|
|
|
||||||||
FILM MUSIC REVIEW - The Web Magazine
![[Image]](pict166.jpg)
CD Reviews - Compilations (January -
July 2004)
All reviewed soundtracks are listed alphabetically and written by Roger Hall, Steven Kennedy or Andrew Feinberg.
Some of them are given the designation of "CD of Special Merit" for their outstanding contibution to film music production.
Also, there is usually one soundtrack that is singled out as "Editor's Choice - Best of the Month." This designation may be chosen at any time during the month, not necessarily at the end of the month.
If you have any comments or questions about any review, write to:
Please keep FMR up and running by ordering a copy of A Guide to Film Music or order something from Amazon.com (see Bookshelf Search below)
Scroll down this page to read all the CD reviews.
For the choices of best film composer, soundtracks, compilations, and record labels of the year, go to
To find other web sites about film composers, magazines, soundtracks and record labels, go to:
Help Support FILM MUSIC REVIEW -
Order Your Copy Now While Supplies Last!
![[Image]](pict252.jpg)
A Guide to Film Music - Songs and Scores (2nd revised edition, PineTree Press, 2002)
This expanded and updated guide was written by film music historian Roger Hall.
It has a wealth of information:
*A timeline of film music highlights from 1926 to 2001
*A chapter on suggestions for listening to film music
*A complete list of Academy Award film music from 1934 to 2000
*A complete list of the Sammy Movie Music Awards from 1988 to 2001
*Top100 Scores of the 20th Century
*Comments on Film Music (exclusive interviews with Aaron Copland and Virgil Thomson; quotes from Bernard Herrmann, David Raksin, Dimitri Tiomkin, and others)
*An extensive bibliography and discography.
Throughout the guide are many illustrations of composer autographs, including Johnny Green, Bernard Herrmann, Alex North, Miklos Rozsa, Max Steiner , Dimitri Tiomkin, and others. There are also songwriter autographs as well, such as Harold Arlen, Sammy Cahn, Ira Gershwin, Henry Mancini, Johnny Mercer, and Jay Livingston.
The title page of the guide has a rare score page from the end credits of E.T., boldly signed by John Williams.
This film music guide is a limited edition and will be numbered and signed by the author.
Commendations:
A Guide to Film Music was mentioned in the March/April 2002 issue of Film Score Monthly.
In a letter to the author of the film music guide, the distinguished film composer Elmer Bernstein has written the following:
"I do feel your book is done in a most interesting way. It affords a quick overview of what has not become a very, very broad field. Congratulations!"
To order your limited edition copy of A Guide to Film Music now, while supply lasts, go to:
Music Titles from PineTree Press
Review Rundown::
Reviews are written by Roger Hall and Steven Kennedy.
There are also several guest reviews by Andrew Feinberg.
The titles are chosen to cover a broad range of commercial, promotional and vintage soundtracks. No bootleg CDs are reviewed.
The comments and ratings are based on the whole CD package: recorded music, booklet notes and art design.
Ratings:
***** (Superlative - Highest Recommendation)
****1/2 (Outstanding - Highly Recommended)
**** (Exceptional - Especially Worthwhile)
***1/2 (Very Good - Better Than Average)
*** (Good - Okay)
**1/2 (Fair - Nothing Special)
** (Mediocre - Barely Passable)
* (Poor - Save Your Money)
Each month soundtracks are selected for Best of the Month and/or Recording of Special Merit. These soundtracks are chosen on the date of the review, and not necessarily at the end of the month, and are those felt worthy of exceptional merit.
Some selected soundtracks have these headings above them:
![[Image]](pict319.jpg){kind=small} Editor's Choice - Best of the Month |
![[Image]](pict327.jpg){kind=small} CD Release of Special
Merit |
For previous reviews for 2003, see
CD Reviews (Compilations, July - December)
CD Reviews (Compilations, January - June)
Bookshelf Search
![[Image]](pict258.jpg)
Please Help support FILM MUSIC REVIEW.
Buy your Film Books, Soundtrack CDs, and DVDs at Amazon.com here:
| CD Reviews - Compilations (January - July 2004) |
THE ALAMO: Dimitri Tiomkin - The Essential Film Music Collection (Silva Screen) - ****1/2
Best of LONE WOLF AND CUB (La-La Land) - ***
BETWEEN HEAVEN AND EARTH (Sony Classical) - ***1/2
BRITISH FILM MUSIC, Volume One (Pearl) - ****
DUBARRY WAS A LADY & MEET THE PEOPLE (Rhino Handmade) - ***1/2
THE ESSENTIAL NINO ROTA FILM MUSIC COLLECTION (Silva- 2CDs) - **** [Special Merit}
THE FANTASY FILM MUSIC OF GEORGE PAL (La-Land) - ****1/2 [Best of the Month, March]
FINIAN'S RAINBOW (Rhino Handmade) - ****
AN ITALIAN STORY (Rhino) - ***
MIKLOS ROZSA CONDUCTS HIS EPIC FILM SCORES (DRG) - **** [Special Merit]
THE RED SHOES: Music from the Films of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger - ***
Quiet on the Set: James Galway at the Movies - ****
Simply The Best MOVIE THEMES (Rhino) - ***
A STAR IS BORN (Sony) - Songs by Harold Arlen and Ira Gershwin - ***** [Special Merit]
SUMMER HOLIDAY (Rhino Handmade) - ****1/2 [Special Merit]
THREE LITTLE WORDS & YOLANDA AND THE THIEF (Rhino Handmade) - **** [Special Merit]
ULTIMATE MANCINI (Concord) - ****1/2 [Best of the Month, April]
THE ULTIMATE PINK PANTHER (RCA/BMG Heritage) - ***
Reviews for July 2004:
| Editor's Choice - Best of the Month for July
|
THE ALAMO: Dimitri Tiomkin - The Essential Film Music Collection
4 CD set
Disc One: THE WESTERNS [Total Time = 61:44]
NIGHT PASSAGE (track 1, 2:09)/ TENSION AT TABLE ROCK (track2, 4:44)/HIGH NOON (track 3, 2:34)/ THE WAR WAGON (track 4, 5:05)/ THE WILD WILD WEST (tracks 5, 2:09 and 6, 2:12 )/ GUNFIGHT AT O.K. CORRAL (track 7, 8:47)/ RIO BRAVO (track 8, 5:05)/ RAWHIDE (track 10, 2:15)/ RED RIVER (track 10, 3:29)/ THE UNFORGIVEN (tracks 11, 2:28; 12, 3:08; 13, 2:13)/ THE YOUNG LAND (track 14, 2:38)/ DUEL IN THE SUN (track 15, "Entr'acte", 12:54)
Disc Two: THE EPICS [Total Time = 59:09]
THE FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE (tracks 1, 3:57; 2, 3:09; 3, 5:31)/ 55 DAYS AT PEKING (track 4, 4:06)/ LAND OF THE PHARAOHS (track 5, 3:04)/ CIRCUS WORLD (track 6, 2:20)
HITCHCOCK THRILLERS: DIAL M FOR MURDER (track 7, 7:08)/ STRANGERS ON A TRAIN (track 8, 7:47)
DRAMA AND HIGH ADVENTURE: GIANT (tracks 9, 2:09; 10, 2:45; 11, 2:53)/ THE HIGH AND THE MIGHTY (track 12, 1:58)/ WILD IS THE WIND (track 13, 2:40)/ THE GUNS OF NAVARONE (track 14, 9:37)
Disc Three: DRAMA AND HIGH ADVENTURE [54:10]
CYRANO DE BERGERAC (track 1, 2:41)/ THE WELL (track 2, 4:19)/ FRIENDLY PERSUASION (track 3, 3:43)/ TOWN WITHOUT PITY (track 4, 4:06)/ IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE (track 5, 2:33)/ TARZAN AND THE MERMAIDS (track 6, 5:47)/ THE THING FROM ANOTHER WORLD (track 7, 7:35)
THE ALAMO: Overture/Prologue (track 8, 5:07)/ Davy Crockett (track 9, 2:32)/ Tennessee Babe (track 10, 2:14)/ The Battle of the Alamo (track 11, 8:42)/ The Green Leaves of Summer (track 12, 3:29)/ Finale (track 13, 1:22)
(Bonus) Disc Four: THE TIOMKIN VOCAL SONGBOOK [34:49]
GIANT (This Then is Texas)(track 1, 2:10)/ RAWHIDE (Rawhide)(track 2, 2:18)/ HIGH NOON (Do Not Forsake Me)(track 3, 2:33)/ NIGHT PASSAGE (Follow the River)(track 4, 2:08)/ GIANT (The Ballad of Jett Rink)(track 5, 2:52)/ FRIENDLY PERSUASION (Thee I Love)(track 6, 3:44)/ IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE (track 7, 2:35)/ WILD IS THE WIND (track 8, 2:34)/ THE HIGH AND THE MIGHTY (track 9, 1:47)/ THE WAR WAGON (The Ballad of the War Wagon)(track 10, 2:36)/ RIO BRAVO (track 11, 1:46)/ THE YOUNG LAND (Strange are the Ways of Love)(track 12, 2:39)/ THE WILD WILD WEST (The Ballad of Jim West)(track 13, 2:13)/ THE WILD WILD WEST (track 14, 2:54)
The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra, condcuted by Nic Raine, Paul Bateman and Mario Klemens. Crouch End Festival Chorus (Chorus Master: David Temple). Vocal soloists: Jason Howard and Keith Ferrara. Organist: Vladimir J. Roubal.
CD Producer: James Fitzpatrick. Executive Producers: Reynold da Silva and Janet Fitzpatrick. Associate Producers: Olivia Tiomkin Douglas, John Waxman, Rick Clark, Gareth Williams. Release Co-ordinator: David Stoner. Sleeve notes: David Wishart. Art Direction and Design: Sean Mowle.
Chief Orchestral Recording Engineers: John Luard Timperley and Jan Holzner. Orchestra recorded at Barrandov "Smecky" Studios, Prague. Choir recorded at Sony Whitfield Street Studios, London. Recording Engineer: Mike Ross-Trevor. Additional Guitars and Mandolins recorded at Rectory Studios, Cambridge by Gareth Williams. Engineering and Mastering by Gareth Williams. Manuscript co-ordination by John W. Waxman.
Silva Screen PRIMETIME TVPMCD 811
Rating: ****1/2
Silva Screen has already produced many worthy compilations of music by such Golden Age film composers as Bernard Herrmann, Jerome Moross, Alfred Newman, and Miklos Rozsa. Also current film composers, such as John Barry, Jerry Goldsmith and John Williams. These were two CD collections. But for Dimitri Tiomkin we get 4 CDs and it's a welcome collection indeed. Dimitri Tiomkin is one of my favorite film composers from the past and there are many other fans as well, some lovingly call him "the Big T."
I think it's best to first quote from the CD introduction by Tiomkin's widow, Olivia. She writes: "With dozens of films represented by scores and songs, this recording contains a wonderful breadth of material from Westerns, Epics, Hitchcock Thrillers, Drama and High Adventure, and more. Tarzan and the Mermaids, Tension at Table Rock, The War Wagon, The Well, and others are premiere recordings."
I must say this collection contains many familiar Tiomkin themes, but that's not a bad thing when there's so much great music to enjoy. There are also some unfortunate omissions, like LOST HORIZON and THE BIG SKY. But those scores are available in complete soundtracks on BYU CD. Overall THE ALAMO does cover a lot of Tiomkin territory, from the late 1940s to late 1960s. And the HDCD Dolby Surround sound is terrific, bright and clear.
With 56 film themes and songs and over three hours of music, this is probably the largest compilation of Tiomkin's music ever released. But do these CDs equal the recordings made by Tiomkin himself? No. It's doubtful that any orchestra or conductor could accomplish the incredible energy exhibitied by Dimitri Tiomkin, as both film composer and conductor. I wrote about that energy in an article in the now departed Soundtrack magazine (Winter 2002) --to get a photocopy of the article, write to FMR. In that article, I wrote about Tiomkin's "golden decade" between 1948 and 1958. Some of the themes and songs on this 4 CD set are from that decade.
There are several selections from HIGH NOON and THE HIGH AND THE MIGHTY, but nothing from Tiomkin's other Oscar winning score, OLD MAN AND THE SEA. Why not include more than the Main Theme from HIGH NOON? One such theme from that score is "The Clock"--a masterpiece of film music summation. HIGH NOON is one of Tiomkin's greatest scores for which he richly deserved his two Oscars. It's too bad all we get on this CD set are two versions of the "Do Not Forsake Me" song.
There are also examples from the 1960s, especially generous samples from THE UNFORGIVEN and THE FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE (one of Tiomkin's own favorite scores and one of mine as well). Perhaps the most unusual Tiomkin western score was THE UNFORGIVEN, which is given more excerpts (Disc One, tracks 11-13) than the other better known western scores. I'm pleased to have them.
What should be of particular interest to Tiomkin fans are the rare items on Disc One: TENSION AT TABLE ROCK (1956) and THE WAR WAGON (1967 - a wonderful suite!).
Also on Disc Three: CYRANO (1950), THE WELL (1951) and TARZAN AND THE MERMAIDS (1948). Some of the other tracks, like THE GUNS OF NAVARONE (one of the most intensely action-packed scores of the 1960s) and THE THING FROM ANOTHER WORLD (one of the great sci-fi scores of the 1950s) are better reprented on other CDs. But THE THING is probably one of the most difficult scores to record.
The film that receives the most tracks is the CD title, THE ALAMO (Disc 3, tracks 8-13) and that's appropriate. I've loved this score ever since I first saw the film. It's a very good suite, with the Crouch End Festival Chorus doing a fine job with the sung portions. But this suite can't really compete with the original soundtrack album on Colmbia Legacy which is still available.
Disc 4 is a bit problematic, even though included as a bonus. It's a treat to have songs from thirteen films, especially the title song for IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE! Yet, it shouldn't be a surprise that such familiar songs as "Rawhide" (Keith Ferrara) and "Do Not Forsake Me" (Jason Howard) are not up to same level as the original recordings by Frankie Laine and Tex Ritter. Nevertheless, both Ferrara and Howard do a fine job with these western song classics and their diction is very good. The Crouch End Festival Chorus performances are mostly good but their diction occasionally gets lost in the mix with the orchestra. A favorite Tiomkin song of mine is "Follow the River" from NIGHT PASSAGE and it's sung in grand fashion by the Crouch End Chorus. This same song theme is used for the opening first track on Disc One.
Now we come to the weakest part of this CD set--the booklet design by Sean Mowle. What was he thinking? Using a yellow stonelike background (representing the Alamo?) makes the text extremely hard to read. So David Wishart's very informative notes will probably be ignored by most listeners. That's a shame because they are well written. I wish Silva Screen would rethink their CD booklet designs. Providing the song texts would have been a nice addition as well. But there's a good sampling of Tiomkin photos in the CD booklet, including one with Elmer Bernstein from his long hair years.
It doesn't matter if you'd like to hear THE FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE or the fall of THE ALAMO, these Tiomkin themes should quicken your pulse and warm your heart.
Congratulations to James Fitzpatrick and all the others who worked to get this music recorded and released.
Even with my minor reservations about some of the selections, this 4 CD set is treasure of themes and songs and a must for your vintage film music collection.
Highly recommended, especially for Tiomkin fans.
--Roger Hall, 8 July 2004
Are you a western film music fan? Then take a look at -
FINIAN'S RAINBOW (1968)
17 tracks [Total Time = 54:04]
Music by Burton Lane, Lyrics by E.Y. Harburg
Tracks:
[* = previously unissued]
1. *Overture - Warner Bros. Orchestra [1:34]
2. Prelude/"Look to the Rainbow" - Petula Clark/ (Main Title) [4:11]
3. "This Time of the Year" - Ken Darby Singers [2:15]
4. "How are Things in Glocca Morra?" - Petula Clark and Fred Astaire [2:27]
5. "Look to the Rainbow" - Petula Clark, Don Francks, Fred Astaire [3:03]
6. "Old Devil Moon" - Don Francks & Petula Clark [4:05]
7. "Something Sort of Grandish" - Tommy Steele & Petula Clark [3:18]
8. "If This Isn't Love" - Don Francks, Petula Clark, Fred Astaire & Chorus [3:37]
9. "That Great Come-and-Get-it Day" - Don Francks, Petula Clark, Ken Darby Singers [3:48]
10. *Entr-acte: "Look to the Rainbow" - Petula Clark & Warner Bros. Orchestra [1:15]
11. "When the Idle Poor Become the Idle Rich" - Fred Astaire, Petula Clark & Chorus [4:35]
12. Rain Dance Ballet - Warner Bros. Orchestra & Chorus [2:40]
13. "The Begat" - Keenan Wynn, Avon Long, Jester Hairston & Roy Glenn [2:59]
14. "When I'm Not Near the Girl I Love" - Tommy Steele [4:22]
15. "Necessity" (Outtake) - Brenda Arnau & Chorus [3:22]
16. "How are Things in Glocca Morra"(Finale) - Petula Clark, Don Francks, Tommy Steele, Barbara Hancock & Chorus [2:12]
17. *Exit Music - Warner Bros. Orchestrs [3:12]
Orchestra under the direction of Ray Heindorf. Album produced by Sonny Burke and Jimmy Hilliard. Original Sountrack Mixer: Don Wallin. Engineer: Lowell Frank.
Produced for release by George Feltenstein. Project Supervisor: Patrick Milligan. Digitally mastered, re-mixed and engineered by Doug Schwartz. Art Direction by Greg Allen and Rachel Gutek. Design by Rachel Gutak. CD Notes by Hal Halverstadt.
Rhino Handmade RHM2 7852
Rating: ****
Rhino Handmade continues to release excellent CD albums of vintage musicals. This one was the last one to feature Fred Astaire dancing and it's a fitting farewell to his mastery of the Hollywood musical. It also stars two peppy young Brit singers: Petula Clark and Tommy Steele. It was directed by Francis Ford Coppola in his first major Hollywood film.
I have a special place in my heart for this musical since it was the first one I sang in as a youngster in the school chorus. It contains a wealth of wonderful songs by Burton Lane and "Yip" Harburg, including beautiful songs like "Look to the Rainbow and "How are Things in Glocca Morra?"and such rousing numbers as "That Great Come-and-Get-it Day" and humorous songs like "When the Idle Poor Become the Idle Rich."
This CD contains all the wonderful songs plus the Overture, Entr'acte and Exit Music not previously released on the original Warner Bros. soundtrack album in 1968. The singing on this soundtrack is uniformly very good, with special kudos to the strong voice of Don Francks and clear and sweet voice of Petula Clark. Fred Astaire's singing is always convincing as might be expected from such a master showman. Tommy Steele has less to do, singing only two songs on the soundtrack: "Something Sort of Grandish" and "When I'm Not Near the Girl I Love." The Ken Darby Singers also add a strong presence. Even the outtake song "Necessity" sung by Brenda Arnau and chorus is a fine song. The orchestra is under the expert direction of Warner Bros. workhorse and masterful arranger, Ray Heindorf.
The CD booklet includes personal comments by Petula Clark about making FINIAN'S RAINBOW. Her remembrances are fascinating to read. Much less rewarding are the notes by Hal Halverstadt. To give one sample: "FINIAN'S RAINBOW may be the film musical of all time." What a boastful statement to make with so many contenders! Halverstadt does provide a nice summary of the musical's evolution from 1947 Broadway show to Hollywood movie. He ends with this remark:
"In 1968, transformed by producer Joseph Landon and director Francis Ford Coppola into a super film entertainment, Finian's fun, fantasy, and satire may again be just the cathartic the one more troubled world needs."
That's a bit overstated but there's no denying that this is a delightful musical from beginning to end.
On the final track after the "Exit Music" there's an extra bonus not mentioned on jewel box -- some redundant radio ads with Petula Clark advertising the musical and asking drivers to slow down--"the life you save may be a leprechaun."
Praise also goes out to Doug Scwartz for his superb mastering and engineering.
FINIAN'S RAINBOW is another excellent musical soundtrack in the Rhino Handmade series and well worth adding to your collection.
--Roger Hall, 8 July 2004
Note: This CD is available as an individually numbered limited edition of 2,500 copies from
THE ULTIMATE PINK PANTHER
24 tracks [Total Time = 71:28]
THE PINK PANTHER (1964) - tracks 1-7
A SHOT IN THE DARK (1964) - tracks 8-9
THE RETURN OF THE PINK PANTHER (1975) - tracks 10-15
THE PINK PANTHER STRIKES AGAIN (1976) - tracks 16-20
REVENGE OF THE PINK PANTHER (1978) - tracks 21-23
SON OF THE PINK PANTHER (1993) - track 24
Music by Henry Mancini. Compilation produced by Didier C. Deutsch and Darcy M. Proper. Mastered by Darcy M. Proper. Liner Notes: Didier C. Deutsch. Art Direction: Erwin Gorostiza. Design: Frank Gargiulo.
RCA/BMG Heritage 82876 59882 2
Rating: ***
This was no doubt released for the 40th anniversary of THE PINK PANTHER and to commemorate the new Henry Mancini US postage stamp. While this may have seemed like a great idea to the record producers it should mostly of interest to fans of the films directed by Blake Edwards who also want some excerpts of PANTHER Mancini scores.
Unfortunately, the sound quality of this CD is not all that great. The stereo separation is wonderful, but something happened with the mixing because the sound is quite shrill. One of the worst examples is track 6, "Piano and Strings" (2:38). This is one of those beautiful Mancini melodies but the sound is really off. What makes this especially unfortunate is it's from the first and best of the PINK PANTHER scores. You'd be better off just buying the complete soundtrack which is available.
There are vocals by the Mancini Chorus on "It Had Better Be Tonight" (track 5) from PINK PANTHER; "The Shadow of Paris" (track 9) from A SHOT IN THE DARK, and "The Greatest Gift" (track 12) from THE RETURN OF THE PINK PANTHER. Also, there are vocal solos by Tom Jones on "Come to Me" (track 18) from THE PINK PANTHER STRIKES AGAIN, and Bobby McFerrin's version of "The Pink Panther Theme" (track 24). None of these songs are in the same league with "Moon River" but are pleasant enough to not be a distraction on the CD.
But beware, the CD booklet is an explosion of garish colors that makes everything hard to read. If you wish to read the helpful notes by Didier C. Deutsch, you'll need a lot of patience to follow the colored lines. This is such a stupid design!
While this may be a pleasant collection of excerpts from six PANTHER comedies, it isn't essential for anyone but the most diehard Mancini fan--and I count myself as one of them.
Buy this CD collection only if you can't get enough of the great Mancini magic.
--Roger Hall, 7 July 2004
Guest Reviews for June
British Film Music Volume 1 -
Pearl GEM 0100/ Rating: ****
The Red Shoes: Music from the Films of Michael Powell & Emeric Pressburger - CD41-002 (available from www.Powell-Pressburger.org)/ Rating: ***
Anyone who admires British film music as much as I do should not hesitate in obtaining the first volume of Pearl’s recent release. The disk offers a delightful collection of suites and selections from some of England’s greatest film composers. The listener is offered suites from Vaughan Williams’ SCOTT OF THE ANTARTIC (1948) and Lord Berners’ NICHOLAS NICKLEBY (1947), generous excerpts from Bax’s OLIVER TWIST (1948) and John Ireland’s THE OVERLANDERS (1946), and briefer selections from Easdale’s THE RED SHOES (1948), Arthur Bliss’ MEN OF TWO WORLDS (1946) and Charles Williams’ WHILE I LIVE (1947). While none of these recordings are taken from the actual soundtracks, all are vintage recordings made at the time of the films’ release. Most of the versions offered here are conducted by the legendary Muir Mathieson, except for the Vaughan Williams conducted by Ernest Irving and the Charles Williams conducted by the composer, and most feature the Philharmonia Orchestra. The recordings derive from pristine 78s, and much of the sound is amazingly full-bodied (the exception is noted below). Pearl’s reputation for clean transfers and lack of electronic enhancement is a plus in this release. One quickly gets used to the slight hiss from the original recordings.
THE RED SHOES leads off this disk. For the first time we are given the Prelude in its entirety (a portion of the prelude is used for the title sequence in the film, and bits of the prelude are heard beneath the dialogue preceding The Red Shoes Ballet). Unfortunately, the Ballet Music is edited even more than the pruned versions we have become accustomed to in the few modern recordings the ballet has received (the digital recording on Silva, SSD 1011, is excellent). The Ondes Martenot has been eliminated and replaced with a flute. Mathieson’s conducting is somewhat breathless, perhaps even more than Sir Thomas Beecham’s in the film’s soundtrack! We are then treated to the haunting (if brief) suite from SCOTT OF THE ANTARTIC, with its disembodied soprano virtually imitating a theremin. Vaughan Williams incorporated much of this music for his landmark seventh symphony, Sinfonia Antarctica, but also used this music in his sixth symphony and other film scores.
The excerpts from OLIVER TWIST, featuring Harriet Cohen at the piano, display the most audible distortion in this collection, but the degree is not enough to deter any enjoyment of the music. “Robust” aptly describes the suite from THE OVERLANDERS, still an unjustly neglected score (I’m sure that the Lyrita LP’s worth of excerpts has become a collector’s item by now). If you have become used to Arthur Bliss’ Elgar-like nobility, you will be pleasantly surprised by the African-influenced (one might say tango-ish) Baraza from MEN OF TWO WORLDS. The jovial suite from NICHOLAS NICKLEBY is particularly treasurable; for a modern recording I recommend the Olympia CD (OCD 662). The disk ends with the romantic themes of WHILE I LIVE, which features “The Dream of Olwen” played by Arthur Dulay on piano, that has become one of the most popular pieces of light music in Great Britain.
The Powell/Pressburger disk is something of a mixed bag. The booklet does not reveal the sources of all the music represented on the disk, but the selections come from re-recordings, actual soundtracks, and one modern recording. The order of these selections defies logic. The sound quality is highly variable as well.
Beginning with excerpts from Vaughan Williams’ 49th PARALLEL (1941), one will be struck by the romanticized (Hollywoodized?) treatment from a composer whose English Pastoral style has become so recognizable. Sadly, the transfer from acetates is rather wooly and flat, and thus, the music is not heard to its best advantage. Allen Gray’s A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH (1946 - in the States, STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN) uses the prelude from the soundtrack, followed by a modern piano recording of The Waiting Room (played by Simon Brown), and then finishing with the Prelude/Stairway to Heaven which comes from a re-recording conducted by Charles Williams (the sound is good). Next comes a stiff-upper-lip soundtrack reading by Sir John Guilgud of AN AIRMAN'S LETTER TO HIS MOTHER (1941). This wartime propaganda is delivered without any particular poignancy or sentiment, and its effect today seems rather prosaic.
We get a slight glimpse of Gray’s score for THE LIFE AND DEATH OF COLONEL BLIMP (1943), lifted from the soundtrack and followed by the swing hit “Commando Patrol” played in a re-recording by the Squadronaires. Outside of a brief soundtrack recording of the prelude from A CANTERBURY TALE (1944), the disk’s producers have decided to include a 40s vintage recording of Albert Schweitzer’s romantic interpretation of Bach’s famous Toccata and Fugue in D Minor (BWV 565) - the entire piece! This seems rather pointless, and the recording is fair at best.
Brian Easdale’s contributions come next. The excerpts from THE RED SHOES are the same ones used in the British Film Music disk reviewed above. However, remastering has produced a slightly cleaner sound in this case. The selections from BLACK NARCISSUS (1947), GONE TO EARTH (1950), and THE SMALL BACK ROOM (1949) come from the tracks of the films, and the sound is not especially distinguished or enhanced. The disk ends with the orchestra tuning up for1951’s THE TALES OF HOFFMAN (snatches of its familiar melodies can be heard), but its inclusion is highly questionable (recently Somm has released the original score conducted by Sir Thomas Beecham that was used in the film).
The neglect that Brian Easdale has suffered in this age of exceptional modern recordings of classic scores is astonishing. Surely his fans are entitled to a recording of the complete Red Shoes Ballet, as well as the Academy Award-winning score for that movie. One can only hope that Chandos or ASV will rectify this slight in the near future.
--Andrew C. Feinberg, June 2004
For a review of the second volume: British Film Music, Volume II (Pearl CD), go to:
Compilations (July-November 2000)
| Special
Merit |
A STAR IS BORN (1954)
SELECTIONS:
* = Previously Unreleased
** = Expanded Version
1. Overture (2:04)
2. Night of the Stars --"The Show-Why-Salute to the Lions"(1:42)*
3. Gotta Have Me Go with You (3:40)
4. Norman at Home - Gotta Have Me Go with You (outtake)(2:37)*
5. "Passion Oriental" (2:50)*
6. "The Man That Got Away" (6:23)**
7. "Cheatin’ on Me" (2:24)
8. “I’m Quitting the Band...” - / "The Man That Got Away" (Partial Outtake, 1:38)*
9. "The Man That Got Away" (Instrumental Version-Partial Outtake)(5:03)*
10. Esther in the Boarding House--"The Man That Got Away" (Partial Outtake, 2:30)*
11. Oliver Niles Studio--"Love That Long Face" (:39)*
12. Esther’s Awful Makeup-- "The Man That Got Away" (1:48)*
13. First Day in the Studio--"The Man That Got Away" (:46)*
14. "Born in a Trunk" (Medley, 15:07) -- Swanee-Born in a Trunk, I’ll Get By,You Took Advantage of Me, Black Bottom,The Peanut Vendor,My Melancholy Baby,Swanee (Reprise),Born in a Trunk
15. "Easy Come, Easy Go" (1:55)*
16. Here’s What I’m Here For (3:10)
17. The Honeymoon --"The Man That Got Away" - "It’s a New World" (1:29)*
18. "It’s a New World" (2:27)
19. "Someone at Last" (6:44)
20. "Lose That Long Face"
21. Norman Overhears the Conversation - "It’s a New World" (2:05)*
22. "It’s a New World" (Alternate Take) (1:50)*
23. The Last Swim - "The Man That Got Away" (Outtake, 1:36)*
24. Finale-End Credits (1:38)*
BONUS TRACKS: 25. "When My Sugar Walks Down the Street" (:29)*/ 26. "The Trinidad Coconut Oil Shampoo Commercial" (:59)*
Songs by Harold Arlen (music) and Ira Gershwin (lyrics), except for:
"Passion Oriental" by J. Melis/"Cheatin’ on Me" by J.Yellen & L. Pollack/"Easy Come, Easy Go" by J. Green & E. Heyman/ "Born in a Trunk" by Leonard Gershe
Vocals primarily by Judy Garland. Ray Heindorf conducts the Warner Bros. Orchestra.
Reissue produced by Didier C. Deutsch and Darcy M. Proper..
Sony Music Soundtrax/Columbia/ Legacy CK 65965
RATING: *****
This much-anticipated release is well worth the wait, and at a budget price, no less. For the first time, the listener is given most of the incidental music (most likely arranged by Heindorf and his staff) and an expanded version of Garland’s pivotal "The Man That Got Away," with it’s complete instrumental lead-in. Sony has even seen fit to restore the original monochrome album cover.
Didier Deutsch has shown his usual skill in getting the best out of the recorded materials available. It is unfortunate that Warner’s was less-than-sacrosanct about archiving these priceless tracks. Only tracks 1, 3, 6,14, 18, 19, and 24 are in stereo, but the transfers are clean, free of wow and hiss, and the mono sound will not deter any enjoyment of this important score. My personal feeling is that Garland’s vocal tracks sound more two-dimensional than the DVD version, but the background instrumental accompaniment seems to have some depth.
You will note, perhaps for the first time, the loving treatment of Arlen’s songs in the scoring. Unobscured by the dialogue tracks, the underscoring is poignant, humorous, and rich. As a studio man for his entire career, Heindorf has still not received the credit he deserves for making the Warner’s catalogue as invaluable as it remains.
The story of Garland’s legendary comeback is well-known by now, and her slighting by the Oscars still causes fans to bristle. That the score reflects the irony of her struggles with love and career is a testament to its authors. It goes without saying that A STAR IS BORN is Garland’s finest performance, both vocally and dramatically, and the film should be regarded as one of the finest musicals ever made. The restoration to nearly original length in 1983 was one of the major cinematic achievements of that decade (in 1973, Cukor, the director of the film, had provided a friend of mine with a photographic record of missing scenes - as you probably already know, the “Born in a Trunk” sequence was not in his original script).
Even if you have previous versions of this soundtrack, you must have this release for your collection. Run, don’t walk.
--Andrew C. Feinberg, 26 June 2004
| Special
Merit |
SUMMER HOLIDAY (1948)
22 Tracks [Total Time = 76:52]
Music by Harry Warren. Lyrics by Ralph Blane. Arranged by Conrad Salinger. Orchestrated by Conrad Salinger and Robert Franklyn. Vocal arrangements by Robert Tucker. M-G-M Orchestra conducted by Lennie Hayton.
All tracks previously unissued.
Rhino Handmade RHM2 7769 (limited edition of 2,500 copies)
Rating: ****1/2
Once again, the Turner Classic Music/Rhino Handmade team have produced an exceptional release of a vintage M-G-M musical. This one is an adaptation of the Eugene O'Neil play, Ah, Wilderness! The M-G-M musical stars Mickey Rooney, Gloria DeHaven, Walter Huston, Agnes Moorehead, Frank Morgan, Selena Royle, and little Jackie "Butch" Jenkins. The songs were written by veteran songwriter Harry Warren with Ralph Blane writing the song lyrics. The recordings were made in 1946. Unfortunately, the musical went over budget and received lukewarm reception at its sneak preview. So it was held back from release and some scenes were omitted. The edited film was finally released in 1948. A later M-G-M vault fire destroyed all of the deleted scenes. Luckily, copies of the deleted songs have been located and this is the complete score released for the first time.
Following the Main Title (1:55) played by the M-G-M Studio Orchestra conducted by Lennie Hayton, there is the first song: "Our Home Town." This charming song , as arranged by Ted Duncan, is heard in an extended version (track 2, 5:59), first sung by a conversational manner by Walter Huston and then sung by others in the cast. It's a high quality vintage musical song. Then there is a sweet duet featuring Mickey Rooney and Gloria DeHaven, "Afraid to Fall in Love" (3:57). This is reprised later on in an outtake (track 13, 1:08).
Probably the best song in this musical is "The Stanley Steamer" (track 6, extended version - 4:54). This must be one of the greatest songs about an old automobile in any musical. Another highlight is the extended Barroom sequence (track 11, 8:30) including "Weary Blues," "The Sweetest Kid I Ever Met", and "Omar and The Princess." This sequences features Marilyn Maxwell and Mickey Rooney. But my favorite song is "Spring Isn't Everything," a great song movingly sung by Walter Huston (track 12, 2:18), and reprised on track 14.
Frank Morgan was one of the busiest and best of the character actors of the 1930s and '40s. But he wasn't much of a singer. You can hear his unsteady voice on the outtake, "Never Again" (track 4, 2:37). The song is a good one, but the singing isn't.
But other outtakes are much better. For example, "Omar and the Princess" (track 7, 5:28), sung by Mickey Rooney and Gloria DeHaven; and "Wish I Had a Braver Heart" (track 8, 4:46), nicely sung by Ms. DeHaven.
A very special extra are seven bonus tracks (tracks 16-22) of songs recorded in 1946 and sung by the film's lyricist Ralph Blane, accompanied by studio pianist, Bobby Tucker. Blane is such a good singer that it's too bad he wasn't used in the film for some of the actors whose voices were less than stellar. The bonus songs are introduced by Harry Warren. A terrific treat, with a special kudo for Blane's singing of "Spring Isn't Everything." You might think of Michael Feinstein, since he sounds so much like Ralph Blane in his singing style.
The CD notes are, as usual, extremely well written in an informative way by George Feltenstein. Also, there is an essay written by singer and music archivist, Michael Feinstein, titled: "SUMMER HOLIDAY - An Appreciation." Feinstein relates how when he first asked Harry Warren to name his favorite musical, it wasn't 42ND STREET or THE HARVEY GIRLS. Instead, Warren picked SUMMER HOLIDAY. He also complimented the resident M-G-M orchestrator, Conrad Salinger. But he couldn't bring himself to watch what he considered was a "butchered" version of his music. Following a screening by Feinstein for some of Warren's friends, he told him how much they had enjoyed it. Feinstein relates: "When told of this reaction, he looked at me quizzically for a long time and then slowly began to beam like a child."
While this M-G-M musical may not be among the best known, it deserves more recognition for its charm and grace. Likewise, for the wonderful songs. Just listen to them and perhaps you'll agree. There is a note about "the multiply types of surviving source materials." For fans of vintage, this shouldn't be any problem at all since these songs are unavailable anywhere else.
I highly recommend this superbly prepared and rarely heard soundtrack of a Harry Warren-Ralph Blane musical.
Get your copy and take an enjoyable "Summer Holiday"!
--Roger Hall, 9 June 2004
Note: This CD is available as an individually numbered limited edition of 2,500 copies from
January - May Reviews (arranged alphabetically)
The Best of LONE WOLF AND CUB
25 Tracks [Total Time = 49:16]
Music from: SWORD OF VENGEANCE (7 tracks: 11:58); BABY CART AT THE RIVER STYX (4 tracks: 8:46); BABY CART TO HADES (4 tracks: 9:25); BABY CART IN PERIL (3 tracks: 7:37); BABY CART IN THE LAND OF THE DEMONS (6 tracks: 8:44); WHITE HEAVEN IN HELL (1 track: 2:36)
Music composed by Hideakira Sakurai.
Additional music by Tadashi Yoshida, Kunihiko Murai, and Hiroshi Kamayatsu. BABY CART TO HADES theme song sung by Tomisaburo Wakayama; lyrics by Kazuo Koike. Produced by Michael V. Gerhard. CD mastered by Joe Caporiccio. CD Art Direction by Mark Banning.
La-La Land Records 1017
Rating: ***
The great Japanese film director, Akira Kurosawa, influenced a generation of directors and film students in the 1960s and beyond. His visual style and storytelling ability brought Japanese cinema out of the dark ages and gave it some nobility on a parallel track to the infamous GODZILLA movies being made at Toho. His exploration of ancient Japan and the samurai culture influenced countless westerns and films like THE SEVEN SAMURAI were re-adapted into, and would become American film classics in their own right. Samurai characters were important to Japanese culture in the 1950s and 1960s as the country struggled to regain a sense of historical pride in their history. As time passed, other interpretations of strong, noble characters seeking out justice and struggling between good and evil became popular film experiences. These themes are coupled with gory violence and amazing battle/swordfighting sequences. Oftentimes derived from "manga" (graphic novel) sources, these films achieved cult status as they made their way to US. AKIRA is perhaps one of the more recent examples of this transition. It opened the way for more Japanese anime to transcend the culture that created it.
In the early 1970s, a series of samurai films gained a cult following that will finally be rewarded this spring when the films receive their first DVD release. The "Baby Cart series" is a sextology that saw the first four films of the series released over the course of 1972 and the remainder over the next two years. Tomisaburo Wakayama was cast as the hero up against seemingly insurmountable odds, who experiences a deep betrayal and spends the series seeking justice. All of this is laid out in the opening film of the series, SWORD OF VENGEANCE. The subsequent films pit him and his toddler sidekick, Daigoro, against deadly female Ninjas, an evil chamberlain, a series of warriors, and an army of 5000. The themes of loyalty, trust, obedience, honor, and respect run throughout the series as the hero learns about himself and his opponents. Each film follows this quest featuring a different aspect of character development.
SWORD OF VENGEANCE (1972), the inaugural film of the series has a "Main Title" that is definitely a piece of its time. A mixture of electronic sounds, including an electric guitar, coupled with ethnic drumming could place it in any genre of Spaghetti Western. As one listens to the angular melodic ideas that are very Japanese in sound coupled with the sparse string accompaniment one could easily think of some of Jerry Goldsmith’s more aleatoric scores of the same period. The aesthetic here though is purely Japanese both in melodic content and in accompaniment that features lute and shakuhachi (flute). The great irony is that a Western composer operating in this way would be touted as "experimental." Here it is an extension of a cultural musical approach that honors history while also updating the sound with modern electronics. The recording tends to be a little odd in places with an unusual reverb, especially in drumming sequences. It is otherwise a bit dry in places. "The Bird and the Beast" is a fascinating track that combines a lyrical almost Western-line with traditional Japanese instrumental accompaniment. The "End Title" is a firmly in the classic line of genre pictures…a Sushi Western if you will.
BABY CART AT THE RIVER STYX (1972) incorporates further eclectic sounds including an electronically "enhanced" vocal line that would not be out of place in Noh drama or Kabuki theater. "The Wolf Crosses the Ocean" tends to balance this vocal line with strings responses. "Bentenrai the Public Guard" has a great little trumpet fanfare idea that quickly moves into some exciting drumming ideas. Sakurai’s music here and throughout predates some of the medieval hero films of the 1970s and genre pictures of Conan and Doc Savage. It is an approach that works and was imitated in subsequent films of this type. There are moments of beauty that show off a great sense of lyricism in Sakurai’s writing. The "Prologue" to BABY CART TO HADES (1972) is perhaps the greatest example of this approach. The music included for this outing in the series tends toward the more reflective, providing a rest from the action music. It includes a track composed by Tadashi Yoshida. "The Wolf Howls" has an almost jazzy urban feel to it that could have been composed by Shifrin.
BABY CART IN PERIL (1972) features a rockier, edgier "Main Title" that is very 70s in its sound complete with a truly awesome electric bass line. The layers of ideas here are worth picking apart to see how many ideas are present. This score perhaps more than the others picks up on the urban jazz sound (in "Besieging Army of Ura Yagyu") that was well-used by Shifrin and could have found a place in the DIRTY HARRY films of the time. Brass and drumming ideas are more prevalent in BABY CART IN THE LAND OF THE DEMONS (1973). The style is a mixture of Barry-esque brass motives in two layers with Japanese drum ideas. (Think LION IN WINTER with taiko drumming.) 1974’s final film in the series, WHITE HEAVEN IN HELL, is represented by a "Main Title" composed by Kunihiko Murai continues the funky sound that could fit any Western film, or TV series, of the time. The disc closes with the theme song sung by the title character.
There is a market for such a disc as this out there. The CD binder suggests further titles in the series to come, though at 49 minutes there was room for a bit more. It is unclear whether these are essentially all the music compiled into tracks here, or excerpts from the full score. It would seem that at least for the films from 1972 the use of Sakurai’s music could be tracked into later films without too much continuity lost. This collection practically represents his entire score output. At a time when Asian cinema continues to find a market here in the states, and with the re-release of further DVDs, this genre will likely find an audience that will be drawn to its epic ideas and themes. The music does stand out and will be a challenge only to those unfamiliar with Asian-music scores that feature a closer connection to its roots than those that pull in exclusively Western/European scoring styles. Recommended to those interested in exploring something a little different!
--Steven A. Kennedy, 3 May 2004
BETWEEN HEAVEN AND EARTH
15 Tracks [Total Time = 51:09]
Music composed by A.R. Rahman.
Czech Film Orchestra and Chorus, Matt Dunkley, Conductor. Solo instrumentalists: Martin Robertson (Duduk); Won On Yuen (Erhu); Chou Boon Chong (Dizi); S. Silvamani (Taiko Drums & Percussion); Raja Tirupathi & Kumar Vuuri (additional percussion); Noreen Kumar (Flute); Vaclav Sykora (Recorder). Solo vocalists: Sadhana Sargam ("Warriors of Peace" - Hindi lyrics by Mehboob Alam); Sunitha Sarathy ("Warriors of Peace" - English lyrics by BlaaZe).
Executive Producer: Paul Cremo. A&R Manager: Alison Riach. Art Direcftion and Design by Chris Austopchuck and Detchapat Arttasan. Recorde on June 13-20, 2003 at Sahara Sound Ltd.; London: Rudolfinum & Sono Studios; Prague: Panchathan Record-Inn, Chenn.
Sony Classical SK 92494
Rating: ***1/2
After all the media attention given to Rahman, I was expecting something really spectacular on this CD.
In a recent article in TIME Magazine (3 May 2004), Allah Rakha Rahman [his name at birth was: A.S. Dileep Kumar] is called "The Mozart of Madras." That is such foolishness! It is simply unfair to compare this young Indian composer to one of the greatest classical music geniuses of all time. They come from totally different backgrounds and traditions. But Rahman is probably more popular than Mozart today, at least in Bombay and other South Asian locations. At only 38, his music has sold more than 40 million units worldwide. Thanks to the encouragement of Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber, who called him "a melodic genius," Rahman wrote a musical titled BOMBAY DREAMS, his first Western theatrical success which has run for several years in London.
For this first CD using symphonic orchestra and ethnic instruments, Rahman has drawn from his score to the Chinese film, WARRIORS OF HEAVEN AND EARTH.
This is an album of both delights and disappointments. It features a combination of Western and Asian styles, using traditional orchestra and ethnic instruments. This isn't the first time such a combination has been employed. Tan Dun did it successfully in CROCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON, and so did Zhao Jiping in his Electric Shadows compilation.
The music on BETWEEN HEAVEN AND EARTH provides enough to keep things moving along, if not always leading to enthralling listening. Many of the tracks don't allow for much expansion of ideas.
"The Golden Era" (3:56), starts off very nicely with a solo flute playing a flavorful ethnic theme, followed by the orchestra and wordless chorus. It's a good beginning to the CD.
The next track has the song that Rahman wrote for the WARRIORS OF HEAVEN AND EARTH soundtrack. The song is titled "Warriors in Peace" and is recorded in both a Hindi version (track 2, 4:45) and English version (track 15, 4:31). I didn't care much for the song, but it may interest those who want to have alternate versions. The whispery voice at the beginning of the song makes it even less appealing. No song lyrics are provided in the CD flyer. This is unfortunate since it is difficult to understand what is being sung. At least the English lyrics would have been helpful.
On this collection there are a wide diversity of forces used by Rahman. One is chant, as heard on "Lord An's Empire" (track 3, 3:31). The singers are accompanied by drums and percussion and the constant repetition may seem pleasing or not depending on your interest in this sort of world music. I didn't find it very memorable.
Another technique is the use of a solo instrument to introduce the theme. This is so on the track titled "Water" (track 4, 3:52), featuring the mesmerizing solo music of the duduk. I've always been drawn to the sounds of lower instruments. For me, this track is very expressive. I believe it's the best one on the CD.
After this highly emotional music, the next track sinks into overblown rhythmic tedium. It's titled "Horses" (2:27), and features wordless chorus and drums, and unfortunately reminded me a bit of James Horner's less than stellar music. What does the title represent? The connection between the titles and the music are not explained in the CD flyer.
Next comes a beautiful track titled, "Mountains" (1:49), featuring solo flute and orchestra. Such a shame it's so brief.
As already mentioned, this CD alternates between Western and Eastern styles. Besides the good ones already mentioned, there are also "Blue Light" and "The Monk and the Miracle" (tracks 10-11). These offer more soothing sounds and have much to savor and enjoy. There is also a track taken from the Chinese film (track 14, 4:27) which is a nice addition.
Two tracks highlighting Chinese instruments, "Dacoit Duel" and "Lai Chi" (tracks 7-8) were not to my liking but may appeal to those who like rhythmic drumming. Another track, with the ironic title of "Desert Storm" (track 12, 5:19), is rather monotonous, at least to my ears. I had the same reaction to the next track, "Escape" (2:33).
Yet even with my reservations--mainly the song and a few tracks--this is still a worthwhile CD to sample the music of A.R. Rahman. He is a composer to watch out for in the future.
If you enjoy the combination of Western and Asian music then you should find BETWEEN HEAVEN AND EARTH quite appealing.
--Roger Hall, 6 May 2004
DUBARRY WAS A LADY (1943) & MEET THE PEOPE (1944)
Tracks 1-18 (DUBARRY)/ Tracks 19-23 (MEET THE PEOPLE)[Total Time = 78:27]
Songs by Cole Porter and others. The M-G-M Studio Orchestra conducted by Lennie Hayton. Produced for release by George Feltenstein. Project Supervisor: Patrick Milligan. Mastering & Engineering: Doug Schwartz. Art Direction: Gregg Allen and Rachel Gutek. Design by Rachel Gutek. Creative Services Director: Lori Carfora. Liner notes by George Feltenstein.
Rhino Handmade RHM2 7851
Rating: ***1/2
Here are two more 1940s M-G-M soundtracks in the excellent Rhino Handmade series. While this CD doesn't quite match the music of BROADWAY MELODY OF 1940, it still features some good material, especially the songs by Cole Porter. This is the complete soundtrack release and many of the tracks were recorded in Stereo.
As with many musicals of this era, there were a number of contributors to the DUBARRY WAS A LADY soundtrack. The film starred Lucille Ball, Gene Kelly, and Red Skelton. Besides Cole Porter, the other songwriters were: Burton Lane, E.Y. Harburg, Roger Edens, Ralph Freed, and Lew Brown. Then there were the expert orchestrators and arrangers: Leo Arnaud (who later composed the famous theme for the Olympic Grames), George Bassman, and Roger Edens. In addition to all this M-G-M music staff, there were also specialty numbers by Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra. They include swingin' instrumentals like the medley: "I'm Getting Sentimental Over You/ We'll Get You" (track 5, 4:15). Also there are a few Dorsey cues which include vocals by The Pied Pipers, like the Porter song, "Katie Went to Haiti" (arranged and orchestrated by Sy Oliver - Stereo track 13, 3:53); and the beautiful Cole Porter song, "Do I Love You?" (previously unreleased - track 8, 2:35)--first sung by Gene Kelly on stereo track 7, 4:31.
The only other Porter song from the original Broadway play is hilarious "Friendship" (previously unreleased - track 16, 2:57), performed by Lucille Ball, Red Skelton, Gene Kelly, Virginia O'Brien, and Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra. Among the best of the non-Porter songs are "I Love an Esquire Girl" (Edens-Freed-Brown) performed by Red Skelton and The Pied Pipers with Tommy Dorsey (Stereo track 10, 4:46); and "Song of Rebellion" (Stereo track 15, 3:45), performed by Gene Kelly and Chorus. As for the lower lights, there are the songs "Salome" (Edens-Harburg)(Stereo track 9, 3:17), weakly sung by Virginia 0'Brien; and "Ladies of the Bath" (R. Edens)(Stereo track 12, 1:32), performed by the M-G-M Orchestra and Chorus.
There are several outtake cues in Stereo: "Royal Tasters" (R. Edens)(track 17, 1:17) performed by the M-G-M Orchestra & Chorus; and the memorable "Melody in A" (Charles Dawes)(track 18, 2:03), arranged & orchestrated by Sy Oliver and performed by Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra.
MEET THE PEOPLE doesn't have much memorable music. The arrangers/orchestrators for this film include some well known names: Conrad Salinger, Hugo Winterhalter, Frank DeVol, and Wally Heglin. The songs are: "In Times Like These," performed by Dick Powell and Gloria Grafton (for Lucille Ball)(Stereo track 20, 4:02); "Thank You Columbia" (Stereo track 21, 2:38), performed by The King Sisters; "Heave Ho, Let The Wind Blow" (track 22, 3:59), performed by hammy Bert Lahr. The final track is a long medley: "Meet The People/New York Production Number" (Stereo track 23, 8:42), performed by Dick Powell, Gloria Grafton, June Allyson, Virginia O'Brien & Company.
All in all, the two '40s M-G-M musicals are not top drawer but are still fun to listen to.
--Roger Hall, 4 March 2004
Note: This CD is avilable in a limited edition of 2,500 copies only from
| Special
Merit |
THE ESSENTIAL NINO ROTA FILM MUSIC COLLECTION
2 CDs
First CD (56:47):
1. THE TAMING OF THE SHREW: Overture (4:22)/ 2. THE GLASS MOUNTAIN: Legend of the Glass Mountain (4:10)/ 3. ROMEO & JULIET: Romeo (5:31)/ 4. ROMEO & JULIET: Juliet (2:07)/ 5. ROMEO & JULIET: Feast at the House of Capulet (1:59/ 6. ROMEO & JULIET: Love Theme (2:42)/ 7. ROMEO & JULIET: Epilogue (3:15)/ 8. DEATH ON THE NILE: Nile Journey (2:49)/ 9. THE GODFATHER: Waltz (3:44)/ 10. THE GODFATHER: Love Theme (2:45)/ 11. THE GODFATHER II:Sicilian Pastorale, The Immigrant (4:13)/ 12. THE GODFATHER II: Finale (4:14)/ 13. JULIET OF THE SPIRITS: Suite (7:17)/ 14. LA DOLCE VITA: Suite (7:22).
Second CD (58:03):
1. HISTOIRES EXTRAORDINAIRES: Toby Dammit (3:38)/ 2. LO SCEICCO BIANCO (THE WHITE SHIEK)(2:46)/ 3. OTTO E MEZZO (8 1/2)(5:14)/ 4. I VITELLONI (3:01)/ 5. IL BIDONE (THE SWINDLE)(4:48)/ 6. THE NIGHTS OF CABIRIA (6:08)/ 7. BOCCACCIO '70 (1:27)/ 8. FELLINI SATYRICON (3:05)/ 9. I CLOWNS (THE CLOWNS)(4:20)/ 10. ROMA (3:50)/ 11. AMARCORD (5:09)/ 12. CASANOVA (3:25)/ 13. PROVA D'ORCHESTRA (ORCHESTRA REHEARSAL)(4:04)/ 14. LA STRADA: Suite (6:38).
Music by Nino Rota. Performed by The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra, conductd by Derek Wadsworth, Paul Bateman, Nic Raine, Mario Klemens.
Arrangements & Orchestrations by Nic Raine (CD1, Tr. 1); Philip Lane (CD 1, Tr. 2); Mike Townend (CD 1, Tr. 4-7); James Fitzpatrick (CD 1, Tr. 8); Nino Rota (CD 1, Tr. 9-12); David Wadsworth (CD 1, Tr. 13-14)/ CD 2 (Tr. 1-14) by David Wadsworth)
Album Produced by James Fitzpatrick. Executive Producer: Reynold Da Silva. Release Co-ordination: David Stoner. Editing and HDCD Mastering: Gareth Williams. Final Mastering: Rick Clark. Art Direction & Desing: Sean Mowle. Chief Digital Recording Engineers: Mike Ross-Trevor & John Luard Timperley. Assistant Engineer: Jan Holzner. Orchestra Recorded at Smecky Studios, Prague.
Silva America SIL-CD 1153
Rating: ****
Silva continues with its excellent collections devoted to respected film composers of the past, such as: Bernard Herrmann, Jerome Moross, and Miklos Rozsa.
Nino Rota was one of Italy's finest film composers. His influence has been widespread. Just listen to Hans Zimmer's score MATCHSTICK MEN from 2003 and you'll hear the homage to Rota.
Even though he is most closely associated with director Federico Fellini, Rota wrote for other respected directors as well, especially for Franco Zeffirelli's landmark filming of ROMEO AND JULIET. That is probably Rota's finest score and it rightly gets the most tracks in this 2-CD collection.
The performances of Rota's music by The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra are all very good. With four different conductors leading this orchestra, it's remarkable how uniform these recordings sound. This orchestra has come a long way from its early days of so-so performances of film music. They are now among the most outstanding orchestras in the world recording film music, thanks in large part to Silva recordings.
A few cues, like THE GODFATHER tracks, could use a bit more polish. And some, like the frothy JULIET OF THE SPIRITS and sensational LA DOLCE VITA, could have more punch to their rhythms.
As usual with Silva collections, the recorded sound is clear and expansive.
The biggest complaint I have is the terrible printing used in the CD booklet. With so much useful information, why use type that is so hard to read? I suppose the idea is to look "cool." I wish more film music CD art designers would follow classical music releases where the text is very clear and easy to read. That would make me a much happier reviewer!
Nevertheless, for Rota fans, this 2 CD set is like fine Italian chianti-- it's smooth and worth savoring.
This is another excellent Silva film music collection well worth owning.
--Roger Hall, 15 February 2004
| Editor's Choice - Best of the Month for March
|
THE FANTASY FILM MUSIC OF GEORGE PAL
28 tracks [Total Time = 71:49]
ATLANTIS, THE LOST CONTINENT (1961) (Russell Garcia, 14:12); THE TIME MACHINE (1960)(Garcia, 4:33); THE SEVEN FACES OF DR. LAO (1964) (Leigh Harline, 9:24); THE POWER (1968)(Miklos Rozsa, 16:29); TOM THUMB (1958) (Ken E. Jones, 1:53); THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF THE BROTHERS GRIMM (1962)(Harline, 2:14); DOC SAVAGE: MAN OF BRONZE (1975)((Frank DeVol, 21:12).
Album produced by Arnold Leibovit and Ford A. Thaxton. Executive Album Producers: Michael V. Gerhard and Matt Verboys. Digitally Edited and Mastered by James Nelson. CD Art Direction: Mark Banning. CD Notes by Randall D. Larson.
La-La Land Records - LLLCD 1016 (Limited edition of 3,000 copies)
Rating: ****1/2
This is a most welcome release of music from films by George Pal, who was a writer, producer, director and pioneer in the development of scifi and fantasy films during the 1950s and '60s. All the tracks are from the original soundtracks and the sound is amazingly good. In a few cases, the original master elements no longer exist so that audio quality does vary, such as on TOM THUMB (track 18, 1:51). Yet even those tracks sound fine to me.
Of the seven films represented, the one that most fans have waited for, including me, is THE SEVEN FACES OF DR. LAO, with a highly inventive score by Leigh Harline (who had won two Oscars for Disney's masterpiece, PINOCCHIO). Harline is also featured in the delightful Main Title (complete with whistling!) from THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF THE BROTHERS GRIMM.
Harline is a composer who has been sadly neglected and needs an entire CD devoted to his scores.
The four tracks from DR. LAO are the highlight of this CD. The Main Title (track 9, 2:35) seems a cross between a folksy western and an exotic oriental comedy yet it's a very clever little theme. The next track, "Appollonius" (1:49), is written in a classical music style and, though brief, is also memorable. The other two tracks, "Pan's Dance"(2:24) and "Farewell/Finale" (2:36), are also charming little vignettes. Hopefully the complete soundtrack for Harline's DR. LAO will be released someday since it apparently still exists.
Of the other scores, Rozsa's THE POWER and Garcia's ATLANTIS and THE TIME MACHINE are good to have available, even though parts of these scores have been previously released on different labels. There are similarities in the two scores by Russell Garcia. For example, in track 4 for ATLANTIS and track 5 for THE TIME MACHINE with the same sort of orchestral outburst. But that doesn't much matter because they are both genre scores and suit their fantasy films quite well. I remember when I first saw THE TIME MACHINE how much I enjoyed Garcia's score as well as the film. I believe this is Pal's best film treatment. An added treat on this CD is the ticking of the clocks on track 5 ("Prologue/Main Title" - 2:15).
I've always been fond of Rozsa's THE POWER, because I think the score itself has "the power" of making a strong impression even without seeing the film. The use of the cymbalon (a Hungarian dulcimer, played in the film I believe by one of my old music professors) gives added color to this rich and moody score by Rozsa. Unfortuately his name is misspelled on both the CD booklet cover and label, but is spelled correctly on the jewel case list of track titles.
I don't understand why so much track time was devoted to Frank DeVol's DOC SAVAGE (tracks 20-28, 21:12), instead of DR. LAO. It's obviously a lightweight film and the score is amusing but why 20 minutes worth? The Main Title is based on a Sousa march, "The Thunderer." Other than that Main Title, it sounds too much like a formula TV score. DeVol did compose for TV episodes such as MY THREE SONS, THE BRADY BUNCH, and THE LOVE BOAT. He also scored for some high profile films, including the westerns McCLINTOCK! (1963) and the hilarious satire, CAT BALLOU (1965). He also did THE DIRTY DOZEN and GUESS WHO'S COMING TO DINNER (both 1967). Those were all better efforts than DOC SAVAGE. The last track of the DOC SAVAGE suite ends with a really corny theme song, with lyrics by Don Black. This is the Sousa march used in the Main Title as arranged by DeVol. This is an okay score to George Pal's last film, but it's not up to the quality of the other scores on this tribute CD.
The CD booklet is extremely attractive and well designed, with numerous color illustrations, a few complimentary words about George Pal by album producer Arnold Leibovit, and very good notes by Randall Larson about the films and music featured in the films.
This is an excellent tribute to the pioneering imagination of George Pal.
THE FANTASY FILM MUSIC CD is well worth adding to your film music collection.
Highly recommended.
--Roger Hall, 30 March 2003
For more information, go to:
AN ITALIAN
STORY
12 Tracks [Total Time = 45:22]
Music composed and arranged by Daniele Lupi. Featuring Alessandro Alessandroni, Silvano Chimenti, Luciano Ciccaglioni, Daniele Luppi, Maurizio Majorana, Roberto Podio, and Antonello Vannucchi. Recorded at Telecinesound, Rome, by Aldo Amici. Music mixed at Sonora Recorders, Los Angeles, by Jeff Peters. Mastered by Joe Gastwirt at Oceanview Digital, Los Angeles. Design by Hugh Brown.
Rhino R2 73941
Rating: ***
A cursory glance at some of the musicians listed in the heading above will give you a clue for what you are in for on AN ITALIAN STORY. Composer Daniele Lupi has put together an album of set pieces that hearken back to Italian cinema of the late 1960s and early 1970s. The kind of stuff heard in Argento films, or spaghetti westerns, or chic spy dramas that featured music of Morricone, Bacalov, Umiliani, Piccioni, and the like. If you are a child of that era you will find much to enjoy in these little jazzy numbers that are titled for their appropriate homage. Whether it is the groove of "Nightclub," the dreamy lyricism of the title track, or other examples from the Free Love era fans of such music will revel in complete with female sexual moaning a la Emmanuel films.
The performances feature the whistling Alessandroni and several of the musicians from MARC 4 who performed on many of those seventies soundtracks. It is a reunion that lends itself to some funky music making and should be an interesting discovery for those who continue to be fascinated with the sounds of the 60s and 70s. Hammond organ lovers will be pleased. And perhaps the most interesting result is that one can hear the kind of techno sound that pulled out of some of these ideas to develop independently from its jazz counterparts.
AN ITALIAN STORY is one of those unique albums that fans of music from "La Dolce Vita" era may discover as a new guilty pleasure.
It makes for a cool drive CD at any rate.
--Steven A. Kennedy, 15 March 2004
| Special
Merit |
MIKLOS ROZSA CONDUCTS HIS EPIC FILM SCORES
15 Tracks [Total Time = 58:44]
Features music from: BEN-HUR, EL CID, QUO VADIS, KING OF KINGS, and SPELLBOUND*
Featuring *pianist Leonard Pennario, and the Hollywood Bowl Symphony Orchestra conducted by Miklos Rozsa. Produced for reissue by Dan O’Leary. Originally released as Capitol Records ST 2837 (1967) and *Capitol Records SABO 8496 (1960). Reissue design by eleven07.
DRG Records 19060
Rating: ****
DRG has been skimming the Capitol Records catalogue the past year or so with some interesting re-issues of a variety of film scores. They all are part of their reduced price "Hollywood Collection Series." Now they have managed to license a classic recording of Miklos Rozsa’s epic film music to BEN-HUR, EL CID, QUO VADIS, and KING OF KINGS along with a performance of the "Spellbound Concerto" with Leonard Pennario. The recordings were all made in the mid-1960s, except for the concerto—which was released in 1960. Some of the disc’s selections (primarily those for EL CID and KING OF KINGS) appeared on an EMI/Angel reissue a few years ago coupled with music composed and conducted by Alfred Newman.
The Hollywood Bowl was, and still is, the premiere orchestral body performing Hollywood film music with a kind of authenticity unmatched by pops orchestras since many of the musicians "moonlighted" in the studio orchestras. In each of these performances, we get concert endings where appropriate, but mostly re-recorded set pieces from the scores represented. The music is all quite familiar to Rozsa fans, but there is something about the overall performance that provides an edge over later recordings even though they might be more polished and note-perfect. The subtlety in the performance of "Mother’s Love" from BEN-HUR is exquisite. The brass in some instances are stretched but nonetheless there is an enthusiasm present that exceeds the overall brashness. At the price, this is an excellent introduction to Rozsa’s finest music for anyone looking for a great survey of his music from the 1950s.
The production here is equally fine. The discussion of the music is concise but still exemplary for a release of this type. The foldout booklet features one panel of photos for each film and a very eye-catching attractive front cover. It would have been nice to have included the original cover notes if there were any but this is a minor carp. If you missed the earlier EMI release, this is worth adding to your film music collection.
--Steven A. Kennedy, 30 March 2004
Comments regarding this review can be sent to this address: stev4uth@hotmail.com
Quiet on the Set: James Galway at the Movies
13 Tracks [Total Time = 45:11]
Features music from: BRAVEHEART; CINEMA PARADISO; EMMA; FAR AND AWAY; FOREST GUMP*; IL POSTINO; THE HORSE WHISPERER; TARZAN*; traditional songs used in MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING* and O BROTHER WHERE ART THOU?; classic songs used in MOULIN ROUGE and NOTTING HILL; and Puccini’s "O Mio Babbino Caro" heard in A ROOM WITH A VIEW
Featuring James Galway and *Jeanne Galway flutes; and the London Mozart Players conducted by Thomas Kochan. All arrangements by Thomas Kochan. Produced by John Boyden. Recorded at Sony Music Studios, London. Edited by Bob Whitney and engineered by Mike Ross-Trevor.
RCA Red Seal 8276-50932-2
Rating: ****
It has been almost two decades since James Galway has put together a disc entirely featuring film music. I actually went to the concert tour to celebrate that 1984 album with Henry Mancini. Since then, Galway has always incorporated popular film music into his recordings made for the crossover market. In "Quiet on the Set" we get one of the most gorgeous albums you are likely to hear. With a sumptuous recording by the London Mozart Players to back him up, Galway turns in beautiful performances of film music from the past 20 years or so. The line up is an interesting one.
The album begins with a wonderful rendition of the theme from Thomas Newman’s THE HORSE WHISPERER followed by an awesome performance of the theme from Bacalov’s Oscar-winning score to IL POSTINO. Things get a bit bumpy in the music selected from FORREST GUMP with the syncopations being a little bit different than their originals. This may be an arrangement problem more than a performance one however. With the selection of so many lyrical themes, the choice of Williams’ music from FAR AND AWAY provides a kind of scherzo to breakup what might have been perceived as monotonous. I have to say that with so many themes to choose from, this is the odd one of the bunch. Practically every track is a delight with the theme from BRAVEHEART receiving a most fitting performance.
Galway even throws in a couple of traditional numbers to round off the disc. They prove to be equally enjoyable renditions of "Stalia, Stalia" and "Angel Band." The latter closes the disc. Standard song renditions of "Nature Boy" and "She" provide a break from the film selections but are recreated here in fine arrangements by conductor Kochan.
This is one of the best compilation CDs that has come along in quite a while. The only real complaint is the relative brevity of the disc. When there is so much good music making one always hungers for more.
This is highly recommended, especially for those who enjoyed the "Cinema Serenade" albums with Itzhak Perlman (of which there is some duplication here) or guitarist John Williams film disc released a few years back.
--Steven A. Kennedy, 6 March, 2004
Simply The Best MOVIE THEMES
2 CDs [Disc One, 14 Tracks = 71:5/ Disc Two, 15 Tracks = 72:10]
Various orchestras and soloists. Compilation album produced by Paul Coldwell and Chris Evans. Art Direction and Design: Linda Cobb.
Rhino Classical/Warner Classics R2 78061
Rating: ***
First off, to call this double CD compilation "Simply The Best" is very misleading. Who decides on such a title? And what criteria is used to select the film score themes? The "movie themes" title is also confusing. Many of the tracks are actually classical themes used in films, such as a movement from Schubert's Symphony No. 8 in MINORITY REPORT, or from Mozart's Symphony No. 40 in THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS. I wonder how many filmgoers would say these classical themes are the "best movie themes." The concept of using classical themes has been going on for many years in Hollywood films and on compilation CDs, but that doesn't mean it's even relevant. It seems more like the record company is trying to convince an unsuspecting listener that such a compilation is worthy of their cash.
Of the 29 total tracks on both CDs, 13 of them are classical themes or movements. Since they are not technically "movie themes" I'll skip over them. Of the remaining tracks, 15 of them feature the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Nick Ingman. The performances are fine but nothing really exceptional.
On the first CD, there are these usual crowd pleasers: GLADIATOR (track 2, 4:14), OUT OF AFRICA (track 7, 3:24), THE BODYGUARD ("I Will Always Love You" - instrumental only, track 11, 4:33), and TITANIC ("My Heart Will Go On" - no vocal, track 14, 7:04).
Then on the second CD, there are these familiar themes: THE LORD OF THE RINGS (track 1, 5:28), THE THOMAS CROWN AFFAIR ("Windmills of Your Mind" - no vocal, track 5, 3:10), SCHINDLER'S LIST (track 7, 3:55), and DIE ANOTHER DAY (track 14, 3:45).
The art design is tasteful and the track titles are easy to read. Sound quality is variable due to the different recordings by a variety of performers.
Unless you just want a pleasant CD for background listening, this compilation of classical and familiar film themes isn't a necessary addition to your library. And it's far from being "Simply the Best."
--Roger Hall, 18 March 2004
| Special
Merit |
THREE LITTLE WORDS (1950) &
YOLANDA AND THE THIEF (1945)
27 Tracks [Total Time = 65:00]
M-G-M Studio Orchestra conducted by Andre Previn (THREE LITTLE WORDS), conducted by Lennie Hayton (YOLANDA AND THE THIEF). Produced for release by George Feltenstein. Project Supervisor: Patrick Milligan. Mastering & Engineering: Doug Schwartz. Art Direction: Gregg Allen and Rachel Gutek. Design by Rachel Gutek. Creative Services Director: Lori Carfora. Liner notes by George Feltenstein.
Rhino Handmade RHM2 7779 (limited edition of 2,500 copies)
Rating: ****
Continuing the series from Rhino Handmade is this highly enjoyable CD of two well crafted M-G-M soundtracks. THREE LITTLE WORDS is the story of songwriters Bert Kalmar (Fred Astaire) and Harry Ruby (Red Skelton). Also in the cast are dancer Vera-Ellen (playing Kalmar's wife) and beautiful actress Arlene Dahl (as Mrs. Ruby). The musical was directed by Richard Thorpe. Like so many Rhino Handmade products, this is the first complete release of the soundtrack.
During the 1940s and '50s there was a bunch of bioflicks about American songwriters. They include RHAPSODY IN BLUE (George Gershwin), TILL THE CLOUDS ROLL BY (Jerome Kern), and WORDS & MUSIC (Rodgers & Hart). Most of those bioflicks focused more on the songs than the story. With THREE LITTLE WORDS the story is as important as the featured songs by Kalmar and Ruby.
Their songs are well presented in the film and include such standards as: "Who's Sorry Now?" (track 7, 2:18)--arranged & orchestrated by Leo Arnaud and performed by Gloria DeHaven (track 7, 2:18); and "Nevertheless, I'm In Love With You"(track 9, 2:26)--performed by Fred Astaire, Anita Ellis (for Vera-Ellen), and Red Skelton (arranged & orchestrated by Conrad Salinger--this beautiful song was a big hit for The Mills Brothers in 1950. Then there is the novelty song "I Wanna Be Loved By You"(tracks 13-14--first track with Fred Astaire and Helen Kane in Stereo, second track just with Kane (for Debbie Reynolds). Also there is the really lovely song: "Thinking of You" (track 15, 4:03)--performed by Anita Ellis (for Vera-Ellen) and danced in one of the film's highlights with Vera-Ellen and Fred Astaire.
The clever title song is featured on two tracks. On track 19 (0:51) performed by Phil Regan, and track 21 (0:47) sung by Fred Astaire.
This is an especially appealing soundtrack of a very entertaining musical.
Andre Previn was nominated for an Oscar for his work on THREE LITTLE WORDS.
YOLANDA AND THE THIEF was released five years earlier and features songs by Harry Warren and Arthur Freed.
The Main Title music provides a very good beginning (track 22, 1:51)--arranged & orchestrated by Conrad Salinger. The first song, "This is the Day for Love" (track 23, 2:53--previously inreleased) features for the M-G-M Studio Chorus. The next song, "I'm an Angel" (track 24, 3:36--previously unreleased) is performed by Trudy Erwin (for Lucille Bremer). There is also a long ballet number, "Will You Marry Me?" (track 25, 12:42--previously unreleased). Following that track is the charming song, "Yolanda"(2:34), nicely sung by Fred Astaire. The final track closes the CD with the breezy "Coffee Time" (4:07)--arranged & orchestrated by Lennie Hayton and featuring the M-G-M Studio Orchestra and Chorus.
As with previous releases in the series, the notes by George Feltenstein are well informed and interesting to read. The art design and sound quality are both top notch.
This is yet another excellent Rhino Handmade release.
Highly recommended.
--Roger Hall, 4 March 2004
Note: This CD is available as an individually numbered limited edition of 2,500 copies from
| Editor's Choice - Best of the Month for April
|
ULTIMATE MANCINI
17 tracks [Total Time = 53:47]
Music by Henry Mancini. Performed by Monica Mancini, Gary Burton, Joey DeFrancesco, Plas Johnson, Kenny Rankin, Tom Scott, Take 6, and Stevie Wonder. Arrangements by Patrick Williams. Orchestra conducted by Patrick Williams. Album produced by Gregg Field. Executive Producers: Glen Barros and John Burk. Engineer: Al Schmitt. Mastered at the Mastering Lab by Doug Sax and Robert Hadley. Tributes by John Williams and Donald Fagen.
Concord Records CCD-2237-2
Rating: ****1/2
First, I must say that Henry Mancini's film scores and songs are among my favorites from the late 1950s through the 1970s. Unlike almost any other film composer of his era, he could enhance a film or TV program with his unforgettable music, whether it was "Moon River" or the theme from TV cop show, PETER GUNN.
While this CD may not contain everyone's favorite Mancini themes (there so many of them!), it has been released in time to celebrate what would have been his 80th birthday on April 16--the CD cover has a great photo of the new 37 cent US stamp showing Mancini conducting. The CD also celebrates the 40th anniversary of THE PINK PANTHER release in 1964.
The CD starts off with favorite Mancini tenor sax player, Plas Johnson, who was featured on the original PINK PANTHER soundtrack. The other instrumentalists featured on the opening PINK PANTHER track (4:15) are: Joey DeFrancesco on Hammond B-3 organ, and vibraphonist Gary Burton. This memorable theme is done with great polish and is about as close to the original Mancini version as we are likely to get. Other talented instrumentalists featured on the CD are Tom Scott, alto sax, on "Moment to Moment" (track 5, 3:26) and "Dreamsville" (track 8, 3:19); Joey DeFrancesco on the superb TV theme for MR. LUCKY (track 12, 2:47); and stylish pianist Michael Lang on "Life in a Looking Glass" from THAT'S LIFE (track 14, 1:58) and "It's Easy to Say" from 10 (track 16, 2:53).
But it's really the vocal performers and orchestral arrangements that are the highlights of this compilation. One of the most surprising and yet enchanting tracks is Mancini's best known song, "Moon River" (with lyrics by the equally great Johnny Mercer). This standard is performed by Stevie Wonder on harmonica (he does embellish the memorable Mancini tune a bit) and Take 6 doing the ultra-smooth harmonizing vocals. This just proves how timeless this great movie song is and how it can cross generational vocal styles and still be just as memorable. It's a beautiful rendition of the song.
I have saved the best for last--Monica Mancini, Henry's gifted singing daughter. She is featured on 9 of the 17 tracks. Before reviewing this compilation, I listened again to her early CD titled simply, "Monica Mancini" (PBS Records, 1998). Though she sang 12 of her father's songs with sensitivity on that CD, I believe she sings with more accomplishment and ease on the ULTIMATE MANCINI compilation. Six of the songs sung by Monica Mancini with arrangements by the highly accomplished musician Patrick Williams (who teaches at the Henry Mancini Institute). All his arrangements are well crafted. The only one that bothered me a bit was "Days of Wine and Roses"(track 6, 4:14). When this track began, I greatly missed Mancini's brilliant opening in the solo horn. The altered opening didn't sit so well in my ears. But it's one of my favorite Mancini songs so perhaps that's the reason. The duet with Kenny Rankin on "Dreamsville" has a nice easygoing quality to it. But I prefer the duet with Johnny Mercer on the earlier Monica Mancini CD. Stiill, the duet with Kenny Rankin is also very enjoyable. Another beauty is the heartbreaking song, "Whistling Away the Dark" (lyrics again by Johnny Mercer) from DARKING LILI (track 13, 4:41). But my favorite MM track was also Henry Mancini's favorite song, "Two for the Road."(track 3, 3:55). This is such a haunting melancholy song and Miss Mancini gives it a beautiful heartfelt rendition.
The instrumental themes from Mancini are also worth a listen. Besides THE PINK PANTHER, there are themes from the TV shows PETER GUNN, MR.LUCKY, and THE THORN BIRDS.
The CD booklet is attractively designed, especially the new 37 cent US stamp on the cover. It includes all track titles and the various awards for each song or score. There are brief introductory tributes by Henry Mancini's friend and fellow film composer, John Williams (who was pianist on the superb "Dreamsville" track on the PETER GUNN LP), and by Donald Fagen. Mr. Williams sums up the Mancini magic quite well when he writes:
"To me this music is a big part of our American story and I rejoice with all lovers of Hank's music at the arrival of this recording."
Mancini lovers should indeed rejoice. It should bring back lots of memories. It surely did for me. The first LP (remember them?) I ever bought was "The Music from PETER GUNN" way back in 1959. I've loved Henry Mancini's music ever since. His memorable melodies have been part of my musical meory bank for over forty years.
ULTIMATE MANCINI is filled with great singing and playing. I think Hank would be very pleased.
In this month of Mancini's birth, I'm very pleased to highly recommend this excellent, well recorded compilation.
It's the "Ultimate" in enjoyment!
--Roger Hall, 2 April 2004
To read a special 80th anniversary tribute to Henry Mancini, go to:
Additional Note:
It was a great pleasure to include signed photos of Henry Mancini and Johnny Mercer side by side with a few bars of their song ("Moon River") on the Dedication page of my book, A Guide to Film Music - Songs and Score.
Return to: FILM MUSIC REVIEW - The Web Magazine