Search - Tom Hedden, Dave Robidoux, Sam Spence :: Autumn Thunder: 40 Years NFL Films Music

I'm Glad We Now Have Something, But I Still Pine For More

K. Palmer | Illinois | 11/17/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I've been a fan of NFL Films since the 1970's when they used to show "NFL Game of the Week". The highlights were great, the announcers were great (usually Harry Kalas on the highlights shows, John Facenda on most everything else), but the music is what made these shows magical. NFL Films, through composer Sam Spence, just knew how to combine the right music with the right situation (a low and somber mood when showing players walking to the line of scrimmage in slow motion in the freezing cold, an up-tempo ditty when showing several high-yardage plays in succession, a victory march at the end of a game, etc).



For years, I wanted to get my hands on this music. NFL Films sold several albums (the vinyl kind) of music in the 1970s, but I didn't partake and these went out of print. About 5 years ago, they issued "The Power and the Glory" CD which contained numerous tunes plus snippets of the late John Facenda. That was neat, but it just scratched the surface (and a small scratch at that). The CD was well-received and I hoped would pave the way for more NFL Films material to be released.



It took a little longer than hoped, but there is now a 10-disc set of over 180 instrumental tunes used by NFL Films over the years. A lot of my favorites are here. I don't know them by name, but I know them when I hear them and its great to have them in my CD library. It appears the first half of the set is dominated by Sam Spence creations while the remaining discs are those containing the composers who came on board after Spence. I am much partial to the Spence numbers, which were the ones that got me excited about football. The others are fine and should be included, but they just aren't the same.



The set is missing several of my favorites. Again, I don't know the names, but I would recognize it if I heard it. Spence says in the liner notes that he himself created over 1,000 pieces of music for NFL Films, so I guess you can't have everything. Hopefully we'll see another set in a few years time.



All-in-all, it's a very good set for the NFL Films fan and I'm glad that Ed and Steve Sabol listened to the fans and did this.



By the way, NFL Films also is releasing the old vinyl records from the 1970s again in a limited edition set (although it doesn't appear to be available via Amazon currently). All the songs on those albums are on the CD set.



PS - By the way, the person asking if "Touchdown Jubilee" sounds an awful lot like Simon and Garfunkel's song "Cecilia", ever since the 1970s, when that tune plays, I have sung ("Cecilia, you're breakin' my heart, you're shakin' my confidence daily..."). Yeah, I think so!"

KUDOS to the Sabols, Spence, Hedden & Robidoux!!!

Christian M. Kartanowicz | Union Grove, Alabama USA | 09/28/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Three years ago, I wrote a review for the NFL Films Music CD entitled "Power and the Glory" (...). I tried to capture the effect the CD had on football fans, such as myself, who love the music behind NFL Films programs and I believe much of what I wrote for "Power and the Glory" holds true for this review. What strikes me is what I wrote towards the end of that review when I suggested that the Sabols were sitting on a gold mine that was the rest of the NFL Music Library collection. As I've come to learn of the many folks who love this music, it seemed the next logical thing for the Sabols, Sam Spence, Tom Hedden and David Robidoux to do was release a multiple CD compilation of the works of NFL Films Music. It does my ego good to even remotely think that maybe one of them stumbled upon my review and, fast foward to the present, the dream is now reality with the ten CD "Autmn Thunder" compilation. The reality is that the music is SO good and SO popular that, in this age of nostalgia, the release of this music collection was inevitable.



Enough of my dribble ... onto the review! This collection represents a fairly thorough collection of music from the NFL Music Library that was used in the NFL Films programs from their early inception in the mid 1960s all the way to the present. The music contained on the CDs is presented in chronological order with CD #1 containing the earliest music pieces and progressing through to CD #10 and the present. Folks who are familiar with the five "Music of National Football League Films" albums, released in the 1970s, will be happy to learn that they can now toss out their scratchy vinyl LPs as "Autmn Thunder" contains EVERY track from these albums in CLEAR and PRISTINE condition! I promise that they sound better without the scratches!!! In addition, several other popular NFL Music Library tunes that never were released are also included which pleased me to no end. Folks who receive the NFL Sunday Ticket and listen to the present NFL Films music as the scores are shown will enjoy the higher numbered CDs as all of those great tunes are included in this collection. What I enjoy most about the track arrangement on the CDs is that, depending whether I feel like listening to exclusively older or newer tracks, I can choose a single CD and the music will be consistent with that time frame the CD encapsulates.



"Autumn Thunder" is contained in a pigskin (same material used for NFL footballs) binder which is a very appropriate idea for this collection. Within the binder, in addition to the 10 CDs, is a storybook manual which talks about the history of NFL Films, the origins and significance of the music behind the action, the legendary narrator John Facenda and the key composers (i.e. Spence, Hedden & Robidoux) and the in-depth information behind each track in this collection. In all, the package is attractive, insightful and quite perfect for housing the NFL Films music we all know and love.



For only the most hardcore NFL Music Library fans, I will quickly summarize the limitations, or "sins of omission," in this otherwise superb package. This collection represents, to my estimation, approximately 90% of all the great NFL Music Library tracks ever used in their programs that we love so much (not counting the other great music library tracks NFL Films used over the years from KPM, Network, DeWolfe, Bruton, OmniMusic, APM and Chappell - to name a few). Though the NFL Music Library contains music from several different genres which were not appropriate for NFL Films programs and not included here, there were many tracks from their complete collection that weren't included that should have. Furthermore, there are still other tracks from the early 1970s that I was hoping to appear in this collection that didn't. Finally, the enclosed storybook doesn't credit some of the lesser known composers from the early years such as Hermann, Weber, Luisi (one of my favorites who composed much of that funky synthesizer music from the early 70s), Ascher and Soden ... among others. All of them helped to create the great NFL Music Library and I felt they deserved a mention.



To summarize, the NFL Films music fan cannot go through life without owning this collection. It is well worth the investment and is guaranteed to offer countless hours and years of musical enjoyment. For this collection, I wish to personally thank everyone associated with this project (Cherry Lane, the Sabols and everyone at NFL Films) for giving the fans what they've truly wanted for years. At the same token, any hardcore NFL Films junkie like me can go through those NFL Films programs from the early 1970s and realize that there is still more NFL Films unique music to be unearthed. As NFL Films has successfully marketed their "Lost Treasures of NFL Films" programs, is it possible that perhaps a "Lost Treasures of NFL Films Music" looms on the horizon? With that, I ask the Sabols to stroke my ego one more time to make it so and I promise I'll be back here in a few years to provide yet another long-winded review!"

A FOOTBALL FANS FANTACY CD....

KJ | 09/25/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"
Wow, wow, wow and did I fail to mention WOW! I remember when the Power and the Glory CD first came out and how it was sold out in a matter of days, well it seems that this 'Box Set' did not get the same or if any recognition at all. As a matter of fact, I just happened to come across this fantastic complilation by mistake because I was looking for more music by Sam Spence.





Well, the wait is over Spence fans! The music here in this Box Set is astounding to say the least. You almost feel like a superhero when listening to the music while at other times tears begin to form in the corner of your eyes. The beauty and spendor of these pieces are timeless! Whether you grew up in the jazzy 60's, groovy 70's, rockin' 80's or hip 90's, you'll find music here that will get your head to boppin'!





The cover of this Box Set is made out of football pigskin and there are 10 that's right 10 CD's inside with over 45mins of playing time each. That gives you over 8 hours of football fanfare to enjoy. And even some of the music in the P and the G that was shortened are played in it's entirety here in this Box Set.





What more can I say, this is by far one of the best CD's I have "EVER" bought! But I must warn you, you won't be able to listen to a CD without picking at least 2 to 3 music pieces that you'll play over and over and over again. (trust me)





LONG LIVE SPENCE, HEDDEN AND ROBIDOUX....you guys set the benchmark for giving the fans what it is they want.... EVERYTHING!"