The Rock - Expanded

Intrada presents the long in-demand expanded edition of one of Michael Bay's most beloved films - Hollywood Pictures' The Rock. To score this solid action tale set on San Francisco's famous Alcatraz island, the filmmakers turned to Nick Glennie-Smith, Hans Zimmer and Harry Gregson-Williams. Given Glennie-Smith's past experiences with both producer Jerry Bruckheimer and Bay, he stepped into the role of lead composer. The result was a strikingly popular score with such a distinctive theme that for years after it would appear in trailers and be heard by millions around the world. But many would not realize they were hearing The Rock. It is a score that features a unique blend of action bravado undercut with a touch of melancholy. As first presented, the main theme represents the tragedy of combat and loss, but when flipped morphs into an heroic anthem. Even with both Glennie-Smith and Zimmer on board, however, the workload proved greater than expected. Enter Harry Gregson-Williams, who was just down the hall. Gregson-Williams was initially brought on as an "additional" composer. As the film's postproduction schedule became more and more frenetic, his involvement continued to grow.

For this 2-CD set, Intrada features the complete score in film order, plus our usual section of "extras" that includes alternates and demos. The alternates showcase a very different tone from one version to another and provide an enlightening glimpse into the score's evolution. This new edition features some two hours and 15 minutes of music and is an iconic example of '90s action scoring at its peak.