Customer Reviews

North By Northwest: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
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The flaws on this disc are explained very clearly in the enclosed booklet. Out of 50 tracks, a mere five were on a reel that was nearly destroyed when they found it. The tragedy is that they include all the appearances of the main "North By Northwest" fandango theme in "Overture," "The Wild Ride," "On The Rocks" and "Finale." The other damaged track is a minor one, "Goodbye."

As a collector, it's true, this is the CD to buy, it's the original, complete score, including outtakes and source music, that is, the music being played by sources like radios within the world of the movie. And the majority of it sounds great.

That said, if you're buying it, then chances are you're mainly interested in the fandango theme, one of the most unforgettable in cinema. A few people have said they don't notice the audio flaws. If that's the case, then I'm happy for them, but they probably don't know the music that well, because if you're at all familiar with it, you'll notice whole instruments faded almost to nothing. These tracks sound like they're on a radio halfway between stations.

Don't despair, however, because there is a solution. The DVD of the film includes an isolated score of the film. I don't know what source they used for the DVD, which was made in 2000, but it was clearly unavailable to the makers of this CD in 1995. The tracks which are flawed on the CD sound pristine on the DVD, as if recorded yesterday. If you want to hear the fandango theme in all its sonic glory, pick up the DVD, it's actually cheaper than the album anyway.

I guess they haven't reissued the album with these tracks corrected because there's just too little demand for such an obscure catalog title, which is a pity, but if the fandango theme is one of your seminal memories of film music, as it is for me, the DVD is the way to go, with this album just good if you want to be able to listen to the music on the go, or if you want the four minor source cues.

Well, someone has finally plugged one of the worst holes in the selection of available soundtracks- "North by Northwest". We've had quite a few renditions of Bernard Herrmann's overture for the film, and the Laurie Johnson-conducted re-creation for Varese Sarabande (a decent version, if a shade too politely played). But not until now have we had what NXNW buffs have lusted after- the whole soundtrack, taken right off the 1959 MGM master tapes. And it's incredible! You get all 48 cues for the movie, and two more that were recorded, but cut from the film. You even get four tracks of source cues- music not by Herrmann that was meant as background. "Rosalie", "In The Still of the Night", and "It's a Most Unusual Day" are adept re-creations of the Palm Court orchestra at the Plaza Hotel, and "Fashion Show" is the Muzak heard during Cary Grant's dinner with Eva Marie Saint on the 20th Century Limited. As a bonus, "Fashion Show" is revealed in the liner notes as being by Andre Previn and having been originally written for 1957's "Designing Woman".

This CD version has some sonic limitations; the master tapes were in such bad shape they could be played only one last time. Fortunately, some cleaning up and restoration was possible, and the result sounds as good as anyone has a right to expect from such badly deteriorated source material- in fact, quite a bit better. What few glitches remain should serve as a warning to movie mavens everywhere; if we don't demand- long, loud and often- that studios take care of our movie heritage, it is GONNA disappear.

If you want to hear "North by Northwest's" score in as close to first-day condition as possible, this is the CD to have. You can even hear pages of the score being turned and chairs being moved!

Everyone involved with this release gets my personal thanks- all of you did a superb job, and I thank you for giving me one of my favourite scores, in its entirety, in the best possible condition.

Now, if Rhino would only do a CD release of 1958's "Bell, Book and Candle" soundtrack! You own the rights, as I understand it- what's holding you back? Be a good Rhino, huh?

This CD is virtually perfect in every respect. First, you get a massive booklet, which maps out the film in detail and relates it to the 50 tracks on the CD. Then you get a soundtrack which has never before been released - why goodness knows. But best of all, someone has really thought about this music. Dividing the music into the scenes of the film is something which modern soundtracks should learn from. However, the true masterstroke is the quality of the recordings - both the original conception, which perfectly captures the tension, romance and comedy of the film; and in the remastering. It's claimed in the liner notes that some of the tracks have suffered bad damage, but the average listener will not notice any deterioration. The most anyone will detect is probably a slight variation in tone.

This CD is a classic release, and sets a standard which many will yearn to follow. One day, in the ordinary cycle of life, we will have a great film composer who will compose works to rival the best of John Barry, Henry Mancini and John Williams. When asked for their inspiration, he or she will probably reply, "I heard the original version of 'North by Northwest', and I knew then that I wanted to write music like that." Nothing more needs to be said.

I love "North by Northwest" and am very happy to own the soundtrack - I think the music is wonderful.

I was a bit unsure about buying this one because some of the other reviews seemed to hint that this recording was flawed, imperfect, or otherwise bad. It's not at all. DON'T get the re-recording - there is nothing wrong with this one, so why not have the original, better version?

I found the music much sharper and much less static than the reviews implied, and haven't heard any serious wavering, fuzziness, or anything. I recommend this very highly. If you are a fan of Hitchcock, Cary Grant, or just good music, get this. You will love it.

This is among my favorite film scores; I play it often and never get tired of hearing it. The music flows seamlessly from track to track that at times one might believe it to be describing a single scene rather than several short ones. This is the complete score as written and conducted by Bernard Herrmann, including outtakes. The sound quality is good. I usually listen to the CD with headphones so I do notice slight imperfections in the sound, but they are few and nothing that prevents me from fully enjoying the soundtrack.

The booklet is extremely good with short articles about Bernard Herrmann and the writing of this score, notes by the album producer and the complete story of the film, track by track. There are many fabulous still photographs from the film and of the cast during the filming. One in particular, of Cary Grant listening to Eva Marie Saint playing the harp and singing with James Mason, is quite funny. Also of great fun is the photograph of the ?drunk? Cary Grant driving the Mercedes on the CD itself.

If you count North By Northwest as one of your favorite film you will not want to be without this CD.

On their own both Hitchcock and Herrmann were stunning, but together they represent brilliance. Herrmann's scores for Hitch's films are so perfect that they are as important as any character or plot element. They create a marriage of mood and visual that has never been matched by any other pair. This soundtrack is a winner and includes all of the original underscoring. The original tapes were in a severe state of decay when the transfer to digital sound was made and the producers of this CD had ONE shot at it. The tapes were literally crumbling away. Hence, there are moments in the soundtrack when a lapse of fidelity can be detected, and some of the instrumentaion was lost and irretrievable. However, 90% of the tracks were transfered successfully with the fidelity intact. Sit back and enjoy the visual sounds of Herrmann at his best.

First off, Bernard Herrmann's contribution to Hitchcock's classic is one of the key reasons it IS a classic. This score represents Herrmann at his lightest and most flamboyant, leaping between ominous underscore and electrified action music, with a little romance sprinkled in. The climactic chase across Mount Rushmore is one of those relatively rare movie moments when you sense everything firing on all cylinders and that every artist involved is at the top of their game. Herrmann here is no exception; his climatic cues represent one of the all-time highs of film scoring, and are equally thrilling with or without the film. Unfortunately, that is where this album is a bit of a let-down...the source elements they had to work with here were just too deteriorated to get the point across, I'm afraid. If these tracks were the only surviving elements, then I would commend Rhino for at least making an effort, but as others have pointed out, the score on the DVD was obviously pulled from a better source and sounds splendid. However, Rhino deserves all credit for doing their best with what they had at the time, along with putting together their usual excellent package. And don't get me wrong, the majority of underscore on here sounds very nice indeed. But, if Mount Rushmore doesn't work, you don't get the payoff to all of that underscore and the whole seems bland, when it is in fact one of the best ever written. (I, for one, am hoping for a Joel McNeely re-recording somewhere down the line.)

Along with "The Wrong Man", "North by Northwest" is among Bernard Herrmann's best scores for a Hitchcock film (I'm not listing "Psycho" because, while it's a brilliant score, it's probably not something most folks would listen to for pleasure). Hitch and Herrmann began their collaboration with "The Man Who Knew To Much" and continued on through 8 movies (ending with "Torn Curtain" which, while composed for the film, was never issued with it until the DVD). Herrmann was Hitch's perfect musical counterpoint; he thought cinematically like Hitchcock did and used music much like Hitchcock used all the elements of film to convey impact.

The opening for "North by Northwest" immediately captures your attention with its swirling theme and unusual use of the horn section of the orchestra makes the film both immediately distinctive (providing a perfect counter balance to what you see) but, more importantly, it stands up to listening without the film there and still conveys much of the tension of the film.

The remastering on this marvelous CD sounds quite good although it's clear that many of the mastertapes were somehow damaged (the liner notes make reference to this as well). While this isn't pristine, it's the only full orchetral version involving Herrmann that's available on CD. Rhino has done its usual thorough job in researching and restoring as much of this music as possible. Herrmann's scores need to have as much dynamic range as possible on CD as the quieter interludes are just as important as the busier, bustling fandango that opens the film and the CD. Highly recommended.

I first saw this movie when I was about a sophomore in high school. It was hard to follow, to say the least, but I enjoyed the film nevertheless. The music, composed by Herrmann, is fantastic. It goes with the movie quite well, and while listening to the soundtrack, you can picture the different scenes in the film quite vividly. I highly recommend purchasing this soundtrack if you are a lover of this untimely, Hitchcock classic of suspense, romance, and espionage. Enjoy!

Of the six collaborations between composer Herrmann and director Hitchcock, "Psycho" and "North by Northwest" were probably the two most popular. Both scores showcased the unsurpassed talent of Herrmann as one who effectively added a character in the form of musical accompaniment. The on-screen action of the Cary Grant adventure would be less exciting without the work of the composer. Each section of the orchestra is showcased in the thrilling theme that is interspersed throughout, showing a somewhat tongue-in-cheek attitude befitting the film's sometimes-humorous tone amidst the dangerous goings-on. All "directions" point to "North by Northwest."