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Composed, Orchestrated, Conducted, and Produced by:
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Bruce Broughton
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Performed by:
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The Sinfonia of London
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Release Date:
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October 15th, 1996
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Availability:
Regular U.S. release, but falling out of print.
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Filmtracks Recommends:
Buy it... if your favorite suspense scores create their ambience with an
excess of unusual instrumentation, in this case offering a massive percussion
section.
Avoid it... if exploding, pounding timpani sequences and two cues of
large-scale brass statements of theme can't sustain an otherwise typical genre
score.
Filmtracks Editorial Review:
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Shadow Conspiracy: (Bruce Broughton) The middle to late
1990's were a time rich with presidential scandals in Hollywood. The
plotline of the 1996 film Shadow Conspiracy held many parallels with
films such as Murder at 1600 and Absolute Power, and suffered
from overkill of the subject at the box office. The intrigue involving the
White House in this film revolves around a plot to overthrow the American
government. Bringing the thriller to the big screen was director George
Cosmatos (of Rambo movie fame), and composer Bruce Broughton had
collaborated with Cosmatos for the successful project of Tombstone a
few years earlier. For Shadow Conspiracy, Broughton would be able to
raise a similarly noble theme, though he wouldn't be able to hold on to it
for very long. Cosmatos had a very specific idea in mind when he hired
Broughton for the project; he wanted the score for Shadow Conspiracy
to be performed by a symphony orchestra with a massive percussion section
(and, more specifically, extra drums). Broughton responded by not only
employing an extra percussionist for drums, but went over the top with a
wide range of percussion instruments to be performed by six percussionists.
The effect of this massive collection is to produce a constant, deep
rumbling of sound in the film that would carry the suspense of the
film.
Broughton does indeed create the correct atmosphere for the
genre, with the drums exploding with pounding sequences of terrifying
action. The timpani performances alone well portray the unseen power of evil
government forces. The cue "Touched by Evil" has a particularly strong
timpani solo, for those of you who take perverse pleasure in rattling your
elderly neighbors. Similarly, Broughton uses two pianos to perform an
ambitious, low background rhythm to accelerate the pace of chase scenes. The
action cues fit the film with their sheer size and intensity, and the same
emotional draw is leveled by suspenseful strings in the slower passages. The
snare drum, throughout the entire score, serves as another reminder of the
presidential story. The title theme, which fleetingly appears in snippets,
is offered in full at the beginning and end. The finale cue is arguably the
best on the album, with a ten minute resolution of returned nobility in the
harmonic performances of theme. The layered brass at the end of that finale
cue is remarkably powerful, and will offer Tombstone fans a continued
enjoyment of that kind of style. Outside of these large-scale thematic
statements, the score is a typical, symphonic suspense thriller with the
exception of having a large presence of percussion. The album for Shadow
Conspiracy provides a consistent listen, with Broughton's material
playing to the suspense genre without interruption. Released by Intrada
Records, the album has disappeared from commercial venues, and is primarily
available through the label itself. Overall, Shadow Conspiracy is a
strong, percussive thriller with two cues of an outstanding brass theme. ***
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Viewer Ratings and Comments:
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• 1. The Hit (3:50)
• 2. To the White House (1:38)
• 3. The Oval Office (2:43)
• 4. Georgetown Pursuit (6:23)
• 5. Touched by Evil (3:08)
• 6. Frank is Dead (0:59)
• 7. A Secured Line (0:43)
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• 8. Hitter on the Roof (5:32)
• 9. White House Chaos (14:12)
• 10. Tracking Amanda (2:32)
• 11. The Conspirators (2:18)
• 12. Final Details (3:15)
• 13. Attempted Assassination/End Credits (10:10)
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Insert includes a short note from Broughton about the score.
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