Jimmy Page-Death Wish II (The Original Soundtrack) (1982)
Artist: Jimmy Page
Title: Death Wish II (The Original Soundtrack)
Catalog Number: SS 8511
Year of Release: 1982
Country and Year of Edition: US 1982 Allied Pressing Promo
Sell Price: $5.62
Sell Date: 11/12/24
Condition: VG+/VG water stain around edge, blue inner sleeve, promo
Discogs Last Sold: 10/9/24 M/NM $19.95
Low: $4.99
Median: $11.81
Average: $12.80
High: $30.00
Current low price: $5.00
Current Number on Sale at Discogs: 49
Have/Want: 1391/164
Where Sold: Martinsburg, WV
Time It Took To Sell: 8 years
Where and When Bought: used Worcester, MA That's Entertainment $2.99 around '83
Gwiz-gau Letter Grade: B-
Sad To See It Go: No
I had to warn my friend Kenny, an avid Bronson fan, that a write-up of the Death Wish II soundtrack by Jimmy Page was pending. Both film and soundtrack are 2/5 he retorted. Perhaps so with the film, but this record had a purpose beyond a mere soundtrack.
Why Death Wish II? It turns out Jimmy Page was a neighbor of movie director Michael Winner. With Bonham's 1980 passing, Jimmy was out of commission. Manager Peter Grant thought this project might be a good way to get him out of his doldrums. The original plan was for Page to go to Los Angeles for a creative meeting of the minds after songwriting a few weeks at home on deadline. Page said fuck that I'll finish it in my home studio and recruit people like Dave Mattacks of Fairport Convention for drums, Pretty Things keyboardist Gordon Edwards and veteran vocalist Chris Farlowe, who later sang on Page's Outrider album and had featured releases stretching back to the 60's. Winner was initially worried but was pleased with the technical and aesthetic result.
As for an actual record to listen to, it ain't Led Zeppelin but it is a little better than 2/5. I got a used copy fairly soon after it came out either later in '82 or '83. I remember being very happy I found it used for only $2.99. However, I don't think I gave it more than one listen ever until the couple spins I gave it today over 40 years later. The song the Firm covered from the record, "City Sirens," had endured in my head with a Paul Rodgers vocal, but here it is sung by Gordon Edwards. The live release the Firm put out also replaced the keyboard heavy approach from Edwards, whereas The Firm gave it more of a Jimmy Page guitar heavy arrangement.
I also forgot that there were two more vocal songs from Chris Farlowe opening and closing the album: "Who's To Blame" and "Hypnotizing Ways (Oh Mamma)." Page played "Who's To Blame" quite a bit on his 1988 tour of Outrider that I somehow missed, but apparently left "Hypnotizing Ways" in the dust.
The rest of the album alternates between terrain explored by Page with director Kenneth Anger's Lucifer Rising that became "In The Evening" on In Through The Out Door mixed with material that wouldn't sound out of place on George Martin's Yellow Submarine score.
B-, 3/5, however you want to grade a diversion, it's still better than a lot of things.
FOR FURTHER REVIEW
Led Zeppelin-The Soundtrack From The Film The Song Remains The Same (1976)
Led Zeppelin-In Through The Out Door (1979)
The Firm-Radioactive (Vocal Special Extended Remix) (1985)
Jimmy Page & Robert Plant-No Quarter (1994)
Jimmy Page & Robert Plant-Walking Into Clarksdale (1998)
Fairport Convention-House Full: Live In Los Angeles 1970 (1986)
Bad Company-Burnin' Sky (1977)
Bad Company-Rough Diamonds (1982)
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