Danny Elfman – Dick Tracy (Original Score)

I think this is a fine Danny Elfman soundtrack. Not as iconic as the previously released Beetlejuice or Batman, but it definitely has clear themes, recognizable themes and it pays particular attention to the timeframe which the film is set in. Anyone can pick up that it hits some of the same beats as Batman, which may have been unavoidable considering how close these two films were and that they were both exaggerated comic book films. I've wanted the Dick Tracy soundtrack on LP forever, but in 1990 there was a hard push towards CDs and the LP ended up only being released in a couple of places. It makes its return here on vinyl, though transparent blue is an odd choice for colour. An opaque yellow would have been perfect.

Vinyl sounds fine, but it seems clear on listening that there was no remastering done. For a soundtrack recorded in 1990 it should have really popped, but some of the details (especially the horns) feel compressed at points. It's not terrible and probably no better than an original LP. But the mix could have used some freshening up, especially considering the work was already done for the 2016 Intrada release.