Randy EDELMAN
Shanghai Noon
OST
VARÈSE SARABANDE
VSD-6154 [57:30]
Amazon
UK
Amazon
US
Having enjoyed Randy Edelman’s score for Six Days, Seven Nights
last year, I looked forward to this score eagerly. It blends, with considerable
success, traditional western and oriental styles. Ralph Ferraro’s
orchestrations help considerably, the British contract orchestra (the album
was recorded at Abbey Road studios) is excellent and the mix with the traditional
arts ensemble and rhythm section recorded separately elsewhere in London
is seamless.
Edelman has a great sense of humour and his work is well suited to comedy.
He uses a whole array of colourful instruments like didgeridoos, Jews harps,
saloon pianos, and harmonicas, to great atmospheric and comic effect. He
unashamedly parodies Moross’s The Big Country score over a number
of tracks including ‘From East to West’ and ‘Becoming a Cowboy
in Carson City’. Almost everywhere you get an oriental (over)viewpoint
of the traditional western dramatic situation, confrontation with Indians,
bar-room brawls etc. There are many enjoyable tracks including ‘Bonding
in Jail’ a breezy country piece for guitars spread across the sound
stage before a note of sentimentality on the clarinet; the menacing bass
drum in the wickedly lampooning ‘A Classic Gunfight’ offset by
oriental sneers (a nice comic orchestral touch), and another lovely parody,
‘Home on the Rangoon"! Grandeur, romance and drama are all there in
good measure too.
An amusing album, well up to the Edelman tradition.
Reviewer
Ian Lace
