The Escape from L.A. soundtrack ranges from the minimalist beat common to John Carpenter's music all the way out to the kind of orchestral bombast Shirley Walker is capable of (having sharpened her skills as orchestrator and conductor for Danny Elfman on Batman). The opening cut reprises the title theme for Escape from New York, but adds even more rhythm, along with layers of crunchy guitars. As the score progresses, Walker's input becomes more and more pronounced, leaving Carpenter's dark, churning arpeggios behind while gleefully applying grand adventure flourishes. Stripped of the majority of the rock frills involved in the movie (and chronicled on a second album), the score album is quite entertaining, stirring stuff indeed. ~ Steven McDonald

• Format: Vinyl
• Internal ID: JITRE
• Released: 06/02/2017