Psycho II
Released by Intrada, 2021
31 Tracks with a Total Running Time of 1:14:30 Min.
Composed and Conducted by Jerry Goldsmith

I can’t imagine being asked to take on the task of creating a sequel to the Alfred Hitchcock classic, which director Richard Franklin and screenwriter Tom Holland did, and, I feel, really knocked it out of the park. Same goes with Jerry Goldsmith, having to come up with a score to follow up Bernard Herrmann. Couldn’t have been easy to even think of doing. But Goldsmith made this score his own, and it really works.

Just like watching the film, you can’t go into this trying to compare it to the original when it comes to the soundtrack. It really does stand on its own. In the opening Main Title, there is a bit right in the very beginning, with the sound of a cello or violin, moving fast, but immediately fading away. Maybe a little nod to Herrmann? But right after that, it goes into this very peaceful piece of music, which is followed up with Track # 3 The House, which gives you a very ominous feeling, such as returning to a house where bad things might have happened. That’s the feeling I get through a lot of the tracks. Like there is a peacefulness there, but has something darker under the surface, wanting to break its way through.

Track # 16, It’s Starting Again, is a great example of subtlety. When Norman starts to question his sanity, we have this quiet piece of music playing, nothing over-the-top or dramatic but quiet, with it sounding like it’s building at the end, but then fading away.

Like the film itself, the score for Psycho II is a great piece of music history. It shows that when you have a talented composer, you can create a follow up to an iconic film, make it your own, but still make it effective and work in the film.