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| Goldsmith |
Psycho II: (Jerry Goldsmith) It is tremendously
difficult to follow a universally beloved classic film with a worthy
sequel, and even more daunting to try to do it after more then two
decades have passed. Long after Alfred Hitchcock's masterpiece
Psycho had solidified its reputation as a qualified classic, the
concept experienced an odd resurrection in the 1980's. Neither the 1983
nor 1986 sequels attempted to compete with the original 1960 film's
brilliance, but they rather sought to take advantage of the singular,
fascinating character at their center. It is this lingering interest in
Norman Bates from both audiences and actor Anthony Perkins that fueled
this unlikely franchise, with Perkins himself directing the surprisingly
effective third picture to further solicit pity for his troubled
character. In both sequels, Perkins is once again perched above his
famous motel, though
Psycho II shows his release from prison
after his supposed reformation and attempts to give his homecoming a
softer edge by offering him a newly found female friend and roommate. As
we well know, however, Bates' mother continues to haunt him to the
bitter end, prompting him to kill without warning despite the fact that
he is well aware by now that he is insane. While critics seem to agree
that the third
Psycho film is better than the second,
Psycho
II did feature a score by Jerry Goldsmith (the third was assigned to
Carter Burwell). Goldsmith, of course, was a friend of Bernard Herrmann,
whose score for
Psycho is both a classic and instantly
recognizable for its slashing shower cue. Often joking about the use of
Herrmann's music as temp track material in assignments for which he was
to write (once exclaiming to director Frank Schaffner, "Not Benny
again!"), Goldsmith was probably the only natural choice for
Psycho
II. If anybody could write music that could extend the same general
character of Herrmann's score without stepping on its toes, then
Goldsmith would be that composer. Not surprisingly, the soundtrack for
Psycho II is extremely conservative in its approach, avoiding the
technique employed for the classic film's remake many years later (which
received an overly loyal imitation by Danny Elfman) and instead paying a
short tribute to Herrmann at the start before moving on to mostly fresh
territory. The film opens with a re-showing of the famous shower scene
from
Psycho, complete with Herrmann's music (but strangely not
including the memorable ending of the scene), and this tribute
introduces the score's album releases as well.
After the burst of energy provided by the Herrmann
reference to begin
Psycho II, Goldsmith takes over with a score
that is far more subdued and textural than you might imagine when
pondering this franchise. His title theme is one of distant romanticism,
melancholy and lonely in performance while featuring some warmth in the
underlying composition. The sparse duet between piano and synthesizer
includes a counterpoint technique similar to that heard two decades
later in John Ottman's
Gothika. It's a pretty theme that is
presented on strings in the opening and closing moments and in less
coherent variations in between (except for the slightly hopeful twist in
"New Furniture"). It succeeds in giving Bates some sympathy but is, by
necessity, equally cold. The remainder of the score is largely
atmospheric, using slurring string techniques and other slight
dissonance to regularly maintain a hazy atmosphere of unease. Some of
this material, when the strings are allowed to explore clearer lines,
foreshadows
Basic Instinct. The employment of electronics on top
of an otherwise regular orchestral ensemble gives the work its detached
personality. There are a few repeating motifs, such as an
octave-descending figure for violins that is frequently used as
punctuation. Some small nods to Herrmann exist in the plucky strings and
muted brass of "Mother's Room," though a return to Goldsmith's deep
electronic groans quickly pulls the score back into the composer's
comfort zone. Another short recognition of Herrmann's score comes about
a minute into "The Cellar," at which point Goldsmith strikes with pulses
on synthesizer and brass that basically emulate the famed slashing
string effect. The score features very little cohesive action material,
with the most lengthy performance of any volume existing in the second
half of "It's Not Your Mother," a cue that, with the aid of Goldsmith's
harshest synthetic tones, serves as a precursor to
Gremlins. Only
30 minutes of original Goldsmith music was pressed by Varèse
Sarabande on a 1990 CD copy of the LP record, and that product
eventually became very difficult to find. A limited and expanded 2014
alternative from Intrada serves this score well in a nice presentation,
even if most of the additional material is redundant. The sound quality
on both albums is muted (significantly so on the original CD),
detracting from the experience. For all but the most loyal Goldsmith
collectors,
Psycho II will not be worth the trouble. It suffices
without taking any chances, conservatively satisfying your interest in
the composer but ultimately underwhelming when approached for ambient
pleasure.
** @Amazon.com: CD or
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| 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.
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The insert of the 1990 Varèse album includes no extra information about the score or film.
That of the 2014 Intrada album features notes about both.
