Bernard Hermann’s Taxi Driver film score on stunning double vinyl package

Marking the 40^th anniversary of director Martin Scorcese’s seminal film Taxi Driver, Waxwork Records present a deluxe double LP featuring the vinyl debut of Bernard Hermann’s complete original score, plus the remastered original 1976 soundtrack.

“All the animals come out at night: buggers, queens, fairies, dopers, junkies. Sick. Venal…” But enough about the SDE editor’s colourful group of friends, we’ve got a rather attractive-looking double LP to discuss.

Taxi Driver comes pressed on 180-gram vinyl in two colour variants – ‘Tri-Color’ or pure ‘Taxi Cab Yellow’ – and either edition delivered with a heavyweight old-style tip-on gatefold jacket.

TAXI DRIVER double LP coming soon. Complete film score vinyl debut and original soundtrack. Notes by Martin Scorsese pic.twitter.com/civXCXM3Vr

— Waxwork Records (@waxworkrecords) April 4, 2016

The first disc presents legendary composer Bernard Hermann’s score, his last before his death on Christmas Eve 1975, on vinyl for the first time. The term ‘legendary’ is used advisedly in Hermann’s case when you consider his work on films such as Citizen Kane, Psycho, North By Northwest, Cape Fear, going back to 1941 film The Devil and Daniel Webster which earned him an Academy Award.

The second disc has the complete and remastered original soundtrack from the film.

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According to a recent tweet by Waxwork Records, limited copies of the tri-color variant were ‘still in stock and moving fast’. Seemingly spectacularly expensive at $40 for either the Tri Color and Taxi Cab Yellow versions direct from the Waxwork Records, and, at the time of writing, pre-ordering at an even more eye-watering £48 from Amazon UK (colour variants not specified), this may be one for Taxi Driver collectors and/or aesthetes, because it’s fair to say that the Tri-Color disc is a thing of beauty and illustrator Rich Kelly has done a wonderful job with the illustrated album artwork.

TAXI DRIVER – Director approved double LP featuring the original film score and remastered soundtrack. On sale 4/12. pic.twitter.com/TryvCoAW68

— Waxwork Records (@waxworkrecords) April 7, 2016

Interesting to note that Waxwork Records launched Waxwork Comics! last year, ‘a new company specializing in a fresh take on horror-inspired comics’ and a glance at the artwork of their various soundtrack releases indicate that as much effort goes into the visuals as the audio.

Indeed, Martin Scorsese himself approved the new album artwork and has further endorsed the release by contributing new and exclusive liner notes to the accompanying four-page booklet.

Taxi Driver 40th anniversary 2LP vinyl is released on 29 April 2016.

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Bernard Herrmann

Taxi Driver [VINYL]

Shop Price gbp Stock Amazon uk   59.95 Order Amazon de   399 Order Amazon fr   62.68 Order JPC de   49.99 Order FNAC fr   49.00 Pre-Order

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LP1:

• 1. Main Theme
• 2. Thank God for the Rain
• 3. Cleaning the Cab
• 4. I Still Can’t Sleep/ They Cannot Touch Her (Betsy’s Theme)
• 5. Phone Call/I Realize How Much She Is Like the Others/A Strange Customer/Watching Palantine On TV/You’re Gonna Die in Hell/Betsy’s Theme/Hitting The…
• 6. The .44 Magnum Is a Monster
• 7. Getting Into Shape/Listen You Screwheads/Gunplay/Dear Father

LP2:

• 1.Theme From “Taxi Driver” [4.06]
• 2. I Work The Whole City [2.24]
• 3.Betsy In A White Dress [2.13]
• 4.The Days Do Not End [4.05]
• 5.Reprise: Theme From “Taxi Driver” [2.24]
• 6.Diary Of A Taxi Driver
• 7.Theme From Taxi Driver [3.35]
• 8.The .44 Magnum Is A Monster [3.11]
• 9.Sport And Iris [2.17]
• 10.God’s Lonely Man (End Title) [1.52]