January 9, 2015

  • Arnold Gets "Shaft"-ed

    Director John Singleton’s 2000 remake, or perhaps better “updating”, of Shaft brought this iconic 1970s character to a new generation of younger audiences.  Samuel L. Jackson plays the nephew of Richard Roundtree’s character and is in the midst of a racially-motivated murder.  The great cast includes another underrated performance by Jeffrey Wright (Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace).  Perhaps somewhat oddly was the choice of David Arnold as the composer for the score.  Arnold was mostly known for his big epic and adventure scoring (Independence Day, Stargate,Godzilla), but it was his recent retooling of James Bond in Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) and The World Is Not Enough (1999) that gave him the edge here.  Most oddly, as Arnold’s fans awaited for the score to be released, it never materialized and it has remained one of the glaring empty spots in his discography.  Fortunately, La-La Land is correcting this with the first ever release of the score on CD.

    From the very first track, “Shaft in Club”, Arnold’s score incorporates a mix of funk ensemble, featuring interesting guitar effects, with orchestral blends.  A tentative string idea also appears here.  All is layered somewhat underneath a rather forward drum set, which may take some getting used to.  The string writing allows for a more emotional punch to the score rising often to some impassioned writing (“Boy’s Got Rhythm”).  The flute ideas are good examples here of the sort of style Isaac Hayes captured in his own iconic score which is referenced thematically in a few spots (quite well first in “Shaft Punches Waiter”).  Arnold then uses the general sound of this theme to inform his score without necessarily always quoting it (“Dominican Chase”, “Car Chase”)—a technique he used quite well in his earlier Bond films.  It is also great to hear how the music can shift gears quickly (“Peoples Walk/Peoples in the Precinct”).  The action sequences and tension building sequences all parallel Arnold’s approaches in the Bond franchise making them rather interesting to hear in this often cooler musical style that is perfectly captured with its variety of electronic period keyboard sounds (“Let’s Play Games”).  Some of the sequencing like drumming ideas rear up more in “Arriving at Rasaan’s/Peoples Stabs Waiter” which seems rather suddenly odd using bits and pieces of ideas edited oddly together.  It does stand out, which may aid its effect elsewhere.  Shaft works best when the different elements of the score are blended well together creating a unique updated sound to the story and there is just enough inclusion of Hayes’ theme to further pull it together along with some of Arnold’s own thematic threads.

    As is often a hallmark of La-La Land’s releases, this one too has a few bonus tracks.  The album is sequenced with a blend of album versions and sequences that did not end up in the final film.  There is also an extended “Shaft 2000” track to kick off several bonus tracks that is reminiscent of the composer’s Shaken Not Stirred album.  Shaft is an interesting album that can stand alongside the composer’s Bond films of the period as a slightly different, funkier alternative.