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The Big Gundown is an album by American composer and saxophonist/multi-instrumentalist John Zorn. It comprises radically reworked covers of tracks by the Italian film composer Ennio Morricone.

The Big Gundown
Studio album by John Zorn
Released	1986 (2000 - 15th Anniversary Edition)
Recorded	1984-1985
Genre	Avant-garde jazz[1]
Length	49:27 (74:54 - 15th Anniversary Edition)
Label	Nonesuch/Icon, Tzadik
Producer	Yale Evelev
John Zorn chronology
Voodoo (1986) The Big Gundown (1986) Cobra (1987)
15th Anniversary Special Edition

The album is named after a 1966 Spaghetti Western of the same name, directed by Sergio Sollima, starring Lee Van Cleef, and scored by Morricone. The album was first released in 1985 on the Nonesuch/Icon label. In 2000 a remastered 15th Anniversary Edition with additional tracks was released on CD on Zorn's Tzadik Records label.[2]

In 1985 Zorn had been working in New York City's experimental music scene for almost a decade (the album was originally to be called "Once Upon a Time in the Lower East Side"), but The Big Gundown launched him to wider prominence. In the notes for the 2000 reissued CD, Zorn describes The Big Gundown as representing a creative breakthrough as well for being the first time he worked extensively with multi-track recording, overdubbing and ornate orchestration. Though his main instrument is alto sax, Zorn did not play on most tracks, adding only a few touches of piano, game calls, harpsichord or musical saw.

Reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[3]
Penguin Guide to Jazz	👑[4]
Spin	(favorable)[5]
Spin Alternative Record Guide	9/10[6]

The AllMusic review by Scott Yanow awarded the album 41⁄2 stars stating "There are certainly no dull moments on this often-riotous program".[7]

The Penguin Guide to Jazz selected this album as part of its suggested "Core Collection" and awarded it a "crown", calling it "utterly remarkable in every way and one of the essential records of the '80s".[1]

The Rolling Stone review by Steve Futterman was less enthusiastic, and Futterman stated, "Despite high-spirited contributions from a first rate cast, Zorn's tentative and analytical remakes tend to bleed Morricone's high drama and joyous kitschiness dry".[8]

Track listing

1. "The Big Gundown" - 7:26
2. "Peur sur la Ville" - 4:16
3. "Poverty (Once Upon a Time in America)" - 3:49
4. "Milano Odea" - 3:02
5. "Erotico (The Burglars)" - 4:27
6. "Battle of Algiers" - 3:50
7. "Giu la Testa (Duck You Sucker!)" - 6:06
8. "Metamorfosi (La Classe Operaia Va In Paradiso)" - 4:37
9. "Tre nel 5000" - 4:37
10. "Once Upon a Time in the West" - 8:44

• The album was re-released and remastered in 2000, with six newly recorded tracks:

11. "The Sicilian Clan" - 3:20

12. "Macchie Solari" - 3:29

13. "The Ballad of Hank McCain" - 5:27

14. "Svegliatti & Uccidi" 3:03

15. "Chi Mai" - 3:06

16. "The Ballad of Hank McCain (instrumental)" - 5:28

All compositions by Ennio Morricone except "Tre nel 5000" by John Zorn

Personnel

References

На других языках

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[de] The Big Gundown

The Big Gundown ist ein Avantgardealbum von John Zorn. Es wurde von September 1984 bis September 1985 von Don Hünerburg für Nonesuch Records aufgenommen, zusammengestellt und 1986 veröffentlicht wurde. Im Jahr 2000 wurde das Album in einer erweiterten Form auf Zorns Tzadik-Label wiederveröffentlicht. (15th Anniversary Edition).

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- [en] The Big Gundown (album)

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