Breakheart Pass

Review by Thomas Glorieux:

I'm really getting the hang of Goldsmith in western mode, and Breakheart Pass is no different in this. Of course, there's a difference, and that is despite the ever so fun theme he wrote for the movie (again a fun little theme) the score really has much more gritty and dark material on board, something I didn't really expect at first. Of course a theme can make a score and again Goldsmith is right about that, showing great potential with a great main theme. This theme is actually the real noticeable one in the score, and Goldsmith made sure it was a theme to like instantly, already from the guitar start in 'Main Title', reminding you of the fun he had with the themes in Hour of the Gun, Rio Conchos and Bandolero, call it a mix of that. It directly starts 'The Train' and this alongside an effect a Spanish composer used on one of his classical compositions, namely musically presenting a train's speed and horn blowing, its really effective and Goldsmith conveniently picked up on that technique, sadly a darker mood takes over (like also the other western scores obtained) and occasionally the theme is heard briefly through that. 'First Troubles' doesn't change the sound, and 3 minutes of basically moody underscore and occasional instruments create the tone, before the main theme is heard at the end coloring things up. 'The Search' does it even better, main theme variation and aggressive brass on the theme based, its shows Goldsmith needs one theme to tie it all together. 'Steam Rollin' even has more the aggressive attitude and again its shows this on the train's growing pace, created by the instruments around the theme, or a part of the theme. Goldsmith always relied on his electronics to add some spice to that, sadly the electronic display sounds really bad in 'A True Adversary', this luckily for just a brief minute.

And the dark grit remains in 'No Epidemic', its barely music and the plucky noises will easily bore the listener it if wasn't for the inventiveness of Jerry alone that keeps you waiting for more, like the brief but fun theme statement, or the horn lonely solo. And 'The Boxcar' shows this even more, its mood but on a train's pace and the toying of Goldsmith with instruments (piano, beats) and its growing pace at that shows the brass returning and the theme, even drums to some heights. Its perhaps not pretty but above all effective and creative. 'Breakheart Pass' has the theme heroically uplifting for a change to determine a different tone in the score while 'The Gunrunners' is gritty music, but the theme surrounding it. 2 minutes of dark music are necessary to get you back to an orchestral end arrangement of the theme, led by guitar to its final version in 'A Lonely Agent'. Altogether, its not one of Goldsmith's most celebrated scores, neither one of his best listens and the gritty somber music is one to appreciate more then like, but its got some inventiveness also and its all covering the train's speed or onboard secrets. And around that a theme that shows Charles Bronson's heroic allures, perhaps its everything the movie desired at the time. Jerry Goldsmith had to compose so many movies, and above all westerns, why do it each and every time the same way? Breakheart Pass is sadly out of print, and Goldsmith fans will surely dig the theme as the inventive touch by Goldsmith, but it above all shows that Goldsmith just kept his scores interesting because he didn't steer away from ideas when it would have sounded just a little less optimistic to handle. Kudos to him for trying and succeeding, kudos to director for appreciating it and kudos to you if you can appreciate it that way too.

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Tracks

Single Disc

1. Main Title (2.35) Excellent Track

2. The Train (5.00)

3. First Troubles (4.04)

4. The Search (2.57)

5. Steam Rollin (2.26)

6. A True Adversary (1.01)

7. No Epidemic (5.42)

8. Who Are You (0.45)

9. The Boxcar (7.14)

10. A Long Wait (1.30)

11. New Problems (1.48)

12. Breakheart Pass (1.00)

13. The Gunrunners (3.58)

14. Stalking (1.32)

15. A Lonely Agent (4.23)

Total Length: 46.05

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

=== Link to Composer Site: Jerry Goldsmith ===