One of Morricone's Best Works Ever! "Big Gundown"
bigprofessorpump | Washington, DC United States | 02/11/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This is one of Ennio Morricone's best works, paralleling that of "The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly."The music he wrote for "The Big Gundown" is not only one of his best Spaghetti Western works, but one of his best works in general. It is not comedy focused, as in "Duck, You Sucker," or "Companeros." Nor does he approach it with a sense of nostalgia that leans towards too much beauty, as in "Once Upon a Time in the West." This music is a perfect combination of action and haunting beauty, as found in his soundtracks for the "Man With No Name" trilogy. The highlight of the CD is track 18, which in the film occurs in the ethereal and fantastic "Hunt in the Cane Fields" sequence [on the CD it is called "La Resa Del Conti (La Caccia]. This is Morricone at his absolute best, using experimental voice sounds. I would love to hear an alternative band sample some of this track one day. It's still ahead of its time, in the way he uses these vocal sounds. It's utterly impossible to put into words!Track 23 is also spectacularly composed. It is the music used during one of the best showdowns in film history, when Tomas Milian tosses aside his gun, and demands to face off against his opponent with his blade. The deep bass sounds on the piano are the highlight here, with the guitars being in the background. The brass instruments also stand out. It is even better than the showdown music from "The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly, " with its use of varied instruments, and a more engaging melody.Track 1 contains the main theme with the singing by Christy, which actually sounds good, even in the 21st century! I'm not a big fan of singing themes in Spaghetti Westerns, but this one works. It's avant garde the way she whispers and then sings really fast at times. If you prefer to impress your girlfriend by listening to Italian opera, listen to the theme on Track 12, which is done in Italian. To hear Morricone's brilliant theme without the singing, go to the final track on the CD, number 24 (not sure what I think of the square dance version on Track 3, though - perhaps a complement to the square dance music from "A Fistfull of Dollars"; I guess I'm not much of a square dance fan).The remastered sound quality is perfect on this CD. Crystal clear digital quality. The packaging is also wonderfully done, containing small reproductions of posters for the film in different languages, and some fantastic stills with Lee Van Cleef and Milian. The CD has imprinted on itself Van Cleef in one of his classic frightening stares.The rest of the CD contains wonderful music; space restrictions prevent me from writing more. But the above tracks are the highlights. Even if you are not a fan of Spaghetti Westerns, buy this CD. It is Morricone at his absolute best.Now for the next question: when will someone release a DVD of "The Big Gundown!" Like the music that was written for it, it is one of the best Spaghetti Westerns ever! Anchor Bay, I hope you are reading this."
Can't get it out my head
David Wilson | Northville, MI United States | 10/18/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Since the previous review, the movie is available on DVD. After the fourth or fifth time I went back and watched the opening credits just to hear the theme, I ordered this CD. I really like Morricone's music from all three of the Sergio Leone pictures, but there's just something extra about this one. Even days after having last listened to it, I'll find bits of the music running around in my head. Terrific stuff."
Trancendant
Mark Twain | Florida, MO USA | 04/01/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Their is a reason Zorn chose to name his Morricone covers album by the same name. Avant-gard western music. My favorite of his western sountracks, your friends may say it sounds cheesee but you won't be able to get the tunes out of your head. So intense and amazing. To those reviewers who gave it less than 5 stars, you are reviewing the wrong product. A materpiece."
Track Listings (18) - Disc #1
