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Composed, Conducted, and Produced by:
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Carter Burwell
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Orchestrated by:
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Sonny Kompanek
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Release Date:
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January 19th, 1999
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Availability:
Regular U.S. release.
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Filmtracks Editorial Review:
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| | Burwell | |
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The Hi-Lo Country: (Carter Burwell) Director Stephen
Frears took his first adventure in the genre of the Wild West for The
Hi-Lo Country, a spaghetti western which places one woman as the subject
of the affections of two cowboys. The formula isn't new, with the simple
plot of the love triangle playing out on the vast scenery of New Mexico. The
film, while it is a character-driven tale, does reveal several large vistas
and a wide palate of yellow and orange colors. The project would prove to be
the first Western for niche composer Carter Burwell, who was best known (and
still is) for his collabotation with the Coen brothers on films like
Fargo and Raising Arizona, as well as several dissonant scores
for other dark thrillers. The musical requirements of the New Mexican vistas
would present a new avenue on which Burwell could express his musical
talents, and, to some degree, he did just that. Even with the genre at his
side, Burwell continues his trend towards the composition of complex
underscore rather than a more prominent role for his music. His
instrumentation for The Hi-Lo Country would be perfect for the genre,
including the usual trumpet, harmonica, accordion, and accoustic guitars
that are expected for the region. The film is also rich with Hispanic flavor
provided by several uses of songs, including a few in Spanish. The songs are
typically of an older generation of Country-Western, and have little in
common with Burwell's original score. Burwell's score is short on the
integration of Hispanic styles, but stays true to a more Americanized
Western style.
Burwell's score for The Hi-Lo Country will pass by
in a pleasant, undemanding twenty minutes of nearly continuous guitar
performances by David Torn. The majority of cues are underscore, though a
few of them have an accent moment in which the entire orchestra swells up
and quickly fades again. An orchestral presence with the traditional Western
instruments is minimal in parts, allowing the solitary characters and
scenery to speak for themselves. In fact, when Burwell does introduce the
orchestra in full power, it isn't for the romantic effect that you would
expect. There is little emotional power holding the themes for the romance
in the film. Instead, Burwell pulls out all of the stops for the scenes of
cattle driving and fast-paced horse riding. The two statements of this
(title) theme are easily the highlights of the album, and are among the most
dynamic thematic constructs of Burwell's career at the time. The theme,
dancing in a 7/8 meter and striding with a swing in its step, is an
outstanding representation of Western landscapes from a refreshing stylistic
approach. Compared to the majority of underscore, these two statements of
theme will change your opinion of Burwell's talent in an instant. On album,
the score is problematic, with a short suite of score cues totaling about 25
minutes at the end of the product. The majority of time is consumed by a
rather odd gathering of the older generation Country Western and traditional
Mexican songs. It's not the kind of song grouping that would help sell this
album to the masses, but it follows the same non-traditional path as
Buwell's score in accomplishing its purpose in the film. For score fans, the
five or so minutes of Burwell's horseback theme are well worth a used-CD bin
purchase, but don't expect too much inspiration from the rest of the score
or album. ***
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Viewer Ratings and Comments:
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• 1. Drivin' Nails in My Coffin - Willie Nelson/Beck (2:46)
• 2. I'll Hold You in My Heart (Till I Can Hold You in My Arms) - Don Walser (3:23)
• 3. San Antonio Rose - Leon Rausch (4:15)
• 4. Why Don't You Love Me - Hank Williams (2:25)
• 5. Smoke, Smoke, Smoke (That Cigarette) - Marty Stuart (3:22)
• 6. A Maiden's Prayer - Leon Rausch (4:40)
• 7. Que Chulos Ojos - Hermanas Ayala (2:37)
• 8. O Madre Mia - Johnny Degollado Y Su Conjunto (2:21)
• 9. Racing with the Moon - Vaughn Monroe (3:15)
• 10. To Kill a Man (2:36)
• 11. The Cattle Drive (2:16)
• 12. Josepha's Cabin (2:17)
• 13. Meesa the Witch (1:49)
• 14. Silver Springs (3:30)
• 15. Big Boy's Death (7:38)
• 16. On to California (4:18)
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Score length: (24:27)
Insert includes no extra information about the score or film.
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