Dirty Harry Anthology [SOUNDTRACK]

Lalo Schifrin

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 4, 1998)
• Original Release Date: July 24, 1998
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Soundtrack
• Label: Aleph Records
• ASIN: B000009QUY
• Also Available in: Vinyl
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #84,665 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Lalo Schifrin presents a Dirty Harry Anthology, featuring music from the soundtracks of 'Dirty Harry', 'Sudden Impact', and 'Magnum Force'. Also features cues never before released on record! Aleph Records.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars "Anthology" may not be perfect, but it's close as they get., April 27, 2000

By	Chadwick H. Saxelid "Bookworm" (Concord, CA United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This digitally remastered collection of tracks from Schifrin's first three Dirty Harry scores is only marginally better than the 1983 vinyl release 'Sudden Impact and the best of Dirty Harry', an album that included music from 'Dirty Harry', 'Magnum Force', 'The Enforcer' (some excellent work from the late Jerry Fielding) with the fistful of 'Sudden Impact' tracks. While it was a nice enough overview of the composer's contributions to the films, nonetheless, cues were left out, leaving the true collector disappointed and hungry for more.

Like the above mentioned release, Dirty Harry Anthology seems to be lacking some tracks to make it feel truly complete. Examples? Dirty Harry's Creed is still missing a piano solo and I guess... issues kept the somewhat painful Roberta Flack end title song from Sudden Impact off of this release (although the track San Francisco After Dark is an instrumental cover of that tune). The melancholy electric piano solos that played on the closing credits of 'Dirty Harry' and 'Magnum Force' are not included, but the composition can still be heard on the track 'The Mayor'. Also Schifrin does not bother to include any of his fine work for the (to date) final Dirty Harry movie 'The Dead Pool'.

Quibbles aside, this is the most complete collection of some of the greatest cop movie music ever composed and it still sounds fresh and invigorating almost thirty years later. Any serious soundtrack collector should be happy to have it, just don't be too quick to throw out that 1983 vinyl release. You'll still need it. Highly recommended, regardless.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Dirty Harry at last - hubba, hubba!, October 27, 1998

By	[e-mail] (Didcot, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom) - See all my reviews

This very long-awaited collection is an inconsistent, albeit comprehensive, look at what must rank among Lalo's darkest scores in his thirty year plus film career. While not being as complete (and pleasant!) a listening experience as his work on Bullitt, there are some outstanding examples of why this man is so influential on many of today's forms of music, both popular and in film. Most are very short and it is obvious why the films did not have separate soundtracks released previously. The highlights are all from the first two films, 'Dirty Harry' and 'Magnum Force', and are as funky and representative of the '70s as anything I can think of. I have had a few moments, however, where I have been showing off this CD to friends when I have been forced to suddenly leap to my feet and change tracks. The weedy electro and Kenny G attempts from 'Sudden Impact' are best left well alone and it is sad that he did not stick to the ideas that he initially used for the series. The vast majority of the 19 pieces, however, are a fantastic example of how music should be written for film. Don't sample it as you will only embarrass yourself!!

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars CLUMSY BUTCHERY OF MAIN THEME, May 19, 2001

By	Broderick Miller (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews

I bought this CD for one reason only -- the main "Dirty Harry" theme, titled "Dirty Harry's Creed" on this disc. I have the theme on an old vinyl collection of Warner Brothers film music titled "Soundtrack!" where the cue is simply named "Dirty Harry." I was thrilled to replace my scratchy old LP version with a pristine CD master. But -- STUPEFYINGLY -- 22 seconds of the original theme have been chopped out!!

What you're not hearing is a darkly taut piano solo that, for my money, gave this music a sophisticated emotional texture. Adding insult to injury, the edit is obvious and one of the most inept hatchet jobs I have ever heard on a professional record. Somebody's head should roll. Save your money until someone competent produces the correct UNABRIDGED version of the Dirty Harry theme.