Customer Reviews

Chinatown: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

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The film score for CHINATOWN is as famous for the conditions under which it was written as it is for the music itself. Shortly before the film was to debut, producer Robert Evans discarded the score written by composer Phillip Lambro and handed the project to Jerry Goldsmith, a composer then best known for his work on such television series as The Waltons, Barnaby Jones, and Room 222.

Goldsmith had ten days to both write and record a new score before CHINATOWN debuted. The resulting score was extremely sparse, making use of several songs popular during the 1930s and resting upon a single original theme--but it proved the perfect additive to the film, and it is extremely difficult to image CHINATOWN without it.

CHINATOWN is one of a wave late 1960s-early 1970s films noted as much for substance as for style, and more than a quarter of a century later it continues to be regarded as one of the great artistic triumphs of the era. Directed by Roman Polanski from a remarkable script by Robert Towne, the film paints an ultimately pitch-black portrait of greed, corruption, and evil in 1930s Los Angeles. The primary theme blends several idioms, opening first with a shimmering, metallic-like chord from harp and the rising with other strings to create a oddly American, oddly Asian tone; it then glides into a slightly plaintive trumpet solo that seems to blend both 1930s and 1970s music styles. The overall effect is inviting yet mysterious--and mingles elements of romance and danger.

Both the basic theme and elements from it repeat throughout the film, sometimes making a full musical statement, at other times echoing within more distinctly unsettling tones. The film also makes use of several songs popular in the 1930s, perhaps most notably the memorable "I Can't Get Started" and "The Way You Look Tonight."

The original 1974 vinyl release of the CHINATOWN soundtrack ran just over half an hour. It did not offer the entire soundtrack, which in this context would have been somewhat repetitive; instead, it presented the musical cues that offered the fullest statement of Goldsmith's various constructions. The vinyl edition went out of print during the 1970s and it was not until the Varese release of 1995 that CHINATOWN became available on CD. The Varese release duplicates the original vinyl release exactly in both sequence and content and has very good sound quality; it also offers enjoyable and informative notes as well. Recommended.

GFT, Amazon Reviewer

This score, written in just 10 days, remains (in my humble opinion) my favorite all-time orchestral soundtrack. Several other composers come to mind who have written works of art as film scores.... and whos music stands as great art apart from the film....Korngold, Steiner, Newman, and Sarde all have at least one such masterpiece to their name. This score, however stands as unique among them all..... at once haunting, etheric, yet genuinely flavored with that "lonely trumpet solo of the 1930's" sound. I am reminded of the minimalist compositions of Toru Takemitsu, and his work in Japanese film.. .... where the music becomes part of the atmosphere of the film, and adds to the films texture and mood. In many ways, "Chinatown" does this, but even more so, because here you are also treated to the sentimental, romantic, and the hope for those characters in the motion picture ..... this score is magic, becomes locked in the subconcious.... those characters are embedded within those notes, too ..... Noah Cross, Evelyn Mulray, Jake Gittes, and poor Ada Sessions....they are all there and are all immortalized within it.

Jerry Goldsmith's work on Chinatown may be the best work ever done for a film score. Utilizing an avant garde ensemble (four pianos, four harps, percussion, strings, and solo trumpet) the composer paints a soundscape both eriee and nostaligic -- imagine listening to thirties jazz echoing through layers of deep water. The cumulative effect of this perfectly organized album is one of quiet, aching despair. The three tracks of source music add to Goldsmith's remarkable achievement. A must for anyone interested in serious instrumental music.

I absolutely love this recording. Every number is outstanding, the album collectively is a gem. However, I find myself unable to get it because a couple of bloodsucking thieves on this website decided to begin pricing at $95. I realize this is a rather rare CD now, but I was also under the impression there were laws against racketeering. But no matter. If you can manage to find it elsewhere, be sure to grab it.

The music for Chinatown could have been forgettable. Goldsmith could have chosen to write music that was typical 30s in style and could have done it very effectively. However, he chose to write a score that becomes part of the visuals of the film. The music becomes pure emotion and sound effects of the thoughts in the minds of the characters. The only unfortunate thing about this CD is that it duplicates the original soundtrack on Dot Records from 1974 and we deserve ALL the cues from the soundtrack. Here we only get certain takes. That said, this is still haunting, magical, etheric and utterly appropriate for the film. The Main title is absolutely gorgeous and worth the price of the CD alone.

Chinatown has to be one of my favorite movies. The acting, direction, pacing, and feel of the entire movie is pitch-perfect. The soundtrack is one of the greatest in movie history; it is such an essential part of the movie!

The intro sets the entire mood. The sound of the trumpet always gives me goosebumps. It's that good!

In response to earlier reviews that "it was too short", this is exactly the amount of music that has always been in the movie. The soundtrack really does only run for over a half-an-hour. If the songs don't "fully develop," it's because they never were meant to. The tracks cannot be judged individually; they form an artistic and emotional masterpiece that must be taken as a whole.

Truly wonderful, particularly on the original vinyl soundtrack albums!

"Chinatown" is one of my favorite movies, with a stunning performance by both Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway. To capture the mystery theme of the movie and still be consistent with the music of the 1930s, Jerry Goldsmith composed a brilliant score for the movie. I really think that this is one of the best soundtracks I own, and suggest that you make the purchase when you get a chance!

Although I enjoyed this score very much, I was a little disappointed. Having been listening to Bob Belden's "Black Dahlia", and hearing so many raves about the Chinatown music, I was expecting a tour-de-force. There is only about 30 minutes of music on the disk, and 3 of the tunes are by other artists.
I loved the opening and closing themes, and the musical thread that runs throughout the original pieces. But this music was composed in 10 days, and to me, sounds like it.
I give this score high marks for originality, for the beautiful theme, and for the mood it generates. After all, the Chinatown score has been an inspiration for a lot of other composers.

I recently bought this album, and i have to say it's fantastic. the music is extremely melancholic and sad, especially the "love theme" which runs throughout many of the tracks. listen to the sample of track #1. if its as amazing to you as it is to me, grab the album.

As a movie music fan I am aware of the little time Jerry Goldsmith had to complete this score, and yet this is one of his best. Long before he scored "LA Confidential", in which he recapitulates many of the same musical methods, Goldsmith interprets pre-World War II Los Angeles. Just as this is one of the great movies of all time, so is this one of the great movie scores of all time. Even though the recorded score is short in time, it is great in its capturing of the Polanski/Townes drama played out on the screen. I highly recommend this film score and film to anyone. To subvert the paraphrase, don't forget it, it's Chinatown.