Jerry Goldsmith pulled off one of his greatest-ever surprises with his third and final entry in the Rambo series. The first score had been distinctly dark and gritty; the second, all-out action; and this, the third, is extremely lyrical and thoughtful. It was evidently all too much for the film's makers to understand, for they removed most of the music from the film and tracked in Rambo 2, but on disc it makes for one of the most cohesive soundtrack albums of this length - over 75 minutes. It must also rank as the longest Goldsmith CD.

The original Rambo theme is reprised several times (including a particularly moving version in the final cue), as are the secondary themes built up in the second score. There are also a few new themes, including a couple of an ethnic Afghan persuasion. The score isn't entirely without action, though - cues such as "The Game" and "Night Fight" are extremely exciting.

This all makes for an extremely easy listening experience, but it has to be said that some of the cues (like the six-minute "Preparations", which is almost exclusively percussion) are just not particularly interesting. Great background music, though.

1. Another Time (3:58)
2. Preparations (6:21)
3. The Money (:52)
4. I'm Not Used to It (1:00)
5. Peshawar (1:12)
6. Afghanistan (2:38)
7. Questions (3:37)
8. Then I'll Die (3:34)
9. The Game (2:25)
10. Flaming Village (4:07)
11. Night Entry (3:58)
12. Under and Over (2:55)
13. Night Fight (6:50)
14. First Aid (2:46)
15. The Long Climb (3:25)
16. Going Down (1:52)
17. The Cave (3:31)
18. The Boot (1:53)
19. You Did It, John (1:08)
20. The Showdown (1:26)
21. Final Battle (4:50)
22. I'll Stay (9:00)