Customer Reviews

Air Force One: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Air Force One is a stupidly patriotic American film, that suffers from some decidedly dodgy politics. However, it is saved by some absolutely top quality action sequences, that are very well directed by Wolfgang 'Das Boot' Petersen, & splendidly photographed by Michael 'Goodfellas' Ballhaus. Added to that, it boasts one of Jerry Goldsmiths' finest action scores of the decade. The action material is fast, furious & thrilling, maintaining the 'thrill factor' on the CD, away from the film. The cue 'The Highjacking' is fabulous, with galloping brass, & driving, chopping string rhythms. Crowning it off, though, is the hugely patriotic main theme. It may be slightly OTT, but it is big, bold, & eminently memorable. It is the addition of that top theme that really pushes AFO into the 'Must Have' category.

How Jerry Goldsmith can work under so much pressure is beyond me. He only had a few weeks to compose this score and it was still able to create a genuine tone to the film. It not only sounds like genuine presidential/martial-type music, but it stays true to the film's scenes and the emotions of the characters. He even managed to use specifically the movie's themes and motifs in every second of his music, like with all of his scores. At the same time, his score is listenable alone on CD, like always.

A note to the angry customers, this thing is not short just to tick you off. A.F.O. was recorded in Los Angeles with a union orchestra. To be put on CD, something called "re-use fees" had to be paid, and increased with each additional second of music put on the album. We're lucky there was 35 minutes and not just 30. Jerry Goldsmith wanted more music so much, Varese was willing to pay for 5 more minutes, and that costs a lot more than you think. Good news though, Goldsmith has the score represented so well on here, it makes an expanded album seem almost unnecssary.

The score begins with the main theme, which basically tells the whole story, like a theme should. It sounds very heroic, which is to express Harrison Ford's character, the President! Then, it moves on to the first action scene (prologue), which is a combination of tense action, tragedy, and triumph.

"The Motorcade" continues on with the theme, but with a little more positive tone. Everything seems to be going fine until, "Empty Rooms". It actually comes after "The Hijacking", but was put before for better listening. "The Hijacking" is the best cue on there, and makes for one of the longest and best Goldsmith action cues. In that track, you can feel how pressured the U.S. is at getting the "situation" under control as well as the panic of being on a plane full of machine gun-wielding maniacs. Put yourself in that situation and I bet the music will pretty much sum up your feelings. That's how good Jerry is!

After so much chaos, the album settles with "No Security" which is a much softer, less patriotic version of the theme. This underscores the personal life of the First Family, and actually comes right after "The Motorcade", but is switched with "Empty Rooms" for better listening. Then, the album continues with "Free Flight", "Escape From Air Force One", and comes to a satisfying and breathtaking conclusion with "Welcome Aboard, Sir"

In short, get this if you are a fan of action music, especially Goldsmith's action music. It may not be "traditional" American music, but it is the next best thing! Enjoy!

Varese Sarabande badly misrepresents Jerry Goldsmith's wonderful score on this strangely brief CD. Only one third of the full score is available here. Varese are a bit unreliable this way. They either do huge releases or tiddlers like this one.

The complete score is 95 minutes long. This one is just over 30. Not very fair considering how great it is. And what is even cooler is the fact that Goldsmith composed this score within two weeks. The first score was done by Randy Newman but was rejected by Wolfgang Peterson for sounding too tongue-in-cheek and light-hearted. Having heard this score I am inclined to agree.

Goldsmith's take on the action is FAR more appropriate. Most people say that the score sounds triumphantly 'American'. It may be patriotic and triumphant but to say only Americans will feel empowered by the main theme is ridiculous. Anyone who appreciates good music will love it.

Track 4 'Hijacking' is seriously 7 minutes of pure action. It will totally get your pulse racing. Of that there is no doubt. But it's the only part of this particular CD that has any great action in it.

If you dig this music but only want a sampler of it on CD or if you are a big fan of Goldsmith then go ahead and buy it. If the slight running time bugs you then I suggests hunting down the complete score. Otherwise 2.5/5 for this release and 5/5 for the real thing.

Jerry Goldsmiths score for "Air Force One" is one of the best action sountracks I've ever heard. The score drives this film along with it's patriotic main theme, to the terrorists' threatening motif. But what is up with only 30 minutes of music on the CD!!!??? I really enjoyed the exciting music used to underscore the dogfight scene. Why isn't it on the soundtrack? And how about the end title sequence? This greatly sums up all of the films key music. I've said it once, and I'll say it again, put more music on the sound track releases.

I am totally amazed that Goldsmith wrote this score in just a few weeks! The music released on this CD sounds great, but unfortunately it's only about 35 minutes long.

Jerry Goldsmith, along with Joel McNeely, whose music did not make it to the score release, were brought in at the last minute to replace Randy Newman, who had written a full score for the film, but was rejected by director Wolfgang Petersen. I would of liked to hear what Newman came up with and I understand that there is a bootleg score release out there somewhere. As for the music that Goldsmith wrote, it is very militaristic and patriotic, built around a solid main theme that is heard whenever the president does something heroic. It first appears in "The Parachutes", which works like somewhat like a concert suite from the film with a prominent brass section, heavy percussion, and exciting string crescendos. The end of the track contains some Russian inspired music for brass and strings that finishes it off. Some other themes occur throughout, such as a Soviet motif for the hijackers and a lovely woodwind and string love theme for the president's family in "No Security". The rest of the music is standard action music that really stands out in the breathtaking 7 and 1/2 minute cue, "The Hijackers". This track contains nonstop pounding percussion, driving brass, and thrilling string lines. The last cue "Welcome Aboard, Sir" ends the score on a positive note with the main theme exploding onto the scene one last time. I wish that there was more than 35 minutes of music for this score that got released, but it is very expensive to release a score that was recorded in L.A., so I am happy with what was released. An all out thrilling action score by the king of action music, Jerry Goldsmith.

Wolfgang Petersen's direction is flawless...outstanding cast ~ Harrison Ford, Glenn Close, Dean Stockwell, Wendy Crewson, Liesel Matthews and Gary Oldman, as the terrorist hijacker bad-guy (boo-hiss) is believable...but one memorable line in the film...is when Ford hits the villian and yells..."Get off my plane"...you could hear the entire audience cheer with approval. Veteran composer Jerry Goldsmith was given the nod of scoring...with additional music from Joel McNeely (very accomplished composer, moving up in popularity and in demand)...brilliant orchestration by Alexander Courage (Star Trek)...each cue keeps the film moving...exploring every nook and cranny...patriotism blends rousing tension...as man against time is the highlight...Goldsmith once again involves you in the story-line...you feel you're right in there fighting, grasping for every moment to put everything right...and as usual our legendary composer comes through...did you ever doubt it?

Many people were involved ~ Robert Townson (executive producer), a friend to the "film-score-buff"...keeps our collection up-to-date with quality to spare, Alexander Courage (orchestrations), Joel McNeely (additional music)...and our host for this over-the-edge plane ride ~ JERRY GOLDSMITH!

You might try other albums from Varese Sarabande, all worthy of a good listen ~ "Patton/Tora!Tora!Tora!" (VSD-5796)..."Along Came a Spider" (302-066-238-2)..."Rudy" (VSD-5446)..."The Final Conflict" (VSD-5282)..."In Sessions:A Film Music Celebration" (302-066-225-2)....

Total Time: 35:40 on 8 Tracks ~ Varese Sarabande VSD-5825 ~ (1997)

Jerry Goldsmith made a lttle score here when you compare Air Force One`s minutes to other Goldsmith soundtracks but this one is powerfull.This is very powerfull music indeed.I am happy the way it is done and every track is good.If you are a Goldsmith nut or just a presedent/air force music lover then this one is for you!

This soundtrack is one of the best that was done by Jerry Goldsmith. The first song (THE PARACHUTES) features the title music and then goes into the tense and action packed music where the Americans capture the Russian guy. 2nd is (THE MOTORCADE) featuring the Air Force One theme, where Air Force One takes off. Song 3 (EMPTY ROOMS) is the tense piano music where the piano rolls along with tense strings as the Russians search for the president aboard the plane. (THE HIJACKING) song 4, features the tense buildup of the terrorist theme that builds from low to high as the plane is hijacked. (NO SECURITY), the 5th song fetures the flute version of the President's daughter theme, and the takeoff of Air Force One. (FREE FLIGHT) features the Russians theme and a tense buildup of the Air Force One theme to a triumphant peak when the hostages parachute out of the plane. (ESCAPE FROM AIR FORCE ONE) has the tense and rythmic version of the Air Force One theme as the president and the remaining survivors plot their daring escape from the airplane. The final song, (WELCOME ABOARD SIR) features the brass section as the rescue plane fights fierce winds to keep the president from flying off the lifeline and then a mix of strings as everyone in the Whitehouse listens to the radio silence. Then the music crescendos and twinkles in a beautiful strings version of the Air Force One theme as the rescue plane flys off into the horizon.

This soundtrack has great music but has skipped out a lot of the music from the movie. This only contains 40% of the music from the movie. But Jerry Goldsmith did a great job on this, and it deserves, respectively, its FIVE stars.

This is probably one of the Goldsmith scores that I heard, with no electronic music. And I like it! The best track on the CD is 4 (Hijacking). Although is missing some of the important parts in the movie. A must buy!