What better lead-in to the 4th of July holiday weekend than some good old all-American music?
The Aaron Copland-inspired theme for The Magnificent Seven was, of course, composed in the Year of Our Lord 1960 (the year of my birth, actually—GOD, I’m old!) by one Elmer Bernstein, who I assume from the surname is one of them dirty, filthy, genocidal ***(((JooJooJooJOOOOOZ!!)))***
Update! Just gotta inclusde this: what has to be my personal all-time favorite cover version, a surf-twangy instro laid down by the aptly named John Barry Seven.
WHOA, that’s good squishy!












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Isn’t it amazing how a piece of music can be performed by a full orchestra and then by an instrumental rock band and still sound great?
I think it is part genius songwriting and part genius arranging. The arranger sees the essence of the piece and either expands upon it or strips it down to the minimalist essence.
I can bet there’s some truly terrible arrangements of that piece out there.
Oh, I’m sure, Kenny. My idea with covers was always that you should bring something new and different to your cover version; if all you’re going to do is slavishly imitate the original as closely as you possibly can, then why bother at all? Of curse, I also have to admit that there are some songs that are just so perfect in their original form, such time-tested classics, that all you can rightfully do with ’em is just pay homage to them and call it done.