WTF (Weird tho' fabulous): part 1

Title: Maddalena

Year: 1971

Composer: Ennio Morricone

This new series will include music of the obscure works that really can’t be categorized to any specific genre. 1971 was the greatest year in Morricone’s whole career and though many of the works of that year are among the composer’s very best, his score to Maddalena might be the crowning achievement. The film itself is a dramatic art film written and directed by Jerzy Kawalerowicz and there is almost no information available of the entire project online. What is mentioned though is the presence of Morricone’s score which is praised heavily. However most of it is highly experimental and should be approached with caution.

The album opens with a piece called Come Maddalena which could actually be my personal favourite cue by the Maestro. It combines ingeniously moods from popular, religious and classical music. The track begins with a long introduction by the jazzy percussion playing of Vincenzo Restuccia that is joined by the church organ of Bruno Nicolai. Soon the soothing voice of Edda dell’Orso is added to the mix and we’re introduced to a bouncy counter melody sung by a children’s choir. The film’s actual main theme is introduced around 3.5-minute mark first by the organ and Edda’s soprano solo before expanding to the whole choir and string section. The melody is heartbreakingly beautiful and fragile and it reminds me of Maestro’s previous work in spaghetti westerns. The album ends with a disco version from 1978 which actually is a positive surprise because the added percussion and bass don’t really transform the piece into a danceable tune but rather elevate the material into greater heights by building intensity as the piece progresses. The piece has to have some significance to its creator as well because Maestro Morricone has performed it live in many of his concerts.

And no matter how impressive the opening track is, it’s still isn’t the piece that causes Maddalena’s overall attraction. That prize goes to Chi mai which was later popularized by reappearing in a French film Le professionnel also scored by Morricone, or as the main title theme to a British TV series The life and times of David Lloyd George or in a French dog food commercial. But seriously, it’s a magnificent piece which provides much needed sweetness among the trippy psychedelic cues. The cue comprises of a meandering, breezy string melody that is light as a feather accompanied by a light pop beat. The B section revolves around romantic and passionate harpsichord. The album provides tons of different versions of the theme from a more rhythmically accurate original single version to the film’s main star Lisa Gastoni’s love songs sung in Italian, French and English.

One reason for Chi mai's success.

Just before sailing to uncharted territories we’re greeted by the dreamlike Una donna da ricordare which has the flute and children’s choir variating the main theme and its counter melody softly. But the big one has to be Pazzia in cielo in which all the nightmares are unleashed. It’s almost a 10-minute psychedelic mixture of wild percussion, aggressively condemning church organ and the mantra-like variation of the Dies irae melody and cluster chords provided by the choir. The ending includes a majestic organ version of the main theme that rises above all the surrounding chaos. Intermezzo per pianoforte is a short solo piano interlude which adds to the oppressive atmosphere with its techniques popularized by the composers of the contemporary era. Erotico mistico has recalls to Maestro’s work in giallo films when the orgasmic sighing of Edda dell’Orso makes an appearance. In the reprise of that track they become even more pronounced and the chaotic atmosphere cools down significantly into a hazy wet dream. What makes the atmosphere even more disturbing though is hearing the children’s choir singing the counter melody amid the sexual moaning but luckily the main theme lingers in the background for some atonement.

Describing the music of Maddalena might sound very cryptic due to its unique nature. The 10-minute trippy cues that dominate the album’s middle part provide challenging, at times spiritual, at times infernal musical landscapes. However amid all the chaos there’s something that penetrates the listener’s very soul. Not to mention the awesome main theme and counter melody that are the glue that keeps the chaotic cues from falling apart. To put it shortly, Maddalena is like a hypnotic dream that balances on the thin line between nightmares and light naps, and it proves how originality can be applied into a film score with guts and controlled madness.

Rating: *****

Tracklist:

1. Come Maddalena (09:11) *****

2. Chi mai (03:33) *****

3. Una donna da ricordare (04:17) *****

4. Chi mai (versione italiana) (03:23) *****

5. Pazzia in cielo (09:47) *****

6. Maddalena (intermezzo per pianoforte) (02:47) ***

7. Chi mai (versione singolo) (03:26) *****

8. Erotico Mistico (09:47) *****

9. Chi mai (versione francese) (03:24) ****

10. Pazzia in cielo (#2) (09:46) *****

11. Erotico Mistico (#2) (08:18) *****

12. Chi mai (versione inglese) (03:26) ****

13. Come Maddalena (versione 12" maxi Disco 78) (06:37) *****

To boldly go: part 2

Title: Mission to Mars

Year: 2000

Composer: Ennio Morricone

Maestro Morricone really isn’t well-known for writing music for space operas. So when it was announced that he would score Brian De Palma’s Mission to Mars there was almost no previous clue how he would handle the dangers and awe of space travel. Nevertheless he did it in his unmistakable style mixing something new to his bag of old tricks, combining unusual instrumental choices to electronic applications and traditional melodic writing to moments of stark chromatic structures reminiscent of modern classical music. At the same time he experimented with what was the appropriate kind of music for sci-fi films by his controversial choices. Around the film’s release there was talk that Morricone’s score was one of the worst parts of the film. Trust me, the film had issues far greater than this score which by itself is a masterpiece and one of the most unique experiences in Maestro’s catalogue.

The backwards assembled album begins with the end title piece A heart beats in space which starts with exactly that: the sound effect of a beating heart in the emptiness. After the sweet prelude provided by the cor anglais, the music moves to a developmental section for strings, a distant choir and soft electric guitar which create a true feeling of weightlessness. Around the 3-minute mark we’re introduced to the nostalgic main theme of the film which is a stellar (sorry for the pun) melody that can only come from the pen of a true Maestro. The cue ends with a reprise of the opening atmosphere in a reversed order along with a bright Baroque style trumpet solo before cooling off back to the heartbeat. A surprisingly reflective opening to a space adventure film and a great one for sure.

In a way the album’s opening dictates how the rest of the album will be like. The tempo is usually slow, the melodies are given time to develop and flourish, and everything is oozing with the peace stemming from the depths of ageless space. A martian continues in similar vein and after the electric oboe has reprised the main theme, the writing becomes certainly more romantic and it’s easy to forget that you’re not actually listening to an impressionistic tone poem. During the cue’s latter half, the whole orchestra and choir are painting wondrous landscapes slowly rising towards A world which searches which provides fragments of the main theme once again. Between the most controversial tracks of the album the listener is treated with the peaceful A wife lost which is based on the cor anglais theme and has a bit dated synthetic sound that lessens its enjoyability slightly, and Ecstacy of Mars whose chromatic patterns, misty choir sound and another reprise of the cor anglais theme are emphasizing the astronauts’ unbelievable sights.

And now we get to the issue that is the electronic organ. You see, Towards the unknown is an 8-minute monster of a piece dominated by a chromatic rising and falling organ melody over a steadily beating bassline. The reviewers’ arguments were that an organ isn’t suitable for a space film (I wonder if they still feel like that after Hans Zimmer’s treatment of the instrument in Interstellar). But if I may ask, why wouldn’t it be suitable? I think that science fiction films are just a perfect opportunity to try something out of the box. Besides the organ sound has been modified to sound very sterile and alien (sorry again). For some listeners these might be the longest 8 minutes of their lives but for me they’re absolutely ingenious. Just that way of adding more and more instruments to the mix slowly creating tension and depth to the piece before resolving probably to the most gorgeous statement of the main theme on the whole album. The cue ends also with one of the most memorable single chords ever (at 7:36) that blurs the line between tonality and atonality beautifully. The other suspenseful tracks on the album, An unexpected surprise and And afterwards?, don’t unfortunately reach the same heights but the latter includes interesting Ligeti-inspired choral work but also annoying, restless electronic tingling which sounded already dated in the year 2000.

The two greatest epiphanies on the album are the 13-minute Sacrifice of a hero and the film’s finale Where? which cover the entire range of emotions of the human existence. The first one continues from where Towards the unknown left off. The bassline is soon taken over by ominous brass and woodwinds, a martial drum and Maestro’s 70s giallo trademark, the whispering and whistling choir. This development is followed by an almost 2-minute sustained note which accompanies the heroic brass. Finally it resolves to the most devastating moment on the album for woeful strings and flute solo that turns back to harsh atonality once more before the final patriotic sendoff. Where? on the other hand begins gloomily but soon we get the first fanfare that signals the closeness of salvation. After that the atmosphere slowly swells to the final climax that explodes in pure joy and hope. The whole orchestra and choir provide the last majestic rendition of the main theme in one of the Maestro’s most spectacular finale cues ever. The album ends with All the friends, a short and sweet postlude to the fallen astronauts.

Mission to Mars is a score that divides the film music community: you either hate or love it. As you can probably tell, I’m part of that latter group. It’s rare to hear a space adventure film score this daring. Maestro Morricone treats it almost like a classical symphonic work, like a literal ‘space opera’ without the vocal parts. It’s easily in my top 10 Morricone scores of all time and probably his greatest achievement in the new millennium.

Rating: *****

Tracklist:

1. A heart beats in space (07:58) *****

2. A martian (06:06) *****

3. A world which searches (02:58) *****

4. And afterwards? (06:33) ****

5. A wife lost (03:27) *****

6. Towards the unknown (08:15) *****

7. Ecstasy of Mars (02:57) *****

8. Sacrifice of a hero (13:20) *****

9. Where? (05:32) *****

10. An unexpected surprise (02:33) ***

11. All the friends (02:39) *****

Spaghetti and cowboys: part 2

Title: Tequila!

Year: 1973

Composer: Lallo Gori

Maestro Ennio Morricone pretty much revolutionized the music written for western films in the 1960s, so it was no surprise that others who came after him started to imitate his style. The two scores I’m reviewing today are examples of this but even though there are moments where it feels more like a copy than original work, they are not without their merits. Both scores were written by Coriolano “Lallo” Gori who had already had a prolific career scoring a varied spectrum of film scores.

Tequila! begins with great suspense music for bass clarinet, flute and distorted electric guitar before the cheesy whistling main theme is introduced with a honky-tonk rhythm. This theme is surely no classic but catchy and quite charming at first, but during the album’s duration becomes quite annoying. There is also a pop inspired theme with bouncy organ lines heard in Seq. 4 which also concludes in a short harmonica reprise of the main theme. The main theme gets further variations in Seq. 6 when it’s combined to a bouncy rhythm and jazzy trumpets, Seq. 8 for pizzicato strings and Seq. 13 for electric guitar and solo trumpet. The most Morriconean track is Seq. 12 with a Mariachi trumpet over mournful strings and occasional waltz rhythms. Seq. 9 is quite a horrendous pub piano cue for plucking synthesizer elements and Seq. 11 isn’t much better with cheesy cabaret music that is for some reason interrupted by a moment of suspense.

Suspenseful music is the best thing about the score and I especially love the eerie flute that is both jazzy and almost seductive at times. Suspense drives Seq. 2 and 3 forward, latter of which continuing to a simplistic nursery rhyme for tinkling synthesizer. By far the best suspense music is heard in Seq. 10 with monstrous growling harmonica which unfortunately turns back to the main theme. The only moment of action, Seq. 5, relies heavily on the horseride rhythm with electric guitars before quieting down to bare strings.

The score for Tequila! includes some Gori trademarks like the jazzy flute writing and the vibrating organ sound that both work wonders during the suspenseful cues. However the cheerful nature of the rest of the score and the constant changes in mood make it hard to take seriously. That’s also the reason why the listening experience suffers and ultimately makes me wish that I was listening to some other Spaghetti western score instead.

Rating: ***

Title: Era Sam Wallash... lo chiamavano Così Sia! (Savage guns)

Year: 1971

Composer: Lallo Gori

The second score on the disc starts with a long introductory track that begins with a spoken introduction about a man called Così Sia. Those moments are again cheesy and the cheesiness in deepened by the religious organ work that is actually quite marvellous. Then another Morricone inspired Mariachi trumpet moment comes in that introduces the main theme which gets an exciting horseride variation at the end of the track. The main theme is played softly on classical guitar solo in Seq. 2 before the cue turns into a suspense track with jazzy flute work. Seq. 3 has another mellow version of the theme for electric guitar before changing into a colourful depiction of the sunset with strumming guitar, flute, xylophone, harps and high strings.

The Mariachi trumpet returns in Seq. 5 with another passionate performance before the bolero rhythm takes over with a moment of understated heroism. The following cue continues in the same vain but gets more action oriented towards the end. However the tragic atmosphere isn’t shaken off and dominates the rest of the album with occasional moments for the horseride rhythm and jazzy flourishes provided by the flute. The suspense is lifted just at the end of Seq. 9 with a rather lovely moment for strings, guitars and a waltz rhythm. The last track provides a reprise of the main theme in horseride mode.

Era Sam Wallash… is clearly the stronger score on this ‘twofer’. It’s leaning more towards suspenseful writing in almost every track with a sense of brooding atmosphere which makes you wait for something bad to happen but it never does. In addition it’s simultaneously a highly melodic work and has a beautiful main theme that however needs a few times to sink in thoroughly.

Rating: ****

Tracklist:

1. Tequila - Seq. 1 (02:24) ****

2. Tequila - Seq. 2 (01:54) ****

3. Tequila - Seq. 3 (02:18) ***

4. Tequila - Seq. 4 (01:26) ****

5. Tequila - Seq. 5 (01:17) ****

6. Tequila - Seq. 6 (02:11) ***

7. Tequila - Seq. 7 (01:32) ****

8. Tequila - Seq. 8 (01:40) ****

9. Tequila - Seq. 9 (01:50) *

10. Tequila - Seq. 10 (03:12) ***

11. Tequila - Seq. 11 (01:51) **

12. Tequila - Seq. 12 (01:56) ****

13. Tequila - Seq. 13 (01:02) ***

14. Tequila - Seq. 14 (01:55) ***

15. Tequila - Seq. 15 (01:13) ***

16. Era Sam Wallash... - Seq. 1 (05:30) *****

17. Era Sam Wallash... - Seq. 2 (02:44) *****

18. Era Sam Wallash... - Seq. 3 (02:58) *****

19. Era Sam Wallash... - Seq. 4 (01:21) ***

20. Era Sam Wallash... - Seq. 5 (03:41) ****

21. Era Sam Wallash... - Seq. 6 (02:02) ****

22. Era Sam Wallash... - Seq. 7 (03:31) ****

23. Era Sam Wallash... - Seq. 8 (02:58) ***

24. Era Sam Wallash... - Seq. 9 (03:28) ****
25. Era Sam Wallash... - Seq. 10 (01:31) ****

To boldly go: part 1

Title: Ecce homo – I sopravvissuti

Year: 1969

Composer: Ennio Morricone

This new series will feature score reviews from science fiction films. Let’s get everything started with an obscure post-apocalyptic film Ecce homo – I sopravvissuti. There’s almost no information about the production but it only lists 5 actors who play the last survivors of a nuclear war which destroyed humanity. Every track is called Venuta dal mare which translates to ‘Coming from the sea’ and the CD booklet has pictures of barren seashores. Maestro Morricone’s score reflects those perfectly. However the score is once again easier to admire due to its technical achievements rather than enjoyability.

The score's opening phrase

The score is written for a small chamber ensemble of six performers: Edda dell’Orso in vocals, Nicola Samale on flute, Dino Asciolla on viola, Anna Palomba on harp, Franco Giordano on percussions and Franco Goldani on vibes and marimba. The main title cue begins with a brilliantly haunting, eerie solo voice singing in the emptiness before being joined by an African kalimba and finally the rest of the instruments. It introduces immediately the four pitches on which everything is based: A-C-C#-D. Every single track is just a series of permutations of those four notes. Only during the more improvisatory moments can there be other pitches for instance in sliding glissandi but otherwise this is all we get. It’s quite astonishing how Morricone can keep the interest up even with this little to work with. It might have something to do with the fact that those notes don’t really form common chords and for instance there’s a constant battle between a minor or major third with C-C#.

There’s not that much I can really comment on. The score is rather slow moving, but occasionally there are moments of sheer brutality. After the title track, II begins with a nautical harp which to me sounds like something gliding over a still nocturnal bay. III has the first short obscure ‘chase’ moment where the flute starts to sound almost animalistic and Edda’s voice on the other hand comes more to the forefront. The percussion usually sounds like shards of glass clattering together or then like someone shaking a match box (for instance in track VII). IX develops the material heard in the title track but at the end it begins to move towards a more threatening atmosphere which culminates in XI and XII. The first one has a steady stabbing rhythm and the animalistic flute makes its return. The latter transforms Edda’s voice into aggressive moans which are layered on top of each other similarly to the flutes, which creates a sort of Edda ‘trio’ and flute ‘duo’. The steady chase rhythm is also prominent during the cue’s whole duration. Before the pretty uneventful Finale, the album’s cleanest writing is represented in XV. The last track on the album is a concert suite of the best the film versions have to offer. It’s actually a surprisingly cohesive piece of music which in my opinion could be performed in some chamber music festival.

The score of Ecce homo is a rather difficult one to recommend. The concert suite is included on many other albums and for those who might be keen on discovering this score, it would be the best way to start in my opinion. Though the concept of the score sounds quite unbearable on paper, I’ve always found something truly captivating about it. This is Morricone’s Planet of the apes and it experiments with the techniques used in contemporary classical music writing. You just have to give the maestro credit for creating an experience that sounds this alien and unique.

Rating: **1/2

Tracklist:

1. Venuta dal mare (main titles) (02:09) ***

2. Venuta dal mare (II) (01:59) ***

3. Venuta dal mare (III) (02:27) ***

4. Venuta dal mare (IV) (01:19) **

5. Venuta dal mare (V) (01:08) ***

6. Venuta dal mare (VI) (01:57) *

7. Venuta dal mare (VII) (01:24) ***

8. Venuta dal mare (VIII) (01:15) *

9. Venuta dal mare (IX) (02:04) ***

10. Venuta dal mare (X) (01:35) **

11. Venuta dal mare (XI) (02:07) **

12. Venuta dal mare (XII) (04:02) ****

13. Venuta dal mare (XIII) (02:13) **

14. Venuta dal mare (XIV) (01:15) **

15. Venuta dal mare (XV) (03:16) ***

16. Venuta dal mare (finale) (04:20) **

17. Venuta dal mare (concert suite version) (14:33) ****

CrimeWaves: part 1

Title: La legge dei gangsters (Gangsters’ law)

Year: 1969

Composer: Piero Umiliani

Piero Umiliani was one of the most famous Italian film music Maestros. He was probably most well-known for his piece Mah-nà mah-nà which was actually written for an Italian-Swedish mondo film Svezia, inferno e paradiso before being popularized by the Muppets. Due to his background in jazz, his scores always revolved around a rich and vivid harmonic language. Nowhere is this more apparent than in his score to La legge dei gangsters which is among the all-time greatest crime scores.

Every single track oozes with that 1960s class and coolness. This is already evident in the opening track Crepuscolo sul mare which is a mysterious acoustic guitar solo depicting the rolling waves of the sea accompanied by soothing strings. The jazz flavour is immediately introduced in the 12-minute Genova p.zza de Ferrari dale 2 alle 7 which is pure jazz and starts with a vibraphone solo that is then given to the electric guitar. The smoky jazz club feel is maintained during the track’s whole duration and it moves through several improvisatory solo performances providing perfect atmosphere for the gangsters’ hideout. However during the last 3^rd the track transforms first into a jazz waltz and then into a fast-paced brassy big band piece. Swing come sempre continues straight from where the previous cue left off with fast drumming, a warm saxophone solo and rhythmic brass stabs. The title track La legge dei gangsters introduces a slightly mad 7/8 groove with impressive and demanding trumpet solos. It’s soon discarded though and replaced with a jazz waltz where the flute work reminds me of something John Barry might have composed during his prime years.

Episodio is similar to the opening but this time the melody is heavily rooted in folk music harmonies with some jazzy touches. The orchestration is to be admired here because it just warms my heart how beautifully all the instruments dance along with the cue’s waltz rhythm. The first real gangstery action track is Very fast that consists of brassy cacophony over some exhilarating drum and trumpet playing. Lui e lei reminds the listener of Umiliani’s vocal writing inserting cheeky scat voices to interplay with each other and harmonize over a smooth latin flavoured rhythm. Tema dell’addio is a nighttime organ solo with descending basslines and another waltz groove. More orchestral bliss is provided in Disgelo with delicious piano and violin flourishes.

The score continues on the second disc with another seaside fantasy Alba sul mare. This exquisite composition is again a waltz scored mostly for strings and harp which really captures beautifully the seaside imagery. Epilogo reprises the seedy nightclub atmosphere with an emphasis on lush Hammond organ grooves. Its reprise in track 9 is a richly orchestral version featuring fluttering flutes and mysterious tremolo strings. Pure jazz continues in Sei ottavi in blues which at first changes between walking bass bliss and jazz waltz grooves before settling to the latter. Apertura in jazz includes an array of different woodwinds and brass instruments but isn’t as interesting as some of the preceding material. The score doesn’t feature that many cues that could directly depict gangsters lurking around but Spiaggia deserta is one. The sassy saxophone plays over an ominous bassline and then the melody is taken over by a muted trumpet solo. The film score aspect is taken further in Sequence ritmiche whose aggressive sax solos and relentless percussion could probably sound fabulous accompanying a chase sequence. The cue’s end reprises the theme heard in Epilogo with an almost undistinguishable brass version. The score ends with an original song performed by an unnamed female singer in English. Here the brass writing really reminds of a James Bond song and the percussion has a certain machine gun effect Maestro Morricone utilized in his crime scores as well.

The previous album presentation of the score was but onto a single massive 70-minute album. This Beat records album includes though 3 previously unreleased original songs that are a good addition among the instrumental tracks. Ira’s Cosa mai sarà is the weakest of the songs even though the bossa rhythm is captivating but the melody isn’t memorable enough. Luckily she has a chance to prove her credentials in Inutili parole which was written by a fellow film composer Mario Bertolazzi. It’s a glorious 60s power ballad with an emotional and expressive performance. The last new song Vieni a dirmi ciao features Franco Morselli as the vocalist and it’s a 60s go-go shake track that probably works better in the film than on the album.

I almost run out of complementary words and phrases for this score. It’s just that good. Along with Morricone’s Il bandito dagli occhi azzurri it represents the best use of jazz in a film score I’ve possibly ever heard. Every single track feels different and fresh and the performances are sublime throughout.

Rating: *****

Tracklist:

1. Crepuscolo sul mare (02:43) *****

2. Genova p.zza de Ferrari dalle 2 alle 7 (12:29) *****

3. Swing come sempre (02:46) *****

4. La legge dei gangster s (07:35) *****

5. Episodio (02:37) *****

6. Very fast (02:17) *****

7. Lui e lei (02:32) *****

8. Tema dell'addio (02:30) ****

9. Disgelo (02:27) *****

10. Cosa mai sarà (02:34) ****

1. Inutili parole (02:58) *****

2. Alba sul mare (03:10) *****

3. Epilogo (04:32) ****

4. Sei ottavi in blues (03:33) *****

5. Apertura in jazz (03:53) ****

6. Vieni a dirmi ciao (03:38) ****

7. Spiaggia deserta (06:13) *****

8. Sequenze ritmiche (06:18) *****

9. Epilogo (03:02) *****

10. Gangster's song (03:36) *****

Spaghetti and cowboys: part 1

Title: Tepepa

Year: 1969

Composer: Ennio Morricone

After Halloween it’s time to start a new review series concentrating on the music of spaghetti westerns. And a series about spaghetti westerns couldn’t be complete without a mention of the one composer who pretty much created the sound for the films or at least perfected it. I’ll start from a score of his that isn’t that well-known though, called Tepepa. The film tells a story during the time of the Mexican revolution and features a score that is missing some of the usual trademarks Morricone implemented on these films.

The score begins with its connecting little motif, a two-note piano rumble. It’s followed by a very familiar sounding theme for woodwinds and acoustic guitar. I don’t know what makes the theme sound so ‘Mexican’ but it certainly has that kind of fling to my ear. After the theme we get a development section that has the piano motif dancing amid quicker march-like brass and guitars. It’s followed by a classical music inspired chorale before quieting down back to the main theme. This title track is easily the best thing about the score since it’s just so uplifting and melodically pleasing throughout leaving a warm feeling to the listener’s heart. The ending cue reprises the first track faithfully but has a different guitar introduction and some of the other instrumental changes and additional main theme moments compared to the first version and it actually ends with the chorale providing a powerful close to the album.

Tepepa e Price has some interesting instrumental colours with guitars and whistles without a significant theme. The piano motif transforms into a piece of slight unease in Tradimento primo over strings that are so undeniably Morricone western. It also features a twanging guitar and other stranger guitar string manipulations. A metà strada has also the Morricone western style written over it. It’s a peaceful cue where the sunset imagery is created by soft strings and distant guitars.

There’s actually an original song sung by an artist called Christy who worked with Morricone in some of his spaghetti western scores. The melody is quite powerful and the performance is just so over-the-top passionate, that it’s just a blast to listen to. The song itself consists of a constant guitar base where the verses are divided by crystal-clear trumpet solos. There are much better Morricone songs available but this one doesn’t distract from the overall style and is good fun nonetheless.

Una rosa develops the beginning track’s Mexican influences even further with a cheerful Mariachi band source cue. Consegna delle armi is another serene elegy that was done better in other Morricone westerns. The only two pieces of real suspense writing are Una povera casa and Tradimendo secondo. The latter features similar reprises of the piano motif and the twanging guitar to the first version. However they’re short-lived because of disruptive suspense material consisting of swirling strings, harpsichord chords and military percussion.

I own the version of the score that’s only 30 minutes long. I don’t know whether longer versions of the score add something new to the mix but besides the killer title track and the song, there isn’t really that much originality the listener can get a grasp on. Those moments I mentioned though are quite special and provide enough beautiful melodies to get through the short duration of the album.

Rating: ****

Tracklist:

1. Viva la revoluciòn [Tepepa] (04:22) *****

2. Tepepa e Price (00:58) ****

3. Tradimento primo (02:17) ****

4. A metà strada (01:51) *****

5. Al Messico che vorrei (04:52) *****

6. Una rosa (01:47) ***

7. Consegna delle armi (01:20) ****

8. Una povera casa (01:03) ***

9. Tradimento secondo (02:55) *****

10. Tepepa [Viva la ravoluciòn] (05:37) *****