Orchestrated by James Campbell

Conducted by Alan Silvestri

Produced by Nick Redman

Release Date: August 19th, 2003

 Varèse Sarabande Records
 

     Die Hard may have been all 80s, but it still remains enjoyable to this day. The same holds true for John McTiernan's other notable film of that decade, Predator. Boasting the biggest number of actors-turned-governors in film history on the same screen, everyone involved chews their scenes with relish. And who can forget the moment the Predator removes his mask to the stunned Ahnuld? And you thought the thing was already ugly with it's helmet on. Yes, Predator remains a favorite, and now that it has a proper DVD release (a spiffy two-disc set) and a nice score album as well (courtesy of Varèse Sarabande), everything should be hunky-dory for Predator fans, right?

     Well, almost everything. And it is in this that I felt I have done a grave disservice to this site. Originally, the Varese CD club release of Predator came out in August of 2003...well over a year ago. I got my album back then, along with The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen and Tomb Raider 2. Both of those were reviewed promptly. And now, more than a year later, I'm finally reviewing the third album from that batch. And while you can still purchase both of those titles from various CD outlets (and Varèse itself), the Predator release is, sadly, sold out. About the only place you can get it now is at online auction sites, and you better believe that it's going to far eclipse the original $20 Varèse price. In my defense, however, I knew there wouldn't be many fence sitters. After all, this is a much-requested Alan Silvestri score that has already been bootlegged to death. For most people, the order came as soon as they heard. Others may have wanted it, but put off ordering for one reason or another (I'm glad I was not one of those). In either case, a review was only going to substantiate what collectors already thought. And there were already plenty of other reviews floating around.

     Of course, the real reason was because I was lazy.

     But it's better late than never, so here it is, finally! I apologize to those who may suddenly become awakened by this review and decide that they must have a copy now, as that is surely going to set you back substantially. So why would anyone go to great lengths to obtain this score? Silvestri's music to Predator is harsh, militaristic, and alien, a perfect combination for the action onscreen. Mark those stylistic choices along with Silvestri's own unique orchestration and you get a slam-bang action score that has still yet to be perfectly matched, even by Silvestri's own sequel score for Predator 2. There is nothing subtle about the music, though it is handled delicately enough to bring its own themes and motifs to the table as opposed to simply pounding heavy rhythms and overbearing orchestral blasts into the listener. It is to Alan Silvestri what Alien was to Jerry Goldsmith: a unique opportunity to assist in filling out the reliance on mood and tension, as opposed to buckets of gore, blood, and the Predator itself, in order to make the film work. Even thought the Predator himself is not fully glimpsed until the last third of the film, Silvestri's music has been busy heralding his arrival from the first note. And as the guano hits the fan, the score rides along with it, climaxing in a tremendous showdown which showcases all the musical signatures that Silvestri has developed throughout.

     Sound quality on this release is decent, but there is some hiss that is very noticeable in the background. Still not a bad deal for a score that was recorded in the mid-80s and that has remained unreleased for so long. Have I heard better remastering jobs? You betcha. But does it really matter in this instance? Not a whole heck of a lot. Plus, you get a nice set of liner notes that contain cue-by-cue description from Al Kaplan