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List Price: $16.98 | | Label: Varese Sarabande
Salesrank: 177152
Released: November 25, 1997 |
| Our Price: $37.48 |
| Used Price: $16.50 |
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| Media: Audio CD |
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L. A. Confidential: Original Motion Picture Score Track Listing:
1. Bloody Christmas
2. The Cafe
3. Questions
4. Susan Lefferts
5. Out Of The Rain
6. Rollo Tomasi
7. The Photos
8. The Keys
9. Shootout
10. Good Lad
11. The Victor
Editorial Review:
Though it won more critical praise than any film in 1997, L.A. Confidential, director Curtis Hanson's smart adaptation of James Ellroy's gritty crime novel, was ultimately iced at the Oscars by Titanic, that overwrought cross between Love Story and The Poseidon Adventure. Scored by Jerry Goldsmith in a style reminiscent of his great work on Chinatown, L.A. Confidential includes just two cuts by the composer on its soundtrack. The film's--and soundtrack's--canny use of period jazz and pop standards is hard to fault, though; Johnny Mercer's lively "Ac-cent-tchu-ate the Positive" is particularly sublime, and also featured are songs by Dean Martin, Chet Baker, Gerry Mulligan, Betty Hutton, Kay Starr, and others. --Jerry McCulley
L. A. Confidential: Original Motion Picture Score Reviews:
Almost perfect 
2006-03-11 - The music is perfect, the only problem is really that the songs are too short. When you listen to it your left wanting to hear more, thats how good it is the music.
A good score, but missing a lot of the score.
2004-07-23 - L.A. Confidential is one of Jerry Goldsmith's best scores and he might have won the Oscar that year if James Horner hadn't for "Titanic." This CD contains only part of the film score and leaves out a lot of the good stuff. Varese Sarabande needs to release an extended version.
Am I developing a new respect for Goldsmith? 
2002-03-17 - When I first read the words of Curtis Hanson inside the liner notes: "Jerry Goldsmith uses his musical gifts to help tell the story better than almost any other film composer", my jaw almost hit the floor. I would nominate someone like James Horner for a close second. I've made it clear before that I think Goldsmith is great at writing music for science fiction, but not necessarily for drama or action/adventure. I'm sorry but I have to disagree with Pete Murfet: The "Air Force One" score is good in many places, but it's not "brilliant".
The L.A. Confidential score truly is brilliant.
I can safely say that this is the kind of score that just about any serious drama that already includes songs by vocalists from the time period needs to glue everything together. The CD sure does pack a lot in only thirty minutes. Those lonely trumpuet solos are what do it for me the most, as are the eerie rumblings of the instruments heard when the police discover the aftermath of the Nite Owl massacre. The din of the timpani in a track like "Bloody Christmas" is what the hijacking shootout in "Air Force One" should have sounded like.
After all of my ranting and raving, the score does have its intended effect: punctuating the lives of the characters involved in the movie, making us as viewers feel what they feel. And that is the mark of a good film composer.
Goldsmith back to his brilliant best
1998-11-23 - After writing some mediocre scores for mediocre films such as Chain Reaction & Executive Decision, Goldsmith has recently got back to his absolute best with brilliant scores for films such as Air Force One, The Ghost & the Darkness, & The Edge. His work here, however, is arguably the pick of the crop. Goldsmith could hardly fail to be inspired by Curtis Hanson's masterful adaption of James Ellroy's novel, & he provides a dramatic, powerhouse score. This score is typically Goldsmithian, with harsh, attacking string rhythms, and some stormingly vicious percussive writing - most notably where the two are combined in the opening track 'Bloody Christmas'. He also makes extremely good use of percussive piano rhythms, particularly at the low end of the scale, which is very typical of this composer. The melodic base of the score is a quite wonderful theme, usually entrusted to the solo trumpet - which links the score not only to the masterful Chinatown, but also to some songs featuring the playing of Chet Baker & others. Indeed, the film features possibly the most assured use of music (including those songs) that I have ever seen - easily matching the brilliance of Scorsese. This pure score CD is a wonderful listen, unfailingly thrilling & dramatic. That Titanic won the oscar over this gem is undoubtedly a tragedy, but not surprising, given it's huge commercial success. Most of all, however, this CD makes you want to watch the film again. Which could never be bad.
One of Goldsmith's best scores in years
1998-10-08 - During the 1990's Jerry Goldsmith's music has gone from interesting and experimental to downright ordinary (exceptions:Rudy,First Night). LA Confidential returns Goldsmith to an earlier style of writing. Harkening back to his Chinatown score, Goldsmith writes a score dripping with noir (low key jazz, and moody strings)that will convince you that you are listening to a master at work. The major detour from Chinatown is Goldsmith's use of heavy percussion (tympany) and jarring strings. This most noticably comes out in "Bloody Christmas" the opening track. Highly recommended for a 30 minute listening experience.
~D
Todd Smith
