The Detective - Von Ryan's Express

Jerry Goldsmith

 
" Goldsmith at an early age "

Written by Thomas Glorieux - Review of the regular release

Intrada continues to release one Goldsmith score after the other. Sometimes even several on the same disc. The Detective / Von Ryan's Express delivers Goldsmith at an early age. But it doesn't fully show. While The Detective definitely lacks an identity of its own, Von Ryan's Express is nothing but pure Jerry Goldsmith. And it shows. Despite sounding a bit cheap from time to time, you won't mistake this for someone else's his music. His militaristic Patton drums, his use of urgent trumpets or the basic silly / zany style he lets loose in tracks such as "Fire Sale". However there is nothing silly about his (then) already detailed action / suspense sound, being overtly impressive in detail. Just the scope and the rhythm was missing. Honestly, I'm hearing portions of Executive Decision in "Welcome to Rome" and "A New Crew", or Patton in "The Trek Begins". Sadly that Goldsmith feeling is lacking in the first score you'll encounter. The Detective is a small jazz score, but it doesn't deliver the Goldsmith feeling for me. Sure there's tons of detail on board, like Goldsmith did it every other day. But the sound is not a favorite of mine. No The Detective is just functional background music. The theme (usually a cornerstone in Goldsmith's music) lacks an identity, and the music overall falls flat in its intentions. In general, what The Detective lacks, Goldsmith enthusiasts will receive instead in Von Ryan's Express. Again by no means a classic, but an early sign that this composer had a lot up his sleeve. The world just needed to figure that out for himself.

The Detective: **12
Von Ryan's Express: ***

Even at that age, Goldsmith already found his sound, his voice. This man knew exactly how to tackle a film.
The action / suspense in Von Ryan's Express already holds riches that would later flourish in latter scores.
Von Ryan's Express dares to make you smile. The zany "Fire Sale" or the Mission Impossible thing in "Mission Accomplished.
The Detective is rather bland. It tries to deliver something specific, but it lacks an identity.
Too bad about the many short tracks and sound of Von Ryan's Express, it lacks the oomph this score tries to deliver.

Track Listing

The Detective
1. The Detective Main Title (1.36)
2. Joe (1.46)
3. The School Dance (0.45)
4. A New Love (1.09)
5. A Family Affair (1.57)
6. Beach Scene (0.54)
7. The Ball Game (0.35)
8. Karen's Story (1.11)
9. Night Talk (2.00)
10. The Safe Cracker (1.59)
11. McIver's Story (2.16)
12. Joe's Decision (2.25)

Von Ryans Express
13. Meet Von Ryan (0.24)
14. Entrance to Compound (2.33)
15. Ryan Walks Forward (0.46)
16. Fire Sale (4.03)
17. The Trek Begins (0.54)
18. Hiding (1.37)
19. Ambushed (1.23)
20. Boxcar (0.53)
21. Welcome to Rome (1.46)
22. Farewell to Rome (0.47)
23. A New Crew (0.44)
24. The Love Birds (0.51)
25. Mission Accomplished (0.32)
26. The Clock Watcher (2.39)
27. Dead End Part 1 (1.40)
28. Dead End Part 2 (0.52)
29. German Control Center (1.56)
30. End Titles (0.51)

Bonus Cues
31. Welcome To Rome (Mono Version) (1.47)
32. Funeral Sequence (1.49)
33. Fire Sale (Alternate Take) (4.12)

Total Length: 51.32
(click to rate this score)  
 
  •  
(total of 1 votes - average 4/5)

Released by

Intrada Special Collection Volume 232 (regular release 2013)

Conducted by

Jerry Goldsmith