Customer Reviews

Apocalypse Now: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

It's one of those films that gets under your skin, isn't it? And now you want more, you want the soundtrack. You want to go deeper into the jungle.....

This double-cd album can do this. It's part The Doors, part soliloquy/voice over by Martin Sheen, and part Carmine Coppola & Walter Murch compositions (Academy Award winning). Yet the voice overs by Martin Sheen as Captain Willet are the prized recordings here. Interspersed with genuine jungle sounds, Marlon Brando and his brilliant Warrior poetry and Asian gongs and bells, the Willet dialogue tracks are intoxicating, a dark euphoric madness that holds true to Joseph Conrad's theme in the novel.

So is this soundtrack for you? Not if you're expecting the Rolling Stones' "Satisfaction" or the complete compositions of Carmine Coppola. His works can be found on the Apocalypse Now Redux album which completely abandons what Joseph Conrad tried to impart to us in the first place. That cd contains the scores and orchestral work if that's what you want. Only the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack has "... the horror... the horror...."

For the true afficianado of _Apocalypse Now_, this CD is a must-have. I wore out my cassette tape listening to the soundtrack, and now have the CD.

Even beyond cinematography, it is the narrative of Willard (Sheen) and the words of Kurtz (Brando) that binds this story together. Unlike the soundtrack of films like _Full Metal Jacket_, this is a CD of dialogue and monologue rather than just music, though the music is there as well.

As an added bonus, there are some lines that did not make the editorial cut into the movie, but which are entirely germane to the story.

In every way, this soundtrack conveys the tone and essence of the picture.

This is not your typical movie soundtrack, and it is a refreshing approach. Basically this 2CD set plays like a condensed version of the film, with all of the highlights captured in dialogue, sound, etc. The music is worked into these audio "scenes" nicely. "The End" is also featured here in a stunning mix that matches the visuals of this great war film. Even if you haven't seen the film, this soundtrack will certainly intrigue and even excite.

Francis Ford Coppola's epic statement on the Viet- nam War remains with all those who see it. The film is consistently ranked as one of the best in American history and is a personal favorite of mine. This soundtrack complements the movie like few others. "The End" conveys the entire message of the movie in its few short minutes. And classic dialouges from the film, from Sheen and Duvall remind us of this picture's immortal quality. No matter how little they know of the film, everyone mouths Duvall's classic declaration "I love the smell of napalm in the morning!" and we all know the orders of Martin Sheen's Willard, to "terminate with extreme prejudice" Colonel Kurtz's command. All said, this CD is a trill ride paralleled only by the movie.

The soundtrack is essential to giving the movie its impact, and this CD proves that the soundtrack itself can stand alone--listening to this music gives you that same creepy, detached sense of psychological horror that the film does. Like the film (which is excerpted in some of the tracks), it is a work of art in and of itself.

This was listed as having the Michael Herr written voiceover narration - as read by Martin Sheen. It did not, making it a pointless purchase.

For fans of the movie, this is a must have. The soundtrack "is" the movie. You'll "feel" the visuals in your mind. I had this on vinyl and have the converter software to make a "do over" but instead ordered the two set CD and it's all one could ask for and more in a soundtrack. Listening to the soundtrack puts you "into" the experience that was/is the movie. Close the shades, shut off the phone, turn off the TV, turn the speakers up (or your head phones if you prefer) and your are "in" the jungle. The sound literally fills the mind with sound.

I have to admit to being a fan of the movie. When taking a long drive, I put it into the car player, turn it up, and I'm in the adventure rather than driving down a boring highway. I own many soundtracks and this one is unique in that it's just not the "music" but much of the pertinent dialogue that makes "Apocalypse Now" unique.

For those who haven't seen the movie and wish a soundtrack that takes one into the action like no other, "Apocalypse Now" is one soundtrack that will take you where no other soundtrack has before. Obviously I highly recommend it for everyone who is a fan of the movie, or the movies. A must have for any collection.

Awesome album. It literally makes you feel like you're watching the movie! there are excerpts from the film in order, wish the music was a little more thorough though.

Half of the soundtrack is dialog. So what do you think a soundtrack is?

If it is the music you are after, most sound tracks pail compared to the original, with the exception of original music for the movie. If it is the significant dialog and feel for the movie, this soundtrack has what the maker thinks is significant. I agree with the choices.

Monster

If you are purchasing this CD to hear the music from the movie - watch out! Half of this album is nothing but dialogue (in which case, why not watch the movie?). And once you open the CD, you can't return it. I was VERY disappointed.