Rocky II

Review by Thomas Glorieux:

"Adrian, I Love You!". Those were the famous words spoken by Rocky, after his fight to the death for the Championship title in the movie Rocky. While everybody sees Rocky as the best film of the series, I personally find Rocky II the best, the brightest and the most loving one of all. Because it puts a little more speed into the proceeding, takes the famous walk through the city this time with a full following group of people and that the emotion is not far away when Rocky faces serious problems concerning his wife. But most of all, because it repeated the gigantic struggle for the finish and ended it with a barely unseen climax, worthy of originality and brimming with triumph. And for director Sylvester Stallone, it was obvious that composer Bill Conti would return to score the fight to the end with the same bravura as he handled the first. Rocky received acclaim for its spirit and winning title theme, in result being nominated for Golden Globe consideration in the end. Rocky II didn't get the satisfaction of being nominated, even though its an entertaining package by itself nonetheless. Personally I appreciated it as musical score, but hearing it now in context of a musical soundtrack, it does become better and better each time. Bill Conti is of course just not a normal composer but a well respected musician all over the world and alone his composition he did here for Rocky II is one with excellent meaning. Don't see Rocky II as a rehash of already used material, but as a variation on the themes in the most pleasing results. Of course we get the famous song title theme 'Gonna Fly Now', but its different because here the choir is actually a children's choir and it gives it a bit more spice and energy, making it already a variation on its own.

'Redemption' opening the score and the film is even better as hoped, here a variation on that same title theme is presented in such funky ways, its amazing that it doesn't fall flat on its face. The piano and added brass blasts make the theme so different sounding, its a challenge Conti succeeded at all. The actual highlights of the score are however 'Conquest' and 'Overture', the first presents the action fight material with often amazing fanfares and fantastic string work colliding with it, giving it a sense of urgency, only to be interrupted through the texture and glassy sounding effects to represent Rocky's blows on the face. The second is a nice representation of the musical material with not containing the title theme at all, at least not in the original version. It starts with the fanfare for the title, directly followed by some short but supreme action versions of the theme, followed thereafter by great music heard at the end of the first film (or the begin of the second), with only between it the often '70 sounding disco or funk tones that give it a sense of dated listening but not one of dated appreciation. The effect overall works very well and how Conti makes the trumpets at times blaze through each other is one of mastery and dare. There is also some emotional firework in 'Vigil', with great soft alterations of the same title theme on piano and soft strings (and watch out for the collision of these 2 instruments at the end) and the songs are not bad either. Together, I just have to say that Rocky II is a winner, just like the movie. The continues variations on the theme are stunning, the action material with the brilliant trumpet blazing are entertaining and the overall synthetic sound gives fond memories of other respected sport classics as Hoosiers, and parts of Bill Conti's own The Karate Kid. It might seem like a dated score at first, but the heart and succession of Rocky II is greater due to Conti's winning changes on an already winning formula. "Yo, Adrian, he did it!"

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Tracks

Single Disc

1. Redemption (Theme from Rocky II) (2.33)

2. Gonna Fly Now (2.33)

3. Conquest (4.40) Excellent Track

4. Vigil (6.29)

5. All Of My Life: DeEtta Little & Nelson Pigford * (3.59)

6. Overture (8.37) Excellent Track

7. Two Kinds Of Life (2.36)

8. All Of My Life (Instrumental) (2.27)

* Does not appear in the motion picture

Total Length: 34.11

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

=== Link to Composer Site: Bill Conti ===