Album

With Altissimo!'s Duty, Honor, Country, General "Stormin'" Norman Schwarzkopf makes his unlikely debut as a recording artist in Harold Walters' piece of that title, which is taken from the motto of West Point and utilizes a narrated text derived from a speech by General Douglas MacArthur. While Schwarzkopf does not exactly have the awe-inspiring, stentorian, and slightly hypnotic voice that MacArthur possessed (who does?), he does a respectable job of fitting the words to the right places in the music and imbuing the reading with his own distinctive and easily recognizable parlance. Not every four-star American general is pleased to be pressed into such service, and it appears that Schwarzkopf enjoyed this assignment—not as earth-shattering an event as defeating Saddam Hussein's long-range tanks, but one that is likely to satisfy and entertain his many admirers.

The rest of the disc, performed by the U.S. Army Field Band under Colonel Finley R. Hamilton, is very good, even excellent in spots. The performances are nice and as crisp as a good West Point Cadet's uniform, although the jig Garry Owen could have been a touch faster. There are many soldiers who will relish in having a recording to listen to of vocal selections such as The Corps and Dogface Soldier, numbers that are sung with regularity in the U.S. military but seldom heard outside it. The program that Hamilton has mapped out here is a nice blend of elements, not just a string of the same old marches, nor too exotic, and avoids the kind of military concert program one might sit through on a hot summer day that tends to be a bit on the boring side. Altissimo!'s sound is bright, immediate, and powerful; it will make the listener want to stand at attention.

© Uncle Dave Lewis, All Music Guide

CD 1
Philip Egner Composer West Point March Work Finley R. Hamilton Conductor, U.S. Army Field Band Band
1	West Point March	4:16			$0.99
W. Franke Harling Composer The Corps Work Finley R. Hamilton Conductor, U.S. Army Field Band Band
2	The Corps	2:37			$0.99
Morton Gould Composer American Salute Work Finley R. Hamilton Conductor, U.S. Army Field Band Band
3	American Salute	4:30			$0.99
Walter Kittredge Composer Tenting On the Old Campground Work Finley R. Hamilton Conductor, U.S. Army Field Band Band
4	Tenting On the Old Campground	3:29			$0.99
Ira Hearshen Composer Fantasia on The Army Blue Work Finley R. Hamilton Conductor, U.S. Army Field Band Band
5	Fantasia on The Army Blue	11:52			Album Only
Fred Huffer Composer Black Jack (march) Work Finley R. Hamilton Conductor, U.S. Army Field Band Band
6	Black Jack (march)	2:54			$0.99
Various Composers Composer West Point Medley: The Official West Point March (Philip Egner); Alma Mater (Paul Reinecke); Benny Havens, Oh! (Lucius O'Brien and Ri Work Finley R. Hamilton Conductor, U.S. Army Field Band Band
7	West Point Medley: The Official West Point March (Philip Egner); Alma Mater (Paul Reinecke); Benny Havens, Oh! (Lucius O'Brien and Ri	10:26			Album Only
Charles Koff Composer American Soldier Work Finley R. Hamilton Conductor, U.S. Army Field Band Band
8	American Soldier	2:39			$0.99
Harold L. Walters Composer Duty, Honor, Country (after General MacArthur's "Reminiscenses"), for narrator and military band Work H. Norman Schwarzkopf Narrator, Finley R. Hamilton Conductor, U.S. Army Field Band Band
9	Duty, Honor, Country (after General MacArthur's "Reminiscenses"), for narrator and military band	3:59			$0.99
Bert / Ken Gold / Hart Composer Dogface Soldier Work Finley R. Hamilton Conductor, U.S. Army Field Band Band
10	Dogface Soldier	1:49			$0.99
Anonymous Composer Garry Owen Work Finley R. Hamilton Conductor, U.S. Army Field Band Band
11	Garry Owen	2:56			$0.99
William Steffe Composer The Battle Hymn of the Republic (Words by Julia Ward Howe; Music attributed to Steffe) Work Finley R. Hamilton Conductor, U.S. Army Field Band Band
12	The Battle Hymn of the Republic (Words by Julia Ward Howe; Music attributed to Steffe)	5:07			$0.99
Irving Berlin Composer God Bless America Work Finley R. Hamilton Conductor, U.S. Army Field Band Band
13	God Bless America	3:05			$0.99
Various Composers Composer Armed Forces Medley Work Finley R. Hamilton Conductor, U.S. Army Field Band Band
14	Armed Forces Medley	3:30			$0.99
John Philip Sousa Composer Stars and Stripes Forever Work Finley R. Hamilton Conductor, U.S. Army Field Band Band
15	Stars and Stripes Forever	3:34			$0.99