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Music Conducted By
Jerry Goldsmith

Orchestrations By
Alexander Courage

Recorded By
Bruce Botnick

Performed By
-

Album Produced By
Jerry Goldsmith

Label
Varese Sarabande
VSD 5714

Previous Release(s)
-

Year Of CD/Film Release
1996/1996

Running Time
29:33

Availability
Normal Release

Cues & Timings

 

1. The Map (1:30)
2. All Aboard (5:40)
3. Drill Team (5:39)
4. Do It (2:33)
5. Pick It Up (3:31)
6. Starting Over (2:55)
7. The Sleeper (3:28)
8. The Ramora (2:19)
9. Hold It (1:58)

Soundtrack Ratings

Disappointing

Functional

 Average

 Good

 Excellent

 Outstanding

Executive Decision

These are the kind of assignments Goldsmith fans dream about. Jerry Goldsmith was born to score these types of picture. From the heady days of Damnation Alley, Twilights Last Gleaming, Capricorn One and The Swarm to this score and later, Air Force One, Goldsmith has excelled in his writing for the military action thriller. Simply put, no one does is it better!

Executive Decision the movie, is a rather uncomfortable watch post 9/11 but nonetheless is a solid action thriller with some good ideas. Goldsmith is literally flying with his opening theme - The Map, the perfect hook for the events that follow, as the percussion section build to an explosive crash of cymbals and a full statement of the theme for brass. It's heroic, exciting and quite literally drives the score.

The daring mid air hook up is sadly missing from this short album, but the main set piece is present. All Aboard does exactly what you expect as the Special Forces Team board the hostage held 747 mid air. Goldsmith provides a tension filled five minutes with synth drums backing up full orchestra and metallic percussive devices add to the mix as problems boarding cause the plane to dive unexpectedly. Goldsmith's main theme returns in full as order is restored, but tension builds to a climatic and wild finale as one of the main characters sacrifices himself to save the team.

At this point the movie requires a lot of 'sneaking about music™' and usually this can be quite a dull listen. Drill Team is the opposite though as the team take up positions inside the interior of the plane's air frame. Goldsmith rolls out his theme once more, but this time upping the tempo and creating a more rhythmic but subdued presentation. Some ethnic sounding percussion and electronics cover the terrorists activities on board while snare drums aren't too far away to remind us where the good guys are.

Do It, Pick It Up and Starting Over deal with more suspenseful moments and require low key scoring, but US Navy Jets intercepting the plane on route brings Goldsmith's action music out once more. The Sleeper is essentially the albums finale cue as the team take the plane and all hell breaks loose. Goldsmith's cue is a classy percussion lead musical assault with a cool tempo and pay off.

Sadly due to expensive re-use fees, a great deal of good music is missing from this CD. Including the expansion of Goldsmith's middle eastern theme and all of the final approach and crash landing music. But The Ramora is good compensation as Goldsmith's theme gets a further workout for the experimental plane seen earlier in the movie, but adding an extra wrinkle. The album bows out with one of those weak romantic finales before the end credits roll. Goldsmith obliging with a light and sugary secondary theme for a possible relationship between the leads.