Basic Instinct - Complete

In arguably the most celebrated collaboration between Jerry Goldsmith and director Paul Verhoeven, Basic Instinct, the score sold more of the story than had been thought required for a film of this genre and fully deserved its Oscar nomination. The sleek and seductive music truly elevated the film, lending what could have been a mediocre thriller to a project of class and subtext. The three collaborations of these two artists arguably yielded three of Goldsmith's finest scores from the latter part of his career. I for one am greatly saddened that due to the composer's passing, we will never hear more challenging and engaging scores for film directed by Paul Verhoeven. This expanded release of Basic Instinct brings its notoriety to the forefront once more, a great time to examine the brilliance of this music and how it molds to film itself like skin tight leather pants.

Upon reflection, it is amazing to think that the wonderful main theme had originally been an incidental tune for a transition scene when it caught the ear of Verhoeven, its tone encapsulating the thrust of the entire film. It was immediately promoted from incidental cue to main theme and Goldsmith extracted a wealth of dangerously sexy material from the piece. Silky strings, harp and woodwinds paint a darkly exquisite portrait. It is a theme which could make the listener lay down willingly with the dreaded black widow, its sensuous quality mired in a subtly threatening gloss, the effects of which bleed into every corner of the score.

The additional tracks expand greatly upon what was included in the initial album release, beefing the running time by thirty minutes. Highlights still include "Night Life" and "Roxy Loses", both pulsating, feverish tracks full of swaggering brass and uninhibited crescendos (with Goldsmith also flexing his Total Recall muscles a bit in these examples). "Crossed Legs" carries such playful menace that it never fails to captivate, whether heard on disc or in the film. "Kitchen Help" builds marvelously upon the main theme in its silky qualities, and who knew a clarinet could be so sexy! And the uneasiness which imbues "The Games Are Over" can still effortlessly slide its way under the listener's skin.

The more seductive, ominous aspects of these previously released tracks carry over to what is new to disc in this release, in such stand-outs as "Your Wife Knew" and "One Shot". The main theme receives a mischievous piano rendition in “It Won't Sell”, while the vicious orgasmic quality of "Pillow Talk" originates in "First Victim". "Catherine & Roxy" is a great, extended exploration of the themes of seduction, melancholy and veiled dangers, also followed up wonderfully in "Don't Smoke". This expanded release may not add as much thematic diversity as the expanded releases of Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Total Recall and Legend, but it is certainly a worthwhile purchase for anyone who has yet to hear the score or those who revel even further in how Goldsmith's intelligent and arresting music gave the film its dark soul.