My earliest example of a Williams score is also my latest purchase and I have to say that while his style has matured, his vigour and enthusiasm are just as great as they were when he wrote this score. With a sparkling main theme that to my mind rivals even The Magnificent Seven and The Big Country, this score is a treat for start to finish. It doesn't display the more cohesive approach to scoring that he has now, but he still successfully intertwines the main themes to produce a fine score. It is rather short, as are all the tracks but it is definitely one to look out for. Not being very good on what Coplandesque music is likely to sound like, I cannot compare the score in that way and note any pastiche there might be. The only hint in my mind of some sort of pastiche is the Alternate Overture which is something like John Williams meets The Big Country with the racing violin figure above the tune. However, if you like westerns and John Williams, then this is one to get, especially since I believe it is one of the only Westerns Williams has scored, if you know different, perhaps you can set me straight.
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