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Dragon’s Domain Records presents THE GERALD FRIED COLLECTION, VOLUME 2, featuring music composed by Gerald Fried (THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E., STAR TREK, ROOTS) for two films from his extensive filmography, THE BELL JAR and VIGILANTE FORCE.

Released in 1979, THE BELL JAR was directed by Larry Peerce (GOODBYE, COLUMBUS) starring Marilyn Hassett (THE OTHER SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN) and Julie Harris (EAST OF EDEN). Based on the 1963 book by Sylvia Plath, THE BELL JAR tells the story of Esther (Hassett), a young nineteen year-old woman who spends the summer in New York City interning for a women’s magazine. After she returns home to New England, she suffers a series of psychological breakdowns in connection with various troubling events during the 1950s, including the very public execution of the Rosenbergs for espionage. These disturbing occurrences trigger repressed memories of her past as Esther struggles to recover from onsetting madness...

Released in 1976, VIGILANTE FORCE was written and directed by George Armitage (MIAMI BLUES), starring Kris Kristofferson, Bernadette Peters, Jan-Michael Vincent, Victoria Principal, Brad Dexter, Judson Pratt, David Doyle, Antony Carbone, Andrew Stevens, Charles Cyphers and Paul Gleason. VIGILANTE FORCE tells the story of Elk Hill, a small California town infested by unruly oil-field workers whose only form of communication are fists and kicks. Two brothers, Ben and Aaron (Vincent and Kristofferson) are enlisted by the local authorities to help restore the peace. The brothers recruit a band of veteran mercenaries and successfully purge the town of the troublemakers. However, the peacekeepers are not so eager to relinquish their authority and Ben finds himself having to fight against his own brother to regain control of Elk Hill.

Dragon’s Domain Records presents THE GERALD FRIED COLLECTION, VOLUME 2, featuring music composed by Gerald Fried for THE BELL JAR and VIGILANTE FORCE for the first time on digital. The music has been mastered by James Nelson at Digital Outland and the liner notes have been written by composer and author Brian Satterwhite.

Reviews:\

The Gerald Fried Collection, Vol. 2 *** 1/2
 
One of the latest composer compilations from Dragon’s Domain, The Gerald Fried Collection, Vol. 2 pairs two very different 1970s projects from its talented composer: the 1979 adaptation of Sylvia Plath’s novel The Bell Jar and the seemingly ready-made-for-drive-ins actioner, 1976’s Vigilante Force.

Kicking off the album, “The Bell Jar Theme” sets repeating piano notes against harpsichord trills. The main theme then appears on music box, a gentle lullaby backed by high string figures, with all the elements later converging to create an unsettling but nostalgic air.

Heavy cello picks up the main theme in “Narration/I’m Neurotic As Hell,” though flute soon takes the lead. The harpsichord returns in “Esther Yells/Electro Therapy,” set against discordant chimes, before an austere passage for strings finishes things off.

The principal melody appears on cello for the appropriately grim “Father’s Grave.” Violin eventually takes over, followed by a new, seesawing idea for strings.

“Lipstick” brings back the main theme on music box supplemented by cello. The seesaw motif begins “Finding the Body and Aftermath,” though the string section ultimately dominates the cue.

“Dr. Nolan” revisits the music box material, underlaid with strings. Flute plays out the haunting melody, leading to a take near the end that is particularly mournful, an approach that also informs “Buddy Visits Esther.”

The harpsichord and flute duet of “Joan and Esther” makes for a nice break from the melancholy, sprinkled with bell tree. “Joan’s Fate,” however, is spelled out with atonal chimes and harpsichord.

“The Bell Jar Theme Reprise” brings the first section of the album to a close as flute provides the main melody, with a contemplative bridge for piano and violin.

Given the film’s story, one wouldn’t expect the “Vigilante Force Main Title” to sound so rollicking, but this banjo and harmonica rag may be more suggestive of the environment in which the movie is set, rather than the overall tone.

More fitting suspenseful music begins in earnest with “Shoot Out in Broad Daylight,” where low-end piano and waka-waka pedal create an uneasy feeling. However, the “Main Title” rag returns in “Driving to Boots,” a proper travelogue cue augmented with strings.

“Brothel Bust-Up/Buy Guns” lends a menacing edge to its seemingly friendly mix of harmonica and guitar, enlivened by a subtle rendition of the main theme. Fuzz guitar keeps up the air of suspense throughout.

Fiddling accompanies the bouncing banjo of “Shakedown Montage,” which is followed by the rock-infused “Vehicular Manslaughter.” Harmonica plays out the main theme as “Ben Confronts Aaron,” the tension thick between the two brothers.

“Picnic Brawl” returns to the harshness of the fuzz guitar, with drum kit noodling in the background. The guitar again lurks among the “Weapons Cache,” but the tenor changes with eerie keyboard and harmonica in “Police Chief Killed.”

Terse strings are overlaid with the rag in “Finding Chief’s Body,” an unusual mix of the score’s styles. Guitar gently strums, but as “Ben Is Beaten,” chromatic material is highlighted by drums.

“The Funeral” is earmarked by mournful strings, while the four-note melody from “Driving to Boots” is expounded upon in “Battle for Elk Hills,” this time propelled by harmonica and drums. The end credits song, “Take Me to Morning,” paints a soulful picture after the chaos of the narrative, driven home by Byron Keith Daugherty’s vocals.

A pair of fascinating scores highlighted by interesting orchestrational choices make The Gerald Fried Collection, Vol. 2 a worthwhile buy for fans of the composer. —Tor Harbin