The Jerry Fielding Collection, Vol. 1 ****
JERRY FIELDING
Dragon’s Domain DDR850
23 tracks – 62:49
Click Here to go to the product page and hear audio clips
In the midst of his run of 1970s features for directors like Sam Peckinpah and Michael
Winner, composer Jerry Fielding also found time for a handful of smaller projects, thescores for which have now been released by Dragon’s Domain as The Jerry FieldingCollection, Vol. 1.
Though one of his most widely recognized credits remains the sitcom Hogan’s Heroes, Fielding rarely ventured into feature-length comedy, making the inclusion of 1974’s Honky Tonk particularly noteworthy. This pilot film stars Richard Crenna as a con man who sets up shop in Nevada.
“Main Title” introduces the rollicking main theme on racing strings with harmonica and percussion in support. There’s also a scampering idea for pizzicato and horns, ostensibly for sneaking around, in “She Cuts Him Loose,” “Merry Chase to Bank Robbers” and “We Better Get Out.”
In cues like “Escape to New Town,” “Bank Holdup” and “You Had a Winner,” Fielding provides amusingly frantic western scoring for horns, galloping rhythms and rolling piano. Seemingly cut from this same cloth, “The Hard Ride/Stage Driver Killed” is a full-on action cue for rapid-fire brass and snare drums.
The score is not without its reflective passages, heard in the English horns of “The Judge Loses/Shoots Self/The Letter,” the flute and strings of “I’m Fighting It,” and theREVIEWS bassoons of “Money Is Hid.” A brief figure of churning strings hints at a love theme in both “Gone at Dawn” and “Lucy the Pitchman.” Elsewhere, a handful of cues happily lean into the western setting, from the saloon-style take on “Buffalo Gals” in “Into Brazo’s Place” to the playful harmonica of “Unless What?” Finally, “So, Goodbye” moves from a soulful passage of strings and chimes into a reprise of the opening material.
Written and directed by legendary screenwriter Dalton Trumbo, 1971’s Johnny Got His Gun tells the horrific story of a World War I vet (Timothy Bottoms) trapped inside his battle-mangled body. Following a bugle-led “Reveille,” snare drums dominate “Battlefield,” underscoring the chaos of combat, with a whistling effect near the end thatevokes a falling bomb.
Anguished male vocals drive “Nightmare Train,” while “Don’t Take My Legs” is anchored by a pensive string melody before giving way to increasingly anxious percussion and woodwinds. “The Nurse” brings strings and percussion into a searching, unsettled idea, capped by a brief, jaunty passage for banjo and muted horns. “S.O.S./Help Me” offers the score’s most traditional writing, with strings and winds forming anelegiac lament for the fallen soldier.
1972’s A War of Children explored the conflict between Catholics and Protestants through the burgeoning relationship between the daughter of a Catholic family and a
British soldier. With the story set in Belfast, Fielding’s music reflects this tension from the outset, the “Opening Titles” juxtaposing gentle winds against militaristic snare.
“The Troubles” is a solemn cue, pairing funereal drums with grim string writing, capped by aleatoric effects toward the end. “I Want the World to See This” introduces a more hopeful tone, its first half led by flute and warm strings before giving way to more experimental textures. In the “Finale,” trumpet and drums punctuate a downtrodden passage for strings and harmonica, leaving the score to resolve on an ambiguous note.
1979’s Mr. Horn was a mini-series that told the story of bounty hunter Tom Horn (David Carradine). A lonely trumpet solo touches off the “Opening Credits,” soon joined by woodwinds and a brass choir. It’s not long before staccato drums form a march-like figure.
The pseudo-march recurs in “The Indian Wars,” underpinning sprightly wind figures and muted horns. The second half of the cue features a brief, more aggressive passage for horn hits and clipped strings to characterize the tribe. In “Tom,” militaristic drumsgive way to see-sawing string work, which gradually shifts into a lighter texture for winds.
“The Indians” appear to mysterious flute and tribal percussion, with contrabassoon andunsettling effects lending a menacing edge. In “Horn’s End,” the trumpet that openedthe score returns, now joined by a pensive orchestra; there’s no place for men like Hornin an ever-changing America.
The Jerry Fielding Collection, Vol. 1 spotlights a range of fascinating odds and endsfrom the too-short career of the talented composer. Dragon’s Domain’s album remainsavailable. —Tor Harbin
Comments