1. "Hit" by James Horner from Patriot Games
Yes, James Horner has scored other things besides James Cameron films. I know, it's shocking.
Patriot Games has a interesting Irish-tinged score that's also fraught with action and tense suspense. It's an odd combo, but it makes for an exciting as well as dreary-sounding score, much like the film itself.
"Hit" accompanies the assassination attempt on Jack Ryan's family in the middle of the film. It's a harrowing scene featuring Sean Bean at his most brutal. The track is mostly ambient for the first three minutes, throwing some Irishy strings and flutes, before picking up a little around four minutes in, as the attackers near Ryan's family on the highway. The tension builds, and builds, AND BUILDS, speeding up and adding more flutes or drums or odd synth bass cues along the way.
I can't help thinking of Sean Bean's chilling line throughout this entire track: "How's the family, Ryan?"
