Total Recall

Review by Thomas Glorieux:

Truth, Jerry Goldsmith is no weaker in science fiction scores than say John Williams. Everybody mentions Star Wars of Williams but I believe Goldsmith at least delivered ten examples more of science fiction sound, music and tone. And take it with mood or pace, at least Goldsmith gave the listener a completely different environment to breath in. And Total Recall is an example of pure power on Mars. Everybody remembers Goldsmith in the good period of the '80 and '90 but still, some do stand out in delivering its perfect scope and Total Recall is surely one to treasure, almost action from begin to end and delivering some of the best tracks of that year. And while adding an electronic sound effect once and a while and giving the movie the boost all the time, it is still one of Jerry Goldsmith's most enjoyable scores to listen to. And Varèse Sarabande simply thought the exact same thing, by releasing both the original release (consisting of the main highlights) and a deluxe edition which offers more the atmospheric delight. Together the two albums give the listener total ruckus.

The score doesn't begin with pure scope but still adds enough electronics in it to make it edgy and perfect for the begin of the movie. It is also very strange that this main theme isn't used much (only briefly during the 7th track), but more shows its face in variations and different versions. Mostly, it is the adrenaline that creates the pace and the thrill. The trio of tracks 'The Big Jump', 'The Mutant' and 'Clever Girl' are a combination of full action mode and gothic alienating environments. The middle is without doubt one of those perfect creations and sets the mood really good and strong. But the main force of Paul Verhoeven's movie was action and action music it received with it, in Goldsmith's usual sublime way of technique. Especially the favorite of everybody will be the immense 'End of a Dream', this is indeed kick ass power combined with an almighty climax and is one of those pieces of music that simply surprises you every time. Total Recall without this track would have been half this good. Simply think of it, the people in the movie can barely breath good air and Goldsmith creates such an amazing if even furious tempo that you in the room can hardly breath with it, I only wonder how many people could handle it of the the National Philharmonic Orchestra.

And last but not least, we have the electronic side. On various occasions, Goldsmith inserts electronic samples of noises and these are very close to Legend sounding, in fact they are the same in most cases. But what Total Recall has in advance of say Legend is the complete thrust and an immense combination of brilliant action rhythms, who don't stop until you are satisfied. Regular buyers who kinda hate long releases might be more satisfied with the normal release of Varese. But still remember that the sound, material and presentation is far more advanced with the expanded edition. So most people will not even matter that they have the original and in fact it does not matter one bit. Total Recall is worth every dime of your money, because it is Goldsmith's ode to brilliant action / science fiction music. The score Total Recall not only recalls anything that makes Goldsmith so good but also delivers simply total mayhem in a good structure and is without doubt completely mind blowing.

Total Recall "Deluxe Edition"

One of the most anticipated scores of all time, Total Recall: The Deluxe Edition proves to fulfil every anticipation that fans were crying for. It seems that the entire score is present on this expanded album of Varese Sarabande. The sci-fi action score that Jerry Goldsmith delivered in 1990 had the most interesting tracks, but we seem to forget those short snippets that made the film so magical, so science fictional in its presentation. This and even some source music is all included in Total Recall: The Deluxe Edition, making it one of the ultimate collector scores to have. Jerry Goldsmith's main theme is still one of his all time best, followed by 'The Meeting'. What directly is noticeable is the correct track order, that makes it also fare more enjoyable at the end.

The best part of Total Recall (original and deluxe edition) are the action tracks, or the awe inspiring motifs that Goldsmith created for Mars. Action movements like 'Clever Girl', added bonus track 'The Johnny Cab', the highly enjoyable 'A New Face', 'Swallow It', the energetic 'The Big Jump', 'The Massacre' that includes some fine action motifs, 'The Treatment' that sounds different from the original version, 'The Hollowgram', supposed to be The Hologram but nice touch by Robert Townson to accentuate the recent collaboration between Jerry Goldsmith and Paul Verhoeven and the sensational action piece 'End of a Dream' are riveting to hear every time again. The softer moments that underscore the twists or changes in Quaid's life are basically all the same but just the inclusion makes the album feel so complete. The inspiring cues like 'The Space Station', 'The Mountain' and 'The Mutant' are all impressive. The first two are rather short but create that awe inspiring environment that any sci-fi score should have and 'The Mutant' is still one of the most impressive moments of Goldsmith's career, how he builds the magic up is sensational and any Goldsmith fan will love this moment.

The extra 30 minutes of material isn't that superb, if we compare it with First Knight: The Complete Soundtrack, but they do add the flair, the powerful mood and simply every cue that Goldsmith wrote. It makes it sound so majestic and fun. The insert notes do include a serious review of the actual film, with little statements to Goldsmith's score by Robert Townson. Also the brief cue from the commercial "Recall" is added in the last track of the score, a nice touch to make it more complete then it already was. Total Recall: The Deluxe Edition offers every cue from Goldsmith's dazzling score in high speed tempo and delivers what fans were expecting to hear. One of the things I realized is that Goldsmith hardly used his main theme, only a couple of times through the score. That shows that a powerful theme like that doesn't guarantee a successful score, the many action motifs that replace the theme add that mind blowing pace the score needed to had from the beginning. This is a deluxe edition that delivers and achieves in every aspect of it's doings. They let Goldsmith's sci-fi action soundtrack sound like it is the best thing on the world. Simply a score you must have in your collection.

Total Recall: ****
Total Recall "Deluxe Edition": *****

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Tracks

Single Disc

1. The Dream (3.32) Excellent Track

2. The Hologram (5.39)

3. The Big Jump (4.33) Excellent Track

4. The Mutant (3.19) Excellent Track

5. Clever Girl (4.30) Excellent Track

6. First Meeting (1.09)

7. The Treatment (5.29)

8. Where Am I? (3.55)

9. End Of A Dream (5.45) Excellent Track

10. A New Life (2.22)

Correct Order: (1 - 6 - 5 - 8 - 3 - 4 - 7 - 2 - 9 - 10)

Total Length: 40.34

Total Recall "Deluxe Edition"

1. The Dream (3.32) Excellent Track

2. First Meeting (1.10)

3. Secret Agent * (0.53)

4. The Implant * (2.41)

5. The Aftermath * (0.30)

6. For Old Times' Sake * (3.01)

7. Clever Girl (4.31) Excellent Track

8. The Johnny Cab * (3.47)

9. Howdy Stranger * (2.01)

10. The Nose Job * (1.56)

11. The Space Station * (0.47)

12. A New Face * (1.29) Excellent Track

13. The Mountain * (1.28) Excellent Track

14. Identification * (1.02)

15. Lies * (1.04)

16. Where Am I? (3.59)

17. Swallow It * (3.04)

18. The Big Jump (4.33) Excellent Track

19. Without Air * (1.16)

20. Remembering * (1.51)

21. The Mutant (3.17) Excellent Track

22. The Massacre * (2.34)

23. Friends * (1.41)

24. The Treatment (5.36) Excellent Track

25. The Hologram (5.36)

26. End Of A Dream (5.44) Excellent Track

27. A New Life (3.30)

* World Premiere Release

Total Length: 74.00

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