I just missed this score when it first went OOP (I didn't see the films until about five or six years ago), so I'd welcome a reissue as well.
I have to apologize then because I was one of the last few people to get one before it went OOP. I had just seen the original for the second or third time but only then really connected with the score, so afer watching I went right to SAE to order. There was a low quantity alert and it went OOP a week or two later.
Marvelous, challenging score. The end title music in particular is wonderfully evocative and eerie.
Easily one of my top-10. Don Ellis is the most underrated, and under-discussed, composer in this Forum. He died way too young. His innovations wrt to jazz swing rhythms are unmatched over the last 30-40 years.
Master guitarist John McClaughlin subscribed to similar rhythmic methods, which were largely from the east (India), by way of Ravi Shankar and Zakir Hussein.
expanded with unused music would also be great, if it's true Friedkin cut out some of the score.
Hi Last Child - Actually, the original FSM release presents the first score as it was initially conceived by Don Ellis - so it does actually contain all of the music that was either cut or altered by Friedkin - in its original form. That's one of the major pleasures of this album.
However, I agree that these two scores are just too marvelous to be out-of-print for too long - it'd be great to see it back out there for new audiences to discover. Ellis' big 5/8 chase music from "French Connection II" is a particular favorite!
Actually, the original FSM release presents the first score as it was initially conceived by Don Ellis - so it does actually contain all of the music that was either cut or altered by Friedkin - in its original form. That's one of the major pleasures of this album.
thanks, TheFamousEccles, that's good to know. I didnt notice there was extra music on the CD, but then I used to think the JAWS LP was the OST (so whatdoIknow).
Nice. Perhaps the best trumpet solo in all of film, and definitely amongst the best ever American trumpet solos. Sadly, Maestro Ellis' trumpet solo is not in the film; WF cut it.
In general, FCI+II is one of the great FSM releases.
Easily one of my top-10. Don Ellis is the most underrated, and under-discussed, composer in this Forum.
This score also is in my top 10 and will always be.
There was one short cue missing from the masters so it is not included on the album. Some music of course had different mixes in the movie. So that could perhaps be presented on a reissue of the score.
Both are excellent scores; the avant-garde nature of some cues might put some people off but Ellis did great work.
His big band jazz albums are well worth seeking out - Ellis really gave his musicians a workout, and they rose to the challenge. He died far too young.
