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•	1990 Album

Being no stranger to sequel scores, Goldsmith tackled Gremlins 2 as he did his other sequels, with an entirely different approach than he had with the first film. When Goldsmith wrote the original entry in the franchise, he was nearing the height of his experimentation with synthesizers in an orchestral setting, and the electronically-dominated Gremlins score remains one of the composer's more abrasive, less organic blends. By 1990, however, his techniques at combining those two elements had matured fully, arguably yielding a far more interesting result. In terms of its recording quality, the sequel is thus infinitely superior in its fullness and comparability to later digital-era scores. Those listeners partial towards composer's quirky and memorable main theme for Gremlins who lamented the lack of a fully orchestral performance of that idea are treated to a shift in focus for Gremlins 2. Still employing an excess of synthetic instrumental samples and outright sound effects, the successor features a more robust orchestral presence that is often called upon to balance Goldsmith's Rambo style with Fred Steiner's selection of Warner Brothers cartoon music adapted specifically for this picture. The title and Gizmo themes don't prevail in the sequel as often you might expect, but Goldsmith does provide a collection of complimentary themes along the same stylistic lines and references pieces from the first score when necessary. The highly entertaining "Gremlins Credits" suite was certain to be concert bait, and it has come to often represent both scores in symphonic performances in the years since. Of all of Goldsmith's arguably ridiculous scores (ranging from The 'Burbs to I.Q., with half a dozen in between), it could easily be argued that Gremlins 2 is the wackiest of them all. The malicious nature of the gremlins, along with their funny antics, allows Goldsmith to write comedy in both the major and minor key and at break-neck speeds that are difficult to maintain in most other slapstick films. A certain amount of smirking malevolence, such as in the organ-performed "Gizmo Escapes" (introducing the primary new theme for the sequel, its sneaky progressions repeated again in "Cute") is awfully devious, and Goldsmith wastes no opportunity to use the orchestra to glorify someone's untimely death with an appropriate fanfare.

Structurally, Gremlins 2 doesn't differ much from Mom and Dad Save the World and equivalents, though the 1980's drum pads, the quirky sound effects, and the dark intent in most of the cues easily distinguishes Gremlins 2. The sound effects will annoy some listeners, with a cue like "Leaky Faucet" and all of its bells, train whistles, car horns, and other effects sometimes interrupting the music. Likewise, the "Pot Luck" cue lets rip with an ambitious brass motif over broadly swooshing sound effects (similar to those heard in Total Recall the same year), as well as the basketball beat from Hoosiers and Extreme Prejudice. In "Keep It Quiet," a fair amount of First Blood Part II is resurrected (there is, after all, some Rambo worshipping in the film), and in "New Trends," Goldsmith previews the noble optimism of First Knight to finally present the Clamp Corporation fanfare, one of the score's unheralded highlights, in a positive light. On the whole, the score's only major detraction on album for a long time was a severely muted sound quality and short duration due to frustratingly restrictive union rules at the era. Given the crystal clear quality of Goldsmith's concurrent efforts that had been remastered, it was easy to say that Gremlins 2 was a score in dire need of similar treatment, and Varèse Sarabande finally obliged fans in 2015 with not only a fantastic-sounding expanded product, but one that nearly doubled the quantity of material offered. This "Deluxe" product reveals several more original, entertaining cues of mayhem and mystery, though most notable on that product is just how much adapted source material was actually recorded for the film. Even if these silly pop-culture and Warner Brothers references are not your cup of tea, there is plenty added, devious Goldsmith material to warrant your interest. To hear the end credits' irresistible presentation of themes from both scores in superior sound will alone merit your money. Because of the 1990 CD's sound issues, a problem that severely hindered a score that relies so heavily on funky effects, the original Varèse album, despite containing Goldsmith's own preferred arrangement, remains at a three-star rating, but the 2015 successor returns the score to the four stars it deserves. The music may not have the unique compositional quality of The 'Burbs, but it is very entertaining and easily rivals its predecessor.   @Amazon.com: CD or Download

• Music as Written for the Film:  ****
• Music as Heard on the 1990 Album:  ***
• Music as Heard on the 2015 Album:  ****
• Overall:  ****

Bias Check:

For Jerry Goldsmith reviews at Filmtracks, the average editorial rating is 3.26 (in 124 reviews) and the average viewer rating is 3.29 (in 153,454 votes). The maximum rating is 5 stars.