Steel drums are the tremendously wacky lead of James Horner’s dramatically imposing soundtrack for Commando, with feverish electronics, saxophone, brass and percussion also joining the fray for overall one of the composer’s most intriguingly different action experiences.
James Horner’s Commando has always been a bit of a special one for me. It’s so utterly unlike the majority of my favourite works of his, the ones with the gorgeously sweeping themes, the precise orchestrations, the big, soaring setpieces – Commando just.. isn’t those. But that’s not a bad thing, as what it is is a wackily 1980s-styled, steel drum and electronics-led action soundtrack, with big emphasis on the steel drum part of that sentence, and despite that dramatically different compositional style I absolutely love it. There’s just something about it. The way the relentlessly pounding electronics, the surgingly in-your-face steel drums, the imposing brass all intriguingly hammer together to create this unbelievably intense sound and drive for Arnold Schwarzenegger’s John Matrix across the classic titular 1985 movie. It’s just… absolutely entrancing. The relentless noise of it might put some off admittedly, it’s not the easiest listen of Horner’s many scores – but not me. And if you’ve read this far without thinking god, this album sounds awful – perhaps not you, either. So let’s give you a taste of the madness; Commando begins with the forty six second “The Trashmen/The Agency”, and Horner doesn’t shy away from diving straight into his wackily ’80s sound for John Matrix here, with deafening bursts of electronics and percussion crashing immediately into centre stage and remaining there in thunderously imposing form throughout.
The four minute “Main Title” introduces the sound of Commando proper, with moody drums surging tensely against swathes of electronics in the first seconds. Before long, the infamous steel drums then make their first appearance to debut the score’s main theme, thudding dramatically alongside a curiously upbeat saxophone no less, as well as aggressively low-pitched brass. After this massive introduction however the music then softens, introducing a much gentler, strings-focused and more traditionally Horner-sounding (though sadly short-lived) motif for Matrix’s daughter. This doesn’t last though, as Matrix’s ever-imposing sound quickly returns after less than a minute with the steel drums, electronics, saxophone and brass all blaring in fist-clenching intensity. The music then simmers for the malevolently electronic minute-long mood-setter “The Helicopter Arrives”, before the first of the score’s many action setpieces arrives with “Run To The Shed And Chase”; frenetic percussion and worriedly high-pitched strings kick things off with frequent electronic hints towards Matrix’s thematic material in the first two minutes, before the saxophone then ushers Matrix into full chaotic view – man, does this bit get loud – before a final crescendo is reached. To slow Matrix’s stride, the eerie electronic murmurs of “The Helicopter Arrives” then reprise for “Matrix Captured/Jenny Tied Up” and its short sequel “Into The Plane”.
“Don’t Disturb My Friend” is one of the score’s standout action setpieces, and for good reason. It starts quietly, hinting toward thunder to come with quiet electronics before then bursting triumphantly with loud percussion and steel drums holding Matrix’s theme proudly high for four highly entertaining minutes. The short “Matrix Hits The Swamp” then dials up the drama as anxious woodwinds and strings swirl against a veritable sea of crashing percussion and electronics, with the subsequent and even shorter “Matrix Walks In The Terminal” then doubling down on this rising tonal wariness. John however regains his steel drum stride in “Matrix On The Move” as both the aforementioned instrument and dramatic electronics work tirelessly alongside one another, making overall for a pretty dramatic introduction to the score’s absolute highlight; “Don’t Move”. A six and a half minute and utterly breathtaking action setpiece, this track is simply where everything comes together. Matrix’s ever-surging theme pushes angrily on its steel drums, saxophone and electronics throughout, with sheer stylistic intensity rallying against it and overall making for an absolute wall of aggressive action noise – and yet despite that damning word, it really, really works. There’s such a rhythm to Horner’s stylistic madness here, where all the peculiar instrumental choices join forces for almost seven thunderous minutes, and as a result – all the way through it’s utterly, deafeningly magnetic.
A ferocious pace opens “Sully Starts To Run”, with frenzied electronics playing against worriedly high-pitched strings, woodwinds and infrequent steel drum/saxophone hints toward Matrix’s theme before the track eventually crashes to a tremendous crescendo. “Drive Away From Pier” then slows things down, with more muted steel drums, brass and percussion leading Matrix to start before the saxophone overtakes for a dramatically atmospheric back half. The echoingly ominous percussive hits that would go on to feature in Horner’s Aliens then set a wary tone in “Matrix Breaks Lock” alongside similarly moody strings, brass and woodwinds, before frantic action returns in “Matrix Jumps To Floor” as percussive splendour practically explodes in its opening seconds, followed swiftly by imposing swathes of brass and electric guitar. Brassy surges and two-note percussive hits once again hint at the future Aliens in “Matrix Climbs Up Bank”, with tense electronics, saxophone and steel drums building Matrix’s increasingly angry theme. “Soldier Gets Pitchfork/Matrix Runs Up Steps” then focuses on the impeccably ’80s electronics as they reach fast-paced fever pitch for the score’s finale, with “Arius Crashes Through Window” returning to Matrix’s steel drum and saxophone-led material at its most desperate before the Aliens-esque ominous atmosphere returns for the back half. Final score cue “Matrix Approaches General” then curiously continues this stylistic frostiness, with the film itself closing on the entertainingly ’80s “Someday, Somehow, Someone’s Gotta Pay” by The Power Station).
Overall, James Horner’s action focused score for Commando is a relentlessly in-your-face stylistic experience, and if that style appeals to you as it does to me – it’s also unbelievably entertaining. Steel drums lead said style all the way through this surprisingly short soundtrack – it’s less than an hour long – with dramatically thunderous electronics, pounding percussion and an intriguingly grandiose saxophone also on the team. This seemingly mad combination of instruments by Horner is wacky both inside and out and yet it just works, making for not only some absolutely tremendous action setpieces but also giving life to the theme for John Matrix himself, which lives and breathes in the wonderfully weird action sound that these instruments provide. It surges tenaciously and indeed deafeningly all across the album, with highlights of the aforementioned action tracks including the ferociously fast “Sully Starts To Run”, the triumphant “Don’t Disturb My Friend” and of course the utterly standout seven minute “Don’t Move”, an action cue that’s so fist-pumpingly epic that it’s actually one of my favourite pieces of Horner music. All-in, like I said at the beginning – there’s just something about Horner’s Commando that makes it completely magnetic; perhaps it’s the dramatic drive of the instruments, or the ferocity of the theme for Matrix – or maybe, probably it’s that even with weird and wacky instrumental combos, James Horner is still very much a king of action music.
Score: 8.5/10
Standout Cues: Main Title, Don’t Disturb My Friend, Don’t Move
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