The Last Castle [Import, Soundtrack]

Jerry Goldsmith | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 28, 2011)
• Original Release Date: October 19, 2001
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import, Soundtrack
• Label: Decca US (Classics)
• ASIN: B00005QK56
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #30,283 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #78 in Music > Imports > Soundtracks

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Goldsmith is back! Partly at least...., October 23, 2001

By 

"dilinator" (Lansing, Michigan USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Last Castle (Audio CD)

When I was first introduced to soundtrack music some years ago, it was the Goldsmith score for Rudy, and I loved it. It is still one of my all time faves. I quickly found other music I liked, and other favorite composers, but Jerry Goldsmith was always right up there at the top with Horner and Williams. I eagerly awaited the release of every new score of his, and checked them out.

Then, all of a sudden, about two years ago, Goldsmith announced that due to health reasons he would be cutting back on the number of scores he composed each year. I was of course disapointed at this news, but that made looking forward to his next score all that much more exciting. However, little did I know that not only would he be cutting down on the quantity of the scores, but he would also be cutting down on the quality. Since he released his rousing "The 13th Warrior" score at the end of 1999, his few scores he has come out with have all been very disapointing, bland, unimaginative, and led me to believe he was really winding down a long and illustrious career.

So, with the news that Goldsmith was scoring the soundtrack to "The Last Castle", I approached it both with anticipation, as well as aprehension. I was really hoping that it would be a break out score, bringing back rememberances of the "Old Goldsmith" we all knew and loved. At the same time, I was bracing myself for another disapointment like the last few.

Having now heard the soundtrack, I am glad to say that Goldsmith is back, at least to a greater extent than he has has been since 1999. While "The Last Castle" is nothing altogether new, borrowing highly from his scores like "Executive Decision", "Air Force One", and "First Knight", it is nonetheless an enjoyable and at times rousing experience. It is more melancholy than those other scores in tone, given the setting of the film, but Goldsmith once again pulls off a good military/patriotic score, following in those others' footsteps. As the director of the film Rod Lurie says in the liner notes, Goldsmith is excellent at pulling off these kind of scores. So on this level, I am happy with this score, and glad that Goldsmith has again come through with a winner.

The reason for only three stars though, is that while this score is good, it is by no means great. It's better Goldsmith than we've had for a couple of years, but it's not's among his best works. It does not have much variance, the theme is repeated over and over (being a rather lackluster theme at that), and the cd and tracks are very short. What's worse, is the period songs inserted into the cd at awkward times, and disrupting the flow of the score. I'm not a fan of songtracks in general, and when they interfere with the score it is especially bad.

Another bummer is the September 11, 2001 memorial track included on the cd. When I heard that Goldsmith had played a piece in honor of the attack on America at the Hollywood Bowl, I was very excited, and imagined how great it must be, and hoped it would be included on a cd. Since it was taken from the Main Theme for "The Last Castle", which he had just finished working on, it was included on this cd, and I was very excited when I saw this. However, upon listening to the track I was very disapointed with it, and thought it a lost opportunity to score something really wonderful. It is virtually identical to the Main Theme, and is short, and not very dramatic. I suppose in a way it serves it's purpose as a memorial, but I can think of many other pieces of score music that would be a lot better. One piece of music that I can't help but think of when I go over the images of the attacks, the heroism of the rescuers, and the resolve of the US in response, is Hans Zimmer's Journey to the Line track from "The Thin Red Line". Listening to that while conjuring up the images I mentioned before is sure to bring tears to your eyes.

So in closing, I say that all Goldsmith fans should get this cd, as it is a refreshing return to some of his old greatness for Goldsmith. But don't be expecting something totally new, different, or great, because it's none of those things. It's a good score for the film, and a good listen as well, but not anything new. As far as the September 11 track, it's adequate for the situation, but could have been so much more.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Goldsmith's Only Entry In 2001, May 23, 2002

By 

Luis M. Ramos "Soundtrack and Film Freak" (Caracas, Venezuela) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Last Castle (Audio CD)

"The Last Castle" was the only entry from Jerry Goldsmith in 2001. 'The Castle' is a noble militaristic theme played on the trumpet by the gifted Malcolm McNab; it sounds a little bit like "Patton", but its noble feeling makes it catchy. The theme is fully developed on 'September 11, 2001', a elegiac cue which Goldsmith dedicated to those tragic events that occured on that infamous date. The action tracks are interesting, but somehow they don't quite reach the level of those from something like "Total Recall". However, the elegiac music is worth the price of this CD

The two songs are the only real lowdown of this CD, especially John Hammond's 'Get Behind The Mule'. So repetitive and boring. Personally I think this album would have worked better without the songs.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not the last of Goldsmith, January 19, 2003

By 

Brandon Cutro (Tyler, Texas United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Last Castle (Audio CD)

Jerry Goldsmith is still one of the best composers around and his continuation in scoring even at his old age is quite impressive. The score to The Last Castle is equally impressive and a standard Goldsmith score. As director Rod Lurie said in the liner notes: "There was always just one choice. Just one: Jerry Goldsmith". As always with Goldsmith, there is a main theme and this one is a 24 note theme for the general in the film, played by veteran Malcolm McNab on trumpet. As Lurie says in the liner notes: "24 notes. All in C minor. 24 notes that have haunted me ever since. 24 notes that left me in tears. 24 notes that are a gift to soldiers; to sailors; to Americans. 24 notes that, I think, will help to cement Jerry Goldsmith as the maestro of our time." The action music is good as always with Goldsmith. "Hold Them" is full of tension, while "Taking Command" is an all out percussion filled action cue, with pulsating horns and trumpets. Goldsmith's trademark synth sounds are present throughout the score that were in Along Came A Spider, U.S. Marshals, and some of his Star Trek scores. Other solid action cues are "The Countdown", "Hold Them", and "Full Alert". "Irwin Arrives" and "The Rock Pile" contain relatively pleasant music with the trumpet theme, as well as in "The Flag", which really lets the music soar. Goldsmith also pays tribute to 9/11 with "September 11, 2001 - Theme from the Last Castle", which is provides the best rendition of the main theme with boldly played brass. 2 songs are also present, one which is good and the other can be skipped. "Get Behind the Mule" is a catchy blues tune by John Hammond that represents the prison life and "Chiseled In Stone" by Dean Hall is a decent track, but can pretty much be skipped. The score itself runs about 33 minutes and plays well throughout. This is not the last of Goldsmith and I hope he continues to keep scoring films. An all out good soundtrack.