VA - Zachariah (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) [1970]

SOUNDTRACK

VA - Zachariah (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) [1970]

Released in tandem with the 1971 acid western Zachariah, this soundtrack is a genre-bending artifact that fuses psychedelic rock, country blues, and theatrical scoring into a surreal sonic journey. Pressed by ABC Records and coordinated by Bill Szymczyk (later known for his work with The Eagles), the LP features a mix of original score by Jimmie Haskell and performances by marquee counterculture acts, each chosen to reflect the film’s hallucinatory tone.

The James Gang contributes two blistering tracks “Laguna Salada” and “Country Fever”, anchored by Joe Walsh’s guitar work, while Country Joe and the Fish deliver the anarchic “We’re the Crackers” and the tender “All I Need,” underscoring the film’s oscillation between absurdity and introspection. Doug Kershaw’s “Ballad of Job Cain” adds Cajun flair, and The New York Rock & Roll Ensemble’s “Gravedigger” injects baroque rock drama. White Lightnin’s “Shy Ann” and Elton John’s cameo in the film (though not on the LP) round out the cultural collage.

Jimmie Haskell’s score threads the narrative with cues like “Camino Waltz,” “Matthew,” and the eerie “Zachariah (End Title),” blending orchestral textures with desert psychedelia. The arrangements are playful yet ominous, mirroring the film’s existential themes and satirical edge.

For archivists, Zachariah is more than a soundtrack, it’s a document of early ’70s studio experimentation, where rock bands were cast as gunslingers and sound design blurred into performance art. Rare, collectible, and deeply emblematic of its era, the LP stands as a sonic companion to one of cinema’s strangest genre hybrids. (B)

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Track list

01 Jimmie Haskell - Zachariah 2:42

02 James Gang - Laguna Salada 2:32

03 Country Joe and The Fish - We're The Crackers 3:47

04 Jimmie Haskell - William Tell Ouverture 3:02

05 Country Joe and The Fish - All I Need 1:33

06 Doug Kershaw - Ballad of Job Cain 2:38

07 James Gang - Country Fever 4:00

08 Jimmie Haskell - The Lonely Ride 3:51

09 Jimmie Haskell - Meddley Camino, Used Horse Salesman 2:45

10 Jimmie Haskell - Camino Waltz 0:59

11 New York Rock Ensemble - Gravedigger 4:24

12 White Lightnin - Shy Ann 2:38

13 Jimmie Haskell - Mathew 2:39

14 Jimmie Haskell - Zachariah 3:01

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Music weaves itself into the fabric of our emotions, dances through the corridors of memory, and whispers to the soul of who we are. Sharing these stories deepens the connection, turning the experience into something timeless and profound.

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