Customer Reviews

King Solomon's Mines: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

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This was probably that last score Jerry Goldsmith did without using any electronics. Basically, it answers the question, "How would Jerry have scored Indiana Jones?" It's all here, with Goldsmith's personal flavorings and touches throughout. This is a good one to fill a spot missing in a collection. It was greast that this was re-released by Intrada, because it really is a beautiful, classy work, and once again makes you marvel at just how many terrible movies Goldsmith has made such good music for. Sadly overlooked; something that any fan of good music especially film and Goldsmith music fans) should have.

As one reviewer has stated, Jerry Goldsmith's score for "King Solomon's Mines" is his interpretation of John William's music for the Indiana Jones films. This is highly appropriate, as the film itself is a entertaining, tongue-in-cheek knock-off of the Jones films, and Goldsmith does not miss the opportunity to deliver a rowdy, swashbuckling score that does bring aspects of Williams' music to mind. The requisite pieces are all there: a rousing, heroic main title theme, a tender, beautiful love theme, and a memorable theme for the film's villians.

The addictively heroic main title is liberally applied throughout the score in fragments, punctuating frenetic, energetic action sequences that make up the majority of the soundtrack. There are a number of recurring motifs that occur throughout the score as well, including a fun and interesting "action" motif for Quartermein that serves as an introduction for many of these sequences. The overall tone of the score is one of light-hearted adventure, lacking the some of the darker ideas that Williams infused into his Jones scores, but making up for it with the sheer energy, enthusiasm, and memorability of the composition and performance. For action material, this score is one of Goldsmith's best, easily eclipsing the stale, synthesizer-laced material of many of his late 1990's compositions.

The villain's theme happens to be Wagner's "Ride of the Valkyries," and Goldsmith utilizes portions of Wagner's music to lend both a menacing edge as well as comedic aspects to the film's villanous (and ridiculous) German colonel. With the heavy criticism levied against the film for its blatantly campy interpretation of the Jones films, Goldsmith has also been slandered by some for writing what has been called an over-the-top parody score. But with the exception of a few obvious moments of parody necessitated by the film, most of Goldsmith's material is straightlaced action adventure, with little indication as to the cheesiness of the film it accompanies. Whether you can appreciate or enjoy "King Solomon's Mines" as a movie or not, Goldsmith's contribution is a hidden gem, one of the composer's most fun and adventurous scores, and a sure-fire pick for fans that enjoyed John Williams's music for the Indiana Jones films.

It seems that, what with the sweeping Wagnerian style of John Williams, all soundtrack composers are expected to turn every little snippet of music into a suite, or two.
The reality is that soundtracks are supposed to serve the film they were composed for. And so it is with this score.
It is repetative, and you have to hunt for the really choice parts, but that is the nature of scoring for film.
One of the compensations is the Hungarian National Orchestra,
who are right on top of things. They played like the pros they are.

The scenes from the film will come flooding back when you listen to this soundtrack.