Search - Nick Glennie-Smith, Hans Zimmer, Harry Gregson-Williams :: The Rock: Original Motion Picture Score

Liz F. from NORTHAMPTON, MA
Reviewed on 4/1/2012...

I love the soundtrack to The Rock. I find it energizing and haunting. Beautifully done.

Awesome Soundtrack from an Awesome Movie

06/11/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"In my opinion, Hans Zimmer is a versatile composer who can conjure up incredible music for many different types of films. He demonstrates his talent in the action movie "The Rock". I was very impressed with the soundtrack of the movie and constantly listen to it over and over again. It's one of those soundtracks in which you'll never get bored of. The whole CD runs approximately 1 hour and 20 seconds and has 8 tracks.



Hummel Gets the Rockets (6:26): This is probably my favorite track on the whole CD. It starts off with soft strings and builds into a crescendo during the beginning credits of the movie, as radio dispatches of Hummel's doomed men are played back. The music dies down and reaches a sad tone as Hummel goes to tell his wife that he is about to do something that he couldn't do while she was alive. The music takes an upward turn with a loud introduction with brass and heavy percussion as Hummel's men breach the U.S weapons depot. This is my favorite part of the song and it has a driving beat with The Rock's theme tune.



Rock House Jail (10:13): The beginning explodes with loud percussion and brass and dives into the movie's theme tune. This lasts for about 2 minutes and then subsides into a roller coaster of volume and tune that rise and fall in an incredibly fluent way. In the movie, this music is played when Hummel's men seize Alcatraz and set up their HQ. It is also when Goodspeed and Mason get onto the island fortress with the Navy SEALS.



Jade (1:58): This song takes an unusual turn and composes mainly of the beautiful sounds of a flute. This is played while Mason greets his daughter at the Apollo memorial and spends a few quiet moments with her.



In the Tunnels (8:40): This track starts off with strong percussion and brass. The Rock theme plays through for about a minute and then switches to the strings. A crescendo comes up as the SEALs enter the washroom and are ambushed by Hummel's men. The track skips over to when Mason and Goodspeed are firebombed and plays fast strings that rise and then quickly subside. The track then moves over when Sergeant Hendricks and several men go into the tunnel system to hunt down Mason and Goodspeed. Again, fast strings are played along with a nice touch of the electric guitar.



Mason's Walk - First Launch (9:33): This track follows are more calm approach with the strings. It starts off when Mason surrenders to Hummel's men to try to prevent the hostage from being executed. He buys Goodspeed time to try and neutralize the remaining rockets. The track then goes into the part when Hummel orders the first VX rocket to be launched. A nice blend of fast-paced percussion and strings paint the atmosphere of death hanging over the city and being diverted by Hummel who is not ready to kill thousands of people.



Rocket Away (14:12): This is the longest track on the CD and varies greatly in tune and volume. It starts off quiet and builds into the strings accompanied by a trumpet solo. At about 6 minutes into the song, The Rock theme enters and sounds really cool. In the movie, Mason is picking off Hummel's deranged men one by one and tries to give Goodspeed time, who is stuck atop the lighthouse. The track moves onto when Captain Fry and Goodspeed are trying to kill each other in a desperate struggle. The music slows down and gives a sense of terrific suspense as Goodspeed rises to his feet and attempts to light his flares to stop the F-18s from plastering the islands with incendiary bombs. The track moves later into a beautiful section with the flute, similar to "Jade", as Mason pulls Goodspeed out of the water.



Fort Walton Kansas (1:37): Being the shortest track on the CD, this song is very unusual. It has that Midwest feel with the strings but has a flat sound to it. In the movie, Goodspeed and his wife drive away with Mason's microfilm.



The Chase (7:36): I can't understand why this track was put at the end. In the movie, this music is played when Mason steals a Humvee and wrecks San Fran. Fast strings and brass keep the feeling of a thrilling car chase through the urban areas of the city. The ending builds into a rising crescendo that abruptly ends the song.



In all, this is a soundtrack that is not to be missed or overlooked. I absolutely love it and am glad that I bought it. To me, this CD was well worth my money and I highly recommend it. You will not be disappointed. If you like this CD, I recommend Pirates of the Caribbean and Gladiator. I hope this review helped!

"

"The Rock" rocks!

Brandon Cutro | Whitehouse, Texas | 11/28/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Lots of hyphenated names are present in this smashing soundtrack. Hans Zimmer, Nick Glennie-Smith,and Harry Gregson-Williams do a phenomenal job in composing the music for this movie. It is hard to tell which composer came up with what cue. Hans Zimmer came up with the main theme and some other main cues used in the film. Track 1, which is the best track and also basically the main title, opens quietly stating a main cue, came up with by Hans Zimmer. Following that is the main theme both orchestral and synthesized with some choir. I love the trumpet solo used in this track. After that, it speeds up a tad and gets a little more into the action side. I love the low brass or synthesized music here, I can't tell which is being used. The end has the trumpet solo again, which is really good. Track 2 starts off with the loud music used to end the last track,followed by a new theme. This track is basically track 1 continued. The exact same stuff heard in track 1 is on track 2, just arranged a bit differently. Track 3 is a very soft, pretty theme for Jade, the daughter of Sean Connery's character in the movie. Flutes play the theme which make it innocent and beautiful. Great track. Track 4 is back to the same music heard in the first 2 tracks. Only this time, the percussion is a key factor in the scoring. There is more percussion sound in this one than any other track. A new theme is stated, followed by the main title. Over-synthesized percussion almost ruined this track. Also, the electric guitar is used for the first time in this track to accompany the theme. A trumpet solo is used at the end to finish out the track. This one rocks! Track 5 starts out with a different arrangement of the theme,followed by Jade's theme also arranged differently. A brief trumpet solo is heard quietly over the synthesized chords. Kind of a slow moving track for the first part. Big surprise, about half way through, it speeds up a bit and increases volume. Kind of a boring track compared to the others until the end where it builds to its climax. Track 6 can't find a theme at first, but does speed up your heartbeat about 2 minutes into the track. Great music heard here, especially the trumpet solo stating the theme again. Basic track 1 and 2 sounds heard here. This track is very long, but explosive cuz of the rockets. Get it! Not too loud, or harsh. Nicely done! Track 7 is a completely different sound on this soundtrack. It's as if the 3 composers were abducted and taken over by someone else to write this one. Still a very nice melody played by the guitar. Track 8 is a fast paced track similar to to the other fast paced ones in the soundtrack. Different versions of the theme are used. Driving percussion is a key factor in this one just like in track 4. Too much of it is used once again, but the electric guitar saves it. Action packed and adrenaline pumping! Overall, this CD is a must have especially if you like fast paced, heart pumping soundtracks. Why this CD is long (60 min.) is because the same themes are played over and over again in each track. The good thing about that is that each time they are arranged differently. Outstanding CD! Good job guys!"