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Roger Hall, at American Music Preservation and Film Music Review, asked me to write a brief tribute to, and analysis of, both William Wyler's war time masterpiece "The Best Years of Our Lives," and the inspirational music written by Hugo Friedhofer to accompany it.
Titled HUGO FRIEDHOFER, AND "THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES," this short retrospective pays grateful, if momentary homage, to a deserved classic of American motion picture making at its best. The link below will take you to the web site...
www.Americanmusicpreservation.com/BestYearsofOurLives.htm
I hope you'll find the piece meaningful, and of some value.
Respectfully,
Steve Vertlieb
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A heartfelt and well-written piece, Steve. This is a film and score that deserve far more attention than they receive today.
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I think it's Friedhofer's best. Which reminds me of an argument I have with certain friends of mine. They believe the music to films like PSYCHO, JAWS, PATTON or this film are superior to the films they are in. I believe they would have never got there on their own without the inspired imagery. I am a big William Wyler fan and I don't know of any composer that wouldn't be inspired by the homecoming montage in the opening of this film. Friedhofer did his best for a film and director that inspired his best. Which is why though I've seen many a bad movie with a good score, there are no great films with bad scores.
No great films with bad scores? I think the Black Stallion is a great film with a completely inept score by Carmine Coppola. Oh, what a Goldsmith or Williams could have done.
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No great films with bad scores? I think the Black Stallion is a great film with a completely inept score by Carmine Coppola. Oh, what a Goldsmith or Williams could have done.
I think it's a wonderful score! That's just me..
Did David Shire write a score for this, or was that just Apocalypse Now? Anyone ever hear Shire's Apocalypse Now score?
I watched Best Years for the 1st time a couple of months ago. Really made me appreciate the cd even more. Powerful score!
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No great films with bad scores? I think the Black Stallion is a great film with a completely inept score by Carmine Coppola. Oh, what a Goldsmith or Williams could have done.
I think it's a wonderful score! That's just me..
NOT just you.
Roger Debris has not only insulted Coppola (who wrote a memorable main theme) but Shirley Walker who penned the exciting music for the ride on the beach.
BUT HE IS CORRECT in stating it's a great film.
BRM
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SAE has this as being reissued !!!!!!!
hooray.
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That's not news, is it?
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That's not news, is it?
is there another version that is oop and $$$?
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That's not news, is it?
is there another version that is oop and $$$?
SAE has had the Label X version in thier website for a while...
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That's not news, is it?
is there another version that is oop and $$$?
SAE has had the Label X version in thier website for a while...
the version listed is from Australia and is apparently a re-issue of the previous versions (re-mixed) listed at $19.95.
soundsgood to me to have this back in print!
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the version listed is from Australia and is apparently a re-issue of the previous versions (re-mixed) listed at $19.95.
soundsgood to me to have this back in print!
To my ears, this so-called re-mix offers no improvement at all over the poor-sounding original CD that label put out.
well... it's all we got of a classic score!
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To my ears, this so-called re-mix offers no improvement at all over the poor-sounding original CD that label put out.
I have the Preamble CD and it sounds fine to me.
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To my ears, this so-called re-mix offers no improvement at all over the poor-sounding original CD that label put out.
I have the Preamble CD and it sounds fine to me.
that's because you have good ears!
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that's because you have good ears!
Yeah, for audio quality the two CDs must be just a matter of taste. Musically it was a badly needed rerecording and a major treasure, like RAISE THE TITANIC only more so. The rationale for the remaster is cited here
http://www.americanmusicpreservation.com/BestYearsofOurLives.htm#cdreview
The last page has a note from producer John Steven Lasher. He admits to having problems with the close-miking of the original LP "which tended to favour certain instruments (the harp, celeste, piano, xylophone and timpani) in the recording." After nineteen years, Lasher decided to correct the recording with digital mastering technology. He concludes: " the end result is such that many will believe they are listening to a completely new recording. Of course, you - the listener - must be the final judge."
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