Alfred Newman - How The West Was Won: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

How Newman Won The West

Rhino have done it again with another of their fabulous double CD releases
of a classic original soundtrack! This time it's the definitive version
of Alfred Newman's epic score for the flawed HOW THE WEST WAS WON.
Not especially known as a composer for westerns Newman, nevertheless, was
responsible for the music for YELLOW SKY (1948), and THE GUNFIGHTER(1950)but these contained only Main and End Titles but towards the end of his career he did fine scores for NEVADA SMITH (1965) and
FIRECREEK (1967). Newman was happier being musical director on such musicals as THE KING & I, SOUTH PACIFIC and CAMELOT and writing original scores for dramas and religious epics like HOW GREEN WAS MY VALLEY(1941)
KEYS OF THE KINGDOM(1944),THE RAZOR'S EDGE(1946), THE ROBE(1953),ANASTASIA
(1956)and the brilliant THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK(1959). The most honoured of all film composers Newman won an unprecedented 9 Acadamy Awards though
only one of these was for dramatic scoring - THE SONG OF BERNADTTE in
1943. Bernard Herrmann - never one to lavish praise on other musicians -
called Newman the best composer/conductor in Hollywood.
Newman was not first choice to score HOW THE WEST WAS WON! Dimitri Tiomkin turned it down which is something of a blessing as Newman's score is just perfect. He scored the film in commanding fashion and applied himself assiduously to the giant project. The result is one of the greatest epic scores ever! As presented here on this 58 track album all
the joys of the composer's original concept can finally be appreciated.
The album is chock-a-block with outtakes and alternate and extended takes. Newman's terrific Main Title is one of the most celebrated western
themes and is complete here at over 3 minutes instead if the truncated
version on the old LP. 'This is The West'- which was played under Spencer
Tracy's opening narration - is heard here for the first time without the
great actor's voice as is' 'Wagon Train Forward', 'Mr Lincoln' and 'The Pony
Express'. 'The River Pirates' which heretofore had a mere running time of
less than 2 minutes is expanded here to a staggering 9 minutes and the
breathtaking 'Cheyennes' is extended by an extra 2 minutes.'He's Gone Away' and 'No Goodbye' are two outtakes of Newman's beautiful love theme
heard here for the first time and featuring the lovely concertina of Carl Fortina. Other notable cues having their first outing on disc are the
lovely 'First Meeting' and 'Godspeed Eve', 'The Van Valen Auction', the
striking 'Buffalo Stampede' - a brilliant variation on Newman's robust main theme - and the wistful 'I'm Sad And I'm Lonely' conducted by Newman's associate Ken Darby which was cut from the final print of the
film. Unfortunately still with us are the irritating vocals by Debbie
Reynolds and the awful Whiskey Hill Singers but Ken Darby's choral work
is as spine tingling and as spectacular as ever.
With the prodigious and augmented MGM Studio Orchestra - I counted no less than 140 players in the booklet listing - plus The Ken Darby Singers, Newman's HOW THE WEST WAS WON must surely be the greatest and biggest score ever written for a film. His dedication and commitment to the work certainly comes through in this kingsize recording of the complete score.
Kudos to producer Didier C. Deutsch - who also supplies the fine notes -
for bringing us this exceptional album of a film music masterwork. Sound
is in excellent Stereo and the handsome booklet has full details of the
score, the composer and the making of the movie. Pity though that Rhino didn't see fit to present the music in one of their pretty book like containers instead of the usual unattractive stumpy double CD box.
But the music is all and it's all here for all to enjoy for all time. December 4, 2007

No Spencer Tracy Narration

In 1963 I purchased the record of the soundtrack and I still own it. In the early 1990's, I purchased the "New specially expanded soundtrack" on tape cassette that included the voice over narration by Spencer Tracy which I love. I also own the movie in VHS and DVD. For several months I have been looking for the CD of the sound track and was very disappointed that it did not include the Spencer Tracy narration. Don't get me wrong, the CD is good, I just like the cassette better. I wish they had transfered it to CD. November 12, 2007

Great

Magnificent, a perfect combination of the M-G-M Studio Orchestra, The Conductor Alfred Newman and his Music.
So was and sounded the Hollywood's golden Era.
March 29, 2007

More than Expected

I thought the CD would be like the soundtrack album I had when the movie came out but was I WRONG --- IT WAS SO MUCH BETTER than I could have ever expected. It had songs I had not heard before because I contained the ENTIRE movie score from what I could tell. It was Spectacular !!! I cannot rave enought about this CD. THANKS Amazon February 14, 2007

EXCELLENT SOUNDTRACK

MAGNIFICENT...!
IT WAS ABOUT TIME WE HAD COMPLETE SOUNDTRACKS OF THE BEST EPIC
PRODUCTIONS. HOW THE WEST WAS WON IS ONE OF THEM.
ALFRED NEWMAN IS ALL TIME AMERICAN WINNER AND HERO.



January 4, 2007

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