Far West

I added to my Far West soundtrack a few songs by Jackie Chan -- but I don't have the soundtrack handy right now. Will be back to name them/link them.

Having just gotten back from hiking 9 miles in the desert with the Bastion soundtrack playing, I'll second that motion. Caelondia and Ura are going to have a definite impact on Far West at my table, if nowhere else.

Thanks for that, Gau! Adding to my playlist....

So far as I know, two excellent songs for a grandly cinematic Far West soundtrack have not yet been done...specifically, Fleetwood Mac's Gold Dust Woman, minus the lyrics, performed on traditional Chinese instruments, and Jon Bon Jovi's Blaze of Glory given the same treatment...(a fellow backer, whose name I will not mention to defend his dignity, has provided me with a couple of MIDIs that are kind of in the ballpark, but I'm holding out for the real thing).

I know somebody's done at least the first couple of bars of, say, AC/DC's Thunderstruck on shamisen (that'd be Monsters of Shamisen), but I have yet to find either of the first two.

For something a bit less Western, there's always the Jade Empire OST for mood music. And now I have two more game soundtracks to hunt down! Much obliged, amigos.

I can certainly nudge him and see if he'll post 'em here (he deserves the credit and/or blame).

Another idea that comes to mind, now that I think about it--there's an album out there called Back Tuva Future, which features Tuvan throat singing along with some other artists. Some of this would make nice 'down-time' background for those soulful, introspective panning long-shots over the landscape.

Like this song: Kongurei, which has Willie Nelson along for the ride.
http://youtu.be/aoR23_308Q4

This song is beautiful, and can definitely see it fitting in somewhere in the Far West world.

For something a little more unusual, try the shawm - known as the 唢呐 suona, laba and...er, a third name that I've forgotten.
The shawm is a double reed instrument like the oboe or bassoon, and is particularly common in Gansu and Shanxi. It's a prominent feature of of traditional funerals - the cortege proceeds something like a jazz funeral in New Orleans, accompanied by mourners and musicians - as well as weddings and other festivities. In a FAR WEST context, the suona might be the instrument of the poorer everyday folks - farmers, railroad workers, miners and so on, which the PCs will hear as they pass through villages and encampments.



A shawm player could be a good FAR WEST character. Even today in China they are often somewhat itinerant, going where the funerals and weddings are - and a good shawm player is in high demand because they're rare, so the money is pretty good.
Shawm players also smoke like chimneys. There's a kind of rivalry about who can chain smoke the most relentlessly, even to the point of informal contests about who can smoke the most cigarettes simultaneously, and even in the midst of gigs (which, remember are often funerals), these guys will keep chaining cigarettes between breaths.

I'm partial to the Trigun anime soundtracks. Check out this track,

http://youtu.be/co19jGPZC_E

or this one,

http://youtu.be/mBuOA_JiSys

Thank you everyone for sharing. Both the score tracks and source tracks are proving important. Right now, I am listening to "Heads Will Roll" by the Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs via Rhapsody/Verizon. It is an exclusive/bonus track on the "It's Blitz!" album.

D'OH!!

I cant believe I didn't think of this earlier....

The Firefly soundtrack.

Steve Sechi had a few pieces on his Talislanta Score that would fit right in, though I no longer have a copy.

Hey Gang! I have another source track suggestion to mix in among these many score tracks. "Four Rusted Horses" by Marilyn Manson from the album "The High End of Low". It is mellow, heavy, and very influential to my screenplay writing.

Now playing on my Verizon/Rhapsody: "Ants Under Glass" by Unextraordinary Gentlemen from the album "5 Tales From God-Only-Knows (EP)"

To back up Gau, here's the Firefly soundtrack (just let it play, it'll go through all the songs listed)

It's more Western than Wuxia as it's rockabilly (gothabilly), but Ghoultown is awesome:

Actually, this is better



But there are plenty of others

This track was used in the soundtrack to "Last Rites of Ransom Pride", and so I picked up the album it's from (it's the title track):

Yeah...thanks guys....thanks a lot........my wallet hates you all....

;)

(some really good stuff here...truly thanks)

Some great new tracks on here. Personally I was thinking pretty traditionally and alternating between my Classic Sergio Leon Spaghetti Western Soundtrack and the Ondekoza

"The Lonely Shepherd" by James Last & Gheorghe Zamfir is good for any wandering-in-the-wilderness scene.
"Apache" by The Shadows has great energy for whenever the PCs are doing some fast traveling.
"I Shall Be Free" is the perfect theme tune for a Preacher who specializes in unarmed combat.

Finally, the entire "Rome" album by Danger Mouse & Daniele Luppi is full of spaghetti western goodness.

Just because it saves you looking for more:

A bit of Ry Cooder:

Found this remix of a fine classic.

From one great bar fight scene in Shanghai Noon...

Check the trailer I posted in Inspirography. :)



Really. From my midwest days to my southwest living, I will always be a fan of that Lil' Ol' Band from Texas.

GMSkarka said:

Thanks for the suggestion of "Rome", jehosephat. I'd missed that one.

Yeah, it kind of slipped under the radar.
I only came across it when I was browsing in my local music store.