Criminy, a Jerry Goldsmith score that not only breaks the 30 minute barrier, but actually doubles it. That doesn't happen very often. In this case, the lengthy release was almost certainly ensured by the recording being done in London and it's a jolly good thing since the Mummy is really very good indeed and well worth expanding out for nearly an hour. The action music is familiar without treading over old ground too much, but there are plenty of twists that make the music much more interesting than it could have been. Obviously, being set in Egypt helps a great deal since Jerry can break out all the ethnic percussion and so on to produce textures that avoid another collection of well trodden Americana. The opening cue sets the tone for the rest of the score although isn't exactly the most exciting cue on the album. Introducing what I originally took to be the main theme, but is actually just a fragment thereof with a sound that vaguely recalls his main theme for the Shadow but mainly for the use of horns and no other reason since it's backed by thunderous percussion and chorus. It has to be said that Goldsmith doesn't use a chorus very often, but when he does it's always worth hearing since the effect is superb.
Most of the rest of the music is made up of action with the occasionally creepy cue thrown in for good measure. Highlights include Tauger Attack which mixes trumpet blasts with racing strings as well as booming horn renditions of parts of the main theme interspersed with the occasional ethnic perucussion passage. Parts slightly recall his work on The Wind and the Lion but mainly in the way the ethnic percussion is mixed with racing strings. Giza Port makes a nice rest from the frenetic action with some plinking pseudo-ethnic music and bouncing bongo percussion (which sounds a lot better than the description, honest!). One thing that I was pleased about in this score was the distinct lack of synths. Admittedly there is one synth and that first appears in Night Boarders. Fortunately, it's fairly quiet and doesn't really intrude all that much. In this cue it is very quickly forgotton as more racing strings and woodwind battle with percussion and brass for another thrilling orchestral blowout with a new theme which doesn't really imply heroism or menace, would have to see the film to determine it's significance. The Crypt does introduce some kind of dripping effect as well as the descending trombone effect that Goldsmith used in his score to The Edge (the one that sounds like a Spitfire flying past). I can imagine the effect being even more suitable in this setting for a feeling of impending dread.
There are hints at more romantic material, but these almost always seem to get interrupted by action or the choir, presumably in the film being interrupted by the next catastrophe about to occur. The only time when the romance manages any kind of sustained exposure is in the final cue which starts with an all action opening and a full rendition of the main theme followed by some romance. It's a shame that the romantic music wasn't developed to its fullest extent, but obviously the confines of the film didn't allow this. Overall this is an extremely solid effort that will probably take a few listens to get around all the minor motifs and themes since the theme isn't exactly the most obvious, even if when it does finally appear it's perfectly memorable. Fans of modern Jerry will love it since there are endless sections of highly charged action with the entire orchestra playing while avoiding trampling over each other too much. In fact the orchestrations seem quite dense by Goldsmith standards which is something I very much like, often it sounds like the middle is missing from his orhcestrations, but here it's full and unashamedly loud. Definitely worth buying and fan's of Zimmer's score to Prince of Egypt who want more of the action music from that score would do well to buy it since there are definite echoes on occasion, although this is most definitely Goldsmith all the way.
Rating ~ 
Total Time ~ 57:40