Search - Herbie Hancock :: Death Wish: Original Soundtrack Recording

An underrated little gem

N. P. Stathoulopoulos | Brooklyn, NY | 08/09/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Surprising that with the popularity of this film and Herbie Hancock's name that this soundtrack didn't get a bigger release. It carries a nice low price however, and it's a highly recommended collection of funky, moody, dark, and intense pieces. Highlights include the theme and "Fill Your Hand", but the best is the "Revenge Suite", a wonderful 9 minute piece that spans Bronson's nightly vigilante activities and works remarkably well on its own, as does most of the disc. Incidentally, a good portion of the music heard in the film is unfortunately not on this album. (The opening music in Hawaii as well as the ominous cues heard over the credits upon the couple's return to New York City are absent.) Likewise, some of the music on this disc is not featured in the film. (For instance, the "Death Wish Theme" is great but isn't really the opening theme in the film.) Nevertheless, I would encourage Hancock fans, soundtrack fans, and people looking for a solid disc that plays very nicely all the way through and apart from the film to certainly pick this up. Perhaps a bigger label will re-release this with all of the music from the film. It's worth mentioning that this soundtrack is a world better than Jimmy Page's often-painful score for Death Wish II. Hancock should have been brought back."

Not essential Hancock and lacks something without the film..

souldrummer | Washington, DC United States | 10/07/2003

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I haven't seen this movie so I can't really comment on how it works with the film. I do have a lot of Herbie Hancock's stuff, and I don't feel that this music holds together well as independent compositions. It's really dark music as well in terms of its tonality and mood; probably very appropriate for the scenes it accompanies but a little depressing to me heard in stark isolation. I'd recommend this for Hancock completists, but all of his Blue Note albums, Headhunters stuff, even the Warner Brothers recordings would come way in advance of this one.--SD"

Moody Piano Work

N. P. Stathoulopoulos | 04/12/1999

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I can't speak for the work in the film, but the music works pretty well on its own - mainly moody piano numbers. Give it a listen."