Among the best early Schifrin to be heard on disc.
12/09/1998
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Most critics and moviegoers would agree that the film Che! by Richard Fleischer is one of the very worst movies of all time. Just imagine... Jack Palance as Fidel Castro, and Omar Shariff as Che!!! Nevertheless, the film has one redeeming quality, and a very good one at that. Lalo Schifrin's music for Che!, so far neglected because of the film's poor ratings, is surely one of his very best early efforts, and it has elegantly withstood the test of time. Music from the tropical jungles, music from dusty South American cities, music from the Andes... Schifrin has packed his soundtrack with a remarkable mixture of excitement, raw energy, nostalgia and plain sadness. The melodies are rich and memorable, and Schifrin's orchestration (including many indigenous instruments) is right on target. The obvious highlight: the main theme of the soundtrack, presented in two very different versions, one for solo guitar, the other for an orchestra of South American instruments. Schifrin's soundtrack for Che! is surely a must for his fans, and certainly for film-music connoiseurs."
Top music. Grotesque movie
Victor Sologaistoa | Paris, France, Ile de France France | 07/18/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Many years ago during a heavy rain afternoon in Madrid, the best thing to do was to enter to a cinema. The one nearby presented "Che!" and it was hilarious to see Jack Palance playing the role of Fidel Castro, as well as the actor (don't even remember his name) who played as Ernesto "Che" Guevara. The movie is simply and totally grotesque and it constitutes an insult to the only authentic revolution ocurred in Latin America during the last century (the Mexican included). On the sunny side of the street, is the music: Schifrin shows he is a master of composition. He truly feels what he was doing and capts both the Andean and Cuban sounds with respect and dignity. Don't miss this record."
Track Listings (16) - Disc #1