Customer Reviews

Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid (1969 Film)

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This sountrack is just as fresh today in 2003 as when it was released on L.P. so many years ago. Some of Burt Bacharach's Best Work. You'll notice "South American Getaway" has been recently been used on SBC commercials.

For many, 'Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid' is the quintessential 60s movie, portraying a couple of lovable, free-spirited rogues whose lives end in glorious defeat. (It was immensely popular in England, perhaps because we try so hard to be good losers!)

It's virtually impossible to divorce the soundtrack from the movie. In the space of a little less than 28 minutes, you get three versions of the theme from 'Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head' and six other tracks. (And fortunately none of the versions is the lamentable single recorded by Sacha Distel!)

Composers didn't write scores in the 1960s the way they write them now. No attempt is made here to include ethnic instruments or musical styles from Latin America. This is (North) American popular music through and through, and it is hugely enjoyable.

The stand-out track, to my ears, is 'South American Getaway', a slightly elongated version of the music that accompanies the pair's many bank raids in Bolivia, hotly pursued by growing numbers of mounted police or soldiers. But this is music that stands on its own and would grace any Bacharach album, movie or no movie. Its upbeat wordless vocals are so optimistic, and it would be a joy to see this piece performed live.

The movie marked the end of the 60s. It was perhaps appropriate that the heroes get killed, but that we the cinema-goer, like Sundance's teacher girlfriend, did not quite see the pair die. And the soundtrack also marked the end of Bacharach's compositional brilliance. Bacharach's genius dominated the 60s, but he was only occasionally to regain his form in the 70s and 80s. I believe that his mantle -- for writing optimistic, sophisticated popular music with underlying Latin rhythms -- has been inherited by guitarist Pat Metheny. (For example, 'Au Lait' from the 'Offramp' album is similar in mood to 'South American Getaway' here.)

'Butch Cassidy' is a movie I can watch again and again. Given the ending, it is remarkable that this movie can be so uplifting.

This album is great. It is very sad thing not that many people know this album.

I bought this soundtrack in LP/analog format when the movie premiered, and listening to it now on CD, I'm reminded why Burt Bacharach has been such a successful composer. The music is rich and fabulous.

A remarkably good album for only 9 songs. The songs span several different styles: pop ("Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head"), '60ish scatting ("South American Getaway"), circus music ("On A Bicycle Built For Joy"), old-fashioned brass band ("Old Fun City"), moody harmonica ("Not Goin' Home Anymore"). There are 3 versions of "Raindrops..." here under different song titles. One of these versions (the instrumental one) never appeared in the movie, but the music in the movie's intro (a guitar version of "Not Goin' Home Anymore") doesn't appear on the album. ... B.J.'s voice is hoarse in "On A Bicycle Built For Joy" but surprisingly that somehow makes it sound even better! It would also be great if, like on the M*A*S*H film soundtrack, they added bits of the very cute dialog from the film.

The soundtrack and the movie are Awesome! I remember when this movie first came out and I saw it at the theatre. Loved it.. listend to the sound track on8 track. Now the CD is the top. The movie is GREAT! Get MASH soundtrack too if you love Butch and the kid!

This is without a second thought my favorite CD. I had the album. (still around here somewhere) This is excellent music bumper to bumper. Not a bad note in the entire track.

I think "Butch cassidy and the sundance kid" is one of the greatest movies ever made. And soundtrack is great, too. "Raindrops keep fallin' on my head!" is very popula song. If you've seen the movie, I'm pretty sure you will enjoy music, too. If you haven't seen the movie yet, I strongly recommend to watch the movie. Great movie comes with great songs. Great music makes great movie. Therefore, you've gotta hear this!!! This is awesome, fantastic. I just love this CD!!!!!

This is a great chance for you to discover a composer that goes way beyond your preconceived notions of what a great pop composer does or can do. Come Touch The Sun... What's it all about? Not Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head... That's just a tiny, if better-known, part of it. After you listen to these songs you're Not Goin' Home Anymore.

I like the music from Butch Cassidy, but this soundtrack cries out for a modern update that includes all the music (or at least as much as a CD can hold) run through modern remastering machines to capture all the sound. I have to dock it one star for their laziness in reissuing it. Who doesn't put this album/CD on and want the music that plays along with the silent movie at the beginning? Burt Bacharach's gift for melody and mood are clear in every song, but 42 years later it is time for all his music to appear.