The 13th Warrior: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack [SOUNDTRACK]

Jerry Goldsmith

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 10, 1999)
• Original Release Date: August 10, 1999
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Soundtrack
• Label: Varese Sarabande
• ASIN: B00000JWOZ
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (39 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #30,776 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
To capture the horror, passion, and odd romance of Michael Crichton's tale of ancient clashes between Arabs and Vikings, Goldsmith embarks on a musical spectacle of his own. He borrows from known Arab musical sources, but because no known record exists of Viking music, he resorts to his imagination. The result is a kind of Viking exotica that approximates the songs those ruthless Scandinavians might have invoked to inspire their wicked wanderlust. Here, Goldsmith's orchestra displays some crisp and innovative moments, but much of the time it conforms to the dictates of previous Hollywood historical epics. There are the ceremonious strings and horns in moods that alternate from blood lust to cosmic humility, not to mention the chorus, which rails from a netherworld of judgmental gods. --Joseph Lanza

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Goldsmith does it again!, November 23, 1999

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

Whew! That's the feeling one will get when finished with this action packed soundtrack, composed by one of the masters, Jerry Goldsmith. It starts strong from the beginning, and never really lets up, going through many different mood shifts in the process. I had not seen (Still haven't) the movie when I bought this CD, nor could I hear the music clips. But I decided to get it based solely on the glowing reviews here at Amazon, and also because I've loved much of Goldsmith's other music. I was not disapointed!

The opening of the CD starts into the main theme, pounding out the strains, and drawing you right in. From there on, you'll be hooked, wondering where you'll be going next. There are two main themes (I always love it when a soundtrack has TWO strong themes throughout, rather than just one. Goldsmith's Rudy is another example of this), the first of which is nordic in sound, a considerable feat considering that nobody knows what Viking music really sounded like. But boy! Does Goldsmith capture the Viking essence with this theme! The second main theme is more arabic in nature, a lot like Mummy's, signifying the main character, who is arabic. Goldsmith then meshes these two themes wonderfully throughout the soundtrack, adding other branch-off cues during some tracks. I also agree that this soundtrack has very driving action music, and for the most part, it keeps from getting annoying, and chaotic, which I really don't like. Another awesome plus, is that Varese Sarabande decided to include the whole score (at least most of it), and not keep it under 40 mins, as they have with almost every one of their other titles. This CD runs almost an hour. Way to go Sarabande! Keep this up with future titles.

Now, don't be scared away by the 4 star rating, rather than a five. The only reason for the lower rating, is that I am comparing it to my other 50-some soundtracks, and there's a lot of competition. Not every score can be a five! :-) This is definitely a soundtrack I reccomend getting. Kudos to Goldmith for another job well done, and keep up the good work!

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Triumph For Jerry Goldsmith, February 11, 2000

By	michael g. stathis (Cedar City, Utah) - See all my reviews

Very often a motion picure soundtrack can be judged by its use for PBS promos and as background to network sports broadcasts. Based on this alone, Jerry Goldsmith's score for "The 13th Warrior" has already arrived. Comparisons with Goldsmith's other notable, recent score, "The Mummy," and earlier action-dramas such as "The Wind and the Lion," are inevitable, and "The 13th Warrior" deserves high praise along with them. This is a musical triumph, bravo, indeed! And what is most amazing is the fact that the composer was brought in at the eleventh hour to do the score. Several themes are used including an exotic "Arab theme" and a powerful "Viking theme" along with several, very menacing motifs for the "mist monsters," the "eaters of the dead." The extended track for "Viking Victory/Valhalla" is spectacular, and a bit different than the music used in the film. Here it should be noted that the soundtrack is superior to the film, in that some of the best music did not make it to the screen. In fact, there are several tracks that seem to have been left out of the film, but the good news is they are on the soudtrack. One minor complaint. Although the end titles were actually made up from parts of a variety of tracks, it would have been nice to have had them on the recording.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Goldsmith's Work Makes a terrific score, October 11, 2004

By	J. K. Moser "JKM" (Flemington, New Jersey USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The 13th Warrior is an excellent and underrated score. Goldsmith creates a mix of Arabian style music to go with his interpretation of what Viking music would be to create a unique and enjoyable listening experience. I bought this cd on the strength of Goldsmith's name and enjpyed it so much I actually bought the movie, which was not too bad either. While Goldsmith had great success in 1999 with his score to the Mummy, the 13th Warrior is just as good if different in tone and style, proving just what a master Goldsmith was.