Not crazy about the entire album, but that one track is KILLER!
That sounds like my Nelson Riddle experience. Despite the time in which he exiated and the kind of music he composed, I can only claim to love only the occasional Riddle track. I've heard things as disparate as his work with Sinatra, his El Dorado score, Uncle score, his occasionally great 1950s mood music albums, and his late '60s-early '70s easy listening efforts, but ol' Nelson never attains greatness. He, like Dominic Frontiere, "should" be "my guys", but are not. I keep on trying to find things of theirs, though, especially when you people rave about it.
Not crazy about the entire album, but that one track is KILLER!
That sounds like my Nelson Riddle experience. Despite the time in which he exiated and the kind of music he composed, I can only claim to love only the occasional Riddle track. I've heard things as disparate as his work with Sinatra, his El Dorado score, Uncle score, his occasionally great 1950s mood music albums, and his late '60s-early '70s easy listening efforts, but ol' Nelson never attains greatness. He, like Dominic Frontiere, "should" be "my guys", but are not. I keep on trying to find things of theirs, though, especially when you people rave about it.
Riddle's best arrangements were written for singers. His instrumental work is hit or miss.
Among the latter, my favorites are his two early 70s German MPS albums, which absolutely embody fondue party European jet-set decadence.
I like that track for the very sound of the horns rather than for the melody itself. In fact, that opening blast would make the perfect greeting for anyone traveling back to 1971.
Around the same time, Riddle also did an album for 101 Strings in the UK. It includes a couple of bombastic mood-busting covers, but the originals are (mostly) in the same bag as the MPS albums.
That track sounds like its got some Hefti to it. Riddle has good moments as a composer, but its not his day job, so to speak. I recall starting a thread seeking Onya's help because I was unpleasantly surprised that some record label was describing the score by Riddle and then referenced some other music by the "equally legendary Duke Ellington."
Not crazy about the entire album, but that one track is KILLER!
That sounds like my Nelson Riddle experience. Despite the time in which he exiated and the kind of music he composed, I can only claim to love only the occasional Riddle track. I've heard things as disparate as his work with Sinatra, his El Dorado score, Uncle score, his occasionally great 1950s mood music albums, and his late '60s-early '70s easy listening efforts, but ol' Nelson never attains greatness. He, like Dominic Frontiere, "should" be "my guys", but are not. I keep on trying to find things of theirs, though, especially when you people rave about it.
Sinatra Sings for Only the Lonely is perhaps the greatest album ever. Riddle's arrangements are unequaled on that one. The album is possibly lethal for those suffering heartbreak (guess I should've posted this in your "FSMers Ruminating on Love" thread).
Sinatra Sings for Only the Lonely is perhaps the greatest album ever. Riddle's arrangements are unequaled on that one. The album is possibly lethal for those suffering heartbreak (guess I should've posted this in your "FSMers Ruminating on Love" thread).
When it comes to Depressing Sinatra albums, I've always been more of a No One Cares (arrangements by Gordon Jenkins) kind of barfly.
I like that track for the very sound of the horns rather than for the melody itself. In fact, that opening blast would make the perfect greeting for anyone traveling back to 1971.
By the way, in the 1990s, the two Riddle MPS albums were packaged together on one CD, with the perplexing title of "The Silver Collection." Get 'em while they're cheap!
I like that track for the very sound of the horns rather than for the melody itself. In fact, that opening blast would make the perfect greeting for anyone traveling back to 1971.
By the way, in the 1990s, the two Riddle MPS albums were packaged together on one CD, with the perplexing title of "The Silver Collection." Get 'em while they're cheap!
