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The
Sand Pebbles
Goldsmith's epic from 1966
gets a suitably epic release by Intrada. If you thought the original album, or
the recent re-recording was a good enough representation of this
triumphant work by a young Jerry Goldsmith, you would be wrong
and any doubter not overly excited by Intrada's decision to release
a complete original soundtrack should look and listen to this
spectacular release before passing judgment.
Over 109 minutes of music is presented. Made up of music we know,
alternate versions of the music we know, plus extended and unheard
additional music we don't know! To cap it all off we also have
the additional music written for the movie's glorious original
cinematic showcase.
Goldsmith's epic score, revealed by the informative notes to
have originally been an Alex North assignment, is now famous
for one of the composer's finest themes which transforms into
an impossibly beautiful love theme. Listen and all seems right
with the world; Goldsmith seems to catch the moment just perfectly
without overly doing the sentiment. Building on his main theme,
Goldsmith is fortunate in that the stunning movie locales cry
out for his music and he provides some of the most exotic back
drops a film maker could ever wish for. Along route is not just
romance, tenderness and of course sorrow but violence and The
Sand Pebbles was fortunate to see Goldsmith further developing
his trademark action skills with some kinetic musical assaults,
reliably enforced by the sound of snares, piano and horns driving
the San Pablo to it's ultimate destination - the now extended
Final Mission and the newly preserved Battle Continues
will have his action fans in rapture.
The Sand Pebbles remains a landmark work and without doubt
worthy of the grand preservation afforded here by Intrada.
In short a classic movie score that will always be required listening.
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