De-luxe two disc set special edition with the fabulous score by legendary composer Ennio Morricone. The classic Western movie directed by Sergio Leone in 1971 and starring James Coburn and Rod Steiger, was distributed worldwide and has reached the status of Cult among legions of fans in every corner of this globe (see the posters on pages 8 & 9). Recently, exploring the Cinevox Records vaults, we have discovered the complete stereo master tapes containing the Recording session that took place during April 1971 and later during August/September 1971. Those tapes, found in excellent condition, had not been played since then and for us it was a very exciting listening experience. We discovered lost gems of music and tracks which were recorded but which weren't included in the final cut of the movie! Disc 1 contains the eleven stereo tracks in the same sequence appeared on the vinyl album in 1971 (MDF 33/50) and on all the international issues (see the record sleeves on pages 10 & 11) in a digital restored and improved version. Disc 2 contains the film versions and alternate takes which see the light here for the first absolute time in full stereo (track 13 appeared as bonus track on the 1998 CD re-issue MDF 301 but at the time only in a mono mix, while now it is presented in full stereo). Tracks n.14 and 15 were the rare alternate versions issued only on a French compilation. Leone and Morricone's fans will discover great alternate takes of the album tracks such as "Mesa verde", reprised with a more pop tone and also with an epic trumpet, a totally different take of "Invenzione per John", the stunning variations of "Marcia degli accattoni" and the reprises of the main themes in an atonal context... In brief, there is only one word which can describe this movie and its music...a "MASTERPIECE" of Italian Western Cinema. This Special edition CD, with the generous total length of 102'23", born like a very much deserved Tribute to the Cinema of Sergio Leone and the Film Music of Ennio Morricone, contains rare archive colour stills from the movie, witnessing the beauty of this immortal movie score. |
