Le Pistole non Discutono
Pistols don't Argue

One of the early Morricone westerns, LE PISTOLE NON DISCUTONO or BULLETS DON’T ARGUE, was released in 1964 just a few months before Sergio Leone’s first Dollar movie, A FISTFUL OF DOLLARS. This Spanish, German, Italian co-production, was more or less a western made in Europe that was full of borrowed themes and clichés which had all been seen before in the Hollywood produced western. The producers even had Pat Garret as the films central character with one of the other principal players taking on the role of a certain, Billy Clanton. But saying all of this the movie was not actually a bad one, it was certainly nothing spectacular but at least it was watch-able as a sagebrush yarn which was filled with plenty of riding here and there and lots of action. The star of the film Rod Cameron taking on the persona of a Randolph Scott type character. The musical score was by Ennio Morricone, the composer had already written a serviceable score for GUNFIGHT AT REDS SANDS in 1963,and like that score the music which he penned for LE PISTOLE NON DISCUTONO was more or less based upon what cinema audiences were already accustomed to via Hollywood produced westerns, by this I mean it was rather a clichéd sound that the composer realized and it is amazing that just a couple of months later the same composer would turn the world of western film scoring on its head with his innovative music for A FISTFUL OF DOLLARS. But I will say that in LE PISTOLE NON DISCUTONO, there are murmurings of what was to follow in a number of the cues. The opening theme for example, LONESOME BILLY, this is a vocal performed by Peter Tevis who also wrote the lyrics, and contains a whistler (Alessandroni) accompanied by strumming guitars, now whistling and cowboys sort of go hand in hand and in this particular case Morricone utilizes the whistle as it was employed in Hollywood westerns a pleasant tuneful whistle that has an almost homely and melancholy sound to it. Track two LE PISOLE NON DISCUTONO, is I suppose the central orchestral theme from the score, the composer using to great effect, sauntering snare drums, which are supported by strings and create a background for a near mournful sounding horn that performs the haunting theme. The composer adds to the mix more strident sounding strings and additional brass which together create a pleasing and almost laid back composition.


Track Three GLI INDIANI, is a more urgent affair, again snares are utilized and punctuated by dark sounding piano which together create a tense atmosphere that is further embellished and expanded upon when the brass section come into play again enhanced by strings. These first three sections are the central core of the soundtrack and are heard throughout in various arrangements, either on solo guitar, or are introduced into the remainder of the cues on the soundtrack. I suppose that one could say that this is not really a true 100 percent Spaghetti western score as it was written before the true Italian western sound had been formulated, but saying this there are a number of elements and sounds within the score that appeared again in A FISTFUL OF DOLLARS and subsequent Morricone western soundtracks, ie: the racing snares, urgent strings, harmonica, whistling, solo Spanish guitar, brass stabs and Mexican flavoured flourishes. There are 14 tracks from the score which are in mono and a further three tracks which are repeats of the main cues in stereo. Presented well with great at work and dazzling sound, this is another wonderful addition to the Hillside/GDM catalogue..