The Music of Raymond Scott / Reckless Nights and Turkish Twilights [Soundtrack]

Raymond Scott | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 10, 1992)
• Original Release Date: November 10, 1992
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Soundtrack
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B0000028TL
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #138,799 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #53 in Music > World Music > Middle East > Turkey
  • #66 in Music > Pop > Easy Listening > Retro Space Age

Track Listings

1. Powerhouse

2. The Toy Trumpet

3. Tobacco Auctioneer

4. New Year's Eve in a Haunted House

5. Manhattan Minuet

6. Dinner Music for a Pack of Hungry Cannibals

7. Reckless Night on Board an Ocean Liner

8. Moment Musical

9. Twilight in Turkey

10. The Penguin

11. Oil Gusher

12. In an 18th Century Drawing Room

13. The Girl at the Typewriter

14. Siberian Sleighride

15. At an Arabian House Party

16. Boy Scout in Switzerland

17. Bumpy Weather Over Newark

18. Minuet in Jazz

19. War Dance for Wooden Indians

20. The Quintet Plays Carmen

See all 23 tracks on this disc

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Prewar gems from a long-neglected master. Scott's career as composer, bandleader, and electronic-music pioneer is just beginning to be rediscovered. Here he mixes swing jazz with classical forms, exotica (long before there even was such a thing), and his own hyperactive melodies to create a timeless sound. Many of the bouncy tunes are recognizable from their constant use in cartoon soundtracks over the years: the classic "Powerhouse," a jittery mix of an edgy scherzo and a relentless march (as well as a favorite of Looney Toons composer Carl Stalling); the jaunty "The Toy Trumpet"; and the dizzying "Dinner Music for a Pack of Hungry Cannibals." Scott's original recordings with his Quintette (which, strangely enough, consisted of six musicians) are a delight, and the invention and energy never let up. --Heidi MacDonald

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

45 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THIS IS THE OLD VERSION -- ORDER REMASTERED INSTEAD!!!, October 2, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Music of Raymond Scott / Reckless Nights and Turkish Twilights (Audio CD)

THIS IS THE OLD VERSION -- DON'T ORDER FROM THIS PAGE! BE SURE YOU ORDER THE REMASTERED (ALSO AVAILABLE FROM AMAZON.COM) INSTEAD!! The new, remastered version from SONY sounds better, the booklet has been updated, PLUS: it's cheaper!

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 24-bit Digital Dinner Music for a Pack of Hungary Cannibals!, July 21, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Music of Raymond Scott / Reckless Nights and Turkish Twilights (Audio CD)

It's important to note there are actually 2 different versions of this CD available!! The album, produced by Irwin Chusid with Executive Producer Hal Willner, was originally mastered by Parkinson in Summer 1992 & released on Columbia in December of that year. The 24-bit remastered version allows for a fuller presence in the transfer from metal master to digital format. Meaning: it sounds a lot better, brighter, more alive. There's more bass, & richer textures. "The overall sound is far superior to the first CD issue," Chusid commented. "We continue to be amazed at discovering the bass in these tracks, especially as compared to the CD. "We're doing only light CEDAR-ing [declicking & decrackling]. Most discs are very clean sounding. We found an alternate take of 'Oil Gusher' where the drums are more prominent in the middle section. The performance is comparable to that on the first CD, & we intend to substitute the newly found ver! sion. "Even better is a stunningly different take of 'At An Arabian House Party' -- one of two numbers on the CD by the RS Orchestra -- that features 'comic' horns a la the Quintette in the intro, a great guitar solo in the middle, & a neat tom-tom fill at the end, none of which were on the version used on the '92 release."

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The cartoons of my childhood only whetted my appetite for this great music, September 4, 2008

By 

Peter J. Ward (Lewisburg, WV. USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Reckless Nights & Turkish Twilights (Audio CD)

Honestly, I purchased this CD after someone played "Powerhouse" and I recognized the song from many of the classic Warner Brothers' cartoons of the 40's and 50's. I had heard this piece many times but never appreciated how fantastic it was without animation accompanying it. I purchased this CD and it just blows my mind that so few people know anything about Raymond Scott. All the pieces are interesting but the amazing feel of his music comes from how well he paints a picture through sound. "Tobacco Auctioneer" and "At an Arabian House Party" both floored me with the musical moods that he arranged.

Scott also stands out as a great example of closely arranged and innovative jazz. While he allowed some of the musicians to improvise during the sessions, he set the arrangement in stone once he had it "perfected", so some people may even disagree with classifying his music as jazz. Jazz or not, this music is more than a soundtrack to some great cartoons, it stands on its own as an unappreciated direction that instrucmental music took during the early 20th century.