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Sam's deviation to composer Danny Elfman for his next directorial project Darkman was more down to studio intervention than any refection on Joe LoDuca's work on Evil Dead II. Once re-shoots on Army Of Darkness had been completed, Joe was first choice to write the score, and Danny was given a lesser role to compose the 'March of the Dead' theme.
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"I especially enjoyed working on Army of Darkness because we brought the benefit of our past experiences together," Joe says. "We had quite a long spotting session - that's the official time when you sit down with the director and go over the movie scene by scene, discussing in broad strokes and short strokes where the music is going to be, and what its supposed to do for the film at a given point. With the advent of synthesisers and my knowledge of working with them, I was able to present a lot of the cues in a mock-up form before I took them in front of an orchestra, and we could really hone in on specifics within a scene."
During the Army Of Darkness introduction sequences, Joe reflected back upon his score for Evil Dead II. "In the prologue, I reprised Evil Dead 2 when they repeat the vortex sequence. The difference is that now we've added a choir for a couple of reasons. One is that we had a budget. But it also seemed appropriate, given that you have this sort of epic tale."
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While scoring Ash's pit battle, Joe decided to go in a different direction. "It seemed to me that was more an Indiana Jones moment, that's where we were, and everybody's reaction to Ash, was really what the score should focus on. We talked about treating Ash in a certain modernistic way and giving him some kind of Spaghetti Western moments in terms of music. I think that ultimately it just didn't fit. The fish out of water played better; playing it straight and letting the music be the straight man."
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"For example; when Ash has his little moral collapse and looks like he's going to be a coward, there's this solemn Gregorian chant. Or when they create the death coaster, there are moments of a mystical, magical female choir, and it's much more the convention of a fantasy or adventure score than anything to do with Ash."
"In all of Sam's movies where I've worked with him, the formula had been 'the funnier the comedy the more serious the music' - the music never commented on the comedy and played against it. [But] there are times when we absolutely go along with the humor. There's an Irish jig, and that's where we sort of get into animation music, but clone in such a way that there's a little bit more needling, mischievous quality to it."
"The scene with the little Ashes was supposed to be this darker style Warner Brothers cartoon right in the middle of the movie, and the way Sam spotted it with me was that there would be absolutely nothing wrong with taking a little diversion at this point and going with the comedy all the way"
His involvement with the group has continued since, composing for their first Hercules movie; Hercules and the Amazon Women in 1994, and many of the various Hercules, Xena & spin-offs since. Having scored Josh Becker's Lunatics: A Love Story just before Army Of Darkness in 1991, he went on to work on Josh Becker's next movie Running Time in 1997. More recently, he scored My Name Is Bruce in 2007, and currently continues to write music for in the TV & movie industry.
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Here you can see information about some of the various soundtracks available for Army Of Darkness. The most common version is the Varese Sarabande 1993 US CD release, but there is also an interesting rare Japanese CD box-set release, which covers the whole trilogy, and a German CD soundtrack, which is a 'carbon copy' of the US release. Regardless of which version you get, they're all basically the same 21 tracks as listed below.
Army Of Darkness CD back cover (US, Varese Sarabande VSD-5411)
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1. Prologue (02:57)
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2. Building The Deathcoaster (01:57)
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3. Give Me Some Sugar / Boneanza (02:00)
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4. Time Traveller (02:42)
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5. Ash Splits (02:20)
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6. Little Ashes (02:44)
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7. Ash In Chains (03:04)
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8. Night Court (01:41)
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9. Forest Of The Dead / Graveyard (02:52)
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10. The Pit (02:06)
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11. God Save Us (01:32)
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12. Foul thing (01:10)
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13. March Of The Dead (03:55)
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14. Whites Of Their Skulls (01:37)
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15. The Deathcoaster (02:03)
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16. On The Parapet (02:45)
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17. Ash Bucklers (02:33)
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18. Skeletor (01:56)
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19. Soul Swallower (00:48)
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20. Many Men (01:53)
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21. End Titles (05:26)
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Linear CD notes from Sam Raimi
These linear CD notes from Sam have been transcribed from the Varese Sarabande soundtrack for Army Of Darkness released in the US in 1993 (catalogue No: VSD-5411).
Army Of Darkness CD insert front (US, Varese Sarabande VSD-5411)
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Army Of Darkness CD insert back (US, Varese Sarabande VSD-5411)
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A NOTE FROM THE DIRECTOR
"Army of Darkness" marks the fourth collaboraton of Joe LoDuca and myself. I believe that it's Joe's finest work to date. During the long days spent creating the soundtrack, Joe and I shared the closest working relationship of any of our films. It is Joe's most detailed score, containing a great diversity in instrumentation and mood. He has not only captured the sound of the original "Evil Dead" films, but has also created a grand tapestry that tells the fantastical tale of the battle of the dead, seven hundred years in the past. This sweeping score is the heart and soul of the movie. In one moment it will exhilarate you, and in the next, plunge you into the darkest depths of velvety terror. Now click on the stereo, close your eyes and enjoy.
- Sam Raimi
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Front cover
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Evil Dead Trilogy CD box set soundtrack, insert front (Japanese, Volcano Records CPC8-5023-5)
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Evil Dead Trilogy CD box set soundtrack, insert back (Japanese, Volcano Records CPC8-5023-5)
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Back cover
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