First Blood (soundtrack)
| Company type | Record label |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1982 |
| Products | Soundtrack albums |
The 1982 war-action movie First Blood featured an original score composed by Jerry Goldsmith. Directed by Ted Kotcheff and adapted from David Morrell's 1972 novel, the film starred Sylvester Stallone and initiated the Rambo series. Goldsmith crafted the signature theme "It's a Long Road," presented in both instrumental and vocal forms, which was utilized throughout the first three installments of the franchise. The soundtrack was first issued by Regency Records in 1982 and subsequently re-released by Intrada Records, who also produced an expanded version.
Release history
Upon the film’s debut in 1982, Regency Records issued the original album on LP and cassette formats, featuring eleven tracks that included limited excerpts from Goldsmith’s score alongside both renditions of "It's a Long Road." In 1988, a CD edition was introduced by Intrada Records, incorporating the additional piece "No Power," which was missing from the initial release. During the 2000s, Varèse Sarabande also reissued the album.
On November 23, 2010, Intrada Records released a comprehensive double-disc expanded edition. The first disc contained the full 19-track score, while the second disc included the original 1982 album plus a demo version of "It's a Long Road," music from the production company logo, and material used in promotional trailers. This expanded set underwent remastering and was reissued by Intrada in May 2025.
Critical reception
Christian Clemmensen of Filmtracks observed that although the series is well-known for its action-oriented music, First Blood is distinguished by its "melancholic beauty." Ben Sherlock from Screen Rant emphasized Goldsmith’s orchestrations influenced by Bernard Hermann and commended the somber main theme “It’s a Long Road” for providing an empathetic layer to Rambo’s character. Jake Dee of JoBlo.com described the theme as simultaneously "proud and patriotic" with a subdued tone, adeptly capturing Rambo’s complex inner emotions without being explicit.
Personnel
- Composer and conductor: Jerry Goldsmith
- Producers: Jerry Goldsmith, David Paich, Marty Paich, Bruce Botnick
- Arrangements by David Paich, Marty Paich, Arthur Norton
- Orchestrations by Arthur Norton
- Performed by National Philharmonic Orchestra
- Engineering led by Greg Ladanyi with assistant Judy Clapp; recording engineer Alan Snelling; mixing by Randy Tominaga