Saturday 21 July 2018

Spaghetti and cowboys: part 7


Title: Navajo Joe
Year: 1966
Composer: Ennio Morricone


Inspired by the extreme heat we’ve been having currently in Finland, which has turned the area surrounding my apartment into a near wasteland, I decided to revisit some Western scores. Among them was also Navajo Joe, which is one of the most brutal musical creations for the entire genre.

The album opens with haunting screams of I cantori moderni choir highlighting the voice of one Gianna Spagnulo who creates simultaneously Native American yet jazzy qualities with her performance. The main theme begins with a simple guitar riff which is afterwards heard constantly during the score’s suspense tracks. After a while an array of percussion instruments bang away and the choir starts shouting the name of the titular hero. It’s bizarre to say the least but immensely satisfying. The road to Esperanza starts with a more plain arrangement for the choir and solo percussion with an abstract, short interlude but eventually turns into a hopeful rendition including the unmistakable voice of Edda dell’Orso. Sweet lullaby-like renditions of A dollar a head and Joe’s departure offer some relaxing atmospheres; a musical oasis in the middle of the overall madness. Both orchestral and choral forces are once again released in Ride into town, probably the greatest main theme statement apart from the titles. Joe and his woman offer peaceful orchestral bliss with slight touches from the choir while From Esperanza is another massive orchestral tour-de-force with stunning vocal performances.

Besides the main theme, the album is built around moments of suspense and some source music style pieces. A silhouette of doom starts with the main theme riff on piano which makes way to staccato beats and brutal string and woodwind harmonies clashing with the wailing voice. This music returns later in devastatingly savage fashion in Torture which is the most difficult track to enjoy. Train massacre and Fear and silence offer two different suspense devices, the first concentrating on main theme variations while the other resembles a sneaking-around cue heard in nearly every Morricone Western. You know, the one with solo percussion over only a minimal support from other instruments. While effective in the film, not that much on its own.

The lighter side of the score is heard in The Peyote saloon, a happy duet for piano and strummed banjo. An Indian story is a beautiful, sparse piece which highlights a solitary female voice and an ethnic bass flute. The two harmonica cues are also beautiful in their understated play around the main theme. The following The Navajo escapes is a mournful, dark piece for solo strings which Morricone does so well. While the score is mostly monothematic there is another theme introduced rather late in The demise of father Rattigan with a glorious arrangement for strings, woodwinds and guitar arpeggios. Another version of this tune actually ends the film with a victorious hymn to the fallen called After the end concluding into the majestic vocal performance by Spagnulo. The bonus tracks include Raw hides and dead hides, a piece with sad solo harmonica alternating between raving vocals and percussion, and reprises of the suspense devices. The final two cues contain marvellous main theme and vocal performances and last sendoff provided by the ‘demise’ theme.

Navajo Joe might have the best usage of choir within the whole discography of the composer. Besides that, it is an entertaining album that stands firmly amid the other more well-known scores of the genre. Though some may find it repetitive, its boisterous attitude manages to win over any listener if he can just get over the shocking opening bars.

Rating: *****


Tracklist:
1. Navajo Joe (Main title) (02:50) *****
2. A silhouette of doom (02:54) ****
3. Duncan's plan (00:31) ***
4. The Peyote saloon (02:32) ***
5. Wiping out the town (00:41) ****
6. The road to Esperanza (Main title - Navajo Joe) (01:54) *****
7. The engineer's harmonica (00:09) **
8. Duncan's wild bunch (Goodbye to Brother Jeffrey) (00:27) *****
9. Train massacre (00:42) *****
10. Fear and silence (01:49) **
11. A dollar a head (02:20) *****
12. Joe's departure (End title - Navajo Joe) (02:14) *****
13. An Indian story (Healing the wound) (02:01) *****
14. Ride into town (01:49) *****
15. But Joe say no (01:20) ****
16. To intermission (00:38) *****
17. Torture (The bandit gets the train) (02:01) *****
18. Navajo harmonica, pt. 1 (00:40) *****
19. Navajo harmonica, pt. 2 (00:48) *****
20. The Navajo escapes (01:38) *****
21. A bad childhood (00:26) *****
22. Joe and his woman (01:07) *****
23. The horses set free (00:48) ****
24. The demise of father Rattigan (The demise of Barbara) (02:56) *****
25. From Esperanza (To Esperanza) (01:47) *****
26. Over the mountain (01:13) *****
27. The search for Joe (01:05) ****
28. The confrontation / The return of Joe (01:53) *****
29. After the end (02:16) *****

Bonus tracks:
30. Main title (Film version) (03:01) *****
31. Raw hides and dead hides (01:20) *****
32. Fear and silence (01:49) ***
33. The Navajo's a prisoner (01:40) ****
34. Navajo Joe medley (02:06) *****
35. Sadness (00:33) *****

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