The Legendary Italian Westerns [Soundtrack]

Ennio Morricone | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 30, 2010)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Soundtrack
• Label: RCA
• ASIN: B000002WE1
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #17,015 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. A Gringo Like Me

2. Guns Don't Argue

3. The Indians

4. Lonesome Billy

5. Overture

6. Almost Dead

7. Square Dance

8. The Chase

9. The Result

10. Without Pity

11. For A Fistful of Dollars

12. A Gun For Ringo

13. Waiting

14. The Massacre

15. Angel Face

16. Sixty Seconds to What?

17. Aces High

18. The Watchers Are Being Watched

19. The Vice of Killing

20. The Musical Pocket Watch

See all 31 tracks on this disc

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

The major Morricone fan is probably going to also want the Rhino two-CD anthology A Fistful of Film Music, but this is a 31-track, 73-minute sampler (at a budget price!) devoted to the western music that made him famous is a fantastic sampler. Most of the familiar Morricone/Leone title themes are here (several selections from "Fistful of Dollars," "For a Few Dollars More," "Once Upon a Time in the West"--although curiously not "The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly"). But perhaps most exciting are the many tracks (and movies) you've probably never heard of ("A Gun for Ringo," "Guns Don't Argue"). All of it, however, is unmistakably vintage Morricone, with those twanging guitars and melodramatic, sweeping choruses. Hysterical and epic, over-the-top and genuinely moving, nobody's ever written music quite like this. --Jim Emerson

Product Description

No Description Available
No Track Information Available
Media Type: CD
Artist: MORRICONE,ENNIO
Title: LEGENDARY ITALIAN WESTERNS
Street Release Date: 07/17/1990
Domestic
Genre: SOUNDTRACK COLLECTIONS

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great collection. Atmospheric and emotional, August 16, 2004

By 

General Zombie (the West) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Legendary Italian Westerns (Audio CD)

Regardless of whether or not you think you have, everyone has heard some, probably lots of Morricone's western music in their day.(or at least a parody and/or knock off of it) If you haven't heard of him, just try and imagine some western movie music you've heard. There's a very good chance that his is what you're thinking of. If you like that, you definitely want this.

This collection has over 70 minutes on 31 tracks and is quite compelling from beginning to end. There are a few excessively atmospheric tracks here and there, but they work well in the context of the album, and it never goes too long with out having something a bit more direct. Stylistically, it's got over the top and cheesy but still enjoyable gunfighter ballads, epic main themes, minimalistic, tension-building pieces and, my personal favorite, grandiose, showdown themes, usually driven by a solo trumpet.(And some stuff that doesn't quite fit in any of those categories) The only song that I actively dislike is March of the MacGregors, which I find rather annoying. Everything else is at least decent and listenable, and far more often than not in the very good to excellent range.

Stand out tracks are hard to pick, as it is so consistent. Of the ballads, Lonesome Billy is my favorite. Very schmaltzy and over the top, but fun in it's own way.(Angel Face probably comes in second in that category) Overture, from A Fistful of Dollars and For A Few Dollars More are quite similar, and the best of the classic western main themes. Great whistling in each of them, and they each have a very distinct mood and atmosphere. As I said before, my very favorite tracks are the ones with the lead trumpet, typically backed by acoustic guitar and choir. For A Fistful of Dollars is simply astounding, and is perhaps the most archetypal of the bunch. It has absolutely staggering emotional power as does The Massacre, a similar piece which nearly equals it. Sixty Second to What? perhaps surpasses either of them, combining the powerful trumpet solo with an extremely eerie, minimalist introduction and a rather unexpected Organ interlude. Another brilliant piece, perhaps the single best on the album. From Man to Man is another standout, largely because it is a fairly unique piece, with odd chanting and sorta native feel to it. Man with a Harmonica is excellent as well. Another extremely powerful piece, with great use of the electric guitar and some of the most frightening, desolate harmonica you're likely to hear. I'll cut my self off now, and suffice to say I could go on about the specific tracks like this for some time.

I don't know what else to say about this. It's hard to describe, so if you really haven't heard anything like it I'm probably not gonna be of any help. The only conceivable flaw in this compilation is that it hasn't got anything from The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, so it doesn't quite give a full overview of Morricone's best known western film music. But that is, of course, readily available, unlike mush of the music here, so it's not a total loss. (Obviously, you should pick up that soundtrack as well.) Anyway, that's it. Great music here. Get it.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars One of My All Time Favorites, November 29, 1999

By 

E from Texas (Houston, Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Legendary Italian Westerns (Audio CD)

I had always loved the old "spaghetti westerns", especially "Once Upon A Time In The West". I'm not really sure why I bought this cd, but it is one of the best decisions of my musical life! At first I just zipped around to the more familiar titles, then began to listen to the whole thing. This music is so beautiful, romantic, sweeping, eerie, suspenseful, sad, and sometimes comical, the scope and genius of this music is incredible. I am not a big soundtrack fan, but I play this cd constantly. Everyone I have played it for, having all kinds of musical tastes, liked it on first listen (at the very least). If you like classical, spanish, or the movies that they are from, buy this cd, you won't regret it!

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Crystal clear; phenomenal!, September 20, 2001

By 

Kevin J. Urbanek - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Legendary Italian Westerns (Audio CD)

I picked this up originally because the original soundtracks of "Fistfull of Dollars" and "For a Few Dollars More" were not available on CD. I don't know if this is a remaster of the original, or a remaster of another recording. What I do know is that all the sound and feel of the originals are here, but they are in crystal clear stereo, and sound incredibly good. Better, in fact, than the original soundtrack recording. This is a MUST HAVE for fans of the music.