In dealing with a score like "The Enforcer" by Jerry Felding, whether you like it or not will really depend on what type of mood you're in when you're listening to it.  It's not a modern action score by today's standards, though it was current in the 70's when it was first created.  It is also, in fact, the only one of the Dirty Harry movies that was not scored by Lalo Schifrin, who had earned a good deal of success with his work on the franchise.  This distinction lends itself well to the unique aspect of this release from Aleph Records as I'm sure fans of this era will be interested in a release like this.

 

One of the problems I have with music that has a dated feel is that unless I am swept up in the nostalgia of it, then I won't generally warm up to it.  In listening to "The Enforcer," there was no doubt from the first note that we were entrenched in the 70's.  The music has a certain funk factor to it!  Unfortunately for me, it's a sound that I really don't care for and feel as though music should be timeless when presented in movies, unless there is a specific plot need for it.  And to be fair, since this film had an urban setting, then the requirement would necessitate a solid sound representation from the decade.  After all, I suppose it would feel a bit odd to hear vintage orchestral anthems accompany bell bottoms and butterfly collars!

 

In moments when the score becomes more conventional, you'll hear a lot of tense underscore building up the scenes.  You are dealing with Dirty Harry after all, so there certainly is a need for gritty mood music.  While fine in the context of the movie, this doesn't translate well when listening to it, and that's really universal.  As a soundtrack fan, it's always been a challenge for me to embrace a mood inducing underscore as it's really a difficult component to listen to.  On a bright side, the album does conclude in a strong fashion with a very nice Elegy piece that offers emotion and is far removed from the city streets.  The alternate finale, serving as the album's last track, delivers material that is detached from the era as well, and delivers orchestral music that is more accessable to listen to.  These final two tracks are superb and are the highlights of the disc. 

I suppose I'm ultimately the wrong target audience for a score like "The Enforcer."  While I am going to give it a fairly negative grade for my taste, I'll acknowledge that this type of soundtrack release will be right up the alley of those who enjoyed the music from similar films of the decade.  Collectors will also get mileage out of this release due to Felding's involvement in a franchise where Schifrin developed all the other scores.  So in the end, it's not for me but it's still worthwhile and will be appreciated by others with different interests.