CD REVIEW - PER POCHI DOLLARI ANCORA (FORT YUMA GOLD)
Per Pochi Dollari Ancora
Music by Gianni Ferrio, Ennio Morricone & Franco Migliacci
GDM Hillside Series 4109
21 Tracks 44:42 mins
To the best of my knowledge, only two tracks have been previously available from this 1966 Italian Western, which stars one of my favourite genre actors Giuliano Gemma, so this much expanded release is very welcome indeed.
The score is credited principally to Gianni Ferrio, though it appears that Ennio Morricone and Franco Migliacci had more than a hand in it. I don't know the story of how this came to be, but it all holds pretty well together in any case.
Ferrio's "Diamond" is the main theme and begins the album in fine style, with Franco De Gemini's harmonica opening the track, before a kind of trumpet duet takes up the theme, with one playing and the other echoing it. I'm sure there is a term for this, but I am not sufficiently schooled in music to say. Whatever, it's extremely effective and very catchy indeed. This theme crops up again on flute or maybe recorder in "Love Time" and is given various dramatic treatments, before receiving a splendid variation, with trumpet and choir (I Cantori Moderni di Alessandroni, of course) in "Tension and Fear," with the album closing on the "Love Time" treatment again.
Morricone's principal theme is "Penso a Te," an electric guitar-lead galloping theme, which would be brilliant if it didn't stop and start so much. This theme, like Ferrio's is reprised throughout the score and is particularly powerful in the horns-lead version on track 11. It is also given a slowed down, showdown treatment, with choir joining for the big finish in track 19.
Apart from these themes, there is a somewhat delicate, nostalogic love theme, several fiddle and guitar source cues, and a short, effective motif that seems to represent the hero's determination. The only negative is the very poor song "Don't Cry Cowboy," which is given a couple of instrumental variations, before an uncredited female vocalist, who obviously cannot speak a word of English, though she tries her best I'm sure, gives voice to it.
The colourful accompanying booklet features numerous stills from the film and plenty of original poster artwork. Visit www.hillsidecd.co.uk
Per Pochi Dollari Ancora
Music by Gianni Ferrio, Ennio Morricone & Franco Migliacci
GDM Hillside Series 4109
21 Tracks 44:42 mins
To the best of my knowledge, only two tracks have been previously available from this 1966 Italian Western, which stars one of my favourite genre actors Giuliano Gemma, so this much expanded release is very welcome indeed.
The score is credited principally to Gianni Ferrio, though it appears that Ennio Morricone and Franco Migliacci had more than a hand in it. I don't know the story of how this came to be, but it all holds pretty well together in any case.
Ferrio's "Diamond" is the main theme and begins the album in fine style, with Franco De Gemini's harmonica opening the track, before a kind of trumpet duet takes up the theme, with one playing and the other echoing it. I'm sure there is a term for this, but I am not sufficiently schooled in music to say. Whatever, it's extremely effective and very catchy indeed. This theme crops up again on flute or maybe recorder in "Love Time" and is given various dramatic treatments, before receiving a splendid variation, with trumpet and choir (I Cantori Moderni di Alessandroni, of course) in "Tension and Fear," with the album closing on the "Love Time" treatment again.
Morricone's principal theme is "Penso a Te," an electric guitar-lead galloping theme, which would be brilliant if it didn't stop and start so much. This theme, like Ferrio's is reprised throughout the score and is particularly powerful in the horns-lead version on track 11. It is also given a slowed down, showdown treatment, with choir joining for the big finish in track 19.
Apart from these themes, there is a somewhat delicate, nostalogic love theme, several fiddle and guitar source cues, and a short, effective motif that seems to represent the hero's determination. The only negative is the very poor song "Don't Cry Cowboy," which is given a couple of instrumental variations, before an uncredited female vocalist, who obviously cannot speak a word of English, though she tries her best I'm sure, gives voice to it.
The colourful accompanying booklet features numerous stills from the film and plenty of original poster artwork. Visit www.hillsidecd.co.uk
posted by jeffhall | 4:19 PM
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