Blue Thunder (1983)

Composer(s):
Arthur B. Rubinstein

Released in:
1983

Reviews

Flying High On Blue Thunder
by Luis M. Ramos (April 3, 2006)
I remember when I read the liner notes by director John Badham about the pieces in the orchestra that composer Arthur B. Rubinstein organized to bring the music of "Blue Thunder" to life. I couldn't believe they were all synthesizers. Granted, there are many moments in the score where the music sounds overtly electronic, but there are occasions something accoustic is heard.
The result is a fantastic mixture of sounds, textures and notes that is really fascinating. The theme for "Blue Thunder" is incredibly catchy, and it reminds me of certain moments of John Cacavas' "Airport 1975" -you can hum it instantly. The action music is incredible, with special mention to 'Follow My Leader' and 'Hide And Seek'. 'Kate's Theme' is nice, but 'Ride With The Angels' is supreme, very touching and tragic at the same time, especially when the piano leads the way to the full orchestra of electronics concluding in a grandiose fashion.
The MCA LP presents a generous amount of music, with little music missing. The Super Tracks CD release has what appears to be the complete score; however I feel disappointed that the track 'River Chase/Hide And Seek' is a little chopped up in relation to the one heard in the LP. Also the Beepers' disco/upbeat version of 'Theme From Blue Thunder' is missing in here too, the pop militaristic version -titled 'Murphy's Law' -is included on this CD.
All in all, this is one hell of a composition. It's too bad I don't get to hear anything interesting from Arthur B. Rubinstein these days since 'Blue Thunder' is an excellent example of how to use electronics that sound like accoustic instruments. An outstanding piece of work.

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suggested by:
Bregt De Lange

Score Magacine (in Spanish)

suggested by:
Raul Garcia

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