The Reivers: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

 (5 customer reviews)

John Williams score of the reivers is the finest film score ever. It completely sets the mood for this wonderful little film. I saw John Williams very briefly on the street on London several years ago. I had only time to yell "thanks for the Reivers score". He waved and smiled, He knew too.

I caught the film on the bottom half of a double bill in 1973 with the forgettable Don Murray cop flick "Deadly Hero" and from the opening title theme with the incredibly soothing voice-over of Burgess Meredith to the end credit roll this is a WORK OF GENIUS. Yes, Copland's influence is stressed throughout but it remains a towering and original achievement and more than worthy of it's oscar nomination. I ran out after returning the next evening to see it again (probably McQueen's best work too) and instantly became a lifelong Williams fan after being introduced to his work as a 7 year oold at sleep-away camp in 1967 watching a rotten 16mm print of "The Rare Breed" and later that summer "The Plainsman" and being mesmerized by his incredible talent for eliciting visceral thrills- I'm having trouble expressing myself because of the way his music touched me then, and now. All I can say his growing up watching his incredible theme work for Irwin...Read more

No one can say the score by John Williams for this soundtrack sounds like any other he has composed; it is quite original, very Southern, and simply delightful. The original 1000-copy, limited-edition release of this OST by Varese Sarabande around 1990 was so rare it is a relief to have it re-released by Columbia for the rest of us to enjoy!