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The Rhino album is terrific, but forever spoiled (for me, at least) by that moment during the "Prelude" where the vocal track is one beat out of sync with the accompaniment (it happens during "Shenandoah"). It's a passing moment, quickly corrected, but it's a major flaw nonetheless. It's time for a corrected reissue, perhaps in time for the film's 60th anniversary! 
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Yes, of course. I'm just wondering if the tune was as ubiquitous in the USA before 1963 as it has since become.
It was quite familiar. When I saw HOW THE WEST WAS WON at age nine (the only true Cinerama I got to watch as a child) I had never heard "Greensleeves," and so wondered why "they" had bothered to write different words to that Christmas carol.
At that point I consciously enjoyed music in movies, even though I wouldn't begin noticing and looking for composer credits for another year. So even though I didn't officially discover Alfred Newman by name until 1972 (when my film-music mentor steered me toward three specific albums), one nine-year-old in 1963 was dazzled and thrilled by the power and beauty -- in Cinerama stereo sound -- which that score contributed to my WEST WAS WON experience. And not only are some of those featured folk songs lovely in themselves, but Ken Darby's choral direction is especially fine.
I'm a hardcore Goldsmith fan whose second-favorite is Alfred Newman -- the only two composers on whose work I've wanted to remain a completist.
HOW THE WEST WAS WON is high among Newman's peaks, and for me the Rhino edition is a peak experience. (Sorry, Mr. DeWald, but that "passing moment quickly corrected" isn't enough to pull me out of that glorious Overture.)
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One aspect to consider: Film sound had been monaural until THIS IS CINERAMA in 1952, and CinemaScope releases (such as LUST FOR LIFE) were four-channel stereo -- while being a Cinerama production, HOW THE WEST WAS WON was recorded for six-channel exhibition. So I support Newman's decision about not recording that score with MGM's accustomed mic layouts and dynamics.
Anyone critical of the sound on the Rhino CD set should watch (and hear) the film on Blu-ray... and a great sound system.
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I know the score and movie, but don't have it in my collection. I guess the Rhino is the way to go if I wanted to pick it up now?
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I know the score and movie, but don't have it in my collection. I guess the Rhino is the way to go if I wanted to pick it up now?
I just picked up this et some months ago from UK and it was the same set as Rhino but on Sony Classical label.
Yes, they are identical as far as I know, same content, same mastering, same notes. Just that Rhino was for the US market and Sony for the EU market.
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