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The Reivers


tpigeon

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The Reivers is a score that is rarely discussed on this board. Up until about a year ago, I had no idea what it was. I saw a big picture of Steve McQueen on the cover and saw the name John Williams on it. i read the back, which says it was the inspiration of Steven Spielberg, who apparently wrote an entire screenplay while listening to it.

and after i listened to the main theme, i understood why. i was utterly captivated by it. it's got one of the most Americana-sounding themes i've ever heard. it's sweeping strings are really spectacular. every time i have listened to it since then it puts me in frame of mind that i wish i could put into words.

Since then it has been one of my favorite cd's and it's one of my top Williams scores. it's a very unique side of Williams. if anyone can get their hands on this cd, i recommend you do so. you won't regret it.

i'm sure there are many others who know of or have been fortunate enough to purchase this score as i have. i am curious to hear all of your reactions to it, and if there's anyone who adores this score as much as i do.

tpigeon- listening to it now and loving every second of it ;)

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It's one of Williams better "americana" scores,along with The Cowboys.

I recomend that you get the Boston Pops re-recording suite on the album From Stage to Sceen.It has narration all over i,but new music too,an excellent new sherzo....

k.M.

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The Reivers is one of the best (if not the best) Williams' scores from the 60's. It was a last minute replacemente for Lalo Schifrin unused score. Williams wrote a marvelous waltz for it, that is on the soundtrack release, but not on the suite. But when he alter arrenged the music for his opening night with the Pops in 1980, he wrote additional music, like the final scherzo for the horse race. I love the Meredith's narration, by the way.

For those interested on this score, you can also find the end credits suite recorded by Charles Gerhardt on Varese Sarabande (VSD-5207). This was also included on the Cinderella Liberty/The REivers bootleg, but uncredited.

For the soundtrack, you can go for the easy to find and unexpensive Columbia Records release (CK66130), or the hard to find, but with slighly better sound Masters Film Music release (SRS 2009). Note that the Columbia release has an extra track. The bootleg (Cinderella Records CR-CD 42973), has the tracks from the Masters Film Music release, plus the bonus track from the Columbia release. Also inlcudes the Gerhardt track and a very amateur edit of the Boston Pops suite, cuting out the dialogue. Included is also the score for Cinderella Liberty, minus the cues. Also uncredited is a recording of the main title theme by Fred Karlin

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I have been wanting to get that Columbia disc of the Reivers for a while. Will have to go to Amazon.

I stiill fondly remember watching William's opening night with Bostons Pops on TV as a kid, and loving that performance with Burgess Meredith. The Reivers is indeed his best 60's score.

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i found my copy at Barnes & Noble. i don't know if they all carry it, but if there's one around you, give it a shot. it may be there.

i went and saw John Williams this summer up in Boston. i remember first looking at the program for the night and seeing The Reivers on it. i was blown away to say the very least. i thought that he'd be playing more of his popular and well-known stuff, and he did. He played Star Wars, Jaws, Olympic Theme, Hook... and then The Reivers. i was genuinely surprised to see that, and was even moreso about how good the performance of it was, with the narration and all. it was spectacular. the combination with the words and the music was perfect. as it is one of my favorite scores, i was enchanted by the overall piece, which last more than ten minutes. and shockingly enough, i heard a lot of music that wasn't on the soundtrack. knowing that, i am tempted to but the Pops cd with The Reivers suite and narration and all. it's probably the same thing.

at any rate, i just loved to be listening to the words of Faulkner and hearing the music of John Williams. the two of them together were marvelous. the music was made better by the narration and the narration was made better by the music.

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Let me just jump in here too and say that The Reivers is also one of my all-time-favorite John Williams scores. I'm a big Americana buff, anyway, and this one certainly fills the bill. The concert version for narrator and orchestra is also stunning, right up there with American Journey as far as I'm concerned.

As far as I know, the film has not yet made it to DVD. I, for one, would shell out for this -- its a very very sweet film, and John Williams' score, as usual, makes a major contribution. Burgess Meredith also narrates the film, and he is terrific.

And for any of you who haven't read the Faulkner novel, it is moving and funny, with beautiful prose, some of which made it into the concert version narration.

Hmmm.... think I'll go listen to it right now!

Cheers

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i've been looking for the movie for quite some time and haven't been able to find it. i know for a fact that it has yet to be released on dvd. but i can't even find a rental of it on tape. i've been wanting to see it ever since i heard the music. i heard it was actually quite good as you mentioned. i may go out and read the book before seeing it, since i can't seem to find the movie anyway.

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My copy of The Reivers arrived today! :D I have the Music For Stage And Screen CD and already loved the suite, but didn't have the complete soundtrack.

Mari, very happy and loving every track

:mrgreen: The Reivers

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I'm not a big fan of the film, but the score is incredible! I think it was one of the first of his "lesser-known" scores that I really listened to.

If you listen to one of his more recent "lesser-known" works, "Rosewood," I think you'll find it to be the evil twin of "The Reivers." I think that's why I enjoy that score so much.

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If you listen to one of his more recent "lesser-known" works, "Rosewood," I think you'll find it to be the evil twin of "The Reivers." I think that's why I enjoy that score so much.

that's a pretty good point.

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Good to see you enjoy it Mari!  

:)  

Yes that is a little known JW classic.

Thanks Rogue Leader!

I haven't been overly impressed with his more recent work and have been exploring the older scores and enjoying them a lot more. In fact, I just received word today that The Fury has shipped so I will have that to enjoy next week as well! :P

If you listen to one of his more recent "lesser-known" works, "Rosewood," I think you'll find it to be the evil twin of "The Reivers." I think that's why I enjoy that score so much.

I don't know Rosewood other than "Look Down, Lord" from the Greatest Hits CD. People seem to love it or hate it. I will have to give it a listen!

Mari

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I don't know Rosewood other than "Look Down' date=' Lord" from the Greatest Hits CD. People seem to love it or hate it. I will have to give it a listen![/quote']

The same happens to me......but with The Reivers. (I have it only in that CD). So I will have to buy it........if I could find it! :cry:

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i believe Amazon.com has it, if i am not mistaken. you should definitely try to find it though. it's worth your while.

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  • 12 years later...

For those interested on this score, you can also find the end credits suite recorded by Charles Gerhardt on Varese Sarabande (VSD-5207). This was also included on the Cinderella Liberty/The REivers bootleg, but uncredited.

Is this a rerecording of the actual end credits suite from the film, or a suite for concert purposes based on the highlights of the score?

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For those interested on this score, you can also find the end credits suite recorded by Charles Gerhardt on Varese Sarabande (VSD-5207).

Didn't know this one, I've added it in the Wiki Disco!

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For those interested on this score, you can also find the end credits suite recorded by Charles Gerhardt on Varese Sarabande (VSD-5207). This was also included on the Cinderella Liberty/The REivers bootleg, but uncredited.

I've just checked this myself, and it appears that this is just a suite.

The actual end credits of the film can be partially found in the track "Finale" on the album, namely the opening and ending. The part inbetween from 0:47,5-3:58,5 is tracked from track 1 (which is itself an album edit of three cues).

There's about 13 seconds missing, clean on the DVD, most of which resembles the source music parts of the album.

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  • 3 years later...

So I finally was able to compare the two available CD versions of The Reivers.

 

I just listen yesterday a copy of The Reivers MFM 1990 CD , my God, it's the day and night in comparison to the 1995 expanded set, the sound is so much better. Let's really hope a new CD set will be released in a near future that could improve a lot more the sound, by using new HD transfers from the tapes and modern digital sound restauration.

 

My advice : stop to look for the 1995 CD, it's crap (even with it's only one previously unreleased track)... look for the 1990 one... or wait a proper new release.

 

p_os3510.jpg

 

The Reivers [Original Score] (1969, Columbia Masterworks, OS-3510)

Main Title / First Instruction / The Winton Flyer; Family Funeral / Lucius' First Drive; The Road To Memphis; Carrie's Entrance / The Picture; The Sheriff Departs / The Bad News / Ned's Secret; Memphis; Ned's Trade; The People Protest; Prayers At Bedtime; Lucius Returns To Carrie / Back Home; Finale.

 

p_srs2009.jpg

 

(Reissued in 1990, Masters Film Music/Canada, SRS 2009)

p_ck66130.jpg

 

The Reivers [Original Score] (1969) (1995, Legacy/Columbia, CK 66130)

Main Title / First Instruction / The Winton Flyer; Family Funeral / Lucius' First Drive; The Road To Memphis; Carrie's Entrance / The Picture; Reflections*; The Sheriff Departs / The Bad News / Ned's Secret; Memphis; Ned's Trade; The People Protest; Prayers At Bedtime; Lucius Returns To Carrie / Back Home; Finale. *Previously unreleased.

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I have the 1995 release, and it's absolutely fine. I've never had any issues with it whatsoever, sound quality or otherwise. But a funny thing about the sticker on the cover: It says "John Barry's legendary score!", he. he.

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19 minutes ago, Thor said:

I have the 1995 release, and it's absolutely fine. I've never had any issues with it whatsoever. But a funny thing about the sticker on the cover: It says "John Barry's legendary score!", he. he.

 

Thor, I will say it to you for the last time, shut up.

 

If you don't have the material we talk about, SHUT UP.

 

If you have nothing relevant to add to this conversation, restrain yourself from posting in them.

 

Every time we talk about sound quality improvement on a realease, no, it's not relevant just always wrote the version you already own "is fine" for you.

 

It's being redudant.

 

Sorry, but...

 

Shut up.

 

😀

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Uhm.....OK? Where did that come from?

 

Is it problematic to you that I have no issues with the 1995 release? Does this somehow infringe upon your very being? :D

 

You're free to disagree about the sound quality, of course, but a modicum more decency in how you phrase that disagreement would get you a long way, I think. Now you just sound like a baby.

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7 hours ago, Bespin said:

 

Thor, I will say it to you for the last time, shut up.

 

If you don't have the material we talk about, SHUT UP.

 

If you have nothing relevant to add to this conversation, restrain yourself from posting in them.

 

Every time we talk about sound quality improvement on a realease, no, it's not relevant just always wrote the version you already own "is fine" for you.

 

It's being redudant.

 

Sorry, but...

 

Shut up.

 

😀

 

Dude, this is a Reivers thread, and @Thor posted an opinion about something pertaining to the score. How is that any less relevant than your post immediately preceding his?

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Who are you? Thor trolls each and every subject where we speak about expansions/audio quality for years now.

 

That’s it.

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12 hours ago, Bespin said:

And it’s even nicer on the 1990 MFM CD! 😉

 

I wouldn't know, Bes ;).

Seriously, though, I'll take your word for it.

As for the CBS 1995, like Thor (and not meaning to be contentious) I also have no problem with the sound, but that doesn't mean that there wouldn't be an instant, hot, sticky mess, in my crotch, if I heard of a remastered+complete score.

What we had in 1995, was good...for 1995. Now, it's 23 years later, and what score wouldn't sound better with the MM treatment?

I hope that this gets expanded, as I would hate to see even more music stay in the vaults.

 

As an aside, I bought the 1995 edition in London, the afternoon before going on to see King Crimson, at the RAH, on the THRAAK tour. They were freakin' awesome!!!!!!

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12 hours ago, Thor said:

I have the 1995 release, and it's absolutely fine. I've never had any issues with it whatsoever, sound quality or otherwise.

 

 

But... it's expanded!

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