Zulu has an incredibly famous main theme, with the grinding brass intervals that ascend menacingly. I have to say that it doesn't quite conjure up Africa all that much, but I assume it was meant to represent the British side of the story. Most of the rest of the music consists of variations on the theme. Barry makes frequent use of a fluttering bass flute motif which with meandering low strings is certainly quite menacing. The hymn, Men of Harlech appears as an acapella version in track 6 and a reprise in the end credits. It has some bearing on the nature of the story, but doesn't really gel with Barry's music, however it is a welcome inclusion for completeness sake. The original tracks are in mono and so this is the only stereo recording of the whole score which was also intended to correct some mistakes made in the original performance. I have to say that the performance is indeed impeccable, particularly in the brass playing which is bright, bold and completely together, a very impressive achievement indeed. Worth the price of the CD alone for sure and a classic Barry score with a splendid treatment.
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The other music on the album is no less impressive and includes many rarities which are certainly very welcome indeed. Starting with the most recent efforts, Mercury Rising and The Specialist both get a decent airing each. The Specialist has a very Bond-ish air about it as well as a few impressively jazzy moments. Mercury Rising seems a little lost in terms of impact as it really doesn't quite match some of the other remarkable efforts on offer. I'm also informed that it is performed too slowly, which probably doesn't help. The alternate Buffalo Hunt from Dance With Wolves has a much more traditional "Western" sound to it, in an Elmer Bernstein kind of way, but certainly makes for an interesting comparison with the original which was essentially a more rousing version of the John Dunbar theme. It's nice to have some from Dances with Wolves that isn't just the concert version of the John Dunbar Theme. Of the more famous Barry works, Midnight Cowboy gets a brief airing, but not featuring the main theme, but the Florida Fantasy, which threatens to turn into a slightly grotty 60's TV theme a few times, but is extremely enjoyable and completely unlike the famous harmonica riff, featuring a funky guitar backing and the theme played on some strange theremin kind of thing, only it isn't! The bouncing tenor sax note makes me believe that when he wants to, John Barry really can have fun! One of my favourite John Barry themes is the King Rat March and so it's appearance in a thunderous rendition is quite welcome. While a march, it is quite sombre in tone, more akin to the German March from Goldsmith's Patton than a John Williams march. Building from an oboe rendition it gets louder, while still not becoming as rousing as would be expected, which is why I like it, something a bit different from the usual patriotism.
John Barry's jazzy side makes the odd appearance, most notably in the Cotton Club which has some very sultry jazzy riffs in it until the main theme appears toward the end of the suite. Gorgeous romantic themes are another of Barry's specialities, most notably in another personal favourite, Frances which goes rather unheard due to the rarity of the original soundtrack release. Other rarities include The Last Valley which features a bombastic opening with brass and choir, not unlike The Lion in Winter (albeit only in style). The remake of King Kong didn't exactly set the movie world alight and Barry's score isn't really what you'd expect from a film of it's type either. The opening is quite portentous and march-like, but this soon gives way to yet another lovely romantic melody. My Sister's Keeper starts with a low piano theme backed by strings which then adds harmonica and guitar and is another superb main theme, yet another favourite! The Deep was a follow up to the smash hit Jaws and while the movie didn't really make any impact at all, John Barry provided it with a lovely main theme, which also features those low fluttering flutes. The eerieness of the music is quite impressive and evokes the mystery of the Deep just as well as Williams did, albeit in a less ominous way. Rounding out the second CD is a selection from Mister Moses which sounds like a pretty awful film to be honest, but the music is good and starts with a kind of Biblical epic opening which then gives way to some really quite fun and mischievous music, another time when Barry was allowed to have some fun!
From someone who used to be extremely picky about what John Barry he liked, I can say that this compilation (along with Moviola) have convinced me that Barry is in fact an more diverse composer who appears to have been somewhat typecast as either "The James Bond Man" or for his "strings and horn chords" music like Dances With Wolves. A while they are the most important sides, there is plenty of variety to each as well as many other things which don't quite fit either category, but still retain that distinctly Barry-esque sound. The performances are uniformly excellent and to someone who isn't that familiar with many of the original scores, they present a marvellous introduction, although an equal amount of frustration when you find that your favourite theme hasn't actually been released as a full score. Oh well, fingers crossed that releases are forthcoming in those cases!
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Disc One
Disc Two