The Rocketeer was the first James Horner soundtrack I ever bought. I had seen the movie months prior to getting the CD but the music was still embedded in my memory. I snatched it up as fast as I could and never looked back. For many, The Rocketeer was one of the first scores by James Horner that many could appreciate. While the music was heroic, it wasn't overly heroic placing the hero on an high pedestal and making him seem infallible. On the contrary, the music Horner composed gives The Rocketeer just the right amount of heroism while maintaining the feeling of uncertainty the new hero has to contend with. Never is this more clearly illustrated than in The Flying Circus which is full of moments where the The Rocketeer falls from a crippled plane only to rocket off again and try once more to save the day. It is one of the best tracks on the CD.
Like John Williams did in the Star Wars and Indiana Jones movies, Horner also provides each character with his or her own little theme to help identify the character. In the Main Title/Takeoff Horner introduces his main theme for the Rocketeer but does not let it overwhelm the listener. He builds up the music softly and finishes it off with the triumphant ending as the takeoff is completed. Jenny introduces the love theme for the movie and it is used again and again when the leading lady is on the screen. In Neville Sinclair's House the sinister villians theme is introduced and it helps define the characters on screen and forewarn the audience of impending danger.
One slight drawback to the soundtrack however is the placement of the two songs heard in the movie. Although both are well worth listening to, their placement in the middle of sequentially heard action cues is somewhat distracting and breaks the flow of the action music being played. It would have been better to place them at the end of the CD rather than try to place them sequentially as they were in the film, but it's not a major problem. The bottom line is that it is well worth investing in this soundtrack as it is one of the better compositions of James Horner.
Total time: 48:29
1: Main Title/Takeoff (4:30)
2: The Flying Circus (6:30)
3: Jenny (5:10)
4: Begin The Beguine (3:36)
5: Neville Sinclair's House (7:20)
6: Jenny's Rescue (3:20)
7: Rendevous At Griffith Park Observatory (8:10)
8: When Your Lover Has Gone (3:25)
9: The Zeppelin (8:00)
10: Rocketeer To The Rescue/End Title (6:30)