Search - Ennio Morricone :: Il Buono, Il Brutto, Il Cattivo

Awesome-sounding remaster & THE most complete edition.

jartwo | Chattanooga, TN | 05/15/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It's kinda rare for a film composer of Morricone's stature to become personally involved with a remaster. It may be said to be even more unusual in his case, given that he's scored 500+ films in his distinguished career and yet personally approved the remaster of so few. Although it's usually up to the label to entirely oversee each project, evidently they at least saw the value of such a composer being allowed to put his personal stamp of approval on the act of preserving, as they did here, one of the most historic and best-loved works in his catalog. And, at long last, it's gotten the treatment it's always deserved on CD. (It's been written that it was agreed that Morricone was indeed allowed access to all materials and to make key decisions during the course of the remastering process, so it hardly bares the resembalance of an 'in-name-only' level of involvement for the sake of marketing purposes). For sound quality alone, this is the best version I've heard and would come as a complete revalation if all you've ever heard is the North American release.



This work is so well known, that even those new to this film's score can probably identify at least some aspect of it that's familiar to them, either from the film itself, or, if anyone hasn't yet seen it, from the influence this work has had on pop culture that continues to this day. If ever there was a classic soundtrack whose reputation continues to preceed it, I think this would have to be it. But, as has long been said by historians of this film, back in the day, before this work became anything that could pass for cliche, there was the sensational "overnight success" on the world stage of a simply innovative, original and quirky score - the score itself being one of a tripplet of aces in the hand being played at the time (the other two being, naturally, Sergio Leone's brilliant directing and Eastwood's star-making performance), to formally announce that Rome was indeed calling Hollywood's bluff and raising the high stakes in their bid as a world-class, film power. Or, then again, "there's a new Sheriff in town", if you like. But, the beauty of the quality of this remaster is that it's the best presentation with which to appreciate this work from its multitude of angles: historical, cinematic, pop culture, artistic - and, oh yeah, as just a dang fine film score - and one of Morricone's best.



"