With multiple sides to the personality of Sinatra's character in the story, the score understandably mirrors that split; the piercing, staccato brass of the action plays opposite a melodic, though short, swinging woodwind theme of lonely contemplation. In between is edgy, testy, and sometimes ill-tempered underscore. It's not necessarily thematic, but never is it reduced to mere ambience either. All three of these basic ingredients can be heard in several other Goldsmith scores (and thus there is never any doubt whatsoever in any cue that Contract on Cherry Street is his work), and each is arguably developed to a better extent in those other works. The main brass rhythmic motif is an echo of the ripping, staccato theme that would be enhanced for Capricorn One the following year. Many of the movement-related cues in Contract on Cherry Street also foreshadow Capricorn One in their obvious tension and linear form. The use of muted brass solos would eventually return in First Blood and Rent-a-Cop. The theme of contemplation is also an echo of other Goldsmith works, relating back to Chinatown and, in "Eulogizing," exposing that when performed by electric bass and woodwind, it actually carries many similarities in progression and melancholy attitude as the theme that Goldsmith would provide for Alien Nation and eventually The Russia House. This secondary theme lacks, though, the gritty flavor that would have made it more compatible with the rest of the score's material. Finally, the music that lies in between these two easily identifiable styles captures much of the same turbulence that dazzled listeners in L.A. Confidential, though the use of the deepest registers of the orchestra, including the piano, is a better match for Basic Instinct. Together, these styles provide a glimpse into Goldsmith's more subtle touch in the disturbing police thriller genre. The ensemble is noticeably small in size, but an absolutely crisp recording is a major plus. The limited Prometheus album is superior in sound to the just previously released Breakout, also by Goldsmith, and remains among the label's better early club releases.  ***   @Amazon.com: CD or Download