Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)Good collection of early (late 1950s) Goldsmith television music. He's pretty much found his voice by this time. If this is Vol. One, I wonder what is in the offing for Vol. Two? It would be fab to have some of the striking (Boris Karloff's) THRILLER music on disc, too.
These are the selections:
Playhouse 90: "Marriage of Strangers" - 2 cues, 8:11
Gentle, touching and homespun chamber music. Strings, harmonica, guitar predominate.
Perry Mason: "The Case of the Blushing Pearls" - 10 cues, 15:15
Beautifully demonstrates Jerry's knack for Oriental writing. A lovely ascending pentatonic melody, sometimes harmonized in fourths and set against harp, vibes and some little chimes or bells, makes dozens of appearances here. Just about every instrument in the ensemble takes a turn at it - all manner of winds, strings, brass and even the vibes, but at heart, it's a flute melody. Transparent texture, lots of exotic percussion. Some effective suspense. Very Chinese in aspect.
Playhouse 90: "Tomorrow" - 3 cues (one is 12 clips), 11:32
More comforting folksiness. The main melody sounds a little like a plaintive cowboy song. Violin which seems a bit fiddle-like, plenty of harmonica and guitar are set against strings. No one has ever done this kind of gentle Americana better than Jerry. This is a joy.
CBS Library: Unknown Episodic Score - 6 cues, 14:45
The first cue, "The Villagers" is a 3:07 folksy Spanish dance in triple meter which toys with turning into a "canarios". It starts 123 123 123 123 but at around 1:40 becomes 123 123 12 12 12 (a canarios - think "America" from WEST SIDE STORY to appreciate this particular rhythm) and from that point shifts back and forth to the end. The guitar chording also changes - and doesn't entirely succeed, as if the musicians, in fun, are improvising on the spot! The next few cues are very static and backgroundy and don't feel at all like Goldsmith, but more like something from Robert Drasnin's VOODOO "exotica" album. It's lovely flute and percussion, but nothing exceptional until halfway through track 20, "Village Death" (5:55, not 2:07 as stated on the disc) where Jerry's sense of dramatic tension and action reveals itself. The whole thing sounds very Ibero-America.
Lineup: "Wake Up to Terror" - 1 suite of 12 clips, 9:16
Jazzy and hip like Goldsmith's Twilight Zone episode, "Nervous Man in a $4.00 Room" - bongos, percussive piano, stand-up bass, cymbol action and propulsive, syncopated and, by the finish, shreiking brass. Wow! I'll make a safe bet that this track would be nearly everyone's favorite.
Good disc. TT: 63:48
Click Here to see more reviews about: Jerry Goldsmith: The Early Years Volume One
TRACKS 1-2: "Playhouse 90: Marriage Of Strangers" (TV Series, 1956)1. A New Home (04:02)2. Wedding Dinner (04:09)TRACKS 3-12: "Perry Mason: The Case Of The Blushing Pearls" (TV Series, 1957)3. The Pearls / Caught In The Act (01:11)4. Inquest / Poolside / Jewelry Store (01:18)5. New Client (02:57)6. Dead Man (01:51)7. Missing Page / Private Eye / Gentle Warning (02:00)8. Another Gentle Warning / The Arrest (00:57)9. Confession / New Testimony (01:26)10. Fake Pearls / Fire (01:53)11. Guilty Party (00:35)12. Tea House (01:05)TRACKS 13-15: "Playhouse 90: Tomorrow" (TV Series, 1956)13. Winter Dreams (02:08)14. Tomorrow / Every Night The Sun Goes Down / Jackson Fentry / Saw Mill / The Woman / The Warm Room / Morning / The Decision / The Farm / Fentry Comes Back/ The Denial / The Visit (07:58)15. The New Arrival (01:26)TRACKS 16-21: "CBS Production Library Music: Unknown Episodic Score"16. The Villagers (03:07)17. The Camp (02:19)18. The Camp At Night (02:33)19. Quiet Night (02:07)20. Village Death (02:07)21. Mysterious Storm / Knife Fight (02:31)TRACK 22: "Lineup: Wake Up To Terror" (TV Series, 1954)22. The Plot / The Keys / Scene Of The Crime / Police Station / Stolen Car / Brother And Sister / The Joint / The Pinch / The Visitors / The Warning / Unfriendly Visit / The Beach Party (09:16)
Click here for more information about Jerry Goldsmith: The Early Years Volume One
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