01 - Sounds of the West - fx
02 - William Tell Overture Finale - Rossini
03 - The Magnificent Seven - Bernstein
04 - The Furies - Waxman
05 - TV Western Themes - arr Palmer
06 - How the West Was Won - Newman
07 - Gunfight at the OK Corral - Tiomkin
08 - Pops Hoedown - Hayman
09 - Big Country - Moross
10 - High Noon - Tiomkin
11 - Coyote and Crackling Campfire - fx
12 - Western Medley - arr Palmer
13 - Silverado – Broughton
Exciting music, played about 5% too slow. How the heck can the William Tell Overture be unexciting? Well, it is here. And Frankie Laine sounds as if he was told to emote. Singing the songs “straight” would have been much more impressive. And if they like Laine’s voice as much as I do, why didn’t they mic him well on “Gunfight at the OK Corral”? Half of this song, you can’t hear the words! And on the stark, beautiful “High Noon,” did they change keys so much to stay in Laine’s range? They should’ve just pitched it lower!
It’s also a case of TOO MANY RESOURCES. A session orchestra with one-quarter the players could have played this material with more pep. There’s too “big” a sound. And the penultimate track, the “Western Medley”? Performed by some steroidal male chorus? How monumentally unmoving!
This album is an overproduced mess, full of missed opportunities. It leaves me baffled by its mix of tin-ear production and marvelous source music.
... No, this album is NOT the source of this blog's title. See you Monday.
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