Customer Reviews

The Wind and the Lion

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Finally, Jerry Goldsmith's wonderful score for The Wind and the Lion (1975), one of the best films directed by John Milius, comes to us in virtually its full form from Intrada. The new two-disc set is about as perfect as can be expected with one disc devoted to almost the full restored score for the film, and a second disc with the original soundtrack as produced by Arista, and a good deal of source music. The second disc is something of a collector's item while the true treasure is the full score on disc one. Intrada has done an incredible job in producing the music and presenting a beautiful package with ample notes and photos. All of that said we turn to Goldsmith's music. Intertwining Middle Eastern and Americana motifs to represent the two major figures portrayed in the film, Theodore Roosevelt and Raisuli-the Lord of the Riff, Goldsmith wrote one of the most engaging and thrilling scores of his career. The main theme awakens all of the romantic daydreams that anyone has ever had about the Middle East which really is exactly what this film was all about in the first place. A fine romantic theme is in place as well along with numerous action pieces, but it is Goldsmith's characterization of the last of the Berber bandits and the free-spirited TR, the lion and the wind if you will, that make this score so endearing. The sweeping opening theme appears throughout the score in various forms (compare the main titles' presentation with the subdued interpretation while the Raisuli tells stories at the camp fire) while an equally heroic theme represents Roosevelt with a strong sense of Western Americana (note especially the Yellowstone music). Nominated for an Oscar for Best Original Score, Goldsmith lost out to yet another legendary composer and score: John Williams' Jaws. We have waited a long time for this production and it does not disappoint.

In a word, PHENOMENAL! One of the greatest soundtracks of all time and truly an inspired piece of artistry. I recently saw the movie again and found both the movie and especially the soundtrack have held up well nearly 30 years later. Probably Jerry Goldsmith's best and truly tragic that he didn't win the Academy Award in 1975 for this score (he lost to John Williams' "Jaws"). Personally, I find this score has held up over time much better. A true joy to listen to...I never get tired of it.

As with the Alien release, the presentation of the score is superb, with the first CD representing the complete, chronological score, and the second CD the original Album presentation from the Album master, with additional source cues arranged by Alexander Courage.

The liner notes are extensive, around 30 pages, and include a cue-by-cue breakdown, details of the score and the film's production, as well as some details on how this release came about.

Due to the age and quality of the master tapes, the sound quality is slightly archival, but the mastering within these limitations is of a high standard.

For Goldsmith fans, the score needs no introduction, and this CD comes highly recommended.

Although The Wind and the Lion is lesser-known than several of Jerry Goldsmith's other films - Patton, Planet of the Apes, Alien, Star Trek: the Motion Picture - it's easily his best score, in my book. This expanded edition of his score shows the full breadth of Goldsmith's musical talent, and is one of the greatest assets of John Milius's wonderful film.

The soundtrack is a wonderful mixture of stirring aciton music and sweeping romantic themes. The Raisuli's theme is wonderful, with its discordant, trilling open thirds (later used in the Star Trek films) and thudding, exotic percussion, featuring in the violent, rousing action pieces, particularly The Horsemen Arrive and Raisuli Attacks. A quieter version appears in The Raisuli, The Rif and The Legend, and it's seemlessly interwoven with the string-heavy Love Theme in A Bid For Freedom and True Feelings. I also love the quiet, reverent horn-and-string theme for Theodore Roosevelt, given full breadth in Mr. President, The True Symbol and The Letter. A martial American theme with snare-drum and horns (The Fleet's In) is woven into several pieces, and a discordant Arab theme features in Seat of the Sultan. Goldsmith liberally weaves these pieces together, creating a dazzling, addictive tapestry of music.

This expanded edition features a good amont of source music, including Arab themes, Marine marches, and various American pieces. This section is largely disposable although it adds a nice dimension to the soundtrack.

The Wind and the Lion is Jerry Goldsmith's best score, and on the short list with Doctor Zhivago and Once Upon a Time in the West as my favorite film score of all time.

This soundtrack is fantastic! I love this movie and I love this soundtrack. The music sweeps you away to the desert and takes to you a land and time you can only visit in your dreams. It is one of the top 10 best soundtracks ever!

by one of film's greatest composers. Jerry Goldsmith has written a magnificent musical score for the John Milius

adventure epic of 1975 that, unfortunately, had the bad luck to be released in the same year as the phenomenon called JAWS. I think this score is one of three in a trilogy of great Goldsmith scores-----THE SAND PEBBLES and STAR

TREK--THE MOTION PICTURE being the other two. This music harkens back to the grand old days of Hollywood when they turned out these kind of movies on a regular basis.

I can't go on about this music enough its just so great. What makes it even better is that the great Intrada label

has finally released the entire score and as a regular release on top of it all! Goldsmith must have really been inspired by the story to turn out a score this great. His potent use of horns, percussion and ethnic instruments comes at you full power with the Main Title and followed by the rhythmically charged, percussion-only "The Horsemen." This is about as perfect a score from the maestro that you'll ever be likely to hear which is not something to be said lightly considering all the other great scores he's written over his career. Had JAWS not been released the same year I'm sure he would have won an Oscar for this magnum opus but we can only speculate.

Goldsmith does a neat trick by using the opening fanfare as a building block for the main themes for both the Raisuli and President Roosevelt and also to have the French horns to play with their bells up to give the main theme

an epic sound. Such standout cues as the "Raisuli Attacks" (with that virtuoso trumpet playing) is joined by such unreleased cues as "Mercy," "The Blue People, " and the exquisitely beautiful "Times Remembered," among others. This is another prime example of the ability and power of great film music in that it serves the film brilliantly and stands on its own as a great musical composition. This is unquestionably one of Goldsmith's masterpieces.

And its packaged wonderfully as well. Besides having the entire score in chronological order on disc 1 we have the original soundtrack album (along with bonus tracks) digitally remastered on disc 2. The booklet is wonderfully written and chock full of info about the composer's use of ethnic orchestration and how he approached Moroccan music. You definitely can't go wrong with this album and is definitely worth having. I can't reccomend it enough, a superlative release!!

Jerry Goldsmith is the quintessential composer of film music.

This has been a favorite movie score since high school.

The sound is rich, majestic, and tells a story.

I was surprised how much music was on the two Cd's.

It is well worth the money.

Thank God for this new 2-CD release of this film scoring triumph! Simply put, this is one of the greatest epic movie scores of all time. Goldsmith obviously made a deal with God, inspiration was divined. The sheer excitement of this thrilling music is uncontainable. Goldsmith may never again have excelled this unique contribution. The force of the Raisuli theme is violently foreign and the more intimate moments are as gentle as the breeze. Americana meets the East, and the results are Superb!