Trevor Rabin Film Music Magazine Interview

On The Score with Trevor Rabin

By Daniel Schweiger | Film Music Magazine | June 18, 2008

After gaining legions of rock fans as the guitarist, keyboard player and singer for the classic longhair group Yes (who will soon be making their arena return), scoring for film was the natural next stage for Trevor Rabin. Quickly making a similar name for himself as part of the new beat-driven sound in action scoring, Rabin’s full-throttle work has included “Enemy of the State,” “Con Air,” “The Deep Blue Sea,” “Snakes on a Plane,” Flyboys” and two “National Treasure” films. And that’s not counting the rousing patriotism of sports scores like “Remember the Titans,” “Glory Road” and “Gridiron Gang,” all with the kind of rousing melodies that insured out heroes won the big game.

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If it can be said that Trevor Rabin’s music has saved the world many times over. And his sure hand with exhilarating action is now being called on like never before when faced with the wonderful ineptitude of Agent Maxwell Smart. First immortalized on the small screen by Don Adams, CONTROL’s goofiest agent has now been giving the mega-Hollywood treatment with star Steve Carell answering the shoe phone. And if spy skills always screw up, leave it to Trevor Rabin’s music to make sure that Smart saves the world from CHAOS in any case.

With his music playing the straight man to Smart’s onscreen foul-ups, Rabin’s score would fit right into any of his action hits with its cool suspense grooves, blasting rhythmic action, shifty ethnic instruments and proud heroism. Yet there’s more than a smile, and a twist to Rabin’s action-rock sound here, complete with dynamite new take on Irving Szathmary’s classic Get Smart tv theme. So while he’s scored some unintentionally funny action films in the past, it can now be said that Trevor Rabin is in on the joke with his dynamic score for “Get Smart.” And on this new edition of On the Score, Rabin has switched off the cone of silence to reveal his approach to everyone’s favorite goofball secret agent.