Perhaps the biggest bonus of this
recording over the release of the original score tracks is that
this is presented in stereo, over the mono original. The actual
sound quality isn't any better otherwise, there is some hiss, but
the detail is good and the sound crisp and dynamic. The only
detractor is the inclusion of a few dialogue clips which are a
little annoyed on repeated listens, but are short and don't
account for much of the running time. Ryko's booklet is detailed
and informative and the whole package is well put together. I'd
be perhaps a tad harsh in judging this a retread of a classic,
but it certainly doesn't present as much new material as might be
desirable. However, anyone who loves Bernstein's music will
obviously still find much to savour in every moment. Rating ~ Total Time ~ 34:52After the original Magnificent
Seven score made such a splash with its blazing themes
and terrific action, Elmer Bernstein became the number one choice
for Westerns throughout the 60's. It was perhaps inevitable that
he would return to the series that helped start him on the road
to film music stardom and so here we have his follow up score.
The presentation of the sequel is considerably less lavish than
the attention levelled at the original release and around half
the length. In fairness, there isn't exactly a huge amount of new
material compared to the original. The main theme is there, the
bad guy motif is the same and many of the more minor motifs have
a lot in common with the earlier score. Whether this was imposed
on Bernstein or not, I have no idea, but it certainly levels a
certain amount of deja vu over proceedings.
