XXX

Review by Thomas Glorieux:

Randy Edelman remains one of the busiest working composers in Hollywood today. Each year his discography contains more than 6 works, whether a simple main theme or a full score to a movie that remained to last in the theatres for several weeks. The James Bond look a like yet rougher in every way XXX or Triple X is one of those titles in the year 2002. Randy Edelman was easily the obvious chose since the director himself, Rob Cohen knows him best from movies as Daylight, Dragonheart and Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story. And word was that it sounded so good that basically a lot of fans cried out for an original soundtrack release. Because as expected nothing but songs were found on, you've guessed it the song soundtrack of the movie. And as it always is the case, Varèse Sarabande is in the house to seize the moment and release the score in a 37 minute package. Performed by The Hollywood Studio Symphony and with the various known synthesizers, piano or exotic instruments at the helm, Randy Edelman worked his way to write an enjoyable spy thriller spin off called XXX. Yet as with many cases, the joke is that I expected a more Media Ventures like action piece, while at the time not directly getting action music per se. It is basically a score that contains few action material and more, various themes in the place.

This means that XXX is a very theme minded score. Meaning, multiple themes weave in and out of the material at a very frequent pace. I consider the look a like Bond theme on horns the main theme of the score and appearing for the first time in 'Washington Searches for the Right Man', and furthermore in many other tracks. Another theme is the love theme that appears in 6, 8, 10 and 14, it is a typical love theme of Edelman on piano that separates it easy and well from the rest. Another theme and my favorite is appearing only two times, the excellent 'Czech Calvary' and in 'The Changing science of Ahab', it is what I call trailer material and listens just like the wonderful piece of Come See the Paradise. It has the same wit, theme development and just the most perfect tones. And the last theme that appears is the splendid action theme, again just not showing its face enough because the only real action track is 'Motorcycle Assault', and here these first two minutes are bigger and better what most Media Ventures' composers bring out in their scores. Sadly its only showing its potential in this track. Furthermore it has a short sign of the main theme and synthesizer whooshes a la Hans Zimmer, and of course its a highly charged action piece. This is sad because these first two minutes especially are so much fun, I expected much more action material like that. And if it showed its way unto the score, I could have given XXX much more praise and quotation.

What else we notice is the opening track, with its lovely yet repeated violin theme in 'Prague Arrival', the fanfare Gettysburg like opening in 'A Distorted View of the World', the electric guitar rock in the first part of 'Finding Paradise in Bora Bora' while the second part is inspired like exotic drums and tambourines. And of course that the typical tension building is kept to a minimum here by Edelman. The mixing is extremely loud and helps to set the score into its solid stature while the overall shifts from the themes make it a short but pleasing little action score. Yet frankly, it could have been more. First of all, his 'Czech Calvary' theme should have been used or presented on the disc much more and with this kind of theme, only a dark choir could have given it menacing qualities. And secondly that for a so called action score, there is very little action material itself present. I'm talking about action tracks like we see many times in MV scores and only track 12 is here candidate for the thrust. Yet, when all is said and done, XXX is definitely one of the better Edelman scores on the market. It has got development from themes to its represented instrumental versions, covers at least two themes that make the score much more enjoyable and is performed or heightened in volume by an orchestra. What more could you want when you listen to a Randy Edelman score?!

\µµµ1/2/

Tracks

Single Disc

1. Prague Arrival (1.53)

2. Washington Searches For The Right Man (3.31)

3. A Distorted View Of The World (2.21)

4. Czech Calvary (1.45) Excellent Track

5. Anarchy 99 (2.01)

6. Elena (1.42)

7. The Changing Science Of Ahab (3.10)

8. A Kiss On The Rooftop (3.03)

9. El Jefe In The Colombian Drug Fields (1.16)

10. Finding Paradise In Bora Bora (1.49)

11. Lions And Gibbons (2.03)

12. Motorcycle Assault (4.04) Excellent Track

13. In Xander's Zone (2.02)

14. Your Eyes Give You Away (2.03)

15. X Marks The Spot (3.42)

Total Length: 37.03

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

=== Link to Composer Site: Randy Edelman ===