The Last of the Mohicans

Review by Thomas Glorieux:

Being still one of the all time best selling soundtracks of its generation, it is also such a score that benefits from its strong points yet fails as a duo release. As people may or may not know, Trevor Jones was asked to score the movie, yet got in sort of a dispute and he wasn't allowed to finish the score. Randy Edelman came on board and composed the rest what ultimately needed to be scored. In the same year, the movie became a hit and the soundtrack with it, being nominated for Golden Globe consideration. Yet with all this debate about whether it was this thing or that fault, it is still clear that Trevor Jones solely made this album big. Randy Edelman may have given The Last of the Mohicans an ultimate different sound, Jones captivated millions of people with a theme to die for, and in the end he is the one and only reason of this album's continuing success. I did not have the pleasure or discomfort before of buying a score composed by two composers. Of course there are countless examples but not few that received sole tracks composed by the one, and the other by the second composer. This might make the score a difficult listening experience, it in fact works nicely. But where Trevor Jones brought us music that didn't stop to glow, there was Edelman's end cues that simply didn't do anything except bore the listener. The soundtrack opens with the highly praised main theme. And that main theme is repeated simply a lot, perhaps a bit too much. It gets spine tingling performances, whether or not in epic form 'Main Title' or in complete battle carnage 'Fort Battle', but still it makes every second of this disc worth it.

Also worth noting is the landscape music in 'Promentory' that simply doesn't stop to amaze me as the second track 'Elk Hunt' which is a brilliant variation on the main theme. But by track 10, you have heard the main theme a bit too much and perhaps fails because of the album's organized structure. Edelman by then steps on board, with his Gettysburg feel of guitars and synthesized sound it makes Jones' effort look superior. The first track 'The Courier' is still rather pleasant because it has a good theme but the rest really feels like music that does nothing except fill space. Also strange is the complete absence now of the main theme, probably Jones didn't want Edelman using it due to the conflicts or because the director thought it was already used enough. As said before, the problem itself is the organization of the score. Good to know is that they have ranked the tracks by composer so you know who scored what. But then the order of the film is completely thrown apart so that the main theme is repeated too much in the begin. But if they were placed in order, it could have given the album an even worse result because then Edelman and Jones' styles would mix through each other. In the end it might be the best possible presentation of the score, but this wouldn't have been a problem to start with if Jones simply could have gotten the opportunity to finish the score without Edelman budging in. The Last of the Mohicans is a classic with an unforgettable main theme but only Jones is responsible for that.

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Tracks

Single Disc

Tracks of Trevor Jones

1. Main Title (1.44) Excellent Track

2. Elk Hunt (1.48)

3. The Kiss (2.48) Excellent Track

4. The Glade Part II (2.34)

5. Fort Battle (4.21) Excellent Track

6. Promentory (6.13) Excellent Track

7. Munro's Office / Stockade (2.31)

8. Massacre / Canoes (6.52)

9. Top Of The World (2.45)

Tracks of Randy Edelman

10. The Courier (2.29) Excellent Track

11. Cora (2.33)

12. River Walk and Discovery (5.31)

13. Parlay (3.49)

14. The British Arrival (2.02)

15. Pieces Of A Story (4.59)

16. I Will Find You: Clannad (1.52)

Total Length: 55.02

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

=== Link to Composer Sites: Trevor Jones & Randy Edelman ===