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Posted: |
Jul 1, 2022 - 4:53 AM
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By: |
Amer Zahid
(Member)
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Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia
Music By Jerry Fielding
CD & LP Release.
Celebrating the Jerry Fielding centenary, Quartet Records, in collaboration with MGM, present the long-awaited remastered CD reissue of BRING ME THE HEAD OF ALFREDO GARCIA (1974), an iconic masterpiece starring Warren Oates and Isela Vega and one of the composer’s most celebrated collaborations with his usual partner, Sam Peckinpah.
The somewhat dark, harsh, cool Mexican flavor and bittersweet colors of Jerry Fielding’s score are the perfect match for this unusual tale of violence, death and revenge – a motion picture that also featured a desperate sense of romanticism as shot by Peckinpah.
This complete edition was originally released by Quartet Records in 2012 and quickly sold out. The album was produced by Nick Redman and remixed from the original multi-tracks elements by Dan Hersch. This new CD edition contains the same program and has been remastered by Chris Malone. The package includes a 16-page booklet with a new in-depth essay by film music writer John Takis.
Tracklist:
1. Bring It to Me (1:34)
2. Gathering Information (2:11)
3. Marriage Plans (1:59)
4. Prelude to a Rape (2:12)
5. Bennie’s Revenge (0:57)
6. Killer’s Rhapsody (3:31)
7. Hotel Room (2:10)
8. Requiem for Alfredo (2:01)
9. On the Road (2:36)
10. Night Dig (3:34)
11. Goodbye Elita (1:37)
12. Getting a Head (2:07)
13. Road Kill (1:18)
14. Massacre (1:07)
15. Bennie’s Remorse (2:33)
16. El Jefe (3:25)
17. Bennie and Alfredo (1:11)
18. End Titles (2:17)
Bonus tracks
19. Puerto Rico (2:49)
20. Guatemala (2:29)
21. Elita’s Dream (2:25)
22. Bring It to Me (Part 2; alt.) (0:54)
23. Requiem for Alfredo (alt.) (1:58)
24. The “Hacienda” Suite (12:33)
25. Ranchero Duet (1:49)
26. Jerry and Camille (3:12)
CD:
https://quartetrecords.com/product/bring-me-the-head-of-alfredo-garcia/
LP:
https://quartetrecords.com/product/bring-me-the-head-of-alfredo-garcia-lp/
SIDE A
Bring It To Me (1:33)
Gathering Information (2:11)
Marriage Plans (1:59)
Elita’s Dream (2:24)
Bennie’s Revenge (0:56)
Prelude to a Rape (2:11)
Killer’s Rhapsody (3:35)
Hotel Room (2:05)
Getting a Head (2:07)
Road Kill (1:18)
On the Road (2:38)
SIDE B
Requiem for Alfredo (1:59)
Puerto Rico (2:49)
Night Dig (3:34)
Goodbye Elita (1:36)
Guatemala (2:28)
Bennie’s Remorse (2:20)
Massacre (1:05)
Bennie and Alfredo (1:10)
End Titles (2:17)
El Jefe (3:26)
This limited edition of 500 units, pressed on audiophile 180 GM blood-red and black splatter, has been produced, restored and specially mastered for vinyl by Chris Malone.
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That malone bloke gets thru a lot of work!
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The vinyl release description says: "specially mastered for vinyl by Chris Malone".
The CD release description says: "remastered by Chris Malone".
Are we supposed to assume this is a worthwhile CD upgrade for those who already have the earlier Quartet CD release?
Or is it indistinguishable from the earlier release like some other "remastered" re-releases I've wasted money on?
Obviously it depends on each individual ears, whether a difference can be detected/noticed or not. But speaking from my own experience, the labels really don't tend to pay a master like Chris Malone to remaster something, unless there's actually a difference to be made.
Yavar
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I missed out on the original release, so this is most welcome! Great addition to my Jerry Fielding library.
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That's fine. So why not say what those differences are? Slightly fuller sound? A couple of edits cleaned up? Some hiss removed? A touch of sound instability cured? Anything?
Well, that's probably a little esoteric/too much information for Quartet website copy. Maybe Chris will notice your inquiry and chime in here with some details. He does regularly share them on The Goldsmith Odyssey podcasts (see below for the most recent example -- we do our best to illustrate the improvements), but of course this is the "wrong" Jerry (in terms of our show)...
https://goldsmithodyssey.buzzsprout.com/159614/10848209-odyssey-soundtrack-spotlight-seconds-1966
Yavar
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Dan Hersch did a wonderful job of Quartet’s previous edition. Therefore, there was nothing egregious to address.
The minutiae involved cleanup of a few dropouts and analog deficiencies together with some equalisation, small level adjustments, and more space around the centre channel.
Dick Lewzey executed a terrific recording—as he typically did—so this isn’t going to be the “night and day” difference we’ve heard or read about on some of those 20th Century-Fox titles done about 20 years apart.
I sometimes forget that these reissues are important to help scores find new listeners and, on this occasion, celebrate Jerry Fielding’s centenary. That’s what’s important here.
It’s like reissues of albums by The Beatles, or Beach Boys, or Eagles, or whomever. If you’re 100% satisfied with what you have that’s awesome—and it might provide the flexibility to expand horizons and purchase something else not heard before, or pick up a different reissue.
Good film music should be available to all listeners at a reasonable price point.
If this is one of your Grail scores, you might be interested in this new version with its striking art and excellent John Takis essay.
If you’re new to Jerry Fielding, this is but one of many places you could dive in.
Chris
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I am not sure how this is useful. This is a perfect example of why I don't trust anything that has to do with remastering any more. How can it be "worth an upgrade" if no one has heard the new version?
How do you decide whether it's worth it to purchase a new book by your favorite author, or CD by your favorite composer? You don't read the book and THEN buy it, right? You liked their previous work so yes, you take a leap of faith that you're likely to find their next work worthwhile. Every now and then maybe you're disappointed, but it was worth it to you to take that leap based on their previous work.
It's the same for us with Chris Malone (or Mike Mattesino). Their work has been so consistently impressive over the years on past releases that we are willing to trust in the Malone/Mattesino difference for future releases we haven't yet heard.
Yavar
P.S. Great post, Chris -- thanks for chiming in with some details.
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It was neat seeing John’s research because it’s a great example of his thoroughness and attention to detail. It also preserves that data for anyone interested in future.
Chris
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Dan Hersch did a wonderful job of Quartet’s previous edition. Therefore, there was nothing egregious to address.
The minutiae involved cleanup of a few dropouts and analog deficiencies together with some equalisation, small level adjustments, and more space around the centre channel.
...
Thanks, Chris.
I only got back into listening/collecting scores in 2015. There's a lot of great stuff I missed out on, that I'm not ready to drop big bucks for now, but would still like to have.
This is one of those.
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