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REVIEW ARCHIVES:
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z

The Mack
Willie Hutch
Motown

The Mack is Willie Hutch's first soundtrack and while it doesn't quite measure up to his work on Foxy Brown, it does boast some solid Mack-daddy tracks.

It opens with "Vampin" -- a suitable title for this catchy upbeat vamp that pits brass against guitar and vibes over a cruisin' rhythm section, but not the strongest way to start the album. It's followed by the natural opener, "Theme from The Mack," which starts quietly with a plaintive trumpet and guitar duet before launching into full-scale soul funk.

The Mack's other fine tracks include the stately soul ballad "I Choose You," the shimmering-to-blistering "Mack's Stroll/The Getaway," the cookin' groover "Slick", the hard hitting "Mack Man," the dialogue-peppered "Brother's Gonna Work It Out."

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"Kill Fats" (MP3 edit)

The Mack II
Alan Silvestri
ALA

For The Mack’s home video release in 1983, the studio foolishly brought in Alan Silvestri to re-score it. Naturally, Silvestri’s remake pales in comparison to Hutch's original.

For one thing, it starts with the uncool ‘80s, R’n’B-lite ballad “In the Beginning,” sung by Eugene McDaniels (with backing vocals that sound like Michael McDonald of Doobie Brothers fame). Silvestri’s instrumentals have that distinctive L.A. session sound of the late '70s/early '80s. The clean brass and chipper rhythms evoke aerobic instructors in pastel leg warmers. This simply isn't The Mack we know and love.

That's not to say that Silvestri is a hack. Clearly, he's a pro. His compositions are reasonably catchy and his arrangements are classy if uninspired. And some of it is ripping action music ("Kill Fats"). But this really isn't his genre. Get it used.

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The Mad, Mad World of Soundtracks
Various Artists
Motor Music

This compilation is desirable for at least two reasons: It contains many choice cuts from hard to find soundtracks, as well as a few remakes by non-soundtrack artists, and secondly, it's the companion release for a great book entitled The Album Cover Art of Soundtracks. Both releases were compiled by Frank Jastfelder and Stefan Kassel. The book is easier to come by, since every major bookstore stocks it. The cd or lp, however, tends to be harder to find since it is an import only (which is strange since there's a lot of Hollywood product on it). The record kicks off with Henry Mancini's theme from The Party and finishes with a Nilsson song from his soundtrack for Skidoo. Along the way, you'll hear great stuff from Lalo Schifrin's Bullitt, a cool track from Kenyon Hopkins' Mister Buddwing (see Found Wax below), Ann-Margaret singing "The Swinger", Paul Desmond covering a track from Lady in Cement, even Peter Thomas' "Agent X". Interestingly enough, some of the tracks were previously available only on singles, like Nancy Sinatra singing "The Last of the Secret Agents" and The Walker Brothers' "Deadlier Than the Male". It's a rather unorthodox compilation, but works well in final analysis. Get the book and hunt this disc down. It's money well spent.

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The Mad, Mad World of Soundtracks
Various Artists
Motor

Four years after the release of The Mad, Mad World of Soundtracks and the companion book The Album Cover Art of Soundtracks comes a new collection of film and TV soundtracks of 1968-1977. Like the first volume, the disc mixes genuine soundtrack stuff with cover material.

Again, Frank Jastfelder and Stefan Kassel (along with Matthias Kunnecke) have delivered a tasteful selection that touches on action jazz, lounge, swinging pop and electro groove. The tracks are mostly instrumental, though several vocal performances are heard by Ella Fitzgerald, Claudine Longet, Astrud Gilberto, Scott Walker, Chet Baker and Neal Hefti.

Nearly half of the tracks originally appeared on 7" only and a couple tracks appear here for the first time. This is truly an eclectic mix. Needless to say, there seems to be something for everyone (in the groovy soundtrack camp), but eclecticism is a weakness as well as a strength.

For instance, the themes from "The Six Million Dollar Man" and "The Streets of San Francisco" are more than welcome, but the Bachelors' version of "Diamonds are Forever" is an unfortunate inclusion, since it can't hold a candle to the Shirley Bassey/John Barry original. Still, there are plenty of rare gems here that make the disc worth owning.

The liner notes offer plenty of detail and original cover art is included for every track. Well done.

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Mad Monster Party
Maury Laws & Jules Bass
Percepto/Retrograde/FSM

When one thinks of Rankin & Bass, one probably remembers their Christmas specials above all. Rudolph the Rednosed Reindeer comes immediately to mind. But then there was the goolishly animated Mad Monster Party.

For more than 30 years, Rankin & Bass collectors have hunted for the movie's soundtrack, but they searched in vane as it was never released -- until now.

Featuring such stock characters as Mr. Hyde, the Invisible Man, the Mummy, the Hunchback and the Werewolf, Mad Monster Party was originally produced as part of an "Animagic" trilogy along with The Daydreamer and The Wacky World of Mother Goose; Mad Monster Party was the only production done entirely with "Animagic".

The first of the three -- The Daydreamer -- proved to be an underperformer. As a result, the other two pictures weren't given ample publicity, so the Mad Monster Party soundtrack never made it into stores.

Featuring vocal performances by Phyllis Diller, Boris Karloff, Gale Garnett and Ethel Ennis, Mad Monster Party is a light hearted romp through big band, Latin, Dixieland, jazz, rhythm & blues, folk and lounge.

As usual, Film Score Monthly delivers a complete package with insightful liner notes and many stills and storyboards.

* Anchor Bay is releasing the movie on DVD for the first time in July 2002.

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Maestro Series Vol. 1
Piero Piccioni
Black Cat

Unlike his contemporaries Ennio Morricone and Piero Umiliani, there aren't enough discs that focus on the soundtrack work of Piero Piccioni. Sure, you have the scores for The 10th Victim, Colpo Rovente and Camille 2000, but where are the compilations that collect stellar individual tracks. You know the ones -- the numbers that play during night club scenes and the like. Black Cat's Maestro Series Vol. 1 Part 1 seems to take a crack at it.

It takes some faith to get past the messy, thoughtless cover artwork to focus on the music itself, which is generally satisfying. There are 14 tracks, with little indication of their origins -- one track is clearly from Camille 2000, but your guess is as good as mine regarding the other 13. There are vocal performances by Shawn Robinson and Lydia MacDonald to provide further clues.

Musically, Piccioni favors swirling stabbing horns and organ, throbbing bass and hard driving drums. Tracks include "Nuovo Duke" "Balboa Spell" "Jet Set Trip" "Harvest Moon Dance" and so on. Great rare stuff for Italian soundtrack fanatics. The package includes a brief interview with Piccioni.

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Le Magnifique
Claude Bolling
CAM

Le Magnifique is a comedy about a second rate writer of spy novels whose life criss-crosses between high-flying fantasy and bittersweet reality. Claude Bolling's score is suitably light hearted, yet sophisticated. Bolling uses a lot of latin rhythms, but plays it for romantic effect. The effect is more often than not melodramatic. The best tracks, like "Karpoff", presumably accompany the fantasy sequences, since they bring with them a sense of danger and intrigue, not unlike something off of a "Flint" soundtrack. The grooviest track here is "Pop Mod" (with a title like that, natch!) It's kind of a go-go number, but with a certain easy listening restraint.

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"Magnum Force" (MP3 edit)

"Caveman " (MP3 edit)

Magnum Force / Caveman
Lalo Schifrin
Aleph

Lalo Schifrin's scores for the first Dirty Harry sequel ('73) and a prehistoric comedy ('81) couldn't be more different from one another. Moreover, they aren't guaranteed to appeal to the same set of ears. Fans of Schifrin's tough cop funk (Magnum Force, natch) might be tempted to skip his stab at big screen comedy, but they'll be poorer for it. Both scores are worthwhile for different reasons.

Magnum Force picks up from where Dirty Harry left off. What fans love about the original — restless percussion, rumbling bass lines, jazzy keyboards and dissonant strings — can be heard on Schifrin's score for the sequel. The powerhouse main title cut will rip your head off if you're not careful. It even has a killer drum break!

Like the film itself, Schifrin's score is a hair less abrasive and discordant than on Dirty Harry, but the sound is still fiercely aggressive. The name of the game here is action, not anxiety. Many of the 22 tracks bristle with balls-to-the-wall crime-fighting intensity. Like any crime soundtrack, however, there are soft moments, too ("Harry's New Friend" and "Warm Enough?").

A handful of these tracks appeared on Aleph's Dirty Harry Anthology and the similar set from Warner Bros. France. This CD from Schifrin's own label, Aleph, marks the complete score's long overdue release in any form.

With titles like "Stakeout," "The Pimp" and "Execution Squad" what are you waiting for? Get Dirty all over again.

On the flipside, figuratively speaking, is Schifrin's light-hearted orchestral score for Caveman, which starred Ringo Starr, Dennis Quaid, Shelley Long and Barbara Bach (who married Ringo after the movie was made).

The film's producers originally asked Schifrin to provide a score that would capture the movie's primitive, prehistoric setting, complete with weird sounds evocative of dinosaurs, etc. By the time filming was complete they indicated that it was a slapstick comedy. In turn, Schifrin figured a serious score would best bring out the comedic elements of the film.

As a result much of the soundtrack is sophisticated and sweetly melodic. It's an old school score that, not only quotes from well known classical pieces (such as the "William Tell Overture"), but also aurally depicts the action on screen. In other words, listening to the music is like getting the already non-verbal storyline through the abstraction of music. According to the liner notes, Schifrin turned to the classic silent film comedies of Mack Sennett and Charlie Chaplin for inspiration, and it shows.

The most memorable piece can be heard in the 10-minute title track suite. It depicts a campfire scene where the characters accidentally invent music by blowing in a gourd, beating sticks and singing / grunting / moaning wordlessly. It's the sound of cavemen getting a groove on. Fun and funny.

What makes this a distinctive Schifrin score? His great sense of rhythm and light orchestral touch as well as a melodic playfulness that rarely wins awards but works like a charm.

The film's director and co-writer Carl Gottlieb said it best: "With comedy, you want it to be hip. And if you're going to be hip, you've got to be cool. Lalo's music was both hip and cool." And, if you ask me, it still is.

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I Malamondo/La Tarantola Dal Ventre Nero
Ennio Morricone
Cam Original Soundtracks

Where does one begin with a film composer as prolific as Morricone. According to some sources, the Italian maestro has scored well over 400 films in about four decades. This disc, while not the sort of collection a novice might begin with, is a perfectly acceptable pairing of soundtracks from 1964 and 1971, for the director Paola Cavara. The first is for a "mondo" documentary about European teen culture. The themes range from rocking to sentimental, and sometimes feature choral support from Alessandroni. In sharp contrast to Malamondo's diverse musical palette, the score for Cavara's giallo (thriller) is much more sensual and streamlined. While the lead off track is downright sexy with its moaning female vocals, much of the music is effectively dissonant and tension filled. When it comes to psychadelic orchestral passages, it's hard to beat Morricone.

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Man for All the Doings
George Theodossiadis
Potfleur

The third release from Potfleur, Man for All the Doings, is a jazzy mid-60s delight. With the exception of some "special effects" by a young Vangelis (Chariots of Fire) on one track, it's all small group jazz, featuring piano, sax, flute, guitar, vibraphone, bass and drums.

The track titles are worth mentioning, just because they're so evocative: "Nosey Parker," "Bossa Nova Avenue," "Easy Life," "Jazzy Strike," "Cycle of Millionaires," "Swedish Suicide," "Drive the Frog," "Half Opened Door," "Scotch for Two," "Erotic Confession," and so on -- 16 tracks in all.

Like the other Potfleur releases, the music on this one is sophisticated and well performed with fine sound quality. The mood ranges from upbeat and frenzied to laid back and playful. All together, a very likable score, which makes one want to see the movie.

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"Main Theme " (MP3 edit)

Man from Interpol
Tony Crombie
Harkit

The expanded reissue of Tony Crombie's score for Man from Interpol is a must have for crime jazz fans.

Tony Crombie, a well-travelled jazz drummer and composer, delivers a perfectly solid set of cool crime jazz ala Elmer Bernstein or Henry Mancini. The main theme is a killer, with its kettle drum intro and full throttle big band. "Interpol Chase - Swing Version" almost sounds like something from Peter Thomas' Jerry Cotton soundtrack. Other titles that give a strong indication of this score's hard-boiled mood include "Blues Macabre," "Breezy Capers" and "Night Prowl."

With 35 tracks in total, this extended version of the original LP release is probably more than the little-seen TV show warrants. But who's complaining? It's swinging stuff and the liner notes are excellent.

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The Man from U.N.C.L.E. — Vol. 1
Various Artists
Film Score Monthly

The Man from U.N.C.L.E. is well known among fans of crime jazz and spy soundtracks, but most record collectors are only familiar with Hugo Montenegro's two U.N.C.L.E. cover collections released on RCA Victor vinyl in the '60s, then re-issued together on CD in '94. Those collections did big business, but featured arrangements that had little to do with the original music by Jerry Goldsmith (who's credited with the Main Theme), Morton Stevens, Lalo Schifrin, Gerald Fried, Walter Scharf, Richard Shores and Robert Drasnin.

This new limited edition 2CD set is a welcome addition as it offers music that's never been heard outside of the original episodes selected from all four seasons. As usual, Film Score Monthly provides the best possible sound quality (which is no small feat considering the original music wasn't intended for stereo listening) and truly in-depth liner notes, complete with episode stills, promo art and composer biographies.

The music for U.N.C.L.E. is among the finest written for TV in the '60s. The mood of Goldsmith and company's action jazz is by turns invigorating and cooly intriguing, leaving ample room for the swanky and dramatic. The music comes from the episodes or "affairs": The Vulcan, The Deadly Games, The Double , The Project Strigas, The King of Knaves, The Fiddlesticks, Alexander the Greater, The Foxes and Hounds, The Discotheque, The Re-Collectors, The Arabian, The Tigers are Coming, The Dippy Blonde, The Her Master's Voie, The Monks of St. Thomas, The Pop Art, The Summit-Five and The "J" for Judas.

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The Man from U.N.C.L.E. — Vol. 2
Jerry Goldsmith, et al
Film Score Monthly

Another 2CD compilation of original U.N.C.L.E. tracks?! What might seem like overkill to the uninitiated is a boon to spy jazz fans. Like FSM's first volume, number two offers killer grooves from Jerry Goldsmith, Morton Stevens, Walter Scharf, Gerald Fried, Lalo Schifrin, Robert Drasnin, Richard Shores and Nelson Riddle.

The rationale for the second volume is simple: one 2CD compilation could never due justice to a show with so much cool music, and this compilation features some of the U.N.C.L.E. movie music from the same era. In fact, this comp contains the remaining nine original tracks from the series and movies. All told there are 32 tracks, clocking in at more than two-and-a-half hours.

If you're unfamiliar with the sound, imagine thrilling action, swinging Latinesque lounge, exotic passages and dramatic suspense cues -- most often scored for small orchestra featuring woodwinds, percussion, guitar, bass and brass. There's even a little funky drumming on tracks like "The Pop Art Affair" and "One of Our Spies is Missing."

Again, FSM delivers in-depth liner notes, original promo artwork and stills.

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"The Girl from U.N.C.L.E." (MP3 edit)

The Man from U.N.C.L.E. — Volume 3
Jerry Goldsmith et al.
Film Score Monthly

While fans of all things U.N.C.L.E. wait for the inevitable DVD box sets of the original TV episodes they can listen to Film Score Monthly's generous CD soundtrack compilations. FSM released the first 2CD volume in 2002, followed by another 2CD volume in 2003. This year, FSM released the final 2CD volume of original music by Jerry Goldsmith, Lalo Schifrin, Gerald Fried and others.

Vol. 3 of this meticulously annotated series includes more exciting cues from the hit spy show, but also boasts about 40 minutes of music from the spin-off show, The Girl from U.N.C.L.E.

Like the first two volumes, this beautifully illustrated "best of" draws material from all five seasons of the Man series. Unfortunately, the Girl series, starring Stephanie Powers and Noel Harrison, only lasted for one season. In fact, only eight of its 29 episodes featured complete original scores. Dave Grusin and Richard Shores were major contributors. For its theme, Grusin, a consummate jazz composer, adapted Goldsmith's Man from U.N.C.L.E. theme music. Incidentally, versions of some of the featured Girl tracks were used on Tony Randazzo's Girl from U.N.C.L.E. album, which was released to promote the show following the success of Hugo Montenegro's first Man from U.N.C.L.E. album on RCA.

Musically speaking, Volume 3 is every bit as strong as its predecessors. The atmospheres of exotic intrigue and pulse-quickening action are potent and enveloping, despite having been created to serve as little more than background. There is more than 77 minutes of music on each of the volumes two CDs.

FSM's pressing of this essential CD, like previously volumes, is limited to 3,000.

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"Main Title/Solo Strikes Again" (MP3 edit)

"Snow Goons/Touchdown" (MP3 edit)

The Spy with My Face: Music from The Man from U.N.C.L.E. Movies
Various Artists
Film Score Monthly

Back in the spy crazy '60s when American TV shows like The Man from U.N.C.L.E. were in high demand overseas, the studio repackaged two-part episodes as theatrical releases. Naturally, American moviegoers were cynical about paying to see something they'd already seen for free and generally avoided these "movies," but international audiences ate them up — all eight of them.

That's right, over the course of four years M-G-M repackaged episodes of the NBC hit as To Trap a Spy and The Spy with My Face ('65), One Spy Too Many and One of Our Spies is Missing ('66), The Spy in the Green Hat and The Karate Killers ('67), The Helicopter Spies and How to Steal the World ('68). (Got that? There'll be a quiz later. Just kidding.)

Collected here for the first time are 36 tracks from the U.N.C.L.E. movies by show regulars Jerry Goldsmith (who wrote the riveting theme), Morton Stevens, Gerald Fried, Nelson Riddle and Richard Shores. Fried, who also contributed many memorable scores for the first Star Trek series around the same time, accounts for more than half of these tracks. Regardless of the composer, however, the sound is classic '60s Hollywood spy jazz through and through.

Like its series predecessors, this compilation is accompanied by engrossing liner notes and a plethora of related poster and promotional images. The Spy with My Face is essential stuff for fans of the genre and beyond.

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The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
Hugo Montenegro
RCA

Both of Hugo Montenegro's classic takes on the music from U.N.C.L.E. made it onto this re-issue. RCA's main man in the mid-'60s turned out a number of records like these -- the most famous being a spaghetti western-themed album. Here he covers tracks like Jerry Goldsmith's "Main Theme" in his own distinctively swinging manner. For the real deal see Film Score Monthly's limited edition 2CD release of all original music from the TV spy series.

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"Manni, Der Libero — Teil 2" (MP3 edit)

Manni, Der Libero
Christian Bruhn
Diggler

The early '80s German TV show Manni, Der Libero tapped into the popularity of soccer among Deutschland's young people. The guy providing the hip sounds for the show was Christian Bruhn, the versatile composer behind the score for Timm Thaler as well as various hit singles of the period.

Bruhn's music for Manni is just what one would expect of the early '80s. Peppy tunes enlivened by soaring synthesizers, bubbling bass lines, crackling disco rock drums, chirping rhythm guitars and wailing lead guitars not to mention occasional vocals that wouldn't sound out of place on Top 40 radio circa '82.

The material divides into distinct categories: sentimental pop ballads ("Crazy Moon," the Edda Dell'Orso-esque "Der Ruhrpott"), action instrumentals ("Foulspiel!" "Training Muss Sein!"), vocal rockers ("Baby Shake It," The Police-like second version of "Manni, Der Libero"), peppy pop instrumentals ("Vater and Sohn," "Berlin!") and the odd tension builder ("Ein Spiel Geht Verloren").

While some soundtrack fans are likely to resist this release due to its vintage, they shouldn't. Bruhn's tunes are very hooky and well executed. Manni, Der Libero may be slick '80s pop rock, but it's a kick of a score.

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Mannix
Lalo Schifrin
Aleph

When it comes to Lalo Schifrin's TV crime show soundtracks, "Mission: Impossible" immediately comes to mind as Schifrin's finest hour. And, while there's no arguing with that selection, it would be a grave error to overlook Schifrin's work on the Mannix show, starring Mike Connors, which enjoyed an eight-year run from the late '60s through the mid '70s. The Argentinian-born composer's contribution to "Mannix" ranged from its unusual waltz-tempo theme to great action tracks like "Hunt Down" and "Turn Every Stone" to atmospheric pieces like "The Vienna Incident" and "Sao Paolo After Dark". According to the informative liner notes, all of the selections on this compilation were re-recorded by Schifrin for this release, using original and tastefully updated arrangements. Schifrin also recorded four new tracks, based on previously unrecorded Mannix soundtrack concepts. The disc finishes with a breakbeat remix of the "Mannix" theme. Even if you've never seen the show, this disc will be of great interest to fans of crime jazz and funk.

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Man in Space with Sounds
Attilio Mineo
Subliminal Sounds

It is an unconventional entry to be sure, but Man in Space with Sounds is an immensely enjoyable soundtrack all the same. Originally composed for the 1962 Seattle World's Fair, Mineo's music has a distinctively "mid-century view of the future" sensibility. All high flying strings and brass, with crashing cymbals and electronic embellishments, the score is just the right combination of high modern and kitsch sci-fi. The disc features the score twice, one with hokey World's Fair narration and one without. It also features personable liner notes and original graphics from the limited edition lp, which was exclusively sold at the Seattle World's Fair. Very groovy, but in an abstract way.

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"L'uomo delli'armonica" (MP3 edit)

The Man with the Harmonica
Franco De Gemini
All Score Media

It's estimated that Franco De Gemini, the renowned Italian harmonica player, has performed on approximately 800 scores. Let that sink in for a moment. That includes dozens of soundtracks by the likes of Ennio Morricone, Franco Micalizzi, Carlo Rustichelli, and many, many others. In fact, he appears on three quarters of Francesco De Masi's scores. Imagine a 10-disc box set of movie tracks featuring De Gemini's haunting, melodious, expressive harmonica. It could be done.

In the mean time here's a 16-track compilation covering De Gemini's work in film, library and pop. The moods range from dramatic (Morricone's unforgettable "L'uomo dell'Armonica" from C'era una volta il west aka Once Upon a Time in the West) to groovy (a rare, long version of De Gemini's very own "Cheops and Nefertiti").

The groove goes psycho beat on De Gemini and Alessandro Alessandroni's "Beat 700" and "Ciao dal muretto di Alassio." And if you've been looking for disco tracks with harmonica look no further — there are a couple of crowd pleasers here.

De Gemini is renowned for two things: playing harmonica on the greatest Italian western soundtracks and founding Beat Records. This All Score Media release is a perfect introduction to "the man with the harmonica."

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Mark il Poliziotto
Stelvio Cipriani
Cinevox

Mark il Poliziotto, one of the most successful Italian crime films of the '70s, features a fine funky score by Stelvio Cipriani. The '75 film follows a young cop's investigation of a big shot businessman who is also a drug runner. The title track (and others) will be familiar to fans of the genre, having appeared on compilations, such as Cinevox's Roma Violenta.

The action tracks are in the disco funk vein, though don't let the "D" word scare you off -- they are far from cheesy. The rhythm section --featuring a sinewy bass line and chicken scratch guitar -- provides a strong foundation for open-ended horn solos or tight keyboard figures. The jazzier slow tracks also feature plenty of percussion, but in spare, airy arrangements.

Although there's plenty of theme repetition, the shifting moods provide plenty of variation. It's solid.

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Mark of the Devil
Michael Holm and others
Diggler

The Cologne-based label Diggler's debut release combines the soundtracks for Mark of the Devil ("Hexen bis aufs Blut gequalt") and its sequel, Mark of the Devil II. Both films were by Adrian Hoven (writer, director, producer, co-star). The first was a huge hit, prompting the need for a sequel.

The first score is by Michael Holm. It was his first stab at movie music after scoring a few singles for the German hit parade. The music is suprisingly melodic and tender for a horror movie about witches. It's loungey, but also baroque and sometimes discordant. The main theme is haunting and appears repeatedly.

The score for the sequel is a bit less cohesive, due to the various composers who contributed to it. This includes Don Banks, a frequent Hammer Horror composer; John Scott, who went on to score many b-movies; Sam Sklair, another b-movie man; Eddie Warner and Tony Tape. The sequel's score may lack a memorable theme, but it sounds more appropo to the horror genre.

All in all, a pretty cool double feature soundtrack for a moody October evening.

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"Jazz It Up (MC/M4)" (MP3 edit)
"The Car Chase " (MP3 edit)

The Marseille Contract / Fear is the Key
Roy Budd
Cinephile

Roy Budd has a distinctive sound. It's halfway between Lalo Schifrin and John Barry. Like the Argentine, Budd is a virtuoso keyboardist and has a penchant for using electric bass. Like his fellow Englishman, Budd is a master at creating tense intriguing Herrmann-esque moods through repetitious orchestral motifs.

But an element that frequently sets Budd apart is the use of tabla and other percussion instruments. He uses these sometimes exotic sounds to season his arrangements, rather than letting the percussion become the focal point.

On The Marseille Contract -- a thriller starring Michael Caine, Anthony Quinn and James Mason -- Budd works his magic with the Indian hand drum and various chimes and bells. These sounds perfectly complement the electric bass runs, synthesizer throbs and orchestral mood swings that ensue. The CD reissue includes an uncredited and rather bland house mix of the main theme.

Budd's score for Fear is the Key, an Alistair Maclean thriller starring Barry Newman and Suzy Kendall, is best known for its swellingly dramatic main theme and its ten-minute "Car Chase" number. This latter track features the sounds of tire squeals, honking horns, crashing cars and police sirens alongside the jazzy orchestral funk. Elsewhere in the score, Budd explores Louisiana rhythm 'n' blues and soul.

These two scores may not be the first two on people's lips when Budd's name is brought up, but their solid and well worth hearing.

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Masoch Club Entertainment
Various Artists
Plastic

First off: the cover of this Italian easy listening compilation fairly screams Sleazy Listening. And the title Masoch Club Entertainment suggests something kinky (as in Leopold von Sacher-Masoch, the author of the influential S&M novel Venus in Furs). But the name comes from Dave Masoch, who along with Michael Myers, conceived and compiled this selection of groovy, if not particularly lurid tracks.

Fans of the genre will recognize the talent of Marc 4, Stefano Torossi, Berto Pisano and others. It's certainly a lively batch of jerk, shake and psycho beat dance numbers, but there's nothing particularly special about the selection. It's solid, but not outstanding. Thankfully, there don't seem to be any tracks that have appeared elsewhere. That should be sufficient reason for completists to pick it up, but casual fans of Italian grooves shouldn't lose sleep over it. Unless, of course, the cover girl is the girl of your dreams.

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Il Profeta/La Matriarca
Armando Trovaioli
GDM

This Italian sex comedy soundtrack double bill features the always enjoyable Armando Trovaioli (or Trovajoli), the man behind "Sesso Matto" -- everyone's favorite sleazy disco anthem.

Although there isn't anything quite as bodaciously sexy on these soundtracks as "Sesso Matto," there are swanky tracks. The best of them are based on the main theme of Il Profeta (also known as "The Prophet" and "Mr. Kinky"). Sitar sounds figure strongly in the score, giving it a high 60s kitsch value. Organ, guitar, brass and woodwinds also predominate.

The score for La Matriarca (also known as "The Libertine" and "The Matriarch") is the mellower of the two, opting for tenderness in place of lust. Trovaioli's melodic instincts are strong on both scores, though the first score has a bit more variety in themes.

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McQ
Elmer Bernstein
Film Score Monthly

A funky score for the Duke?! As unlikely as that sounds, it's true. John Wayne made two tough cop movies in the 1970s: McQ and Brannigan. Film Score Monthly recently made available for the first time on CD Elmer Bernstein's jazzy, funky, dramatic score for McQ (1974).

Wayne had turned down the lead for Dirty Harry and realized after its premiere in '71 that he'd made a mistake. Hoping to give the urban thriller genre a go, he hooked up with veteran director John Sturges to make a thriller about a cop looking to avenge the murder of his partner, busting mobsters and dirty cops in the process.

Bernstein -- who later scored Wayne's final movie, The Shootist -- provided a suitable soundtrack for McQ. It is, by turns, dramatic, suspenseful, hard driving, tender and frequently funky. The score features E5 organ, two guitars, Fender bass, four percussion, horns, woodwinds and strings.

Several tracks on McQ are presented in suite format, such as "Badge/Exit/Break In/Hospital," and sometimes feature sequences that weren't completely used in the movie. Because of the suite format, the funky bits are often buried, but the score is strong enough to merit an uninterrupted listen.

As usual, FSM's presentation is top notch, featuring in depth liner notes and many movie stills.

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"Bi-Di-Bi-Da" (MP3 edit)

Il Medico... La Studentessa
Roberto Pregadio
Beat Records

Sex... Italian Style. Silvio Amadio's Il Medico... La Studentessa (aka The Doctor and His Sexy Student, '76) is a lusty Italian comedy where an extra-marital affair leads to blackmail, temptation and violent retaliation — all for laughs, of course.

Roberto Pregadio's cheerfully flirtatious main theme "Bi-Di-Bi-Da" features Alessandro Alessandroni's Cantori Moderni, and shares a passing resemblance with Piero Umiliani's "Mah Na Mah Na."

"Indagando" manages to evoke a mood of light intrigue from bright guitar chords, electric piano, vibes and bass. Elsewhere, squelchy synth and harp combine to dreamy and quirky effect. A comical striptease number makes great use of muted trumpet. Along the way there are military and exotic pastiches and plenty of light and lively Latin rhythms.

Il Medico... La Studentessa is Pregadio at his breeziest. He makes sex sound as effortless as a holiday in the sun.

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"Melodie en Sous Sol" (MP3 edit)

"Un Singe en Hiver" (MP3 edit)

Melodie en Sous Sol / Un Singe en Hiver
Michel Magne
Universal

"Route de Nuit" (MP3 edit)
"Ne Nous Fachons Pas" (MP3 edit)

Les Tontons Flingueurs /
Ne Nous Fachons Pas
Michel Magne / Bernard Gerard
Universal

One of the great French film composers, Michel Magne (Fantomas, OSS 117) scored his fair share of classic '60s flicks, and Universal has released several of them on a handful of compilations.

A recent Magne double bill from Universal pairs his jazz-tinged score for Henri Verneuil's heist drama Melodie en Sous Sol (aka Any Number Can Win, '63) and his more exotic work for Verneuil's Un Singe en Hiver (aka A Monkey in Winter, '62).

When Magne teamed with Verneuil he was in his early 30s and already displaying a penchant for unconventional orchestration (prepared piano, bursts of percussion) and catchy melodies. In the main theme for Monkey the composer juxtaposes expressive Oriental lute and percussion with sections for solo harmonica against lush strings. The Oriental and harmonica bits reoccur throughout the score, juxtaposed with baroque strings ("Yang Tse Kiang"), Spanish guitar and Mariachi brass ("Corrida Ethylique"), Argentinian accordion and tango tempo ("Pekin-Buenos Aires") and jazz trio ("China Jazz Hot").

For Any Number, Magne favored a big band jazz sound bolstered with swinging string sections ("Palm Beach"), but also explored a glamorous orchestral sound featuring regal brass, chorus and cascading piano chords ("Hymne a L'argent"). The high drama supplied by strings and earthy tones of the jazzier sections is reminiscent of Alex North's score for Elia Kazan's A Streetcar Named Desire ('51). The main theme is a scorcher, enflamed by crashing percussion and blaring brass. For Magne's more eccentric side check out "Hold Up (Part 2)," which starts with scraping pizzicato strings and what sounds like a Theremin before swinging away into beat jazz. It's cool, daddy-o.

The Number/Monkey CD closes with jazz organ legend Jimmy Smith's classic take on "Any Number Can Win" as well as a couple of Fred Pallem's unusual modern mixes of themes from both films.

An earlier Universal CD that celebrates the films of Georges Lautner juxtaposes Magne's scores for the action crime comedy Les Tontons Flingeurs (aka Monsieur Gangster, '63), action comedy thriller Les Barbouzes (aka The Great Spy Chase, '64), comedy spy thriller Le Monocle Rit Jaune (aka The Monocle's Sour Laugh, '64) and the crime drama Galia ('66) alongside Bernard Gerard's scores for the crime comedy Ne Nous Fachons Pas (aka Let's Not Get Angry, '66) and the crime drama La Grande Sauterelle ('67).

Among the Magne highlights is the crime jazz of "Route de Nuit," the playfully eccentric "Tamoure," the early rock 'n' roller "Tamoure Hully-Gully," the Western trotter "Barbouzes en Folie," the episodic and atmospheric "Du Rififi au chateau," the modal jazzer "Le Monocle Rit Jaune," the musically comedic "Monocle Story," the Bach-like Swingle Singers showcase "Largo," and the West Coast-style jazzer "Piege Party."

For his part, Gerard provides a big sky Western theme for Ne Nous Fachons Pas, a bit of baroque jazz ("Ballade Romantique"), some slick '60s surf rock ("Rosbif Attack"), a "Gloria" rip-off ("Akou," featuring an English language vocal by Graeme Allwright) and tense theme combining fuzz guitar, strings and drums for La Grande Sauterelle as well as a full throttle fuzz guitar rocker for the same picture ("Mechoui").

All told, these Universal discs display Magne's penchant for experimental flourish as well as the under-heralded film work of Bernard Gerard.

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Melodies in Love: The Erotic World of...
Gerhard Heinz
Diggler

To begin with, there's a shapely, sopping wet, semi-nude blonde on the cover. She's affectionately petting her horse in the surf on some faraway beach... So this is the "erotic world of Gerhard Heinz." Sign me up! It's a mouth-watering "advertisement" for Heinz's sexy soundtracks of the late '60s-to-late '70s.

Inside, there are more sexy movie stills, along with German/English liner notes by Gerhard himself. It's another classy package from Diggler.

The opening track, "All You Ever Need is Beat," is easily the most addictive track on the disc. The Gert Wilden-like psyche rock number is the epitome of sleazy listening. The problem with the track -- if there is one -- is that nothing else on the disc lives up to its sleazy standard. There are good, enjoyable, sexy, funky tracks, but nothing nearly as demented. Still there are several tracks worth mentioning.

"Bangkok at Night" and "I Need It," which feature a sexy Bassey-esque vocal by Steffi Vinjak, boast a lot of serious moaning. "Svenska Disco Machine" is a catchy dance number, and the upbeat "Liebespiele" sounds like something by Mancini or Bacharach. The title track "Melody in Love" is naturally sweet and sentimental and, depending on your taste, unlistenable as it represents the total opposite of that gloriously depraved opening track.

Other standout tracks include the easy groover "Come Shoot," the slinky "Brazilian Countess" and the funky disco "Isle of Love."

Nearly all of the tracks feature vocals, sometimes in English, often in German. It's not bad overall, but not as great as the first in this Diggler series, focusing on the brilliant Peter Thomas.

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Metti Una Bossa A Cena 1 & 2
Various Artists
Schema

No matter how many times the alternative press has tried to kill the nu lounge phenom, it just won't die -- that's because there's so much good music still being reissued! Admittedly, most of the enthusiasm for lounge, bossa, soundtracks, etc. is outside the mainstream. No matter, that just means more for the true fans.

Schema Records -- Nicola Conte's label -- has done a fine job of keeping the spirit alive with a mixture of new grooves from contemporary artists and retro reissues and compilations. Metti Una Bossa A Cena 1 & 2 are among Schema's finest comps.

In case you are unaware, the Italians have a great love for the Brazilian bossa nova. While you'll have to look elsewhere for contemporary examples (such as Nicola Conte himself), MUBAC 1 & 2 provide an enjoyable crash course for would-be jet setters. The infectious rhythms and lilting jazz melodies are here in spades.

The two volumes offer a mix of soundtrack numbers and album cuts from the likes of Bruno Nicolai & Edda Dell'Orso, Stefano Torossi, Piero Piccioni, Armando Trovaioli, A. Alessandroni and Ennio Morricone, of course (Morricone provided inspiration for the titles with his theme "Hurry to Me" from the film Metti Una Sera A Cena, which is naturally included on the first volume). All in all, a very sophisticated collection of Italian cinematic bossa numbers are spread over these two discs.

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Metti Una Sera A Cena
Ennio Morricone
Cinevox

This Morricone score for the '69 softcore melodrama -- its title translates as Love Circle -- is an easy classic. The disc begins with a bossa nova of the movie's theme, featuring the tuneful wordless vocal of Edda Dell'Orso. Another featured player here is conductor Bruno Nicolai on organ. The mood for this free love film is light and breezy, with the occasional mid-tempo 60s-style rocker. There's also a wiggy sitar/bongo meditation and some quasi-minimalist ambient tracks. This reissue includes three bonus tracks, including "Hurry to Me", the briskly paced, English lyric version of the main theme, which -- in its high 60s style -- is easily one of Morricone's best love themes.

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MGM Soul Cinema 1 & 2
Various Artists
Beyond/MGM

MGM and Beyond Music have hooked up to bring blaxploitation and soundtrack fans everywhere an amazing batch of releases -- companion pieces to a series of DVD releases.

While most of the Soul Cinema CDs are complete scores, these two discs collect soul funk vocal tracks from scores included and not included in the series. All of the Soul Cinema soundtracks are reviewed below, while some of the other scores are reviewed elsewhere in Score Baby.

Volume 1 of MGM Soul Cinema collects tracks by James Brown, The Hues Corporation, Quincy Jones, Isaac Hayes, Roy Ayers, Bobby Womack and many others. The tracks come from Black Caesar, Blacula, They Call Me Mr. Tibbs, Sheba Baby, Truck Turner, Cooley High, Coffy and many others.

Volume 2 collects tracks by Willie Hutch, Donald Byrd, Melba Moore, Gene Page, Womack, Brown and many others. The tracks come from Across 110th Street, Foxy Brown, Cornbread Earl & Me, Slaughter's Big Rip-Off and many others.

Since the selections are totally vocal, MGM Soul Cinema Vol. 1 & 2 rarely offers "cinematic" moments, but they are strong nonetheless -- offering up classic themes and deeper tracks from some of the grooviest scores ever recorded.

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Midnight Cowboy
John Barry
EMI

The main theme of the Midnight Cowboy soundtrack must be one of the most recognizable in the genre. With its soulful harmonica, repetitative orchestral counterpoint and lyrical 12-string guitars, it is one of the best themes Barry ever wrote (Bond or not).

Those interlocking 12-string guitars return on Nilsson's hit "Everybody's Talking," which was re-recorded for the film using Barry's orchestration. It's sweetly melancholy and sweeps the listener right along.

There are several soul and psyche songs here including one written by a then unknown Warren Zevon ("He Quit Me") and another ("Old Man Willow") by John Lennon's sometimes backup band Elephant's Memory, which it sounds a little bit like Stereolab. Along the way there are plenty of great John Barry moments, too.

On "Joe Buck Rides Again," we get harmonica and strings until finally the French horns come in -- like they so often do in Barry scores.

The walking double bass of "Fun City" invites you into the lush orchestral reverie that Ralph Lauren would eventually adopt for an ad campaign. (It seems odd to associate Ralph Lauren with the only X-rated film to ever win the Oscar for Best Picture.)

On "Science Fiction" the mood gets positively 007, with horns and kettle drums heralding danger in the shifting mist of strings.

Midnight Cowboy was one of the first soundtracks to successfully combine popular song with serious scoring. It's a must for any self-respecting soundtrack fan.

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"Variazione 1" (MP3 edit)

Milano Calibro 9
Osanna & Luis Bacalov
Warner Italia / BTF

Every once in a while a soundtrack reissue emerges that is distinctively different. That's certainly the case with the soundtrack for Fernando Di Leo's Italian crime (or Poliziotteschi) movie Milano Calibro 9 (aka Caliber 9). Recorded in '72, MC9 is an unusual collaboration between Italian prog rock group Osanna and prolific film composer Luis Bacalov.

Osanna composed 7 of the 10 tracks and Bacalov composed the rest. Osanna performs on each track, sometimes accompanied by Bacalov's orchestra.

The opener, "Preludio," pits swirling strings against rock instrumentation for a sound that shifts between baroque, funky and bombastic. It's a fantastic theme, full of surging drama, and ends with electronic chaos.

On "Tema," the mood turns melancholy but Bacalov's arrangement and Osanna's electricfying performance lift the melody out of the doldrums and into something approaching rapture.

Bacalov's compositions bookend several tracks of pure Osanna. Slashing electric guitar, malevolent flutes and horns, rumbling electric bass, racing keyboard lines and an avalanche of drums characterize "Variazione I-VII." There are even passages of spacey pastoral beauty (ala Pink Floyd) and psychedelic production gimicks. The heavier tracks are reminiscent of Jethro Tull, particularly when the flautist starts grunting between breaths like Ian Anderson.

The final collaboration also is the final track, "Canzona (There Will Be Time)," which is an English-language vocal track of poignancy and tenderness. It's a beautiful way to end the album.

This is surely to become a favorite soundtrack of anyone who loves the emotional bombast of Italian police dramas. This one takes it to the hilt. Essential listening.

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"Main Title - Film Version" (MP3 edit)

Milano Odia: La Polizia Non Puo Sparare
Ennio Morricone
Digitmovies

Umberto Lenzi's 1974 police drama Milano Odia: La Polizia Non Puo Sparare (aka Almost Human) features one of Ennio Morricone's most intense crime scores. It is conducted by Bruno Nicolai, Morricone's most sympathetic collaborator and great composer in his own right.

Featuring lean, mean arrangements for strings, brass and percussion, the score bristles with tension. The opening "Rapimento" suite isn't quite as violent or as relentless as "Blood on the Streets" from Morricone's Revolver, but it's just as dark and determined in its mindset.

The secondary theme, "Raptus Omicida," is a bit more noir in feeling, using solo trumpet and saxophone to establish the cat and mouse interplay between the cop (played by Henry Silva) and the criminal (played by Tomas Milian). The angular brass melody — falling like jagged blades of broken glass — is set against a bed of searing strings and stabbing piano chords. This is a classic example of Morricone exploiting a simple melody, elongating it and casting endless variations on it with Nicolai's expert assistance.

The third theme, "I Conti Ora Tornano," is slower, sadder and more romantic. Set against strummed acoustic guitar, oboe lends the melody a heartbreaking sense of loneliness, briefly echoed by flutes for a few measures.

One of the noteworthy things about this Digitmovies release is the fact that nine of the 12 tracks are bonus variations on the first two themes, which is great considering how strong they are.

Bottom line: "Almost Human" is a completely appealing Morricone soundtrack that is brought to full fruition through Nicolai's brilliant conducting.

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"Main Title" from Milano Trema (MP3 edit)

"Main Title" from La Banda Del Gobbo (MP3 edit)

Milano Trema: La Polizia Vuole Giustizia / La Banda Del Gobbo
G & M De Angelis / Franco Micalizzi
Digitmovies

Italian police movies — poliziotteschi — flourished during the 1970s. Like the soundtracks for the contemporaneous giallo thrillers, poliziotteschi soundtracks are highly collectible. In recognition of this fact, Digitmovies has launched an anthology series of the rarest scores, with two in release to date by some of the most prolific composers in the genre, Guido and Maurizio De Angelis and Franco Micalizzi.

The series' inaugural release is the world premiere of the De Angelis brothers' score for Sergio Martino's first police film Milano Trema: La Polizia Vuole Giustizia (aka The Violent Professionals, '73). Conducted by Gianfranco Plenizio, the soundtrack features three major motifs with multiple variations.

Emotional themes are quite common for the genre, and Milano Trema is no exception. The memorably melodic main theme, "Blue Song," is tinged with melancholy, and despite the occasionally cheesy synth tone, it proves haunting.

The movie's titular melodic motif serves as an improvisatory tension builder for repetitive riffs played on guitar, bass guitar, echoing piano, flute, drums and percussion. Occasionally, it provides a quick blast of action as well.

In addition, there are Italian and English-language versions of a folk-rock song, "And Life Goes On," sung by Susy Lion, featuring acoustic guitar and flute, two of the De Angelis brothers' favorite instruments. The quick tempo instrumental version adds a hard-driving passage with piano, electric guitar and organ. While the folk-rock style may seem unusual for a cop drama, it isn't uncommon on a De Angelis soundtrack and adds welcome variety to this score.

All things considered, Milano Trema is well balanced and worthy of inclusion in any collection of crime flick soundtracks.

Next up is Micalizzi's soundtrack for Umberto Lenzi's La Banda Del Gobbo (aka Brothers Till We Die, '77), starring genre regular Tomas Milian. The sound is a bit more typical of poliziotteschi — the most macho of Italian film genres. That means more rock drumming and more sinister keyboard tones.

The main theme, which is introduced by electric piano and developed by moog, wah guitar, brass and percussion, establishes the mood of crime-ridden streets and cops who show no mercy. The catchy theme is reprised through several variations at fast and slow tempos.

In addition to variations on the main theme, there is a Sirtaki (Greek dance) source cue, Bach-inspired church music for organ, disco music, a gothy funeral dirge played on synth and piano, and a English-language romantic ballad sung by an unidentified female.

La Banda Del Gabbo is another killer poliziotteschi soundtrack.

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Milano Violenta
Pulsar Music Ltd.
Plastic

Pulsar Music Ltd.'s Milano Violenta is a soundtrack for what is presumably a violent cop drama set in Milan, not that you need to know that to enjoy this fine disc. It's got the funk and great atmosphere. Every cut is a winner.

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The Minx
The Cyrkle
Flying Dutchman - Amsterdam

The Minx may be billed as the soundtrack for an "X Rated" movie, but listening to it, one might guess otherwise. Instead of raunchy rock or sleazy listening, the ear is greeted with sweet natured California pop circa 1970 performed by The Cyrkle.

One's enjoyment of The Minx is dependent entirely on one's appreciation of Beach Boys-style vocal harmony and Monkees-friendly arrangements featuring jaunty piano, straight forward acoustic guitar, and a bit of Farfisa organ. If this isn't your bag, man, then you're out of luck.

That said, there are several groovy instrumentals that sport bubbly bass lines ("The Rigging"), psycho beat sitar freak outs ("Nicole"), Bacharachian brass ("The Minx"), a drum-heavy jam ("The Chase") and a track that anticipates Stereolab's trademark polyphony ("On the Road") -- truly sounds like an outtake from Emperor Tomato Ketchup.

As far as "X-rated" soundtracks go, The Minx leaves a lot to be desired, but it's not without charm.

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Music from Mission: Impossible
Lalo Schifrin
Dot Mission: Impossible
...and More
Lalo Schifrin
Motor Music

Is there a greater action theme than "Mission: Impossible"? Probably not. That incistant rhythm, brash brass, that funky harpsicord sound. And I'm convinced that the flute never sounded better in a jazz setting than right here. Schifrin's music for the original TV show makes the original release and all it's incarnations desirable to funky soundtrack fans. Pictured above are the original cover design and the cover for The Best of Lalo Schifrin ('62-'72), which covers other soundtrack and studio work. (The original has been expanded in its CD format to include more Mission: Impossible music than the original LP.) The "best of" is a German import and it is the best place to turn for a survey of Schifrin's early work. There are dynamite tracks from his movie and TV work (Mission: Impossible and Bullitt), as well as studio stuff for Verve (Insensatez, New Fantasy, etc). There's even a funky version of the title track, featuring Jimmy Smith on Hammond organ. Other titles include "The 'In' Crowd", "The Cat", and other M:I tracks "Jim on the Move" and "Danube Incident", which was sampled by Portishead for their down tempo trip hop hit "Sour Times". Also present is the "Dirty Harry" theme, but disappointingly nothing from Schifrin's funky score for Enter the Dragon, which came out in '73. The latin numbers tend to be romantic, but most of it is way groovy.

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"Lady Shake" from Lady Chaplin (MP3 edit)

"Main Title" from Fenomenal (MP3 edit)

Missione Speciale Lady Chaplin / Fenomenal: E Il Tesoro Di Tutankamen
Bruno Nicolai
Digitmovies

At the height of the '60s spy craze, Bruno Nicolai was anything but "undercover". In '65 he scored Upper Seven, followed by Missione Speciale Lady Chaplin in '66, and a year later Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Agente Speciale LK and, with Ennio Morricone, OK Connery. Missione Speciale Lady Chaplin is the last of these soundtracks to get released on CD, and like many Digitmovies CDs it is a world premiere.

Directed by Alberto De Martino and starring Daniela Bianchi (the Bond girl in From Russia with Love) and European spy movie regular Ken Clark, Missione Speciale Lady Chaplin is closer in quality to the '60s Bond movies than most Italian spy flicks, which often favor comedic gags over real action and intrigue.

Like Nicolai's other spy soundtracks — and like continental European spy soundtracks in general — Lady Chaplin is very jazzy. A walking bass heard during the prologue sequence establishes the stealthy mood. The main theme struts with swinging brass and big band drums. In more tender moments sultry sax, soaring strings and flirtaceous flute cast a spell of romance.

Elsewhere, a recurring motif pits swinging brass and electric guitar stings against a bass guitar riff played with a plectrum for that Vic Flick-type feel. Likewise, "Lady Shake" takes the '60s spy spirit into poppier territory with irresistable go-go flare.

But Lady Chaplin has its fair share of dramatic moments, too, when brass and strings build tension and explode violently against crashing percussion. And a couple of mysterious cues that feature harp and low flutes sound like outtakes from John Barry's music for the underwater sequences in Thunderball.

Next to OK Connery, Missione Speciale Lady Chaplin is Nicolai's most varied and satisfying spy work.

In '68, Nicolai scored Ruggero Deodato's comic book-inspired Fenomenal e Il Tesoro di Tutankamen (aka Phenomenal and the Treasure of Tutankamen) — one of several Italian comic book characters to reach the big screen during the '60s along with Diabolik, Kriminal and Satanik.

The soundtrack for Fenomenal is similar to Nicolai's spy scores. As on Agente Speciale LK, for example, he employs Alessandro Alessandroni's cheerful chorus I Cantori Moderni to scat against lean pop orchestrations featuring electric guitar, vibes and organ. Nicolai's bright, light jazzy pop concoctions are made all the more colorful thanks to Alessandroni splashy vocal stylings.

From swinging moods to suspenseful cues, it's difficult not to imagine a comic book come to life. Fenomenal is irresistably fun.

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Modesty Blaise
John Dankworth
Harkit

Starring Terence Stamp, Dirk Bogarde and Monica Vitti in the title role, Modesty Blaise was one of the many lighthearted spy flicks of the '60s -- this one inspired by a comic strip that still runs in newspapers today.

Judging from the score by John Dankworth, the movie undoubtedly captures the genre that was effectively, if needlessly lampooned by the Austin Powers movies. The music is bright, light and cheerfully "intriguing," without the atmospheric depth of John Barry's Bond scores. Stylistically, it flirts with modal jazz, comic marches, cocktail jazz, even hurdy gurdy -- reiterating the main theme ad nauseum.

Originally released on Fontana Records, the Harkit reissue isn't perfect (in terms of sound quality), but is perfectly listenable for fans of the lighter side of '60s spy jazz.

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Molto Mondo Morricone
Ennio Morricone
Royal Ear Force / Cinesoundz

Volume three of the Mondo Morricone compilation series, Molto delivers another 20 tracks by il Maestro. Given Morricone's extreme productivity over the past 40 odd years, it is no surprise that he's the most compiled soundtrack artist ever. With something like 500 scores under his Italian leather belt how could he not be. The man's gift for haunting melodies is extraordinary. The only problem remains the inevitable duplication of themes from compilation to compilation -- particularly on those (like Mondo Morricone) that focus on his cult movie themes of the late '60s and early '70s). Needless to say Molto offers a stellar selection of breezy captivating lounge numbers that sound like no one else.

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Mondi Caldi Di Notte
Armando Sciascia
Plastic

Here's a compilation of tracks from Italian 60s mondo movies (you know, those pseudo-documentaries featuring bizarre rituals and nudity at every turn). Given that topic, one thinks of Riz Ortoliani's famous score for Mondo Cane (the mother of all mondos), which included the hit single "More". However, this comp is dedicated to the music of the lesser known Armando Sciascia, whose style ranges from action jazz to latin jazz, with a few dreamy ballads mixed in (think Les Baxter). If you're looking for the funkier side of Italian soundtracks, look elsewhere, but if you enjoy a more melodic sound, this will fit the bill.

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Mondo Cane
Nino Oliviero & Riz Ortolani
CAM Original Soundtracks

Mondo Cane (A Dog's World) is perhaps the most famous "mondo" movie. (Mondo movies, of course, are a breed of documentary which examine human behavior in all its curious and exotic manifestations.) It spawned countless imitators, including extreme examples like Shocking Asia and Faces of Death. The Mondo Cane soundtrack itself was honored with an Oscar nomination in 1963 and scored an international hit single "More". Not unlike the movie, the score offers a diverse collection of sights and sounds. There's little in the way of "groovy" but there is lush balladry, swing, serious orchestral, latin sounds, and orchestral pop. A real melting pot of music -- circa '63.

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Mondo Morricone Vol. 1
Ennio Morricone
Colosseum

Word has it that this compilation and its sequel are out of print. That's too bad, since -- Vol. 1, at least -- is a strong collection of Morricone's themes for Italian cult movies circa '68-'72.

Many of the full soundtracks for the representative films have been reissued in recent years (Cinevox and Dagored are particularly prolific Morricone labels).

And, while there have been innumerable collections based on Morricone's grooviest era (Morricone 2000 and 2001, anyone?), this is one to seek out.

The tracks range from dark, moody ("La Lucertola") to rocking ("Allegretto Per Signora") to wistful ("Metti, Una Sera a Cena"). Fans of go-go grooves and Latin-tin