I finally had a chance to listen to this on youtube and immediately fell in love.
Which recording(s) do you prefer? I'm okay with original recordings with stereo sound, and I usually like re-recordings when done well.
Any help will be hugely appreciated. I am getting very much into Alfred Newman's scores lately, including the excellent Kritzerland David and Bathsheba.
I think that sound on youtube not so good as we can with. Remember, that on official bluray movies sound in flac format. I wrote article about it for https://www.domyhomework4me.net/
"Beware" Almighty of the Rhino 2-CD set. It's got plenty of great stuff on it, but also a seemingly endless stream of vocals, some of them downright annoying. "Raise a Ruckus Tonight" and "What Was Your Name in the States?" are amongst the worst offenders I think. If you're not into that kind of saloon vocal wit you might find yourself having to programme a lot out. Not sure offhand if some of the more irritating songs and adaptations actually form part of longer tracks, so in some cases you won't be able to get rid of them so easily. I'm not really sure - I rarely listen to it for those reasons.
Of course, you might love that sort of stuff. Thought I'd mention it just in case.
"Beware" Almighty of the Rhino 2-CD set. It's got plenty of great stuff on it, but also a seemingly endless stream of vocals, some of them downright annoying. "Raise a Ruckus Tonight" and "What Was Your Name in the States?" are amongst the worst offenders I think. If you're not into that kind of saloon vocal wit you might find yourself having to programme a lot out. Not sure offhand if some of the more irritating songs and adaptations actually form part of longer tracks, so in some cases you won't be able to get rid of them so easily. I'm not really sure - I rarely listen to it for those reasons.
Of course, you might love that sort of stuff. Thought I'd mention it just in case.
Thanks to everyone!
Graham, do you have a recording you prefer? I'm not at all into saloon...well, anything.
Wagner, I'm not really the right person to ask, because I'm not really fanatical about collecting multiple versions of the same score, and my knowledge is very limited in that respect. Re: HTWWW, I only have (apart from the Rhino) the old MGM Classics (?) LP. Mine is the one with the brown cover and gatefold sleeve. That must be ancient now. I don't even have it yet in my "new" abode (since 1990). The trouble with that one is, I think, that apart from missing out a heck of a lot of great Newman tracks, it still includes some of the annoying vocal material. I suppose the idea was to reflect the sprawling film as a whole. So really, it's possible that on ALL versions, you'll get Debbie Reynolds doing her bar-room schtick and plenty of "When Johnny Comes Marching Home" and "Battle Hymn of the Republic". But as I say, I'm no expert.
Let's wait for the Newman experts to chip in. I'm a bit of a novice really.
By the way, do you know the site SoundtrackCollector? It's not infallible, but it does at least try to give info on just about every version of every soundtrack ever released, at least content wise.
Wagner, I'm not really the right person to ask, because I'm not really fanatical about collecting multiple versions of the same score, and my knowledge is very limited in that respect. Re: HTWWW, I only have (apart from the Rhino) the old MGM Classics (?) LP. Mine is the one with the brown cover and gatefold sleeve. That must be ancient now. I don't even have it yet in my "new" abode (since 1990). The trouble with that one is, I think, that apart from missing out a heck of a lot of great Newman tracks, it still includes some of the annoying vocal material. I suppose the idea was to reflect the sprawling film as a whole. So really, it's possible that on ALL versions, you'll get Debbie Reynolds doing her bar-room schtick and plenty of "When Johnny Comes Marching Home" and "Battle Hymn of the Republic". But as I say, I'm no expert.
Let's wait for the Newman experts to chip in. I'm a bit of a novice really.
By the way, do you know the site SoundtrackCollector? It's not infallible, but it does at least try to give info on just about every version of every soundtrack ever released, at least content wise.
I wouldn't be without the Rhino complete 2-CD set. (I even sought out and bought the one album recorded by the Whiskey Hill Singers, who appear in the Overture and Entr'Acte in HOW THE WEST WAS WON.) It goes without saying that nobody conducts or records like Newman himself.
If you ever want a quick fix and don't have time to luxuriate, there's a nice suite on that Silva 2-CD tribute collection, "Man of Galilee." If you're getting into Newman, you should probably buy that set anyway.
Yeah, I think the Rhino set is the definitive version. It's the only version I have outside of suites, from various (Silva) compilations. The other versions are probably just condensed versions (a la King of Kings). The trouble with the condensed versions is that they omit a fair amount of good music.
I would recommend hunting down the Rhino version, especially, if you like the traditional American source music. However, the Sony version of HWWW is available for a cheap price, and it looks like it has most of the essential cues expect for ...
The Rhino. Since this is the score that woke me up to film music I can attest that, even if you hate the songs (I don't), the number of great symphonic cues you would lose out on would be substantial. Go complete and reprogram what you don't want out. BTW many other alternate good versions slow down the tempo substantially thereby losing a lot of it's power.
The Rhino is essential. At the other end of the scale, I've always liked the short suite (about 8 mins) on Kunzel's "Round Up" CD from 1986. Very nicely performed and recorded. That CD also includes a notable re-recorded suite of Gunfight at the OK Corral with vocals by Frankie Laine.
WA, go for the Rhino 2CD set. It's as complete a version of the score as we are likely to ever get. Like you I fell in love with the score long before seeing the film in a Cinerama theatre.
BTW, this is the suite that Basil has mentioned.
As arranged by Christopher Palmer, it is good, but nothing captures the excitement of the complete Main Title as the original version conducted by Newman himself on the Rhino set.
"Beware" Almighty of the Rhino 2-CD set. It's got plenty of great stuff on it, but also a seemingly endless stream of vocals, some of them downright annoying. "Raise a Ruckus Tonight" and "What Was Your Name in the States?" are amongst the worst offenders I think. If you're not into that kind of saloon vocal wit you might find yourself having to programme a lot out. Not sure offhand if some of the more irritating songs and adaptations actually form part of longer tracks, so in some cases you won't be able to get rid of them so easily. I'm not really sure - I rarely listen to it for those reasons.
Of course, you might love that sort of stuff. Thought I'd mention it just in case.
The songs were built into the score and the f8lm. Newman associate ken darby was involved with the musical presentation. 5he score does not function without the songs. The rhino version is the best.
"Beware" Almighty of the Rhino 2-CD set. It's got plenty of great stuff on it, but also a seemingly endless stream of vocals, some of them downright annoying. "Raise a Ruckus Tonight" and "What Was Your Name in the States?" are amongst the worst offenders I think. If you're not into that kind of saloon vocal wit you might find yourself having to programme a lot out. Not sure offhand if some of the more irritating songs and adaptations actually form part of longer tracks, so in some cases you won't be able to get rid of them so easily. I'm not really sure - I rarely listen to it for those reasons.
Of course, you might love that sort of stuff. Thought I'd mention it just in case.
The songs were built into the score and the f8lm. Newman associate ken darby was involved with the musical presentation. 5he score does not function without the songs. The rhino version is the best.
"Beware" Almighty of the Rhino 2-CD set. It's got plenty of great stuff on it, but also a seemingly endless stream of vocals, some of them downright annoying. "Raise a Ruckus Tonight" and "What Was Your Name in the States?" are amongst the worst offenders I think. If you're not into that kind of saloon vocal wit you might find yourself having to programme a lot out. Not sure offhand if some of the more irritating songs and adaptations actually form part of longer tracks, so in some cases you won't be able to get rid of them so easily. I'm not really sure - I rarely listen to it for those reasons.
Of course, you might love that sort of stuff. Thought I'd mention it just in case.
The songs were built into the score and the f8lm. Newman associate ken darby was involved with the musical presentation. 5he score does not function without the songs. The rhino version is the best.
"Beware" Almighty of the Rhino 2-CD set. It's got plenty of great stuff on it, but also a seemingly endless stream of vocals, some of them downright annoying. "Raise a Ruckus Tonight" and "What Was Your Name in the States?" are amongst the worst offenders I think. If you're not into that kind of saloon vocal wit you might find yourself having to programme a lot out. Not sure offhand if some of the more irritating songs and adaptations actually form part of longer tracks, so in some cases you won't be able to get rid of them so easily. I'm not really sure - I rarely listen to it for those reasons.
Of course, you might love that sort of stuff. Thought I'd mention it just in case.
The songs were built into the score and the f8lm. Newman associate ken darby was involved with the musical presentation. 5he score does not function without the songs. The rhino version is the best.
joec, I totally agree. Even the "short" LP releases included a fair proportion of songs and adaptations of popular traditional tunes in order to give at least a hint of the scope of the film.
However, I was responding in my post to WagnerAlmighty, and from what I've read of her comments on Rózsa etc, I get the feeling that she may not be looking for a fair representation of all the facets of the film. She's already said that she'll probably end up programming quite a few tracks out, if she decides to buy.
EDIT . Actually, now I think about it, I'm not sure I actually do totally agree, joec! You say that the score doesn't work without the songs. Well, it may not work as a faithful representation of the intent of the film, but as a pure listening experience, those songs and multiple quotes from folk tunes sure get on my tits.
joec, I totally agree. Even the "short" LP releases included a fair proportion of songs and adaptations of popular traditional tunes in order to give at least a hint of the scope of the film.
However, I was responding in my post to WagnerAlmighty, and from what I've read of her comments on Rózsa etc, I get the feeling that she may not be looking for a fair representation of all the facets of the film. She's already said that she'll probably end up programming quite a few tracks out, if she decides to buy.
EDIT . Actually, now I think about it, I'm not sure I actually do totally agree, joec! You say that the score doesn't work without the songs. Well, it may not work as a faithful representation of the intent of the film, but as a pure listening experience, those songs and multiple quotes from folk tunes sure get on my tits.
I imagine I'll give the songs a try. If I don't like them it's not a big deal; seems to me How the West is Won is one heck of a lot more score than songs
I have been having a really great time both analyzing and appreciating maestro Newman's approach to string writing. I found the Greatest Story to have some super cool woodwind ensembles, too (I got the Ryko last week). His is a very decompressed style overall I think (keeping in mind the Robe as well).
Instead of working from germ motifs, like Bernard used to do (more often than not, bless 'im!), he really puts the main themes through some fascinating transformations. He liked having loooong melodies and messing around with the resolution of phrases. I had to patiently concentrate through some sections...this doesn't happen often when I'm listening to most film composers.
Newman had mastered both the immediate effect of great film music, plus explored a path that seems very original. His music is full of idiosyncrasies which delineate just how expressive a composer he truly was imo.
