Canadian bacon

World premiere release of Michael Kamen's moving, emotional score dated in 1988 for Caleb Deschanel personal vision of Robinson Crusoe, starring Aidan Quinn and Elvis Payne.

Michael Kamen (Highlander, Robin Hood Prince of Thieves, Licence to Kill, Mona Lisa) provides one of its best efforts: a reflexive, ethnic influenced score dominated by a melancholy melody that reflects the character of Crusoe. The music was performed by The National Philarmonic Orchestra.

Now after spending nearly as long in Michael Kamen's archives as Daniel Defoe's castaway did on the author's remote island, Crusoe has finally been rescued for CD. Its score is presented here in the form the composer originally conceived for its (never-released) soundtrack album. Crusoe remains one of Michael Kamen's most intimate and evocative works, portraying Crusoe's island as a state of mind as much as a rugged place for adventure. More importantly, his work showed it was a place where so-called civilized and primitive music could share a common bond of humanity.

The package includes a 16-page full color booklet, and liner notes by Daniel Schweiger, who discuss the film andQuartet Records is pleased to present the world premiere release of a powerful, hilarious score co-composed by Elmer and Peter Bernstein for the 1995 MGM comedy Canadian Bacon. An anti-militarist farce written and directed by Michael Moore (Bowling for Columbine, Farenheit 9/11), the film starred John Candy, Alan Alda, Rhea Perlman and Kevin Pollack.

Moore chose Elmer Bernstein because he wanted the same musical treatment for his film that Bernstein had given to some favorite '80s comedies (Stripes, Ghostbusters, Trading Places, Meatballs): a serious score that would contrast with the comic intent of the film. Although by the mid-nineties Bernstein was tired of scoring comedies, he agreed to compose the score for Canadian Bacon –in collaboration with his son Peter– because he liked Moore's ideas.

The Bernsteins provided a bombastic, militaristic score, full of leitmotivs, hymns and lots of action music. Canadian Bacon is one of Elmer Bernstein's great achievements of the '90s, sadly forgotten due to the failure of the film at the box office. It is music deserving of rediscovery.

The music, conducted by Elmer Bernstein, was recorded at Angel Studios in London. The package includes a 12-page full color booklet with liner notes by Randall D. Larson. A treat for all Bernstein fans!

Tracklist

01. Presidential Motorcade (0:57)
02. 2M7 (2:01)
03. Vlad & Co. (0:51)
04. Rejection (1:08)
05. Hockey/Stu's Idea/Stu's Speech (1:37)
06. News Logo/News of Canada (1:32)
07. Hacker (1:22)
08. Commando (1:01)
09. Wisdom (1:24)
10. Honey's Place (0:23)
11. To Canada (1:04)
12. Where's Honey? (1:13)
13. Power Plant (0:52)
14. War Room (0:48)
15. Mountie Letter/To Toronto (1:18)
16. Omega Force One/Omega Force Two/Conditions of Canada (1:08)
17. Omega Force Three/Honey Leaves (0:59)
18. Dies First/Hacking (1:44)
19. War Room Alarm/O.C.B./War Room Two (1:41)
20. Toronto/Honey Shoots (1:27)
21. War Room/Tower (3:15)
22. Hacker Dies (4:01)
23. Honey Breaks Through (2:08)
24. Conclusion & Coda's (4:42)
25. Logo (0:08)
26. Adios (0:14)