The Great Raid

Review by Thomas Glorieux:

Each year, there is a loyal fanbase that waits until Trevor Rabin unleashes his newest creation for us. I'm not gonna lie in telling I'm not one of them, because Rabin might not be the greatest, I like his style a lot. And The Great Raid, another failed war drama was a chance to do something different then his fun but overtly non changing action scores. Varčse saw equally the potential and rose to the occasion to release the soundtrack for those inpatient fans. Now that its here you come easily to this conclusion, the sound or his sound is very non Rabin like because while the themes are his, its a different score almost because of the way he intermingles them with the more solemn hymns as brief action material. But in return the score lacks the spunk we've come to expect of Rabin, and perhaps that is sad in the outcome of what is generally a very good score, but a good listen in the end. The score begins with an almost 10 minute track, and while 'The Rescue' sounds promising to the ears, its a very solemn soft hymn that takes a lot from Saving Private Ryan in tone alone, because you would swear after hearing his hymn like theme you are hearing the master at work. After a nifty Thomas Newman effect in National Treasure comes another working composer style, this time from the best. This is all nice but too long and noble, and only the last couple of minutes come to life when Rabin inserts his raid theme, which is typically his but still a good and slightly powerful creation. 'Liberate Food' returns with the raid theme, before lightl suspense music is heard through violins and piano, then its back to the noble music from the first track. In this track as the first one there is a 3rd theme which crops up occasionally and I believe this is meant for the romance between the Connie Nielsen / Joseph Fiennes characters. But its the least noticed theme of the 3.

So I believe its heard between the soft Abyss (or Adagio for Strings) like choral work in 'Execute', before an intriguing classical cello tone is heard, leaving a rather striking emotional link behind. 'Raid Begins' is one of the few action moments, and its a darker one too using a much darker threatening raid theme version, but working over suspense play that sets the effect still firmly down. 'Writing Letters' uses another variation on the raid theme softly, but equally the love theme and when the cello is heard again, it shows the soft emotional link between the characters. 'Rangers Start' and 'Campsite' are strange mixtures of a experimental exotic flair, slightly sinister but setting the environment down effectively while 'The Great Raid' uses a striking growth of strings and the raid theme together in a more stirring finish. Sadly the tracks that follow don't bring out more potential, like the somber drum work or darker strings in 'Burning Bodies' or the moody atmosphere in 'The Future', and especially not 'Stalking' which is completely forgettable. Luckily we spot a growing moment of Remember the Titans strategy in 'Stealing Medicine' that is short but builds to a brass fanfare and luckily Rabin ends the way Williams did his Saving Private Ryan, with a stirring emotional cracker of his noble hymn theme in 'Closing Titles', this time rising to the occasion with whirling strings but above all excellent choral support, leaving a noble finish of the raid theme to end the disc. In the end, I must pinpoint out that the detail and above all the composition of The Great Raid is probably showing Rabin's best, so in hearing him doing a mature and interesting composition is definitely a step forward. But this goes in retrospect to the often minor interesting qualities of the music on disc. In fact alone 1, 3, 4, 8, 10 and 13 leave an interesting aftertaste, just half of the album if a bit more on running length. Showing that The Great Raid is one of Rabin's most mature works, using the orchestral palette well to create a non Rabin CD, but one that doesn't quit bring his usual spunk or energy. Not needed for sure, but perhaps still lacking in the end.

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Tracks

Single Disc

1. The Rescue (9.07)

2. Liberate Food (4.43)

3. Execute (2.28)

4. Raid Begins (3.16)

5. Writing Letters (4.22)

6. Rangers Start (2.09)

7. Campsite (3.02)

8. The Great Raid (3.49)

9. Burning Bodies (3.30)

10. Stealing Medicine (1.51)

11. The Future (2.20)

12. Stalking (2.45)

13. Closing Titles (4.28) Excellent Track

Total Length: 48.22

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=== Link to Composer Site: Trevor Rabin ===