The Mummy

Review by Thomas Glorieux:

As ever, Jerry Goldsmith is that "bit" more with action, that "bit" more fun with adventure. And while he scored two adventure south African influenced soundtracks, The 13th Warrior and The Mummy, it is the latter one that holds that extra "bit" if it concerns the fans. And I for one have to agree on that part. It is a guilty pleasure to hear those riveting sounds when Goldsmith picks up the pace, strengthens the power and sets loose the timpani and percussion. While I find The 13th Warrior another good score, it doesn't hold my fullest interest when I consider that The Mummy is that special thing more. The movie, surprisingly no failure recording to the box offices has set Goldsmith in a rather winning position. He, once again portrayed why he remains such an inspiration to many. Goldsmith on this position is still the Goldsmith we all love and treasure.

It is Goldsmith's trademark that connects this score to all his others. He once more creates the main adventure theme, with his variations on it and the love theme, for both the undying romance of Imhotep and Anck-Su-Namun as the blossoming love between Evelyn and Rick. This is nice and sweet but The Mummy's main reason of success lies with the energy and pace of Goldsmith's action / adventure sequences, as the film. The score bursts of life when 'Tauger Attack', 'Night Boarders', 'Rebirth' and 'The Sand Volcano' start to show their fullest power. Simply the 8 minute 'Rebirth' is a mass of entertainment. People will soon discover the Arabic / Egyptian similarities between The 13th Warrior and The Mummy, from the start of the score and the choral piece of 'The Caravan' will surely please the fans of the first named soundtrack. Not all is energy or romance in The Mummy, the adventure in 'Camel Race' is equally important and stunning and what would this score be without a bit of ruckus and scary loud music?

Attention, there is a nice extra for pure Goldsmith enthusiasts, a hidden treasure inside the 13th track, you've probably picked it up but for those who missed it, The Twilight Zone theme is heard briefly in 'Rebirth', start listening from the 3rd minute, you will not miss it. Always a hoot when Goldsmith does something to amuse the fans. It seems that Goldsmith remains the composer we always adore when he simply finds the spirit of the movie to be something of a inspiration. And it shows that he remains truly unbreakable when he receives a film worthy of his skill. Stephen Sommers didn't let him down with the script, Jerry Goldsmith didn't disappoint when he composed one of 99' best adventure scores. Fans will love the result, The Mummy is 60 minutes of worthy film music that deserves to be heard loud, and in a way it is one of Goldsmith's last best scores of this genre. The fans love him for it, I love him for that, the community of film makers respect him for it, he at least knows to give us the goods of the classic old time fun.

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Tracks

Single Disc

1. Imhotep (4.16)

2. The Sarcophagus (2.13)

3. Tauger Attack (2.19) Excellent Track

4. Giza Port (1.58)

5. Night Borders (4.05) Excellent Track

6. The Caravan (2.48)

7. Camel Race (3.22) Excellent Track

8. The Crypt (2.22)

9. Mumia Attack (2.16)

10. Discoveries (3.37)

11. My Favorite Plague (3.55)

12. Crowd Control (3.09)

13. Rebirth (8.29) Excellent Track

14. The Mummy (6.15)

15. The Sand Volcano (5.41) Excellent Track

Total Length: 57.46

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

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