Intrada Soundtrack Forum

INTRADA Announces:




LAWMAN
Music Composed By JERRY FIELDING
INTRADA ISC 422

Intrada's latest release revisits one of Jerry Fielding's classic western scores – the 1971 United Artists film Lawman. Fielding's score avoids the customary western trappings, featuring a main theme that combines the scope of the great frontier with brooding intensity. Shifting between minor and major, his theme underlines the singular, unyielding pursuit by Burt Lancaster as the "Lawman" in bringing several men to justice. Reflective moments are sensitive, counterbalancing the fierce and violent action scenes. Capping the score is a powerful finish with trumpets ascending into the stratosphere.

Presented in crystal clear stereo from newly located original master elements, the release offers a different program from the previous Intrada release. In the '70s Fielding had been frustrated at the lack of interest by record companies in his music, so he had approved a 2-LP set featuring suites from four of his scores, including Lawman. This suite was used as the base for the original Intrada album, with new material added in to supplement the suite. With this new release the entire score has been remastered, and working with the unedited original cues, the score has been put in film order as is customary with most Intrada albums.

In the film, Burt Lancaster plays Sheriff Jered Maddox, a rude and arrogant fellow if there ever was one. Maddox enters a neighboring town searching for the men responsible for an accidental death. But even with justice on his side, his manner turns the town against him, and the town boss sends a series of henchman to do away with Maddox – one after another. Directed by Michael Winner, Lawman also features Robert Ryan, Lee J. Cobb, and Robert Duvall.

INTRADA ISC 422
Barcode: 720258542205
Retail Price: $19.99
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For track listing and sound samples, please visit http://store.intrada.com/s.nl/it.A/id.11876/.f

This is a terrific score, one of my all time favorites and a film score I loved before I even knew one could by soundtrack albums. Nice to see this re-released.

I notice that on this CD it says "conducted by David Whitaker" and on the previous release "conducted by Jerry Fielding". Is David Whitaker correct, as this is the more recent information?

I had the same question, because the old release also stated that the film's crediting of Whitaker was in fact inaccurate and that Jerry did in fact conduct the score as he usually did. So which is correct? Is this a contractually-mandated change, or does it reflect more accurately some new records that came to light or something?

Yavar

Ah...so it sounds like nothing new came to light; you just felt no longer comfortable making the claim that Fielding himself conducted, when there was no conclusive evidence that he did.

Now I am torn which cover to use. (It does seem unlikely that Fielding would not conduct his own score, especially at this period of his career.) First world problems!

Yavar

Oh, you don't have to sell me on picking up the new one -- I actually really appreciate Intrada revisiting this since it's my favorite Fielding score! And I agree the new cover is better (though I initially resisted getting rid of the Special Collection branding, over time I've come to prefer cleaner covers with just the minimal title composing/conducting credits, possibly an orchestra...but that's it). I'm only torn because of the conducting credit.

Yavar

Ordered it a few days ago, and very excited to receive this. I think it's the only Fielding score I've missed out on completely, as I think it came out before my collecting days started (others I missed were since reissued), so am delighted to see that this score is back out there for everyone to enjoy and dive into, whether for the first time or the hundredth. A Fielding release is always cause for celebration, and Fielding in his arid, modernist western-drama vein is doubly so. Looking forward to it, and thanks Intrada!