[.ca] Wicker Man, the - Original Sou

From Amazon.com:
Extraordinarily literate and thoroughly compelling, The Wicker Man has often been called the Citizen Kane of horror movies. Writer Anthony Shaffer and director Robin Hardy built their contemporary (1973) English murder mystery/thriller upon gothic Druid underpinnings and wisely gave songwriter-composer Paul Giovanni (whose first and only film score this is) the freedom to create music of a piece. The score remains one of the most unusual in the entire genre: a collection of original, well-researched folk songs and instrumental underscore that evoke a rare, eerily discomfiting sense of displaced time and place--'70s folk-pop informed by ancient forces of nature and superstition. Long a holy grail among soundtrack aficionados, this lavishly packaged and annotated release has been prepared from recently discovered master tapes with a clarity and presence that gives the late Giovanni's haunting music the gratifying showcase it's so long deserved. --Jerry McCulley

Wicker Man is wonderfully different:
I saw the video recently and loved the quirky bizarreness of it. Being Pagan myself I could see it wasn't quite accurate as they tend to mix up the Fire Festivals into one May Day (Beltaine) celebration and some of the shock value added are events that wouldn't happen today if they happened at all in ancient times that way. That said, if your an adult with the taste for the unusual and compelling I would recommend the movie and the Music is wonderful it stands on it's own! Lovely celtic flavored songs, not really big on folk music overall but this had a sort of folk, renissance quality I really enjoy not to mention that wonderful Retro feel of the 60's and early 70's I so remember! The first 10 songs are actually songs and songs 12-16 are the incidental music of the movie and fun to hear especially if you have seen the movie first. Highly recommend it but the movie and music wont' be for everyone but I venture to guess many of my fellow pagans will love it! "All Hail the May Queen"

Very Nice to Have:
All of the music and some of the dialogue from the (excellent) film. A must-have for fans of "The Wicker Man." "Willow's Song" was surprising to me because I'd not paid much attention to them while Britt was doing her dance. This song and the others taken by themselves provides more insight into the film, adding a new perspective. Well worth the buy.

Folkeys Delight:
Having never seen the "Wicker Man" film, I came to the soundtrack strictly through the buzz it received in the music press upon its discovery and issue. So I had no preconceptions, I just looked at it as a piece of music. For the uninitiated like myself, the Paul Giovanni tracks, 1-11, will hold the most interest. They are a mixture of solid Gordon Lightfoot/Cat Stevens-ish folk tunes, English pub rave ups, traditional Irish fare, and a few surprises (one track with a Christopher Lee vocal). The standout tracks are "Corn Rigs" (which I'm convinced Sting had in mind when he wrote "Fields of Gold") and the utterly beautiful "Gently Johnny". The rest is a bit dissappointing in comparison (Christopher Lee's quote "I think it is probably the best music I've ever heard in a film," is a bit of an overstatement), but "The Wicker Man" is still a worthy curio addition to your collection. For what its worth, I'm now excited to see the film itself.

"labor of love serves up this unedited thriller score":
The year was 1974, director Robin Hardy, screenwriter Anthony Shaffer and their co-star producer non-other than Christopher Lee came up with an unusual suspense thriller with twists and turns, still as fresh today as it was then. Take for instance the cast each an individual in his or her own right ~ Edward Woodward (Sgt. Neil Howie), Britt Ekland (Willow), Diane Cilento (Miss Rose), Ingrid Pitt (Librarian) and Christopher Lee (as Lord Summerisle). Lee gives one of his best performances as sacrifice and supernatural events are surfacing. Time and patience to bring the complete soundtrack composer Paul Giovanni intended but never made it to the presses has finally arrived. Thanks to Silva we have the ultimate and complete score and songs from Summerisle ballads of seduction, fertility and ritual slaughter ~ followed by the incidental music from the film conclusive on 16 tracks. All nicely wrapped into one unforgettable package, gotta love it! The album itself is a highlight...each track paints a picture of psychological intrigue as clues are absorbed within each spilling over with music. A must have for all "film-score-buffs", even if you've never seen the film. This CD stands on it's own two "wicker-feet"...collection of music for missing persons is brought on by the composers unusual and unsettling themes "FIRE LEAP" and "WILLOW", as an island populated by missing girl's is surrounded by pagan rituals. One can only hope this will open the doors of more to come within the vaults of Silva. You must admit, this is a film collectors cup of tea! Total Time: 39:42 on 16 Tracks ~ Silva SSD-1141 ~ (2002)

• Corn Rigs
• The Landlord's Daughter
• Gentle Johnny
• Maypole
• Fire Leap
• The Tinker Of Rye
• Willow's Song
• Procession
• Chop Chop
• Lullaby
• Festival / Mirie It Is / Sumer Is A-Cumen In
• Opening Music / Loving Couples / The Ruined Church
• The Masks / The Hobby Horse
• Searching For Rowan
• Appointment With The Wicker Man
• Sunset