Durango

Review by Thomas Glorieux:

Did someone already heard something of Mark McKenzie before? Well if you haven't it is about time and Durango seems the perfect score to begin with. Mark McKenzie has scored movies for almost 10 years now but maintained to stay in the lower register of movie composition. How challenging it may seem, Hallmark movies don't receive a lot of attention this time around and if you don't get noticed in the cinema then you are either stuck for life or waiting for the one true opportunity. Perhaps Durango of Mark McKenzie is that chance (or not) but the score that accompanies it is damn fine film music. You can say this is Braveheart 2 for the classic B-list of movie features. For a regular film music admirer, it isn't difficult to appreciate Mark McKenzie's style within a second and if you want an emotional playful cross around Ireland, by all means invite Durango out for a spin in your CD-player. Destination: heaven. From beginning to end it are the two elements of Mark McKenzie's style that sweeps you of your feet. First of all the thematic firework. Within seconds you receive thematically rich themes full of passion and emotion, wit as flair and supported through various Irish instruments it is the rich sound that surprises you the most. And secondly the playful aspect. During the most of his scores it is the more bouncy nature that brings the score into motion. All witnessed from the first track on in the best of the whole, 'Durango Suite'. People that enjoy a good overall compilation piece of thematic material will enjoy this one the most because after several minutes it has a spine tingling theme performed through flutes and orchestra. It is definitely so far the best theme McKenzie has written.

But what follows next is as good as the begin. Especially the instrumentation is unique. Mark McKenzie's music is as playful as the instrumentation diverse and with the bodhram drums, uilleann pipes and penny whistles you are introduced to the proper flair of an Irish sounding score, linking Durango to Williams' Far and Away and Horner's Braveheart. In the end you receive 43 minutes of stylish film music and several tracks of momentous beauty. 'Good day to You' is especially recommended because for 30 seconds you receive the main love theme in a breathtaking Bagpipe performance. Braveheart fans will enjoy this one for sure. But also the more darker sounding music (tracks 10 and 15) have little hints towards Horner's style. So why do people ignore then such a good effort as Durango? Simple, people don't like change and usually they don't want to give it a shot. I can understand this but of course then you are missing out on something extraordinary. Durango isn't the most complex listen, this isn't McKenzie's style but it is more the emotional grand level listen and that's why it deserves to be heard more then often. I love Irish / Scottish influenced music and if good themes control the majority of it, then I'm all for it. Durango is an excellent quality listen and can only be blessed as a gift from McKenzie's high standard list of movie music.

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Tracks

Single Disc

1. Durango Suite (6.57) Excellent Track

2. Main Titles (4.43) Excellent Track

3. Farewell Speech (1.25)

4. She's A Beauty (0.54)

5. Elope? (1.35)

6. The Journey Begins (5.57) Excellent Track

7. God Save The Republic (1.17)

8. Making Progress (2.08)

9. Haunted Hill (2.02)

10. Dog Attack (1.56)

11. Mark & Annie's Love Theme (2.08)

12. Fight For Privilege (2.59)

13. Good Day To You (2.19)

14. Mission Accomplished (2.27) Excellent Track

15. Fire! (2.33)

16. We're Getting Married (1.30)

Total Length: 43.56

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=== Link to Composer Site: Mark McKenzie ===