting (Alternate) (2.04)
34. Don't Move (Alternate Mix) (2.13)
35. Val and Rhonda (Alternate) (1.01)

CD 2: 19.50 (Additional Music by Robert Folk)
1. Fred Dies (1.05)
2. Horses Stop (1.05)
3. Graboid Revealed (0.52)
4. Barbed Wire I (0.40)
5. Barbed Wire II (1.28)
6. Chang Dies (1.40)
7. Rec Room (0.55)
8. Tractor (1.04)
9. Graboids After Val (2.38) Excellent track
10. Val Drives Dozer (0.31)
11. Dozer Crashes (1.38) Excellent track
12. Run for the Rocks (1.27)
13. Away From Rock (1.25) Excellent track
14. Final Confrontation (1.44) Excellent track
15. Tremors Stingers (1.29)