|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Really? I'd rate THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN right after THE BIG COUNTRY.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
GARDEN OF EVIL BERNARD HERRMANN hands down!
|
|
|
|
|
This is an obscure one, but it's a favorite of mine. THE RETURN OF JESSE JAMES by Ferde Grofe. This little compact western used one of America's best known composers to write a neat little score. If you can manage to view the film, listen to Susan Younger's theme under many of Ann Dvorak's scenes. Beautiful and haunting, as much of Grofe's music is.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
-The Commancheros -True Grit -The Magnificent Seven -Scalphunters -Hallelujah Trail
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The Western film genre (esp 50s, 60s and 70s) offers such a rich brimful of absolutely fantastic music for collectors, that's for sure. If Thor says we've discussed it three times on this board, that still isnt enough! Although many people cite Once Upon A Time in The West as Morricone's best, and it is great, for me, The Good The Bad and The Ugly is his masterpiece by a million miles - so much more variety and depth and yet cunning simplicity. The finale, from the arrival in the cemetary, as described by Frayling, is "a 20 minute rock video". The music takes over and becomes the star performer, not in an obtrusive way, but in a stroke of genius way. (All this and the fact that, with Arch Stanton, I was in it!). There is a case for arguing that almost every one of Ennio's 30-plus western scores should be included in any kind of best of western music, such is his skill in this arena. When you consider, as mentioned by some above, the candidates are among others: The Dollar films, Guns for San Sebastian; Duck you sucker, My Name is Nobody; The Big Gundown; Face To Face; Il Mercenario; Death Rides a horse, Navajo Joe; Five Man Army; Big Silence; Tepepa; Hills Run Red; Two Mules for Sister Sarah; etc etc. Endless gems. My big hitters beyond Morricone are Magnificent Seven, Wonderful Country, The Professionals, Villa Rides, Lonely Are the Brave and The Wild Bunch. After that, there are just too many good scores to list. Probably easily two hundred, maybe 300 or more. I kid you not, and given there were 500 plus Italian western films alone and the vast majority of them have good quality scores, this may even be a far too low total and anyone who has really collected and enjoyed western films during the 60s and 70s will tell you this is true. In fact its probably easier to list western films with crap scores, such is the rarity of the occasion. My other favourites are (and some already mentioned):- Valdez is Coming Barquero Breakheart Pass Big Country Big Jake Bite The Bullet Chato's Land Duel At Diablo Hunting Party Jeremiah Johnson Lawman Outlaw Josey Wales Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid Posse McKenna's Gold Red Sun Rio Lobo Soldier Blue Scalphunters Shootist Shoot Out Spikes Gang The Cowboys Tom Horn Ulzana's Raid Will Penny for me, the top Italian westerns are: Almost everything by Nicolai, esp Indio Black and Run Man Run. Sabata (giombini), Django, Texas Adios, Kill them all and come back alone, Sartarna dont forgive, A Man a Horse A Gun; A Bullet for the General; Day of Anger, and just too many to list. There is undoubtedly plenty of glaring omissions Ive left off!
|
|
|
|
|
|
DODGE CITY is far and away my favorite western score. It's got grandeur, thrilling action cues, and a nice peppering of traditional interpolation. All of Steiner's westerns are first-rate, but DODGE CITY established the template. After that, HIGH NOON and RED RIVER from Mr. T. Richard Hageman's westerns for Ford are incredible, my favorite being SHE WORE A YELLOW RIBBON. Frank Skinner wrote a bundle of great cues for New Universal westerns and the boys at Republic went "mad..simply mad" with all those great chases. There are, of course, many great western scores from the late 50's and 60's, but none of them have that spark of Americana schmaltz that is so endearing (to me) about the earlier scores. Ray I have to agree totally with your choices. The youngsters of today have never heard 'reel', pun intended, Western film scoring. Steiner, Tiomkin, Hagman and Buttolph brought a style to their work not seen in 'any' of todays compositions. All groundbreaking. It's a shame that John Morgan doesn't prepare an anthology of Hagmans work. Incidently even with a bad prostate I'm still here - though time is limited. What's new, horizon wise, for BYU ?. John when is Charge of the Light Brigade due ?. Regards Nathan.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|