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And I'll keep dreaming of a KotK rerecording (or perhaps a Kritzerland release...imagine the sound).
A Kritzerland reissue might actually happen, considering how much Bruce shares our love of Newman, and he might be able to get Michael Mattesino to improve the sound somewhat...but honestly the SAE sounds very good for its age and far better than the unmentionables out there...
My favorite Alfred remains the Greatest Story Ever Told, but scores like The Robe, Egyptian, Song of Bernadette, Counterfeit Traitor, Man Hunt, How the West Was Won (the score that had me fall in love with Westerns and might be the best ever imo), David and Bathsheba...we could go on so long, just like Jerry.
Well you know I hold Captain from Castile as my favorite but I love all the rest too...and even as someone not at all religious I love his "religious sound" on everything from The Robe to A Man Called Peter (try the clips):
https://www.filmscoremonthly.com/cds/detail.cfm/CDID/190/Man-Called-Peter-A/
How the West Was Won may not win for me in the overall score category, but I think it has a much better claim on possibly being the greatest single western THEME of all time...it is just that awesome!
Yavar
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Well you know I hold Captain from Castile as my favorite but I love all the rest too...and even as someone not at all religious I love his "religious sound" on everything from The Robe to A Man Called Peter (try the clips):
https://www.filmscoremonthly.com/cds/detail.cfm/CDID/190/Man-Called-Peter-A/
How the West Was Won may not win for me in the overall score category, but I think it has a much better claim on possibly being the greatest single western THEME of all time...it is just that awesome!
Yavar
I have this tickly suspicion you know I already have (and love) Man Called Peter, rascal!
How the West is Won is definitely my favorite Western score, and it's also one of the main scores in that genre that has cues that reach an Art music level of quality. It's the one I'm still kicking myself over, as the first couple of listens I foolishly just HAD to listen to the whole Rhino through...including the corny stuff. Once I programmed those discs I was in awe of Alfred's compositional ability.
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Alfred was just the MAN, it amazes me just how much his influence pervades to this very day. His knowledge, accomplishments, and talent seem almost superhuman to me.
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Ohmigosh is this engaging! Immediate smile. Glad you dropped this one on me.
ALFRED STRINGS!
Yeah, Alfred lent his string sound to many of the colleagues who worked under him at Fox...other composers for you to explore further are Hugo Friedhofer (which you already know having gotten The Rains of Ranchipur) and Sol Kaplan*:
https://www.filmscoremonthly.com/board/posts.cfm?threadID=97811&forumID=1&archive=0
REALLY want that Way of a Gaucho by Kaplan released!
Yavar
*P.S. My favorite Kaplan score was from later in the 60s and after he left Fox, and doesn't sound particularly Newman-y. But it would still probably appeal to you since you're a fan of Goldsmith's Masada and QBVII. Feast your ears on the sound clips for Judith: http://store.intrada.com/s.nl/it.A/id.8753/.f
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2 things, combining 2 recent threads:
1) I've been listening lately to my comparatively few A Newman CDs and LPs and thinking I need recommendations to expand my collection, so after just reading this threads raves, I just bout from Screen Archives Dragonwyck and Counterfeit Traitor. Both blind buys--the other thread.
2) I was glad to hear the raves about Craig Spaulding. Back in the nineties I used to order from Screen Archives by phone and would always talk to Craig, who would set my CD aside and then I would mail a check. How times have changed. Ordering now is more efficient, but less personal. On the other hand, back then there were no forums to read.
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I have this tickly suspicion you know I already have (and love) Man Called Peter, rascal!
Nope, if you told me I forgot, sorry! My memory isn't always perfect either. 
How the West is Won is definitely my favorite Western score, and it's also one of the main scores in that genre that has cues that reach an Art music level of quality. It's the one I'm still kicking myself over, as the first couple of listens I foolishly just HAD to listen to the whole Rhino through...including the corny stuff. Once I programmed those discs I was in awe of Alfred's compositional ability.
Yeah, it's pretty awesome...though I think there are many western scores that reach an "art music level of quality" -- there's lots still out there for you to discover! (For more recent ones, are you at all familiar with John Barry's Dances With Wolves? One of his best works, IMO...and I think his longest and most plentiful in terms of excellent thematic material.)
Alfred was just the MAN, it amazes me just how much his influence pervades to this very day. His knowledge, accomplishments, and talent seem almost superhuman to me.
He also helped out a young talented composer named Jerry Goldsmith early on, recommending him for Lonely Are the Brave...which might very well be *my* favorite western score of all time -- and talk about "Art music level of quality"! (You really have got to order the DVD of the film if you still haven't yet...)
Yavar
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Ohmigosh is this engaging! Immediate smile. Glad you dropped this one on me.
ALFRED STRINGS!
Yeah, Alfred lent his string sound to many of the colleagues who worked under him at Fox...other composers for you to explore further are Hugo Friedhofer (which you already know having gotten The Rains of Ranchipur) and Sol Kaplan*:
https://www.filmscoremonthly.com/board/posts.cfm?threadID=97811&forumID=1&archive=0
REALLY want that Way of a Gaucho by Kaplan released!
Yavar
*P.S. My favorite Kaplan score was from later in the 60s and after he left Fox, and doesn't sound particularly Newman-y. But it would still probably appeal to you since you're a fan of Goldsmith's Masada and QBVII. Feast your ears on the sound clips for Judith: http://store.intrada.com/s.nl/it.A/id.8753/.f
I'm way behind on my Friedhofer. As far as Kaplan, this is great! He definitely veered away from Alfred here, but I so love the xylophone on the main theme....really rousing music! This cd is obviously a winner.
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villagardens, you've made a great choice to explore A. Newman further! I think Counterfeit Traitor is particularly underrated and should've sold out for Kritzerland long ago...just thrilling stuff. Even though 1947's Captain from Castile is my favorite Newman score, in general I think he just kept getting better and better, with his 60s output after leaving Fox some of his very best work, even though he composed far less frequently. He's a composer who kept developing and advancing his style all the way to the end, after initially starting out imitating the European sounds of Korngold/Steiner/Young.
I'm way behind on my Friedhofer. As far as Kaplan, this is great! He definitely veered away from Alfred here, but I so love the xylophone on the main theme....really rousing music! This cd is obviously a winner.
Did you listen to the Way of a Gaucho clip in that FSM thread I linked? He definitely wasn't veering away from Alfred there!
Yavar
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I have this tickly suspicion you know I already have (and love) Man Called Peter, rascal!
Nope, if you told me I forgot, sorry! My memory isn't always perfect either.
How the West is Won is definitely my favorite Western score, and it's also one of the main scores in that genre that has cues that reach an Art music level of quality. It's the one I'm still kicking myself over, as the first couple of listens I foolishly just HAD to listen to the whole Rhino through...including the corny stuff. Once I programmed those discs I was in awe of Alfred's compositional ability.
Yeah, it's pretty awesome...though I think there are many western scores that reach an "art music level of quality" -- there's lots still out there for you to discover! (For more recent ones, are you at all familiar with John Barry's Dances With Wolves? One of his best works, IMO...and I think his longest and most plentiful in terms of excellent thematic material.)
Alfred was just the MAN, it amazes me just how much his influence pervades to this very day. His knowledge, accomplishments, and talent seem almost superhuman to me.
He also helped out a young talented composer named Jerry Goldsmith early on, recommending him for Lonely Are the Brave...which might very well be *my* favorite western score of all time -- and talk about "Art music level of quality"! (You really have got to order the DVD of the film if you still haven't yet...)
Yavar
As far as art music quality scores in Westerns, you're completely right. Just one more example, as much as you might not be wild about Tiomkin I put parts of the Alamo in that category...I don't know if you noticed but I'm pretty crazy about Westerns now lol!
GOTS to remember Lonely Are the Brave, but when it comes to art music Jerry Goldsmith is a regular in those annals. From right around the beginning on, really.
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villagardens, you've made a great choice to explore A. Newman further! I think Counterfeit Traitor is particularly underrated and should've sold out for Kritzerland long ago...just thrilling stuff. Even though 1947's Captain from Castile is my favorite Newman score, in general I think he just kept getting better and better, with his 60s output after leaving Fox some of his very best work, even though he composed far less frequently. He's a composer who kept developing and advancing his style all the way to the end, after initially starting out imitating the European sounds of Korngold/Steiner/Young.
Yavar
Captain from Castile is absolutely phenomenal, and as Yavar knows the best release of that masterpiece is totally worth it. Awesome packaging, freakily good (for the time) sound, just a terrific score that will last forever.
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I'm not wild about Tiomkin it's true but The Alamo is an exception. I don't know if it consider it high art quite on the level of Goldsmith or Newman, but it is damn impressive, catchy, and enjoyable...and I think the trumpet writing in the score was definitely influential on Ennio Morricone.
And yeah, villagardens, you simply must grab this masterpiece from SAE if you don't have it yet: http://screenarchives.com/title_detail.cfm/ID/3277/CAPTAIN-FROM-CASTILE/
Yavar
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Ray, thanks again for all your fine work for Alfred Newman at CR Studios for Screen Archives! These are really all cherished releases in my collection, and the packaging and liner notes are particularly deluxe and second to none (not even FSM). I only wish the Newman and Friedhofer releases were still coming from you!
Yavar
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THE BLUEBIRD is really under the radar but it's a beautiful score. I actually first heard tracks from it in a promotional short made by the Technicolor company showcasing the use of Technicolor in Industrial films.
I definitely want to grab that one. I just picked up Prince of Foxes, Dragonwyck had to wait this time, but I'll pick it up with Razor's Edge next month.
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Ray, thanks again for all your fine work for Alfred Newman at CR Studios for Screen Archives! These are really all cherished releases in my collection, and the packaging and liner notes are particularly deluxe and second to none (not even FSM). I only wish the Newman and Friedhofer releases were still coming from you!
Yavar
PLEASE!!!!
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I definitely want to grab that one. I just picked up Prince of Foxes, Dragonwyck had to wait this time, but I'll pick it up with Razor's Edge next month.
And don't forget to place that long-planned order at some point for all those fantastic Kritzerland Newmans!
Yavar
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I definitely want to grab that one. I just picked up Prince of Foxes, Dragonwyck had to wait this time, but I'll pick it up with Razor's Edge next month.
And don't forget to place that long-planned order at some point for all those fantastic Kritzerland Newmans!
Yavar
Waittaminute...that's riiight. Including Leave Her to Heaven (which I thought was a pretty darn good movie...Gene Tierney was beautiful!)
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Through the years I've sold almost all of my soundtrack cd's, but this one and a lot of Byu and Screenarchives cd's are still displayed proudly. These are 100% quality reissues.
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This score and WILSON remain two of my favorite Newman CDs. Looking forward to picking up the Twilight Time Blu-ray of DRAGONWYCK.
I just ordered Dragonwyck...now I'm interested more than ever in Wilson!
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