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Posted: |
May 28, 2004 - 9:17 AM
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By: |
Thor
(Member)
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I was just re-listening to this album yesterday, and it is in my opinion Williams' best Western score (not that there are that many to choose from). So full of life, with sparkling orchestration and engaging Americana. Has hints of THE REIVERS, such as "Learning the Ropes".
A friend of mine sent me an expanded, fan-made version of this score, and while I thank him for his gesture (you know who you are!), I don't think there was a lot of music that was left out that was really worthy of inclusion on the CD. The Varese disc runs a perfect 30 minutes, containing all the musical highlights from the score.
I should note that my copy has reversed stereo channels, though (the strings are on the right and the brass on the left), which is a bit unusual, but nothing to write home about.
Oh, and Bob Peak's cover art is really wonderful, don't you think?
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To my knowledge there is no complete release of the score. The private/bootleg versions floating around are all a mix of the Varese CD, plus the bootleg LP (with variable trasfer quality) and eventually the Entr'acte and exit Music extracted from either the Laser Disc or the DVD.
Still, there's music missing -- not much though.
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This is another example of a fabulous score finally seeing the light of day years and years after the film's original release. I remember lamenting that there was no album when the film first released. First that unofficial LP and then the excellent Varese release.
A great score - whichever version you happen to play the most.
Mark T.
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JS, I'm glad to hear you got a corrected copy, but I'm sorry to hear you "sprung for" it. Varese swapped corrected copies for the original mistake-copies at no extra charge.
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"Cowboys" is also fun if you want to hear Williams' sort of "rough draft" of the Copland-esque Smallville material in his later score for "Superman."
Can you spot it?
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Actually, Miguel, the expanded bootleg I have is one made by a fellow FSM'er. It's a mix of the Varese album, but also VHS rips and other sources, if I remember correctly. I'm really keeping it for curiousity's sake only, as it is the Varese album I keep playing.
I don't know the actual origin of the private releases I have, but the one with ripped stuff from what might very well be a VHS copy is pretty bad. The others are only amix of the Varese CD and the LP.
But i was sent a few years ago some unreleased tracks ripped from the DVD that sound really good, without any SFX.
Personally I find that the best presentation of the score lies between the CD and the LP, but since I love this score so much, I really should grab by DVD of the film, sit on the computer and rip all the missing music...
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sit on the computer and rip all the missing music...
You sit...on your computer?
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You sit...on your computer?
Yes, all the time 
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Posted: |
Apr 20, 2009 - 4:21 PM
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By: |
Thor
(Member)
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I just saw this film for the first time.
For the most part, I found it to be an engrossing, traditional Western with quality performances and little "cheese". It was also more gritty and violent than I had expected, knowing this was a John Wayne vehicle and not a Sam Peckinpah western.
However, there were some bits that I found a bit "on the edge", morally.
SPOILERS AHEAD!
For example, the introduction of the black chef with the matter-of-fact statement from the boys: "it's the first time we've seen a nigger!"....without any problematization of the term itself. Yeah, I realize it was made in a different time, but the film is still contemporary enough that it felt a bit odd and uncomfortable. And then when Wayne yells at the kid for stuttering...the kid breaks into tears, yells back at Wayne and then magically loses his stuttering - as if stuttering was a pure matter of confidence - well that didn't click with me. And then there is that whole ending, where the boys become killing machines. I realize it's a film about the evolution from boy to man, but that just felt too forced and at odds with the whole moral of the film.
SPOILER END!
Williams' music was SPARKLING in context. In-your-face rambunctious for the open vistas and impressive hurd sequences and down-to-earth gritty for the suspense and shoot-out scenes. I can certainly understand why he has made it a concert staple over the years.
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