Customer Reviews

Death Wish II: The Original Soundtrack

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The other reviews here are ostensibly by Page/Zeppelin fans, I am merely a Bronson/action-thriller fan, but I felt like chiming in because I love this soundtrack and have loved it for almost 20 years. Even as a teen first seeing 'DEATH WISH 2' I recognized it for what it really is, the sleaziest, nastiest, most depressing kind of exploitive junk ever shown in theaters, but you know what?, I still love it(!) It is after all, not without it's dubious charm. Unlike the first entry in the franchise, Bronson's character actually finds and punishes the hoods who violate his family, say what you want but that is pretty entertaining (in a base kind of way). Now on to the score-probably the best element of the film. Page combines bluesy rock songs with effectively creepy backround music to create a sense of menace, and he does it as well as any established film composer would've. The sequences involving Bronson preparing to do evil to others are given an extremely chilly vibe by Page who seemed to really tap into the character's violent mindset. Sort of a shame that Page hasn't done more filmwork considering how accomplished this job was. Finally on cd (I've had this on cassette and vinyl!) get this if you love Page, or you love interesting thriller music.

a true classic! its a shame that it seems difficult to obtain as it truly is some of jimmy pages finest work.i only have a vinyl copy and i really hope hat this cd will become available again as i have almost worn the groves out of the record!!maybe if all the people waiting to obtain this bombard the record label with requests , then they will organise a re-print CHARLES BRONSON RULES!!!!

Death Wish 2 is Jimmy Page's first post-Zeppelin production. A large departure from the usual Zeppelin fare produced to date, Jimmy captures an urban funk feeling and surrounds it with his unique style of surrealness. Written to support a Bronson suspense thriller, the album is filled with tracks that evoke chills and tension. This is not to say that Jimmy doesn't flat out jam. Favorite is "Jam Sandwich" which drives from beginning to end. "Whose to Blame" with Chris Farlow on vocals preambles later work captured on "Outrider", very rough and bluesy. This album is a MUST HAVE for any die hard Page fan!!

This work is a very good example at how talented Jimmy Page is as both a guitar palyer, and composer. The Bone chilling sounds of swooping guitars and urgency of the chase scene music are both very well put together, I searched for this cd everywhere before finding it here and I have to say it was worth the wait. Great for any Jimmy Page fan, or anyone who likes strange and original soundtrack work.

In the early 1970s, Jimmy Page was commissioned by occult film maker Kenneth Anger to produce a soundtrack for his Crowleyesque feature, "Lucifer Rising." After a well-publicized falling-out between the two Crowley devotees, these tapes were buried. After coming across a bootleg copy of this soundtrack, the linkages between Lucifer Rising and Death Wish II Soundtrack became evident. Page brings a bit more structure to his work for Anger and adds some straight ahead rockers to provide fans with a very interesting album. Some songs such as "Jam Sandwich" and "Big Band, Sax and Violence" are very funky and feature stellar soloing from Jimmy. All in all, a must-own album for hardcore Zep and Jimmy Page fans. This album is tremendously better than Outrider.

i heard outrider, the firm, coverdale-page, page&plant(clarksdale)

i have to say this cd has my fav music from him after The Zeppelin.

i like emerald eyes from outrider too though.

I don't think there's ever been such a unique movie score in the annals of film. The superb mixture of Charles Bronson exacting revenge on punks in L.A. who assaulted his family, accompanied by the wild shrills, screeches, stingers, and riffs of guitar legend Jimmy Page is unprecedented. Somehow, for action movie and Bronson fans, this score has just never been topped...or tried again, for that matter. (Okay, so the GHOST OF MARS teaming of Anthrax and John Carpenter was a similar attempt, and a good one, but not quite as cool and unique as the unexpected DW II match!)

Long sought after by die-hard fans and hard to score, this soundtrack has a variety of haunting tunes that always deliver powerful emotion. It's ashame this gem is so hard to find and so expensive, but like a rare artifact sought after by Indiana Jones, it's most definitely worth having if you're into DEATH WISH II or Charles Bronson.

They don't make movies like this one anymore, there are few leading men like Bronson any more playing these types of roles well, and there definitely aren't music scores this unique, interesting, and challenging coming down the pike too often.

Jimmy Page. Michael Winner. Charles Bronson.

What more do you want? Truly, a magic collectible to those in tune with such madness!

This is page doing his thing. awesome..Why not release it on CD????Death Wish 3 used The Same soundtrack! There is Great stuff Here! I heard Page play some of this on his 1988 "outrider Tour"(another excellent disc).

A year had passed since the last days of Zeppelin when Jimmy Page retreated to his own Sol Studios to record music for Death Wish II. At the end of 1981, Jimmy was still trying to come to terms to what had happened to his beloved group following the tragic end of his friend John Bonham. He had begun the year playing with Chris Squire and Alan White of Yes in an ill-fated project called XYZ - eX-Yes-Zeppelin. Also, Jimmy's misuse of hard drugs hadn't exactly decreased, things were not looking that bright....

So, in this fragile frame of mind, Jimmy accepted film director Michael Winner's invitation to come up with music for his movie, starring Charles Bronson as a vigilante who tries to find five street punks who murdered his daughter and housekeeper on the dark streets of Los Angeles. Of course, he succeeds with a vengeance all too predictable and dated. The soundtrack though is another matter.

By using a few ideas he had since the days of Lucifer Rising and playing synthesised guitar along with his usual army of instruments, and counting with Fairport Convention's Dave Mattacks on drums and Alan Parsons Project's David Paton on bass as a core band, the music on Death Wish II speaks for itself. Mostly instrumental, only three short songs out of twelve are sung, Jimmy's riffs such as on the bombastic opener Who's To Blame, The Chase and the heavy funk of Jam Sandwich are all very strong and creative, delivered with that raw intensity Jimmy knows so well - actually, that riff on The Chase is absolutely brilliant! And that symphonic middle section is of a stunning dark beauty. It would've been interesting to see how Zeppelin would react to it had Jimmy showed it to them before it was too late.

Chris Farlowe - who would also come to sing three songs on side B of Outrider in 1988 - provides vocals on Who's To Blame and Hypnotizing Ways, while former Pretty Things Gordon Edwards sings and shares writing credits on City Sirens, the only song which isn't credited to Page alone.

There are also things like Hot Rats And Photostats and Shadow In The City which are superbly moody and dark with bowed guitars, theramin and everything.

While I wouldn't call this an undisputed masterpiece, it does generate a mood that was both fit for the film as well as Jimmy's darker leanings. All in all, this might as well be his boldest, best work post-Zeppelin. Therefore, it's a shame it has never been released on compact disc outside Japan or given a proper remastered edition showing its full impact.

Unless you are really a Page "completist".....stay away from this. I bought this...probably close to the day it came out....and ....wound up listening (very rarely)to the one or two cuts that sorta sounded like rock music. BTW, thats Chris Farlowe, the guy Page considered for the "Zeppelin Job", on one or two cuts. But again....in my humble opinion....for completists only.
There is NOT 34 minutes Of "highly listenable" music here.....certainly not at that price. And I am a BIG FAN.