Salut David,

well, Hour of the Gun is another great piece by Goldsmith (it seems, I prefer his Western
scores above his other works).

As for Hannie Caulder, I havn't heard of that one before. is it hard to get? And what's special
about it?

And never mind: Western scores are a nice vacation from too much blaxploitation and French
crime movie soundtracks. ;-)

Christian

Christian.Quatremain, August 18, 2006; 5:14 PM

Hi,

Once Upon In the West - Ennio Morricone
Silverado - Bruce Broughton
Lonesome Dove - Basil Poledouris
Bad Girls - Jerry Goldsmith
The Cowboys - John Williams

A nice mix though i also like the other choices mentioned thus far but these scores, i feel, have a certain re-playability about them especially when loud!


mt.butcher, August 18, 2006; 5:26 PM

Once upon a time in the west (Morricone)
My Name is Nobody (Morricone)
The Quick and the Dead
(Silvestri)

and most of Morricone's.

Andrew


andrewdbaird, August 18, 2006; 5:55 PM

Because I have heard only a few western scores, among them are my favorite these two:
1. The Quick and The Dead (Silvestri)
2. Young Guns 2 (Silvestri)

Cheers :D

karol, August 18, 2006; 8:26 PM

Hello Christian,

Western scores are one of my favorite kind of scores.


All the Pretty Horses - Stuart
Rio Conchos - Goldsmith
Bandolero! - Goldsmith
Rio Lobo - Goldsmith
Big Jake - Bernstein
Ride With the Devil - Danna
Bravados - Newman/Friedhofer
Sons of Katie Elder - Bernstein
Breakheart Pass - Goldsmith
Charro! - Montenegro
Ride the High Country - Bassman
Cimarron - Waxman
Take the Hard Ride - Goldsmith
The Comancheros - Bernstein
Texas - Holdridge
The Cowboys - Williams
True Grit - Bernstein
El Condor - Jarre
Undefeated - Montenegro
El Dorado - Riddle
Unforgiven - Niehaus/Eastwood
Hang'em High - Frontiere
The Magnificent Seven - Bernstein
Hard Bounty - Milano
Villa Rides - Jarre
Hour of the Gun - Goldsmith
Custer of the West - Sagall
Lawman - Fielding
The Professionals - Jarre
Quick and the Dead - Silvestri
Wild Bill - Parks
Quigley Down Under - Poledouris
The Ballad of Little Jo - Mansfield
Lonesome Dove - Poledouris

Not to mention a side of Spaghetti Westerns.


Best Regards,
David Phoenix, AZ.


deg63iami, August 18, 2006; 9:17 PM

Oh my God! Nobody has mentioned the western of westerns (musically speaking), that is no other than THE BIG COUNTRY, composed by Jerome Moross in 1958.

Christian, although a modern recording made by Silva Screen exists, I recommend the original recording with Moross himself conducting. It was released by Screen Archives and I think is not very hard to find.

Among other western scores I love are the ones by Jerry Goldsmith, specially WILD ROVERS, 100 RIFLES and RIO CONCHOS. I forgot it, don't miss out TAKE A HARD RIDE (a bad film with a very enjoyable score).

I can't say goodbye without recommending the spaghetti western scores by Morricone. Besides the most famous ones, LA RESA DEI CONTI is absolutely masterful.

Cheers,

Angel

angeldibujo, August 18, 2006; 9:36 PM

What about:

-Wild bunch, Lawman, Chatos land (Jerry Fielding)
-Sunset (Mancini)

and not to forget

-Gunfight at the OK-Coral (Tiomkin)
-The professionals (Jarre)


peter-anselm, August 18, 2006; 10:27 PM

I prefer Jerry Goldsmith's western scores because of terrific main themes:
-Breakheart Pass (the best of all)
-Wild Rovers
-Take A Hard Ride
-Hour of The Gun

I also like Magnificent Seven and Dances With Wolves.

ohmss, August 18, 2006; 11:17 PM

Thanks for the feedback, folks.

As for Moross' Big Country, I have to admit, that I am not too fascinated by it (sorry, Angel).

But as I pointed out, I am anything but an expert on this field, and my opinions may change
when I listen to the one or the other score more often or when I give your suggestions a try.

As for Goldsmith, he felt obviously at home when he composed for Western movies. On the
top of my head I don't know of any main/opening theme that fails to revivfy my boyhood
imagination (so I definitely agree with ohmss here). But, unfortunately, some of Goldsmith's
scores are a bit boring on the long run and thus the fine first impressions are spoilt.

I was very much surprised by Arizona-David's suggestion of Montenegro's score for Charro. All
that I heard from it is the music on the DVD, and, of course, Elvis Presley's very well
performed and orchestrated main title. Quite naturally, the soundtracks for Presley's movies
focussed on his (mostly pedestrian) songs, and thus the scores were often neglected or the
task was delegated to minor talents. Not so in this case (there is only one song by Elvis), and
so I really would like to hear more. Is there any release that features Montenegro's music for
Charro?

Christian.Quatremain, August 19, 2006; 12:24 AM

Any Western Score by Tiomkin (The Alamo, Hign Noon, Rio Bravo, Gunfight at The OK Corral(just listened to Bernstein's rerecording in the Bernstein Box), Red River)
Any Western Score by Bernstein (True Grit, The Shootist, Magnificent Seven, Hallelujah Trail, etc)
Quigley Down Under
And the previously mentioned Goldsmith Western Scores...Stagecoach, Take a Hard Ride, Bad Girls, Rio Lobo
The Big Country

And since no western score discussion can be complete without the small screen classics...Add in the Themes and sometimes the scores for such shows as Maverick, Bonanza, Rawhide, etc

Gary

ragar01, August 19, 2006; 2:47 AM

"LUST IN THE DUST"...

:- )))

serifiot, August 19, 2006; 3:09 AM

I have been collecting western soundtracks since 1988 and currently have 73 in my collection, plus another 12 compilations. My favorites include the following in no certain order -

The Sons of Katie Elder - Elmer Bernstein
The Comancheros - Elmer Bernstein
True Grit - Elmer Bernstein - (Original Capitol recording is the
worst/ Varese Sarabande is the best)
The Stalking Moon - Fred Karlin
The Professionals - Maurice Jarre
The Big Country - Jerome Moross
Tombstone - Bruce Broughton
Silverado - Bruce Broughton
Roughing It - Bruce Broughton
Rough Riders - Elmer Bernstein/Peter Bernstein
The Wonderful Country - Alex North
The King & Four Queens - Alex North
Bite the Bullet - Alex North
Breakheart Pass - Jerry Goldsmith
100 Rifles - Jerry Goldsmith
Take a Hard Ride - Jerry Goldsmith
Rio Lobo - Jerry Goldsmith
Bad Girls - (Terrible movie - great score) - Jerry Goldsmith
3:10 to Yuma - George Duning
The Scalphunters - Elmer Bernstein
The Missing - James Horner
Wyatt Earp - James Newton Howard
Geronimo: An American Legend - Ry Cooder
Lonesome Dove - Basil Poledouris
Quigley Down Under - Basil Poledouris
Wild Rovers - Jerry Goldsmith
Stagecoach (66) - Jerry Goldsmith (also includes The Loner - TV
western)
The Alamo - Dimitri Tiomkin
Red River - Dimitri Tiomkin
All the Pretty Horses - Marty Stuart
Bandolero! - Jerry Goldsmith
Big Jake - Elmer Bernstein
The Big Sky - Dimitri Tiomkin
The Cowboys - John Williams
Duel at Diablo - Neal Hefti
El Dorado - Neil Hefti
Dances With Wolves - John Barry
The Hallelujah Trail - Elmer Bernstein
Saddle the Wind - Elmer Bernstein
Hour of the Gun - Jerry Goldsmith
Ride the High Country - George Bassman (Outstanding score)
Lonely Are the Brave - another Goldsmith classic
The Magnificent Seven - Elmer Bernstein
Maverick - Randy Newman (not the country music compilation)
Monte Walsh (1970) - John Barry
Monte Walsh (2003) - Eric Colvin
Open Range - Michael Kamen
Rio Conchos - Jerry Goldsmith
The Searchers - Max Steiner

Needless to say, once I get started, I can't stop.

In addition to these scores that are already available on CD, I also love the scores to these that are unreleased:
The Appaloosa - Frank Skinner
The Last Wagon - Lionel Newman
Hondo - Hugo Friedhofer
The Man From Laramie - George Duning
River of No Return - Cyril J. Mockridge/Lionel Newman
Shane - Victor Young
The Shootist - Elmer Bernstein (Limited score available on
Varese Sarabande)
Cahill: US Marshal - Elmer Bernstein (Limited score available
on Varese Sarabande)
The Tin Star - Elmer Bernstein
The War Wagon - Dimitri Tiomkin
Two Rode Together - George Duning


whereverministries, August 19, 2006; 4:12 AM

Huh, that's a long list of favorites. ;-)

I have to add Quincy Jones' MacKenna's Gold. Just like Costa's Soul of Nigger Charley it
transcends the usual patterns of Western movie music and its "traditional" orchestration.

In particular, you should give the Costa album a try. It's a treasure, not only for Western but
also for blaxploitation soundtrack afficionados.

Really funky Western stuff ...

Christian.Quatremain, August 19, 2006; 12:39 PM

Oh, Christian, it's a pity you don't like THE BIG COUNTRY. Anyway there are lots of excellent western scores where you can chose...

What about THE STALKING MOON, by Fred Karlin? It has nothing to do with Moross' americana. It's more like a low budget case of Morricone meets Goldsmith. I hope you like this...

Cheers,

Angel

angeldibujo, August 19, 2006; 2:47 PM

Angel, I didn't mean, I don't like The Big Country score at all, only that I prefer others
Americana-styled soundtracks above it (such as, eg, The Magnificent Seven).

Do you, or someone else here, know about a sparsely orchestrated Western score in the style of
Rubinstein's Jeremiah Johnson (with prominent Western guitar, slow songs country-style etc
pp)?

That's what I am looking for right now. A pity Jeremiah Johnson has only been released on LP
(which is, as it sounds, a mere video tape rip).

Christian.Quatremain, August 19, 2006; 4:01 PM

In the style of JEREMIAH JOHNSON? I watched that great movie many, many years ago and I can't remember the music...

Anyway, according to your description, may be you are looking for something like Bob Dylan's PAT GARRETT & BILLY THE KID and David Mansfield's HEAVEN'S GATE and THE BALLAD OF LITTLE JO.

By the way, if I'm not wrong, JEREMIAH JOHNSON (the movie) was produced and released through Warner Bros., and FSM has released in the past some Warner's great soundtracks on CD (another film by Sydney Pollack, YAKUZA, comes to my mind). Wouldn't be great if Lukas Kendall could release it?

Angel

angeldibujo, August 19, 2006; 5:57 PM

Oops ! How did I forget my favourite score Heaven's Gate is a western too !

Andrew

andrewdbaird, August 19, 2006; 7:52 PM

Hello Christian,

If you like alot of guitar and other strings in a western score I would say give "All the Pretty Horses" and "Ballad of Little joe" a try you may like them as much as I do.

Best Regards,
David Phoenix, AZ.

deg63iami, August 19, 2006; 11:00 PM

Thanks David,
these last two suggestions really hit the mark, in particular the Mansfield score.

I listened to the samples at Amazon. I already ordered the Pretty Horses and will try to get hold
of the Little Jo's Ballad, too.

What about the soundtrack for Charro (which you suggested)? Do you know of any release that
features Montenegro's score?

Christian.Quatremain, August 21, 2006; 1:52 AM

Hello Christain,

No, I doubt that the "charro" score will ever be released, I just liked the music when watching the film. I recently have been having some lp's tranfered to cd and I asked the guy if he could transfer a vhs to cd, he said can. I'm waiting for the cd he made off the vhs of charro, I'll let you know how it turned out.

I'm glad you liked the samples you heard on Amazon from "All the Pretty Horses" and Ballad of Little Jo". I bought my "Little Jo" cd off of Ebay a few years ago, Hope you find one soon.

Best Regards,
David Phoenix, AZ.

deg63iami, August 21, 2006; 5:13 PM

Here another question:

Do you know of any Western score that features the stereotypical music associated with
"Indians" on the screen.

The only two that come to my mind right now are Max Steiner's The Searchers and They Died
with Their Boots on, but their must be dozens more.

Christian.Quatremain, August 24, 2006; 10:51 AM

Not necessarily in this order

The Big Country
The Bravados
All the Pretty Horses
The Commancheros
Quigley down Under
The Magnificent Seven

dspin24358, August 24, 2006; 12:21 PM

I'm a little surprised I haven't seen, Forty Guns listed. I'm actually looking for the words and music to, "God Has His Arms Around Me" from that 1957 movie sung by "Jidge" Carroll.

ventshows, September 2, 2006; 8:15 PM

SHALAKO......Robert Farnon...love the vocal chorus...stirring.
Connery and Bardot in the west!!!!

tanemahuta, October 6, 2006; 8:31 PM