THE 50 GUITARS OF TOMMY GARRETT
Western Themes & Songs (Toucan Cove/Madacy)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale

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Tommy Garrett, probably more recognized by his nickname 'Snuff,' was the A&R director for Liberty Records, producing a string of top tens for artists from Bobby Vee to Gary Lewis. The work put him in touch with the top studio players in LA, and he put them to work on a series of albums as The 50 Guitars Of Tommy Garrett, each focused on a different theme. In this case, it's soundtrack selections from classic western films, but the formula never changed much. Guitars were lavishly layered over a rhythm section and periodically accented with horns, strings or other embellishments in the style that Phil Spector made famous as the 'wall of sound.' Garrett came by the style honestly enough. After all, he's the guy who gave young Phil a break, hiring him as an A&R staffer at Liberty.

Another Tommy looms large in the 50 Guitars legend, he being everybody's A-list guitarist, Tommy Tedesco. Tedesco's ability to contribute the perfect guitar line for any occasion was central to the success of the projects. The folks at Toucan Cove promise that Western Themes & Songs is the first in a series of 50 Guitars reissues, and there's artistry on each of the albums that deserves notice and preservation. Meanwhile, there's this one, featuring the memorable music from all your favorite spaghetti westerns and more. After all, no home is really complete without a really good version of The Magnificent Seven in the music library.

Track List:

The Good, The Bad And The Ugly * South Of The Border * The Magnificent Seven * Mexicali Rose * The Hanging Tree * The Yellow Rose Of Texas * Domingo De Ronda from Blue * Theme From A Fistful Of Dollars * On The Old Spanish Trail * The Comancheros * Green Leaves Of Summer * Theme From Viva Zapata * Conquest from Captain From Castile * Theme From Giant * For A Few Dollars More

[Pick this up at http://toucancove.com.]

© 2005 - Shaun Dale