Predator

Review by Thomas Glorieux:

Fresh of the success of Back to the Future, Alan Silvestri was on a hot Hollywood trail to recognition and fame. And that's why he was scoring good movies in that time. Predator, still considered as one of the best classic action movies had simply everything, a cool cast with Arnold Schwarzenegger as THE king, a great story, an excellent villain, a foreign setting and overall great stunts, special effects and scenes. Altogether matched Alan Silvestri's militaristic, thunderous and suspension laden score. Not released on soundtrack so far, Predator proves what Silvestri already at that time possessed, an ear for the jungle guerrilla tones and a mind set to control action adventure scores. Back to the Future was already proof and Predator is more of that . You can actually compare this score with the dark suspension laden action tracks of The Abyss ('The Crane' and 'Sub Battle') but here that action tone is presented with an also great building suspension theme. You have got the militaristic kick ass main theme (one of those requested action themes people want to hear so badly) in 'Main Title', you've got the guerilla tones presenting the jungle and the danger well in 'The Chopper' and you've got the building threat theme well in many tracks, including highlights such as 'Billy'. Yet there is also the mysterious alien theme which opens the score when the ship is flying by in 'Main Title' and appears mysteriously with strings in 'Waiting'. Altogether this score presents pretty much the same through the 70 minutes but the constant good use of those moments is what makes it a guilty pleasure with short tracks but also with those short great moments, which work well in the context of the film and work pleasingly thunderous on disc.

The good point is also that the bootleg captures the same somewhat pleasing sound quality from scores such as Back to the Future which never failed through the slight hiss. Predator somewhat presents it even slightly better. The underscore is also a bit in the same vein of Who Framed Roger Rabbit and that means that the style from that era clearly followed Silvestri's voice well. Highlights (even for its moments) are the following, "Payback Time" with its suspension building danger theme, 'Preparing Camp Attack' which explodes too late in thunderous action music, 'Jungle Trek' which uses a percussive action rhythm with the danger theme ala The Lost World, 'Mac Loses It' with its thunderous action tones appearing more with guts in "Anytime", 'Billy' using the building danger theme to fullest effect and 'The Chase' which is quick, thunderous and exciting. Practically from track 15 this score bounces along with either the action music or the danger theme variations and that keeps the score above average par. 'Preparations' is 4 minutes constantly returning to the building danger theme and that unleashes its wings in 'The Trap' and 'Self Destruction' with great signs of brass. A recapitulation of the main militaristic main theme ends the score well. The only difference is the lonesome trumpet hymn for Blain in 'Goodbye'. Predator isn't a big action score in the melodic sense but its an exciting one with many great returning statements of either themes. It worked great in the context and on disc it can and will please the fans that liked it dearly in the film. It is one of those scores which deserves a better and proper release on CD and it remains an action classic in the sense. More, it delivers the power and the threat worthy of an ugly motherfucker. Sorry, I was carried away but I just couldn't help myself.

Total Recall "Deluxe Edition"

One of the virtues of never released soundtracks is that any label can pick them up, and Predator was now a perfect opportunity for the Varčse Sarabande people to polish it up, and release it as a CD club title. And so they have, and luckily for Alan Silvestri fans they did more work with it then the bootleg in the end always presented. Predator, the Deluxe Edition now shows more then ever the virtue behind Silvestri's intentions because the booklet and additional track by track analysis is actually great in recovering extra hidden ideas. But the main idea behind Alan Silvestri's score was to present man vs. alien in its rawest form. The growling, menacing, impeding and exhilarating score therefore became a soundtrack everyone wanted to have, just because it followed an outstanding film. Silvestri's music was practically all presented on the bootleg, except one cue namely 'Building a Trap', which is basically the main marching theme but this interspersed with the impeding doom theme, which is basically the theme used when the Predator moves in for the kill, and McTiernan gave ample time for Silvestri to build this theme larger and louder every time. Anyway, this track is now found on the score. But the booklet by now shows there are many more themes or motifs to be found in the score. The odd opening of using Elliot Goldenthal's take on the 20th Century Fox fanfare (used in Alien 3) not included, the theme playing and toying starts from the very first second. 'Main Title' starts with the Alien motif before the pounding main theme kicks in, as ever a Silvestri favorite. 'Something Else' has the jungle tones and some Who Framed Roger Rabbit darkness, like the booklet itself explains. And by then the mixing of the bootleg tracks are sequenced together on the Deluxe Edition, to give you lesser tracks and more listening order for your pleasure.

The track 'Payback Time' has great thundering qualities, 'Preparing Camp Attack' a brief but astounding final fanfare and 'Jungle Trek' variations on the main theme brought in fanfare and rapid succession. Silvestri trademarks here. 'The Girl's Escape' again mixes some tracks together but also lets the impeding doom theme show itself gently, and the alien motif doesn't hide away in here as in the next tracks. The lonesome trumpet solo was used by Silvestri also in the sequel and is therefore known, but it works well to give some respite. 'We're all Gonna Die' has after a reprise of the trumpet solo thrilling action music that listens incredibly fast. And then the score mixes tracks again together, and this works especially well in giving the score a smoother listen, but the trick box of Silvestri returns especially in 'Billy Stands Alone', with the impeding doom fanfare growing and growing before in the second part a most thrilling action statement is heard, clearly in this score's potential the best moment. 'Battle Plans' is almost 10 minutes long but then it mixes again tracks together, and it works because the main and impeding doom theme here show through each other Dutch as the Predator preparing themselves. 'Predator's Big Finish' is the big finish indeed, and here the impeding doom march shows from begin to end its qualities, when it rises in the begin and end to big heights, the middle has the alien motif briefly showing the Predator's cute face. The lonesome trumpet theme and the great marching militaristic main theme sends off the score in 'The Rescue and End Credits'. Goes to show that Alan Silvestri never lost his trademarks because he always had a darker quality in his music and scores and here above all Predator exhibits them to their fullest potential. And now more then ever, in Deluxe format Predator shows more, a booklet full of valuable information, a mixed album that sequences shorter tracks together and a sound that is polished to not give it more clarity, but more thrill. This all shows that the Varčse CD club release was a must for the Silvestri classic, and its then more then worth Predating for.

Predator "Bootleg": ***1/2
Predator "Deluxe Edition": ****

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Tracks

Single Disc

1. Main Title (3.48) Excellent Track

2. The Chopper (3.49)

3. Grim Discovery (0.37)

4. Dog Tags (1.19)

5. "Payback Time" (2.09)

6. Preparing Camp Attack (4.18)

7. Jungle Trek (1.49)

8. First Strike (5.55)

9. Blain Gets Killed (0.41)

10. "Who Did This" (2.01)

11. Goodbye (1.26)

12. Predator Surgery (1.00)

13. Mac On Watch (1.09)

14. Pig Alarm (1.29)

15. Waiting (3.14)

16. Mac Loses It (1.21)

17. Dillon's Search (1.34)

18. Mac Targeted (1.58)

19. "Anytime" (1.06)

20. Dillon Disarmed (1.01)

21. Billy (1.19) Excellent Track

22. The Chase (1.18) Excellent Track

23. Camouflaged (2.11)

24. Preparations (4.42) Excellent Track

25. The Challenge (2.20)

26. The Fight (4.12)

27. Predator Unmasked (1.54)

28. "Bad Idea" (1.20)

29. The Trap (1.44)

30. Self Destruction (2.02) Excellent Track

31. Predator (1.13)

32. End Title (3.40) Excellent Track

Total Length: 70.32

Predator "Deluxe Edition"

1. Twentieth Century Fox Fanfare * (0.25)

2. Main Title (3.51)

3. Something Else (3.34)

4. Cut' Em Down (1.56)

5. Payback Time (2.07)

6. The Truck (4.20)

7. Jungle Trek (1.46)

8. The Girl's Escape (5.58)

9. Blaine's Death (2.46)

10. He's My Friend (1.25)

11. We're All Gonna Die (3.32)

12. Building A Trap (3.02) Excellent Track

13. The Waiting (3.27)

14. The Hunt Is On (4.51)

15. Dillon Is Disarmed (2.06)

16. Billy Stands Alone (2.34) Excellent Track

17. Battle Plans (9.24) Excellent Track

18. Wounded Predator (4.13)

19. Hand To Hand Combat (3.12)

20. Predator's Big Finish (3.41) Excellent Track

21. The Rescue And End Credits (4.44) Excellent Track

* Alfred Newman, arranged by Elliot Goldenthal

Total Length: 73.17

The use of artwork or photos is posted for non profitable reasons

=== Link to Composer Site: Alan Silvestri ===