Customer Reviews

The Road Warrior: Mad Max 2 - Original Soundtrack

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In a movie of such limited dialogue (the star, Mel Gibson, has but a handful of lines) and much visual style, it's the musical score that provides such intensity to this thrilling film.

George Miller's relentless - grab you by the throat - style of filmmaking is perfectly complimented by Brian May's score. By turns haunting, driving, mournful (the finale of 'Marauder's Massacre,' taking place as the Gyro Pilot witnesses the senseless murder of a compound woman, speaks of the loss of humanity thru the mood of that piece) and always absolutely riveting. May used the sound effects musically in his score (witness the bullets echoing off the shield/cowcatcher in front of the gasoline truck in the finale chase, and how May added a triangle to keep up this beat during 'Breakout.') to wonderful effect.

Here's the real test of this score; buy the VHS or DVD, and play it WITHOUT LOOKING AT THE SCREEN. Read a book, or work on your computer and see how many times the music pulls you back to the screen, or increases your sense of anxiety or excitement just by listening to the score.

Sadly, Brian May is no longer with us, but we do have this score of his to remind us of what genius he had.

I love the score for this film. It's a somber, moody score that really captures the essence of the film. Had this film been released today, the music probably would've consisted of screeching guitars and whatever band of the week that's popular with the kids right now. The music here is more orchestral and fits the images of the post apocalyptic world that Max and his enemies inhabit perfectly. My favorite track by far is "Gyro Saves Max" and the "Montage/ Main Title", which should be mentioned also for starting out with the tanker chase music which any Mad Max fan will instantly recognize.

I would recommend this to anyone who appreciates a good film score or even someone who needs good music to write to. Great music for a great film.

When Brian May conducted this score, he did something right. The music from the chase (what little there is of it) sounds intense as it was in the film. As much as I like the soudtrack as it is, I wish an exstended version would be released.

This is not Brian May of Queen fame - it's adifferent guy with the same name. Unfortunately, unlike actors, musicians can have the same name.

Composer Brian May showed a lot of musical growth with this soundtrack, particularly compared to Mad Max, which always struck me as primitive and incohesive. Although I've seen the movie countless times, I didn't own the soundtrack until recently so I had never listened to it by itself. It's really remarkable to see (hear) how May embellishes the images. One thing I noticed is the motifs assigned to the major characters or tribes (listen how the Gyro Captain's theme runs through the tanker chase). I was surprised to hear the marauders' motif when Max enters the compound, but it's a brilliant way to inform the scene. And the way he brings back the final drumbeat from the end of "Mad Max" at the end of "Finale and Largo" is very satisfying. I don't know why George Miller used Maurice Jarre instead of May for Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, but I thought Jarre's music lacked May's seriousness.

Sadly, some cues are missing entirely, or are out of order. One of the things I hate about soundtracks that were mastered in the age of vinyl is that a soundtrack was often cut up and reassembled to fit two sides of a record, and cues were often left out because there was no room. But now that we have CDs, there's no reason a soundtrack can't be released in its entirety, in order. I would love to see a remastered and extended version, similar to the new Escape from New York CD.

There was a little event in the California desert in November 2009 based around this movie, and they had a small pirate radio station broadcasting "Wasteland Radio." When I pulled into the event and heard the track "Break Out" playing, it brought a big smile to my face and put me in the mood immediately--and also inspired me to finally buy this album. I find myself using it as the soundtrack to my freeway commutes.

This is no where near being the full and complete score to the early 80 actioner. This is, in fact, an extremely lame and hacked up version of the actual music that's in the movie.

I actually wrote to Varsande one time asking when the complete original score would be published, and they had the gaul to tell me that there were no more source recordings. Every fan knows different. Even the production company, director George Miller and composer Brian May know and say differently.

So why no more music? It's fairly simple. Whoever did the initial release dropped the ball and shrugged at not getting all of the source material to the studio. Then, being limited for time on the old record album format, probably came up with his own "dance mix" of the music and sound effects, which is what we have on the soundtrack.

The person who screwed up royally in helping produce this thing, the errand boy or gofer or whoever, who lost/forgot and just tucked away any of the other source recordings, and then didn't tell his boss about it, you sir, are a jerk.

Well, maybe someday fans of the film will be able to get all the music. But, until then, live with what you got.