Uncommon Valor

James Horner

 
" Aliens have Valor too "

Written by Thomas Glorieux - Review of the limited release

The James Horner chameleon was turning into every color during the 80's, from drama, fantasy to action and beyond any possible frontier. Uncommon Valor falls into the action compartment. And then it's understandable the color shifts towards the scores that made and created his name back then. Commando, Aliens, Star Trek II, you name it. They all ring a bell and they return somehow in this one. Long forgotten as a bootleg but now laying down arms in pure Intrada style, it's surely a score the James Horner fans will love to hear.

Of course novelty is out of the question here, especially considering we all grew up with Aliens and Star Trek II before it. The score's chock full of Aliens like eerie music ("Pan Over Hill / Wilkes in Tunnell") to Aliens / Commando like rhythm ("A Lot of Us Have been Killed", "Steal the Sucker"). The Vietnamese influence comes through too, linking itself easily to scores that will unleash a lot of flute work in the future (Project X to name one of the obvious ones). A happier march is then the main theme of the score, and salutes us in "Airport", "Tag" and "End Credits", showing all kinds of colors from start to finish.

They say James Horner never listened to his earlier scores, but Star Trek III surely comes through in "Attack Airbase", followed by more heroic color in the excellent "Escape Airbase", cues that fuel the excitement all too obvious. And when these heroic tracks begin to unfold their strength, it's easy to hear The Rocketeer excitement in them too ("Choppers Over Hill", "Final Escape").

All in all, it's not a new score, but it's a damn like-able one. James Horner fans will love it, and regular listeners will think they stumbled upon a classic, before they realize it's been done (and better I might add) in other scores.

Track Listing

1. Vietnamese Solo / Main Title (7/19)
2. Airport (2.16)
3. Tag (2.44)
4. A Lot of Us Have Been Killed (1.21)
5. Steal the Sucker (1.38)
6. First Trek / Yellow Rain (2.39)
7. Pan Over Hill / Wilkes in Tunnel (7.30)
8. Attack Airbase (3.09)
9. Escape Airbase (3.16) Excellent track
10. Choppers Over Hill (2.48)
11. Final Escape (2.16)
12. End Credits * (3.38)

Bonus Tracks
13. Brothers in the Night (End Title Song): Ray Kennedy (4.39)
14. Main Title (Extension) (2.25)
15. Parade Ground * (3.54)

* Not used in film

Total Length: 51.32
(click to rate this score)  
 
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(total of 8 votes - average 4.19/5)

Released by

Intrada Special Collection Volume 142 (limited release 2010)

Conducted by

James Horner

Orchestrations by

Greig McRitchie