TOTAL RECALL
Rating: 
Original Review: Isn't it funny how Arnold Schwarzenegger's movies always seem to have great music: Conan the Barbarian, The Terminator and Predator instantly spring to mind, and this is no exception. Loud, vibrant, brash and flashy, Total Recall is the epitome of everything a good action score should be: thematically strong, but not too repetitive, and with a workable combination of action cues and softer themes to counterbalance the sometimes overwhelming noise. The Opening Titles - named 'The Dream' - is Goldsmith's answer to Basil Poledouris' legendary score for Conan the Barbarian - beginning with a driving, epic theme with a bold percussion and soaring strings, then melting into an otherworldly synthesised melody. Apparently director Paul Verhoeven asked Goldsmith to lean on Poledouris' influence for his titles, and the similarity is immediately apparent. The second cue, 'The Hologram' starts with a lonely string passage before settling into a steady ticking rhythm and occasional bursts of hyperactive orchestrations, and finally into another barnstorming action sequence with fanfares galore and smooth strings. 'The Mutant' is one of Goldsmith's most innovative cues: scored entirely with synthesisers, it rises and falls majestically, backed by chimes, and gives off a kind of sense of awe and wonder as Kuato, the mutant leader, finally reveals himself to Doug Quaid (Arnold Schwarzenegger), before finishing with a wonderful crescendo of synth and orchestra together. First Meeting (misspelt Frist Meeting on the liner notes - whoops!) is a quiet and thoughtful synth cue with a slow rendition of the main theme as its musical base; and the concluding cue, A New Life, contains a final, powerful rendition of the main theme. A 100% recommendation for anyone who likes action music - this is a real treat.
Track Listing:
- The Dream (3:33)
- The Hologram (5:36)
- The Big Jump (4:33)
- The Mutant (3:16)
- Clever Girl (4:31)
- First Meeting (1:10)
- The Treatment (5:30)
- Where Am I? (3:56)
- End of a Dream (5:45)
- A New Life (2:23)
Running Time: 40 minutes 35 seconds
Varése Sarabande VSC-5267 (1990)
Music composed and conducted by Jerry Goldsmith. Performed by The National Philharmonic Orchestra. Orchestrations by Arthur Morton. Recorded and mixed by Bruce Botnick. Edited by Ken Hall. Album produced by Jerry Goldsmith.
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These web pages were designed and maintained by Jonathan Broxton copyright 1997. All opinions and views expressed on these pages are my own and are in no way intended to reflect those of my employer, the Trent Institute for Health Services Research, or those of the University of Sheffield.