December 4, 2014
Bill Conti - Rocky Soundtrack album
I've always loved the movie Rocky. I actually like the entire Rocky series, but of course, the first Rocky is the best. It's about heart. And it's not just about the underdog character of Rocky Balboa, but the underdog Silvester Stallone, both of whom believed in themselves and succeeded. Stallone both wrote and directed the movie, but tHe movie studios intially wanted to buy the script and use an established star like Robert Redford or Burt Reynolds to play Rocky. But Stallone insisted he play the character and agreed to a very small budget for the film. I think the low budget made the film even better. And, in the end, it was a huge box-office hit, received 10 Academy Awards nominations in nine categories, winning three - Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Film Editing. In 2006, Rocky was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".
The soundtrack is also excellent. The soundtrack was written and conducted by Bill Conti, who also did the scores for the Bond film 'For Your Eyes Only', the TV series Dynasty, and the movie the 'Right Stuff'. He has served as musical director at the Academy Awards a record nineteen times. The movie soundtrack consists of the following tracks:
Side One
1.Gonna Fly Now (Theme From Rocky)
2.Philadelphia Morning
3.Going The Distance
4.Reflections
5.Marines' Hymm / Yankee Doodle
6.Take You Back (Street Corner Song}
7.First Date
Side Two
8.You Take My Heart Away
9.Fanfare For Rocky
10.Butkus 11.Alone In the Ring
12.The Final Bell
13.Rocky's Reward
Side 1 starts with the famous Rocky theme - Gonna Fly Now, which was composed by Bill Conti with lyrics by Carol Connors and Ayn Robbins, and performed by DeEtta Little (the sister of actor Cleavon Little) and Nelson Pigford. The song was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song in the 49th Academy Awards. The version of the song from the movie, performed by Conti with an orchestra, hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1977, while a version by jazz trumpeter Maynard Ferguson hit the top 30. Conti's single was certified Gold by the RIAA, for shipments exceeding one million in the United States. The American Film Institute placed it 58th on its AFI's 100 Years... 100 Songs list. The song was used in Jackass 3D as part of a recurring gag called "The Rocky," which involved Bam Margera throwing a cup of water on an unsuspecting victim, then punching him with a boxing glove.
Song 2 is Philadelphia Morning and is a nice slow song. That's also what I like about this album - there are inspiration/motivating/energetic songs, reflective songs, sad songs, and funky songs. This song is played in the movie when Rocky gets up in the morning, drnks the raw eggs, and starts running on a Philadelphia morning.
Going The Distance, the third track, is awesome and inspiration just like Gonna Fly Now, maybe more so. It starts slow and keeps building momentum. It's about giving something your all and never quitting. It's the attitude that you'll have to kill me to beat me. Keep getting up Rocky! It's an attitude about how you live your life.
Song 4, Reflections, is a a nice, cool, slow instrumental song. I believe it may have been playing in the background when Rocky turned on his record player on. It reminds me very slightly of Kool and the Gangs Summertime Madness.
Marines' Hymm / Yankee Doodle is the song I believe the played while Apollo Creed entered the arena for the fight dressed at Uncle Sam. The next song "Take You Back (Street Corner Song)" is the song being sung by a group of guys crooning in front of a fire in a barrel while Rocky is walking home.
The street corner where the song is being sung is on the southeast corner of Kensington Avenue and Tusculum Street in Philadelphia and the song was actually written and performed by Stallone's musically talented brother, Frank Stallone. The building they are in front of is now gone and a vacant lot, but if you walk a few houses down from this corner you’ll end up at Rocky’s apartment.
The last song on side one is First Date and is a gorgeous slow song. It expresses simplicity of the pure love of two good people.
Side two starts with You Take My Heart Away is a love song duet by DeEtta Little and Nelson Pigford. Song two is Fanfare For Rocky and is another powerful theme-like song with a Roman fanfare sound from the horns. Song three, Butkus (Rocky's dog), is an upbeat classical song. Song four on side two is Alone In the Ring and is a slow, sad, classical song - played when Rocky going to the arena the night before the fight, reflecting, unsure if he is going to get creamed in the ring by Apollo the next night.
The Final Bell is the next song is a climactic song played in the last round of the fight as Rocky keeps getting knocked down and getting back up. It's all about heart and going the distance and giving everything your all. . It's fast-paced, inspirational, and awesome. Below is not the original, but a cover. It's not nearly as good, but the best that was out on the Web.
The last song on the album is Rocky's Reward and is a beautiful classical piece.
I think this is an awesome album!
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