Bill Conti Vince DiCola - Rocky Balboa The Best of Rocky (17 tracks) +Album Reviews

An Incomplete Compilation of Rocky Movie Music

James Koenig | Minnesota | 01/06/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"While this album puports to be a "best-of" collection of all the Rocky music, there are key tracks missing that would have made this album an absolute knockout. That said, it is still an engaging and inspiring album, but whoever compiled the tracks left off some crucial additions. "Philadelphia Morning", the lonesome instrumental from the original Rocky is missing, as is "First Date". "Vigil", the hauntingly mournful Bill Conti composure from Rocky II is absent as well. Two other very worthy Rocky soundtracks that should have been included are "War" and "Training Montage" from Rocky IV. I also missed "Marines' Hymn/Yankee Doodle" (Apollo Creed's theme).

While this is a good anthology of the essential Rocky movie music themes, it would have been better if it were made into a 2-disc collection and included the tracks previously mentioned, (and more).

Jim "Konedog" Koenig"

Bill Conti should have released a stand-alone soundtrack for

John | UK | 01/12/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"...for what it's worth, as a retrospective of the five previous Rocky movies, "Rocky Balboa" is a fitting tribute to the series.

Like many fans, I enjoyed Bill Conti's classy new compositions for the film itself. But I guess I can understand why MGM and Conti decided to release a "greatest hits" style album instead - after all, the film itself is kind of an appreciation of the Rocky legacy and a reflection on the old days, so it's rather fitting that this compilation would capture that same spirit.

Purists may be a bit upset over the fact that many classic tracks - such as "Going the Distance" - have been slightly edited. For example, in the beginning of the aforementioned song an audio clip from "Rocky II" has been inserted over the introductory instruments (Adrian telling Rocky to "win" as the song is starting up). It's cool, but also kind of annoying for people who just want the original songs in their original forms, and this trend continues throughout the album. Most of the time it's BEFORE the song starts (e.g. on "Gonna Fly Now" there's a quote from the Rocky Balboa film delivered by Stallone to the athletics board which lasts for about 10 - 15 seconds). Some of the quotes make the songs better, and some of them are just out of place and kind of freaky. It's strange to start getting pumped up by the familiar song and suddenly hear some loud voice telling you "WIN!", but whatever.

I particularly liked John X's remix of "Gonna Fly Now." It mixes quotes from the films in the series with updated instrumentals, but it doesn't totally rape the original as many remixes do - it's a respectful remix.

You also get the new Three Six Mafia song "It's a Fight" which is cool.

Overall my thoughts on this are: as a retrospective of the Rocky series with remastered tracks and some new material thrown in, it's pretty amazing. Many "greatest hits" compilations have been far worse. They had the smarts to keep the good tracks and not go for overkill - there's none of that awful early '90s rap soundtrack from "Rocky V" here. (Unless you are a huge fan of MC Hammer, in which case I advise you to go purchase the original Rocky V soundtrack.)

It's missing a few tracks that would have been nice - most notably the training theme from Rocky IV - but I also get the feeling that these tracks are more for the die-hard Rocky enthusiasts and would seem a bit out of place for the casual listener. That Rocky IV training theme was kind of outdated anyway, but hell, I love it for nostalgic value.

I'm disappointed that MGM didn't issue an actual soundtrack for Rocky Balboa (since Conti did some amazing work on the new film reminiscent of the original in many ways) but I'm hoping that may come out at a later point in time. Until then this is a great retrospective that fans will enjoy. Rip it to your PC and put it on your iPod for a workout session, it will have you thinking you're in a training montage in no time at all."

Ultimate Rocky Mixtape

Jimmy Hanzo | Jupiter | 12/29/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If you're enough of a fan to want the most memorable Rocky themes on a CD, but not enough of a fanatic to buy all the individual soundtracks, then this is the CD for you.

All the sound is remastered and is crisp and powerful sounding, and the flow of the mix is pretty good. A neat touch is the dialogue clips from various Rocky flicks being played before certain songs.

My only complaint would be the inclusion of some of the weaker songs from the Rocky mythos like Adrian when they could have included some of the training music from Rocky or Rocky IV like Philedelphia Morning or Training Montage.

But, it's so minor a complaint I can't deduct a star for a mix CD that'll please any Rocky fan. To have Redemption, Rocky's Reward, and Eye of the Tiger on a single disc is just great."

A great once-over of the Rocky soundtracks

TheBandit | SEA-TAC | 02/21/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Despite some questionable choices (inclusions as well as exclusions), this CD is a fantastic collection of music from the six-part movie series. The music sounds uniformly great and the sequencing, though not chronological, works well. It is great to listen to while exercising, providing an extra jolt of energy (especially whenever the classic fanfare kicks in).

All of the classic Bill Conti themes are included, as are all the hit singles. I must say though, it is CRIMINAL that Frank Stallone's "Take You Back" was left off. This song is one of the most important in the entire series (I would argue third after "Gonna Fly Now" and "Eye of the Tiger"). Of the several versions featured throughout the series, I can't imagine why either the original (from the first "Rocky") or the latest (featured in "Rocky Balboa") was not included.

Also MIA is the song "Measure of a Man" by Elton John, which played during the closing-credits of "Rocky V." If only that particular movie had been a hit, this song almost certainly would have received an Oscar nomination. Considering that only one selection was taken from the "Rocky V" soundtrack, the execrable "Can't Stop the Fire" (a horrible dance track featuring a few synthesized riffs from Conti's themes), it is odd this song wasn't chosen. Maybe it was too expensive to pay Elton John's royalties.

Among the longest tracks on the CD is Bill Conti's "Overture," which seems unnecessary because all the themes contained within that piece are represented elsewhere on the disc. Excluded from the album is any of Vince DiCola's synth score from "Rocky IV". "War/Fanfare From Rocky" and "Training Montage" could have both been used instead of "Overture" without much effect on the CD's overall running time. Clearly, the compilers favored Bill Conti's scores - and rightly so - but those were strong pieces from DiCola and would have provided more variety.

At the risk of too many complaints, I also take issue with the remix version of "Gonna Fly Now." Given the various ommissions I've mentioned, it seems like a waste to have this at the end. I thought it was kind of cool the first time I heard it, but I would have rather had the "Rocky Balboa" version of "Gonna Fly Now" conclude the CD (which would have been a nice bookend with the 1976 version opening the disc).

With all that said, it is hard to quibble with the vast majority of the CD. The music composed by Bill Conti is some of the greatest soundtrack music ever, instantly evoking the indelible scenes from the films. Most of the vocal songs were big hits, and while they are dated (almost all of them are from the '80s) they still pack a strong nostalgic punch -- well, with the exception of "It's a Fight" by Oscar winners Three 6 Mafia, which is new, and the sole track from "Rocky Balboa." That song is particularly out of place, but at least it represents the most recent Rocky movie. Better it than an MC Hammer song from "Rocky V."

The dialogue clips are a nice addition, though I do agree with another reviewer that it was not a good choice to have one of those clips overlap the track "Going the Distance" (though I believe that is the only instance of dialogue interfering with music).

To conclude, this CD is an ideal way to own the "greatest hits" of the Rocky series without shelling out for 5 pervious soundtrack releases (and avoid any repetition of tracks in the process).

"

Good but not nearly definitive

Peter M. Roche | 01/08/2007

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This isn't so much a soundtrack to Rocky Balboa as it is a survey of all the soundtracks in the Rocky franchise. A lot of great stuff is included, like Bill Conti's memorable piano bits and anthemic fanfare, and pop-rock hits "Eye of the Tiger" and "Burning Heart" by Survivor. But some key music is omitted, like Vince deCola's stirring synth work for "Training Montage" and "War" from Rocky IV. Instead, other less stellar tracks are featured, like rap / hip-hop junk like "Can't Stop the Fire" from Rocky V and "It's a Fight" from the new film ( a gangsta-rap style track complete with profanity and devoid of originality). Like others above, I'd like to have seen a more complete collection, possibly two discs, which perhaps collects all the great Conti stuff from I, II, II and "Balboa" on one disc, with all the pop-rock stuff on a second. Til then, just take this one and mix it up with "Training Montage" and "War" from IV, plus "Vigil" and "Nana Ninni / Two Kinds of Love" from II and you'll be okay. Oh, and you'll have to download "Take you Back" from iTunes, cuz it ain't on here."

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