Rocky Balboa: The Best of Rocky
List Price:
Our Price: $5.48
You Save: $6.46 (54%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $3.47 (click here)
Category: Music CD
See more CD details
Buy this Music CD at online store in your country
Canadian Music Store
Canadian Music Store
CD Details
Composer: Bill ContiComposer: Vince DiCola
Edition: Music CD
Audio: English (Original Language)
Format: Soundtrack
Published: 2007-01-12
CD Release Date: 2006-12-26
Music Label: Capitol
Product features:
- Rocky Balboa - The Best Of Rocky Brazil Import
- Gonna Fly Now- Bill Conti
- Eye Of The Tiger- Survivor
- Going The Distance- Bill Conti
- Living In America- James Brown
- Redemption- Bill Conti
- Conquest- Bill Conti
- Burning Heart- Survivor
- Alone In the Ring- Bill Conti
- Overture- Bill Conti
- Mickey- Bill Conti
- Hearts On Fire- John Cafferty
- Rocky's Reward- Bill Conti
- Adrian- Bill Conti
- No Easy Way Out- John Tepper
- Fanfare For Rocky- Bill Conti
- It's A Fight- Three 6 Mafia
- Gonna Fly Now (Remix)- Bill Conti (remix by John X)
Music reviews of Rocky Balboa: The Best of Rocky
Music Review: A great once-over of the Rocky soundtracks
Rating: 5 Stars
Despite some questionable choices (inclusions as well as exclusions), this CD is a fantastic collection of music from the six-part movie series. The music sounds uniformly great and the sequencing, though not chronological, works well. It is great to listen to while exercising, providing an extra jolt of energy (especially whenever the classic fanfare kicks in).
All of the classic Bill Conti themes are included, as are all the hit singles. I must say though, it is CRIMINAL that Frank Stallone's "Take You Back" was left off. This song is one of the most important in the entire series (I would argue third after "Gonna Fly Now" and "Eye of the Tiger"). Of the several versions featured throughout the series, I can't imagine why either the original (from the first "Rocky") or the latest (featured in "Rocky Balboa") was not included.
Also MIA is the song "Measure of a Man" by Elton John, which played during the closing-credits of "Rocky V." If only that particular movie had been a hit, this song almost certainly would have received an Oscar nomination. Considering that only one selection was taken from the "Rocky V" soundtrack, the execrable "Can't Stop the Fire" (a horrible dance track featuring a few synthesized riffs from Conti's themes), it is odd this song wasn't chosen. Maybe it was too expensive to pay Elton John's royalties.
Among the longest tracks on the CD is Bill Conti's "Overture," which seems unnecessary because all the themes contained within that piece are represented elsewhere on the disc. Excluded from the album is any of Vince DiCola's synth score from "Rocky IV". "War/Fanfare From Rocky" and "Training Montage" could have both been used instead of "Overture" without much effect on the CD's overall running time. Clearly, the compilers favored Bill Conti's scores - and rightly so - but those were strong pieces from DiCola and would have provided more variety.
At the risk of too many complaints, I also take issue with the remix version of "Gonna Fly Now." Given the various ommissions I've mentioned, it seems like a waste to have this at the end. I thought it was kind of cool the first time I heard it, but I would have rather had the "Rocky Balboa" version of "Gonna Fly Now" conclude the CD (which would have been a nice bookend with the 1976 version opening the disc).
With all that said, it is hard to quibble with the vast majority of the CD. The music composed by Bill Conti is some of the greatest soundtrack music ever, instantly evoking the indelible scenes from the films. Most of the vocal songs were big hits, and while they are dated (almost all of them are from the '80s) they still pack a strong nostalgic punch -- well, with the exception of "It's a Fight" by Oscar winners Three 6 Mafia, which is new, and the sole track from "Rocky Balboa." That song is particularly out of place, but at least it represents the most recent Rocky movie. Better it than an MC Hammer song from "Rocky V."
The dialogue clips are a nice addition, though I do agree with another reviewer that it was not a good choice to have one of those clips overlap the track "Going the Distance" (though I believe that is the only instance of dialogue interfering with music).
To conclude, this CD is an ideal way to own the "greatest hits" of the Rocky series without shelling out for 5 pervious soundtrack releases (and avoid any repetition of tracks in the process).
Description of Rocky Balboa: The Best of Rocky
CD > POPULAR MUSIC > MOVIE SOUNDTRACKNo matter whether or not you think Sylvester Stallone should have gone back to the Rocky trough one more time, this soundtrack is fun because it's basically a collection of music from all the past movies in the saga, ending with Three 6 Mafia?s rap contribution to Rocky Balboa, "It's a Fight." The CD starts off with Bill Conti's "Gonna Fly Now (Theme from Rocky)," which remains so totally awesome that we can only bow to its 1970s brilliance; a 2006 remix tagged on at the end doesn't improve on it. Oddly, the sequencing isn't chronological, maybe so the two best-known tracks--the original theme and Survivor's "Eye of the Tiger," from Rocky III--could start off the CD with a one-two punch. But that also means that we zig-zag back and forth in the Rocky saga. James Brown's "Living in America" (from Rocky IV) has aged rather well, but the compilers realized Bill Conti's proto-disco score for the first installment still fares the best, and so five tracks are pulled from it (compared to just one from Rocky V). That old warhorse's still got some juice. --Elisabeth Vincentelli
Pop CDs
Music Genres
Bestsellers in Pop CDs
Yvette Freeman - Dinah Was (L.A. Theatre Works Audio Theatre Collection)Release date: 2005-04-12; Music CD
Best price: $20.02
Price in other shops:
Twin Sisters Productions - Building Character Music CDTWIN SISTERS PRODUCTIONS; Release date: 2007-01-01; Music CD
Best price: $9.99
Price in other shops:
Bernadette Peters in ConcertDVD
Best price: $129.99
Everything Must Go/ Two Against Natureby Steely Dan
Published: 2003; Music CD
Scattered Ashesby Ihsahn / Emperor
Candlelight Records/Emi; Published: 2009-07-28; Audio CD; Book
Best price: $9.75
Price in other shops:
![Christmas at the Biltmore Estate [VHS] Image](/images/Christmas-at-the-Biltmore-Estate-VHS-076700437X-X.jpg){kind=small}
Christmas at the Biltmore Estate [VHS]A&E Home Video; Release date: 1998-09-04; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $17.36
Price in other shops:
The Shadow: Rare Radio Gems (Rare Radio Gems)Release date: 2002-09-01; Published: 2002-09-01; Music CD
Best price: $20.00
Price in other shops:
On the Shoulders of Giants, Vol. 1: An Audio & Musical Journey Through the Harlem Renaissanceby Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Release date: 2011-09-06; Published: 2008; Music CD
Best price: $1.98
Price in other shops:
Francis Durbridge, Paul Temple & The Gilbert Case - Radio ShowRelease date: 2003-05-12; Music CD
Best price: $21.49
Price in other shops:
The Serenaders - My One and Only YouRelease date: 2011-05-28; Music CD
Best price: $8.76
Price in other shops:
Similar CDs
Footloose (1984 Film)Unknown; Release date: 1998-10-06; Music CD
Best price: $4.29
Price in other shops:
Rocky BalboaTeam Marketing; Release date: 2007-03-20; DVD
Best price: $2.71
Price in other shops:
First Blood: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1982 Film)Release date: 2000-09-26; Music CD
Best price: $11.69
Price in other shops:
Rocky V: Music From And Inspired By The Motion PictureRelease date: 1995-08-08; Music CD
Best price: $21.04
Price in other shops:
Top Gun SoundtrackTOP GUN; Release date: 1999-08-31; Music CD
Best price: $4.19
Price in other shops:
Rocky III: Original Motion Picture ScoreRelease date: 1990-10-25; Published: 1996-04-27; Music CD
Best price: $4.47
Price in other shops:
Rocky II (1979 Film)Release date: 1990-10-25; Published: 1996-02-19; Music CD
Best price: $5.38
Price in other shops:
![Rocky [Original Motion Picture Score] Image](/images/Rocky-Original-Motion-Picture-Score-B000ICM5O4-X.jpg)
Rocky [Original Motion Picture Score]VARIOUS; Release date: 2006-12-05; Published: 1996-02-19; Music CD
Best price: $9.48
Price in other shops:
The Rocky Story: The Original Soundtrack Songs From The Rocky Movies (Soundtrack Anthology)Release date: 1991-07-01; Music CD
Best price: $6.27
Price in other shops:
Rocky IV: Original Motion Picture SoundtrackRelease date: 2006-02-28; Music CD
Best price: $4.22
Price in other shops: