A few years ago, I wrote a series of guest posts for a friend's blog in which I reviewed a couple dozen of my favorite soundtracks. I really enjoyed writing those, and since that blog is now dormant, I've decided to move that series over here. I'm going to copy over the posts I did there, plus add new reviews here and there, since my soundtrack collection keeps growing :-)
So... let's begin with the first soundtrack review I shared, way back when, shall we?
Today, I'm going to focus on the ever-iconic soundtrack for the The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (1966). It's scored by the astoundingly prolific Ennio Morricone, like the previous two Clint Eastwood "Man with No Name" spaghetti westerns. If you're at all interested in classic movies or their scores, you're undoubtedly familiar with the "Main Title," with its insouciant whistle laid over thudding hoofbeats. In fact, it's so famous, I'm not going to talk about it more here, because there's not much I could say that you probably haven't thought of already.
Instead, I'll highlight my two favorite songs on the soundtrack, which is readily available on CD. First is "Ecstasy of Gold," which comes from the film's climax, and which does everything I love in a song. It starts quietly, with a hint of mystery and melancholy, then builds and builds to an almost manic, fist-pumping finish. You can feel such a wide range of emotions in this piece: longing, hope, desperation, frustration, expectation, and a giddy triumph. Is there any wonder Metallica and the San Francisco Symphony chose it to open their 1999 concert? Here's the soundtrack version:
My other favorite is "The Trio." It begins all pensive and reflective, building to a brash, swaggering statement of confidence, then subsiding back into the quieter mode before bursting forth with a breathtaking blend of machismo and yearning.
I have a great love of trumpets, and Morricone could use them more gloriously than just about anyone. No wonder this soundtrack delights me!
I've added a new page to link to all these soundtrack reviews as I post more, just to make them easier to find.
(The bulk of this review originally appeared here at J and J Productions on May 10, 2015.)
I watched this for the first time the other day and HATED it, but the music is good. I often have random "epic movie soundtracks" playing as background music in YouTube and so I've heard it before. Excellent music.
ReplyDeleteCharity, haha! I am not at all surprised. Honestly, this is my least-favorite of the trilogy. It drags, it gets weird, it's a bit pretentious. BUT the music is awesome, heh.
DeleteWonderful stuff, never gets old. I’m a huge fan of Morricone’s and especially enjoy hearing his Giallo/Eurocrime music now that I’ve been exploring those types of movies. Coincidentally, a carry-over from your previous post, did you ever notice how similar Ottman’s music “Like a Fire,” in the Jean vs. Apocalypse scene is to Ecstasy of Gold?
ReplyDeleteKristina, I agree! I should explore more of Morricone's work, as I really like the six or seven of his scores that I'm quite familiar with.
DeleteYou know, I haven't listened to the X-Men: Apocalypse soundtrack in its entirety because I just... wasn't a big fan of the movie, and I mostly buy scores for movies I really like. But I will have to find that one on YouTube and listen for it!