Customer Reviews

Legend (Original Soundtrack Recording)

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(9)

 

 

Well, all I can say is "it's about time" ~ one of Jerry Goldsmith's musical journey scores takes us to a land of Faerie's, Goblins and Unicorns ~ right up to the Dark Lord (Tim Curry) face to face. Silva America, with the help of Mike Ross-Trevor (recording engineer) and James Fitzpatrick (producer) has taken pieces from here and there for a complete (with all the additional material included) cues that will bring back the true powers of light and darkness,
are we ready for this?

Just in time for the releasing of "LEGEND" on DVD(5/21), which will contain both versions of music (American and European)from the film.. We have the score that was destined to be heard by fans of this cult favorite. Jerry Goldsmith is no stranger to fantasy, adventure and folklore. He captures a darker mythology tone within each cue, keeping in mind the director Ridley Scott's film theme is of the conflict between darkness and light. Giving life to each character are the players ~ Jack (Tom Cruise), Lili (Mia Sara), Honeythorn Gump (David Bennent), Blix (Alice Playten), Screwball (Billy Barty) and played to the hilt The Lord of Darkness (Tim Curry), very convincing I might add.

From the opening cue, Goldsmith's score has got you hook, line and sinker ~ and he's reeling you in to enjoy the entire course. Guaranteed to appease the appetite of all "film-score-buffs" today, tomorrow and days to come. The main theme "MY TRUE LOVE'S EYES"(Lili's Song), is throughout the soundtrack, with interwoven sounds of brass and percussion, blends of trumpet signal danger, strings spreading the forest of green foliage. Anyone who has ever seen the film will without a doubt, visualize the story as it unfolds with Goldsmith composing each cue with love and care.

My stand out picks are ~ "SING THE WEE"..."FAEIRE DANCE"..."THE DRESS WALTZ", as The National Philharmonic Orchestra rolling up their sleeves with arrangements and an unforgettable performance, that sends the listener into a realm of "pure fantasy", they have only dreamed of. The highlight of the score has to be "REUNITED(End Title)", our composer reaches into his black bag of magic and the spell is cast. All film music tries to take the audience and place them within each character or the plot, well music connoisseurs of the world(film-score-buffs)...Goldsmith has done it again!

Total Time: 70:57 on 14 Tracks ~ Silva America SSD-1138 ~ (2002)

I've the CD, DVD version of the film Legend and my opinion suggests that the score of both Goldsmith and Tangerine Dream are good. First of all it's unfair to compare the 2 music composers. Goldsmith was a legend composing music for over 4 decades. Tangerine Dream have been composing film music since 1977. It's quite obvious that Goldsmith being from an older school has always believed in using more orchestration for his films while the trio group of Tangerine Dream uses modern-day technology to good advantage.

When I got this soundtrack (lo, so many years ago, when it was first released on LP) I was a bit surprised. It didn't sound like the Goldsmith I was accustomed to. But I soon learned to love this unusual and haunting score.

His use of chorals and vocals is unusual (for him) but it is OUTSTANDING. This is a score that takes a little getting used to if you are only familiar with Goldsmith's more "mainstream" scores, like "Star Trek" or "First Knight". "Legend" is in a different category altogether. But this only shows the range and diversity of Goldsmith's talents. He is not as easy to pin down with only one recognizable sound.

Give yourself some time to adjust to this truly remarkable and beautiful score. I highly recommend it.

Ridley's Scott's vision for "Legend" was dark. Tangerine Dream's replacement score is an intriguing listen on its own. I happen to like it. It's very rare to bare witness to two scores released for the same film (we may eventually see Gabriel Yared's rejected score for the movie, "Troy," which ultimately used music by James Horner). Tangerine Dream registered a remarkable creepiness in some of its tracks, which translated well on the screen, especially the track, "The Dance," which continues to compete in my mind with Goldsmith's equally intriguing version of that scene. Tangerine Dream's version evokes a palpable eeriness as it progressively gets faster and faster as Mia Sara's character, Lili, dances into the arms of evil. Goldsmith's "The Dress Waltz" is a far more complex interpretation which evokes a more twisted feeling, of innocent and grand music that transforms ever darker over the course of several minutes, effectively depicting an innocent woman succumbing to darkness.

"My True Love's Eyes/The Cottage" is a beautiful depiction of an elegant fairy tale song that evokes the essence of the image of fantasy. It combines the cheeriness of wonderment while a noticeable darkness occasionally punctuates itself into the track, giving a clear foreboding that something bad is on the horizon. It is this complexity that Tangerine Dream's work does not provide. "Forgive Me" is an impressively complex and emotional work as it depicts Tom Cruise's sorrow for his actions that contributed to the darkness befalling the land. The "Fairie Dance" is an exceptional piece of lightening-fast violin work that usually results in me replaying that track two or three times before I let the CD continue playing. "Reunited" is also a wonderful compilation of many of the movie's themes, a fitting tribute to the film's dynamic characters and emotions.

Goldsmith's work in "Legend" is very complex and it's obvious with repeated listens. In many ways, it captures perfectly the essence of a great fairly tale, with lilting female voices, brooding darkness and evil, repressed heroics, and a rousing climax that embodies love and triumph. The score takes some time to get used to if all you remember is Tangerine Dream's music. You have to break from that mold and clear your mind somewhat. You will find new things to appreciate with this score with repeated playing. It's very clear this is one of Goldsmith's finest efforts.

Over the years, I've come to respect the theatrical release of
Ridley Scott's LEGEND, even though it was clear that the film
had been corporately tampered with. The integrity of Scott, his
cast and crew was so powerful that even a version as truncated
as the mid-1980s release proved to be a grand piece of Fantasy
brought to film.
Just how butchered LEGEND had been, however, becomes crystal
clear with two relatively recent revelations. The first, of
course, is the double DVD set, releasing the U.S. Theatrical
release along with the long-awaited fully-restored complete
LEGEND as Scott filmed it. Where the American release is
cute and jingly (especially at its climax), Scott's original
is far moodier and, in its play upon absolutes, stirs a
far murkier blend with striking ambiguities, and
a radiant upholding of the deepest values at all costs,
against all odds. As such, it embraces the heart of true
fairy tale and folklore far more than vested studio
interests, whose greater concern was with dumbing-down
the film for Pop-minded U.S. audiences.

Which brings me to the second revelation. I happen to be
fond of TANGERINE DREAM. They make solid esoteric music.
In particular, the best work of DREAM co-founder Christopher
Franke is epic and innovative, especially when one hears
the grand blend of electronic/symphonic music he's prepared
for BABYLON 5 over the years.
Yet the score DREAM composed for LEGEND never seemed to fit,
coming off as a misty-colored New Age quencher, serving
to dilute an effort which needed a strong brew of Folk
and/or Classical composition. The outright Pop/Rock voicings
of Bryan Ferry and Jon Anderson (as nice as the tunes might
be by themselves) are even more ill-fitting and obtrusive
to this obviously period presentation.

In more recent years, it became known that acclaimed
composer Jerry Goldsmith had composed the original
score for LEGEND, and that this score had been among
the greatest victims of iron-fisted studio ineptitude.
For years, that score had been released only in
portions on CD. Only in 2002 did Silva right a
tremendous wrong, and issue Goldsmith's complete
soundtrack on disc for all to hear.
What a feast for the ears! A compelling tableau of
expressionist vision and impressionistic focus, the
symphonic wonder is abetted by just the right touch
of electronic instrumentation to evoke the awe of
the unknown, along with a stunning use of voice and
choir to touch the soul. This is music to conjure
woodland muse and twilight wonder, summoning both
the rainbow and the thunder.
Those who loved Goldsmith's imaginative scores for
the NEXT GENERATION trilogy of TREK films will be
floored by the power, passion, and pure beauty
to be found here.

Putting one in mind of the water music of Debussy,
and the ethereal rhapsodies of Auric (composer for
Jean Cocteau's classic BEAUTY AND THE BEAST),
LEGEND's true score is a landmark in the lifeworks
of a great American composer. LEGEND is yet
another sterling example of Goldsmith's importance
(along with John Williams) in bridging the gap
between founders of the film score such as Herrmann
and Korngold, and the newer breed of film scorist
such as Elfman, Shore, and Horner.

Best of all, Goldsmith's music captivates serious
attention, and is just as delightful to experience
by itself as it is a perfect fit for a now-complete
film which is, along with BLADE RUNNER and
GLADIATOR, a signature statement from a fine
director.

Listen, here, to the work of a true LEGEND.

Goldsmith's soundtrack is excellent, but is more orchestral, (like his contemporaries, John Williams or Howard Shore). It is sweeping, epic and engrossing, but viewers of the American release of Legend in 1985 will no doubt be disappointed, since the soundtrack to THAT film was composed by Tangerine Dream (and is currently, as of this writing, unavailable for purchase). Why a decision was taken to have two scores for the same film, using one in the UK/European release, and another in the US release, is a mystery. However, if you are searching for the haunting, evocative and almost eerie version you will hear accompanying the DVD currently for sale by Amazon, this is not the CD you are looking for.

Jerry Goldsmith's score to Legend was actually not used in the film, but instead replaced by the music of Tangerine Dream. It is now finally on disc with 70 minutes of music to listen to. It is a very different score than I thought it was going to be and the sound of it is unique and odd in parts. The music is a combination of orchestra, synthesizers, and voices. The main theme that first appears in the second track is based on a song written which is heard in "My True Love's Eyes", which is a lullaby like song. Orchestral versions of it occur throughout several of the tracks as well. The majority of the score contains an ethereal quality to it which makes it uniquely different from other Goldsmith scores. Other themes are added in the score such as a string and voice crescendo present in "The Unicorn", a fiddle theme in "The Faeries/The Riddle", a flute glissando in "The Armour", and a powerful brass, sinister-like synthesizer, evil choir, and clanking percussion
in "The Dress Waltz". A peculiar track to mention is "Sing The Wee" which uses voices (duh!) as the primary sound singing "Wringle, Wrangle" over and over along with other voices. Some action music is present toward the end of the soundtrack that Goldsmith knows how to write. This score was not quite as good as I thought it was going to be, but it still is a good listenings worth and not an easy listen either. It may take a few times to start liking it as it did for me.

I read somewhere that before the film came out someone said that Jerry Goldsmith's score was his best work to date. Of course, when the film was released Goldsmith's score was cut out (director Ridley Scott was in a panic, and felt that his movie was too ambitious, that maybe the combination of a fairy tale and a classical score was more than the public would accept, and so had the score redone in more of a synth-rock style. He later said this was a bad idea.)

Well, with the release of The Ultimate Edition DVD, which restores not only 30+ minutes of footage but also Goldsmith's soundtrack, we can examine this claim. His musical score is positively beautiful, at times breathtaking. It's very possible that this was his best work when he wrote it. I would even argue the possibility that it still is.

Contrary to the more critical reviews found here, claiming it to be far too sweet and forced, I find that the soundtrack perfectly accompanies it's film, and stands well on it's own as well. There's a dreamlike quality to parts of it, a sweeping and emotional musical euphoria which contrasts well with the heavy and powerful pieces composed for Darkness.

In short, a splendid work from a splendid composer.

While an interesting soundtrack and a must have for fans of the movie ( at least those into variations and other iterations of the movie) it is as noted above not the one used by the American version of the movie so be warned if that is what you are seeking.

To place the score in an important historical perspective, composer Jerry Goldsmith created what was supposed to be the movie soundtrack, which tested poorly in screenings. Tangerine Dream was then brought into the mix to compose a second score, which was then bolstered by Bryan Ferry and Jon Anderson.

This is the original movie soundtrack that ultimately was not used in the U.S. and thought to have been lost. It is an obvious gem for fans of Goldsmith's incredible work and interesting to hear the "controversial" soundtrack, which is enchanting, but not considered commercially viable for a younger audience.

Goldsmith delivered a solid score which should not be casually dismissed due to its infamous past.