This album's subtitle is extremely important: 'The Sound Of Spaghetti Western
From Morricone To Morricone'. The 20 tracks from 16 films run chronologically,
starting with Morricone's Duello Nel Texas, and ending on La Banda J & S -
Cronaca Criminale Del Far West. So that's the literal explanation of the
subtitle. It's what's in-between his album bracketing cues that makes the
album and subtitle so fascinating.
Quite simply, this is a testament to all the Spaghetti-styled rip-offs that caused
composers to emulate Morricone.
Angelo Francesco Lavagnino's 5,000 Dollari Sull'aso features the prominently plucked
guitar, accordion, lone trumpet, rhythmically in "A Gambling Man". Piero
Piccioni's Minnesota Clay races along to galloping guitars in "Minnesota Sky".
Gianni Ferrio's Un Dollar Bucato has the classic whistle backed by guitar combination for
"A Man… A Story". It's balanced out later in his Vivi O Preferbilmente with a
humorous jive for paper & comb sliding in and out vocals from John Ireson and Wayne Parham.
This is the other style of Western music (as in Country and ---).
Then there's Benedetto Ghiglia's Adios Gringo with instrumental birdcalls, 'ooh-ooh'
from female chorus, and snare drumming in "Adios". Francesco De Masi elicits a
soulful vocal from Raoul in the title song to Arizona Colt, which has searching lyrics
about 'a man with a heart made of stone'. And a harmonica. Stelvio Cipriani is the first
to use a church bell in Un Uomo, Un Cavallo, Una Pistola with repetition in all the small
instrumental groups layering to a big crescendo.
Dio Perdona… Io No! from Carlo Rustichelli has a great 9-minute suite with one of those
jazzy but dirge-like funereal marches midway. "Il punto più alto" from
Los Amigos is a showcase of fast-paced and engrossing action writing for Daniele Patucchi.
The song highlight (possibly the whole album's highlight) is "Find A Man" from
Francesco De Masi's Quella Sporca Storia Nel West. Maurizio Graf's vocal is a real showstopper,
and it's a ditty all women should pay attention to (OK - those out in the wild west at least).
Swept along by the consistent cloned style, when you reach "Sonny" from La Banda J
& S - Cronaca Criminale Del Far West and hear Cheyenne's theme (Jason Robards) from Once Upon
A Time In The West (C'era una volta il West , just to keep up the lingo!), it's a surprise to
find that this time it actually is Morricone!
The most essential collection from a musical and historical perspective to grace my speakers in years.
Paul Tonks
various orchestras & conductors.
