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Silvestri's tendency to overplay his presence in The Quick and the Dead can be either an asset or a detriment, depending upon how seriously you view the flick. Few could argue, though, that Silvestri isn't masterful at expressing a heightened sense of pacing and rhythmic crescendos towards big moments in the narrative, with the ends of "Kid vs. Herod" and "The Big Day" extremely powerful in their impacts. Conversely, the composer offers plenty of contemplative passages for acoustic guitar and muted woodwinds. The thematic narrative is decent, but Silvestri muddies the waters by attempting to write themes for each major character and a few generalized concepts, and his enunciation of these ideas isn't always distinct enough to really serve such targeted and specialized purposes. Even so, his two primary identities are conveyed well enough to succeed for the basic needs of good versus evil. On the heroes' side is the main theme for Stone's lead, Ellen, who has very good reasons to blast some holes through the tale's villain. It's an extremely memorable identity, almost a parody of a quintessential spaghetti Western theme and larger than life in its major renditions. There are times in the movie during which this theme is downright silly in its presence, especially when paired with Stone looking so beautifully serious. But it's a charmingly fun idea on album and graces much of the score's conversational scenes when not punctuating a bad-ass moment. This theme opens "Redemption" with whistling over a cracking whip and acoustic guitar rhythm, returning at 1:55 on two acoustic guitars in solitary contemplation. That technique with the guitar solos continues at 0:27 into "Couldn't Tell Us Apart" and 0:36 into "Ellen's First Round" with more danger. A softer touch greets the two guitars at the outset of "Dinner Tonight," but the composer shifts violently to convey significant anger in "Ellen vs. Dred" using just its first four notes repeatedly. In the latter half of The Quick and the Dead, Silvestri starts really pushing the Latin element of the main theme, a trumpet completing that personality with gusto in the middle of "Kid vs. Herod." The idea stalks early in "Ellen Returns" on guitar but is lushly romanticized with the trumpet over the ensemble at 2:53 for elevated melodrama. The solo guitar is more confident with the melody in "The Law's Come Back to Town," which leads to a quick burst for the ensemble as the character exits. (This performance is among the more unsatisfying closures for a theme, as it's simply too brief for its volume.)

On its way out the door, the main theme for The Quick and the Dead reprises its trumpet and guitar form from "Kid vs. Herod" in "End Credits," by which point it develops a Jerry Goldsmith sensibility in its secondary rhythmic accents. The melody reduces to solo guitar for a performance in this presentation that masks the lack of an interlude sequence for the theme as a whole, and another dramatic Latin version adds castanets in the middle of that final cue. On the other side of the street is the villain's theme for Hackman's loathsome Herod. This melody is essentially a single phrase repeated twice with one note altered in the second phrase, developed ominously in "John Herod" in the same demeanor as the score's separate gunfight theme. His identity gains stature from subtle shades in the middle of "Dinner Tonight," sustains the suspense at the start of "The Big Day," and drives the dark rhythmic section in the second minute of "Ellen Returns." Less remembered in the score is a theme for Crowe's preacher, Cort, which also doubles for the town of Redemption by tangential association. Barely recognizable on bassoons at 0:43 into "Redemption," this theme is transformed into a buoyant idea in the upbeat "Lady's the Winner." Its initial performance is reprised with more clarity throughout "Cort's Story," and the idea flourishes in a massive performance in the last minute of "End Credits." A theme for DiCaprio's "Kid" is related to Ellen's theme in its opening structures but short-changed in the work, expressed with remorse by acoustic guitar in "I Don't Wanna Die." Finally, Silvestri toils with a dark set of motifs that represent the gunfights and tragedy of the town's situation, most powerfully filling the dusty lanes with dread in "Gunfight Montage" on low woodwinds and brass over a rhythm that suggests inevitable doom. Silvestri expands this material into a tool of action and revenge early in "Ellen vs. Dred," stews with it at the start of "Kid vs. Herod," and allows it to emerge as a force in the second half of "The Big Day" and parts of "Ellen Returns." Ultimately, however, it's the main theme for Ellen that steals the show, and you must be able to tolerate its parody instincts to appreciate how the composer tackled this movie. The tongue is firmly in the cheek, and those who revere Morricone's place in history may find this tribute either annoying or affirming. The relatively short album revisits the soft guitar renditions of the main theme for regular respites, but don't be surprised if you find yourself returning to the moments of splashy attitude and heightened tension. On screen, these moments can cause you laugh for the wrong reasons, but they make for a spirited listening experience on album.   @Amazon.com: CD or Download

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

Bias Check:

For Alan Silvestri reviews at Filmtracks, the average editorial rating is 3.31 (in 58 reviews) and the average viewer rating is 3.21 (in 42,804 votes). The maximum rating is 5 stars.

Total Time: 33:39