Caldera Records is proud to present Gerald Fried’s music for Stanley Kubrick’s films Fear and Desire and Day of the Fight. Gerald Fried and Stanley Kubrick became friends as teenagers. The musician enabled the latter to join a baseball team while the future director served as the conduit for Fried to join intellectual circles. They would first collaborate professionally in 1951, when Kubrick needed music for his short film, Day of the Fight. A year previously, the photographer had portrayed boxer Walter Cartier for Look magazine, and henceforth decided to make him the subject of a moving picture. Day of the Fight follows Cartier during the hours preceding a seminal fight, with the tightly focused 12-minute documentary including trivia from the boxer’s life, as narrated by Douglas Edwards.
Then in 1952 Kubrick started to develop his first feature film, a drama he saw as a poetic allegory about a man lost in a hostile world. Fear and Desire – describing the two dominant human passions – is not to be taken literally, as it depicts the struggle of four soldiers who find themselves behind enemy lines. As opposed to opening the film with a boisterous main title fanfare (as he had done in Day of the Fight), he used only a solo bassoon to introduce the theme, reminiscent of Stravinsky’s famous opening of Le Sacre du Printemps. Kubrick loved this approach and showered his friend with compliments during the recording. Fried set out to write a profound, meaningful, touching, despairing and yet triumphant score – which he duly achieved and with which he paid tribute to the film’s qualities.
Incidentally, and although he had ended their working-relationship in 1957, Kubrick was very much inspired by a film Fried worked on in 1964: To the Moon and Beyond was produced for the World Fair in 1964/65 in New York. The short film, narrated by Twilight Zone creator Rod Serling, depicted a voyage To the Moon and Beyond, showing the earth continually shrinking while the camera zooms further and further out. Because of its Kubrick connection, we included the score for To the Moon and Beyond here.
The 41st CD-release of Caldera Records – a world premiere – features a detailed booklet-text by Stephan Eicke and elegant artwork by Luis Miguel Rojas. The CD was mastered by Richard Moore and produced by Stephan Eicke and John Elborg.
Music Composed and Conducted by Gerald Fried Album Produced by Stephan Eicke Executive Producers for Caldera Records: John Elborg, Stephan Eicke
Fear and Desire 1. Opening Credits (1:37) 2. Heading for the River (1:36) 3. All Clear (0:15) 4. Approaching the Cabin (1:12) 5. Madness (3:04) 6. “Girls Always Love Stories” (1:04) 7. Sidney and the Girl (2:48) 8. The House Down the River (0:13) 9. Mac’s Departure (3:43) 10. Waiting to Kill (5:04) 11. Drifting Through the Night (0:51) 12. End Credits (0:50)
Day of the Fight 13. March of the Gloved Gladiators (2:48) 14. Examination and Preparation (3:53) 15. Waiting for the Big Fight (2:52) 16. Victory (0:39)
Bought THE BABY about a year ago and really enjoyed it. It was my first Fried score. Then a few months ago I watched a western called TERROR IN A TEXAS TOWN and was impressed by the quirky score to this offbeat western (the only western to ever feature a gunfight where one party totes a whale harpoon instead of a pistol). So I bought this score (doubled with TIMBUKTU) and have enjoyed playing that also. So thats the extent of my Fried collection. Am interested in hearing recommendations.
I would listen to samples at BSX for the The Gerald Fried Collection if I could.
Why can't you? Tech problems? The samples which are up, on the Buysountrax site, worked for me. I really ought to get that disc - it's just a bit pricey at the moment compared to the Caldera releases. I suppose for those in the US it's the other way around.
Don't get confused by the two different "Gerald Fried Collection" collections! I recall a bit of a stir here about the BSX release when it was announced a while back, but I can't remember the details.
I've got all of the Frieds from Caldera, and I play them a lot. THE BABY is probably my favourite, but they're all very good. Glad to hear about the release of his music from the early Kubrick film. I haven't seen that. Anyone recall the score as heard in the film?
We should perhaps also add that Fried had a NEW, original score in 2020, called UNBELIEVABLE!!!!. It's a great score, one of my favs of the year, and very much in a retro style. But not wild and dissonant, like - say - FEAR AND DESIRE, but loungey and cool for the most part, or harkening back to Fried's own STAR TREK scores. Haven't seen the film yet, though - but it sounds fun. A STAR TREK spoof involving Snoop Doggy Dog, of all people.
I believe this was Fried's first THEATRICAL film since 1979, and his first new feature film score since 1988.
Thor, we had a thread about UNBELIEVABLE in 2016. I can't find any info about a CD release though. Is it download only?
Yes, I think so.
While it premiered in 2016, it was only a special screening at Grauman's Theatre or something. It wasn't shown after that, untill it had its wide premiere in 2020 - on streaming platforms. So I count it as a 2020 movie.
Glad to hear about the release of his music from the early Kubrick film. I haven't seen that. Anyone recall the score as heard in the film?
I recall the music score in the context of the film. It works well as a subdued music that emphasizes the inner tension of the war drama that play like a proto-TZ episode. Incidentally, I own the Blu-Ray edition of Fear and Desire.
Glad to hear about the release of his music from the early Kubrick film. I haven't seen that. Anyone recall the score as heard in the film?
I recall the music score in the context of the film. It works well as a subdued music that emphasizes the inner tension of the war drama that play like a proto-TZ episode. Incidentally, I own the Blu-Ray edition of Fear and Desire.
I watched the Main Titles on YT and really liked the music. I liked the look of the film too, even though Kubrick apparently hated it (and many people refer to it as "his Ed Wood Jr" movie). And it's so noticeably Gerald Fried. I think it's great that Gerry Fried is still making the same kind of distinctive music today as he was sixty-eight years ago.
CalderaThor's it's releases and making sets of old TV series can be pricy. It's unlikely they'll plow that money in (even if they have it) and that we'll get these presumably complete scores.
Don't get confused by the two different "Gerald Fried Collection" collections! I recall a bit of a stir here about the BSX release when it was announced a while back, but I can't remember the details.
Caldera was working on a release of "Survive" when the Dragon's Domain album came out unexpectedly.
Great-news just found out! Fried releases must have been awkward ones - I always thought he was just overshadowed by other powerhouses Goldsmith etc.. I've loved Caldera's projects this is just as grand. Thanks its on my collection list!
Still curious about "Whatever Happened too Aunt Alice, That's probably another awkward title, i'd love too have that over my promotional copy - which doesn't cover the full-score, & it is a grand musical mixture that ramped-up the tv film with visual chaos!
Bumping this thread to remind me that I have to post a rabbit in a few days.
But first just a mini bunny - I received this a few weeks ago. Haven't had time to really get into it yet, but I will. Initial reaction is that I was a bit disappointed in the sound quality for FEAR AND DESIRE and DAY OF THE FIGHT. I managed to watch those two films as well. (Member) is right when he says that FEAR AND DESIRE plays like an episode of "The Twilight Zone". Interesting film. Music is pretty good, with some unfortunate "silly-sounding" moments - which the film did NOT need.
Favourite so far is the rather wonderful score for TO THE MOON AND BEYOND. Is it just me, or does some of this score sound almost exactly the same as one of Fried's "Star Trek" episodes? Other parts on the CD could be straight out of Kubrick's THE KILLING, which in turn sounds like it could be almost exactly the same as anything from THE RETURN OF DRACULA to THE VAMPIRE to I BURY THE LIVING. Buy this double-CD from FSM today! It's great, and since it's been available for 25 years it's sure to sell out soon!
I've said it before until you're all blue in the face - I love Gerald Fried because the stuff he wrote in 1951 is like a thread which weaves itself throughout everything else he ever did - and long may he continue doing so. Is Gerald Fried the composer with the longest-ever career in films?
Stay tuned for more inconsequential rabbits, next week, at the wrong time.
