Back to the Future

AMG Review of Back to the Future

Heather Phares
All Music Guide

Alan Silvestri's score for the final installment of the Back to the Future trilogy continues the mix of whimsical sweetness and dramatic action that marked his work for the first two films, but adds some elements from Western scores -- particularly on "We're Out of Gas" -- to reflect the movie's Old West setting. "It's Clara (The Train, Pt. 2)" spans all of these elements, while songs like "Hill Valley" manage to be playful yet menacing, both alternately and at the same time. One strange thing about this album is that it doesn't present some of the cues in the order in which they appeared in the movie: the music for "The Train" sequence, in which Marty McFly and Doc Brown rig the time-traveling DeLorean up to a train in order to return to the 20th century, is scattered throughout the album instead of appearing together. Overall, though, that's a minor quibble, as Silvestri's music is still quite engaging, particularly his instrumental take on ZZ Top's "Doubleback."