Customer Reviews

The Magnificent Seven: Original MGM Motion Picture Soundtrack [Enhanced CD]

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

 

 

The Magnificent Seven by Elmer Bernstein has one of the more famous themes of cinema, coming from the same year that gave us one of the most famous movie-cues ('The Murder' from Psycho by Bernard Herrmann). Both of these, along with Spartacus by Alex North are said to have ushered in the 'Silver Age' in film music.

This score is much more than its well-known theme, however. It packs in just about everything one would expect from a score for a Western/Mexican movie written pre-Morricone: Happy trumpet lines, lots of latin percussian, fanfareing horns, and Spanish guitar motifs -- and mixes them up brilliantly.

There's lots of great themes abound, especially the various "riding" themes. Almost all the way through the score is packed with some kind of forward energy (it's said that Bernstein intentionalally wrote music faster than the action on screen to make the movie seem better paced). Beyond the main theme, I especially like the secondary theme, prominant in 'The Journey', and the wonderful trumpet theme featured in cues such as 'Calvera's Return'. And the final ten minutes or so bring them all together masterfully providing a great climax to a great score.

Unfortunatly, if you buy this album, you must take the bad with the good. This is the ONLY release of the original tracks recorded in 1960, however the sound quality is, quite frankly, painful at times. The hiss is very overbearing in some spots and listening to this on headphones is not the most pleasent experience. It's probably not Ryko's fault, as they were quite capable of producing albums with great sound (see Taras Bulba, a 1962 score). It was long thought that the original tapes were lost, so they likely deteriorated. As a result, I would recommend either of the two re-recordings -- one on the Koch lable, and the other very hard-to-find one the BMG lable (the prior is still buyable, but the latter is a slightly better performance).

So overall, buy this great score in some form, but I recommend a different version than this, unless you are the type who MUST have the original performance.

It's about time that this soundtrack became available. It was just OK having the "Return of the Seven" as the only soundtrack version of this score, but this release, nearly 40 years after the original film release, finally remedies that.

Rhino has put together a great CD. It has all the cues from the score. We finally get to hear the music in the original sequence which I have always felt made a difference. The album notes are not as wonderful and devote too much space to the film and not enough to the music.

I think that people who are not familiar with the score will find themselves caught up with the energy of the score. Bernstein also managed the trick of writing an exciting score, well fitted for the film, while maintaining absolute musical integrity all the way from the consistently high inspiration to the superb execution.

New listeners may feel that this score sounds like a lot of other Western scores. It is really the other way around: the others all sound like this one. It was the first of its kind (Jerome Moross's "The Big Country" not withstanding). Even Bernstein began to rewrite this score and produce soundalikes (such as the "Sons of Katie Elder" and "The Scalphunters").

At his best, Elmer Bernstein is one of the greats and produced a large number of terrific soundtracks that are still amazing for their high level of musicality and consistent inspiration. This CD displays a prime example.

Elmer Bernstein's score for THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN is an innovative and groundbreaking score ringing in a new era for film music. This reissue and expanded recording of the original 1960 United Artists album is an essential CD. There actually was a soundtrack LP pressed for THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN and it did contain an actual United Artists catalog number. However, it was used for promotional use only and never issued for retail sale. This is the first time the original soundtrack has ever been available to the general public. It was worth the wait. Bernstein's main theme for THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN besides being highly recognizable is both rousing and reflective. It is a statement on the nature of bravery and nobility as the seven gunmen go up against innumerable odds for the rights of the downtrodden. The score is pensive yet contains a lot of orchestral movement which not only advances the plot but entices the viewer to become enthralled in the drama. Bernstein utilizes both traditional Western and Mexican orchestral flavor into the score yet rearranges these styles to deliver the adventure, human drama and most importantly asks us by the film's finale to fathom the enigma of bravery and self-sacrifice. This recording is in mono but is one of a handful of soundtracks that I would classify as essential.

Composer and conductor Elmer Bernstein defined the sound for much of the western genre in this, his signature work. The music captures, with robust vibrance, the exciting tale of mercenary gunfighters enlisted by a Mexican village to rid them of a gang of bandits. Bernstein applies his own unique rhythmic, melodic, and harmonic gifts to give expression to the peaceful Mexican village, to the ruthless bandit gang, and to the stoic, resolute gunmen who confront them.

The title music is instantly recognizable, a memorable theme that has attained a lasting stature...yet there is so much more in this score. The music ranges from soft, haunting Spanish-flavored themes accented with guitars and muted brass, to the soaring strings and staccato percussion of the furious gun battles between the bandits and the gunfighters. Throughout, the music teems with scope, drive, and energy. The music is further presented in the original sequence of the film which enables the listener to better reflect on the unfolding drama. The quality on this CD is impeccable...an experience that is simply magnificent!

This is probably the most memorable soundtrack I own. A great western has teamed up with a great mexican theme. I think this is one of the great soundtracks for the action-adventure genre. It gets my blood pumping.

the late Elmer Bernstein was for more than half a century one of Hollywood's leading score composers."The 10 commandment",
"The sweet smell of success""Ghostbusters""True Grit""The Shootist","Big Jake"all came from his imagination...But the score for this film is not only his best,but his most recognisable...
At the time of the original release of this film,some 40 plus years ago,there was no soundtrack album available..Indeed,save for the pop flavored rendition by guitarist Al Caiola,the music for "The Magnificent Seven"would have to wait until only recently to finally be released to the general public as a full-fledged soundtrack album.
A second film"The Return of the Magnificent Seven"incorporated SOME elements of the original score and was released,on the united artists record label,but that second film and the third,and the fourth were not as successful as the first,and sales for the album were disappointing to say the very least.
Later,Bernstein franchised the theme to Lorrilard Tobacco,and the theme from The Magnificent Seven became associated with Marlboro cigarettes,and the western-oriented"Marlboro Man"..A record album was released which included some of the music used in "The Magnificent Seven"under the title"Music From Marlboro Country"...
But this is the score from the film,rightfully released as such.IT is exciting and memorable...One of the great ones.

The film is a motion picture event to watch if you can.

This soundtrack, however, does not live up to the film's reputation, as it is quite grainy in sound and indistinct in places.

It's not all bad though, as it offers a wide range of tracks from the film, covering every major event.

An essential for the western lover, just watch out for that quality

This soundtrack is a truly exciting work. The true measure of a soundtrack is the value it brings to a film. Too many modern films seem to generate CD's full of songs that have little or no cohesion outside of the context of the film. There are few great composers on a par with Elmer Bernstein working in film today. The score to "The Magnificent Seven" is a true gem. Try to imagine the film without the driving score. A very different movie, indeed.

WOW! Listening to this music always makes me want to jump on a horse and go help the Seven (then there would be 8, but oh well). The music is AMAZING! If you want to hear some of the best music ever written, this is it. Listening to it, I can see Chris and Vin on the hearse, the Seven all riding to the village, fighting it out with Calvera, teaching the Mexicans to shoot, etc. I think everyone should buy this CD! The pictures in the booklet that came with the CD are really cool too. There are pictures of the guys playing cards on the set and a copy of the movie poster. Buy this CD!

This is the best soundtrack ever written...bar none! It's exciting...my heart pounds every time I hear it. You can almost smell the gun powder. It's like you're right there with The Seven fighting it out! I think I've gotten dust in my eyes just listening to it. If you like good music, get this CD! You won't regret it, amigo.