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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 Taking of Pelham One Two Three
David Shire
Retrograde/FSM

If there is an ultimate crime jazz soundtrack, this one may be it. No love themes, no lounge numbers, just a relentlessly hard driving take-no-prisoners score.

This isn't your typical funky jazz rock soundtrack. The man behind it -- David Shire -- set out to create a sound that would be "New York jazz-oriented, hard edged" but with a "wise cracking subtext to it." He turned to the 12-tone method of composition -- something that fin de sciecle maverick Arnold Schoenberg had developed for the Viennese orchestra hall -- stuff that regularly caused fistfights between the audience and the musicians. Something so naturally tense definitely fit the bill for this gritty unsentimental drama about a hostage situation on a subway train.

The sound balances between tight and loose. It's diabolically calculated and pulsating, yet swings like a big band in hell. Electric bass, drums and tons of ethnic percussion provide the undercurrent for abstract horn, string, guitar, woodwind and keyboard lines. The main theme gets restated again and again, but with such variety it never becomes stale, only more intense. It's nothing short of genius.

Look for the well-documented reissue from Retrograde via www.filmscoremonthly.com

* It's worth noting that Quentin Tarantino got inspiration for Reservoir Dogs from this 1974 movie, which features criminals using color-coded names (i.e. Mr. Brown, Mr. Blue, etc.)

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"Main Title" (MP3 edit)

La Tarantola Dal Ventre Nero
Ennio Morricone
Digitmovies

Few composers cast a giallo soundtrack spell like Ennio Morricone. Perhaps Bruno Nicolai is the exception and Morricone's lone equal in this regard. Having already honored Nicolai with a tremendous series of giallo soundtrack CDs, Digitmovies is doing the same for Morricone.

Il Maestro's soundtrack for Paolo Cavara’s La Tarantola dal Ventre Nero (aka Black Belly of the Tarantula, ‘71) is the sixth volume of this terrific series. Although Tarantula was previously available on a CAM CD — paired with Morricone’s score for the Cavara’s 1964 shockumentary Malamondo) — this release nearly doubles the number of tracks.

The languid main theme, featuring the ever sensual vocalisms of Edda Dell'Orso, is typical of the genre in that it establishes a vulnerable, feminine mood that conjures a false sense of security.

An atonal title track follows, undermining any sense of security. High-pitched strings waft overhead like an ominous October wind as unresolved chords conjured on keyboards mingle poisonously with dissonant notes struck on vibraphone and guitar.

In turn, lush strings, soft brass and acoustic guitar give "L'abbraccio Caldo Della Tarantola" a more comforting feeling, though Dell'Orso's breathy vocalisms add a dark forelorn tinge.

From that point on the tension rarely lets up. On tracks with evocative titles like "Spirale Misteriosa" and "Psicosi Ossessiva," the arrangements take on a disconcertingly abstract character, plunging the listener into a unpredictable patterns and shadowy spaces where melody is just a memory. At times, the stringed instruments take on a creepy "spidery" action that will send a shiver up your spine.

In other words, Tarantula is another brilliant bloody thriller score by the master.

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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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Taxi Driver
Bernard Herrmann
Arista

Bernard Herrmann. He's a film music giant, yet Score, Baby! has neglected him. Why? When this site was started the idea was to celebrate film music that is generally passed over by the academic set (and the Academy). With his traditional orchestration and long association with Alfred Hitchcock, Herrmann doesn't immediately spring to mind when considering the "genre" of groovy soundtracks.

Herrmann's outstanding score for Taxi Driver, however, has a place at Score, Baby! Tracks like "I Work the Whole City" and "The Days Do Not End" display a studied funkiness, but the real stand out is the dark brooding "Diary of a Taxi Driver," featuring Robert DeNiro's narration ("You talkin' to me?). The track, with its orchestral deep breathing and subterrean pulse, displays Herrmann's specialty: a sense of psychological dread that is nearly hypnotic. It would later be sampled on the trip hop compilation Coffee Table Music.

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Tenebre
Simonetti, Morante & Pignatelli (Goblin)
Cinevox


Tenebre is a Dario Argento psycho thriller. Tenebre means "darkness". Like any Argento movie, there is a lot of gore and perversity -- not that it's bad. Actually, the movie is a joltingly good ride, but isn't necessarily Argento's best work. It is blessed with a very effective soundtrack by -- who else -- Goblin, or at least a three of its members. It goes from creepy ("Tenebre", "Gemini") to radio ready, 4/4 rockin' romance ("Lesbo") to hallucinatory ("Flashing") to beautifully abstact ("Jane Mirror Theme"). Like most Goblin scores, there lots of sinister sound effects and moods rife with tension and dread. And there's also intricate prog rock synchopation of guitar and synth. These guys sure know how to lay it on thick. But when you've got it, flaunt it. Like many Cinevox reissues, Tenebre has many different versions of the same themes. Thankfullly there is enough variety to keep things moving along. "Slow Circus" -- with its psychotic nightmare melody is too crreeepy. Skip that one if you want nice dreams. Tenebre is Goblin at its most serviceable and dexterous.

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The 10th Victim
Piero Piccioni
Right Tempo/Easy Tempo

People who know me well, know that I'm nuts about this movie. It's set in a vaguely futuristic society (decked out in fab Italian modern, natch!). War has been outlawed in favor of a state-sponsored "Big Hunt" where knowing participants take aim at a million dollar prize by taking aim at each other. The '65 flick stars a close-cropped, blond Marcello Mastroianni and a stunningly dressed Ursula Andress, fresh from her bikini scene in Dr. No. The movie helped to inspire Mike Myers' first Austin Powers movie (Ursula's bra shoots bullets and Ming Tea is her hunt sponsor). The soundtrack itself is supposed to sound like "futuristic jazz" and ends up sounding like a wonderfully unexpected marriage of swinging free jazz and proto-electronica. Piccioni's theme music features gunfire and a spirited vocal from Mina, who merely scats "die, die, die". Mina also vamps through "Spiral Waltz", an ironic love theme in which she sings "my lips are on fire, but they're made of ice". Easy Tempo's reissue is most welcome because it features bonus tracks, which weren't even used in the movie. Stunning.

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"A Very Strange Planet" (MP3 edit)

Terrore Nello Spazio (aka Planet of the Vampires)
Gino Marinuzzi Jr.
Digitmovies

Mario Bava's classic sci-fi horror film, which has been known by at least a dozen different names, famously inspired Ridley Scott's Alien. Gino Marinuzzi Jr.'s atmospheric and experimental score perfectly captures the movie's creepy mood.

The score effectively combines traditional orchestra (reminiscent of 20th century masters like Stravinsky) with electronic sound effects that are effectively otherworldly without sounding cheesy or dated. The Digitmovies CD presents the music in the order it is heard in the movie. Subtitles like "Exploring Aura/Dead Crewman Found" make is easy to follow the action whether one has seen the movie or not. The CD features a couple of bonus tracks (an alternate take and an early session). Just don't listen to it in the dark!

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"Seq. 5" Terza Ipotesi (MP3 edit)
"Seq. 1" La Padrina (MP3 edit)

Terza Ipotesi Su Un Caso Di Perfetta Strategia Criminale / La Padrina
Mario Bertolazzi
Beat

Who the hell is Mario Bertolazzi? According to SoundtrackCollector.com (a handy site for this type of question) his only scores are for Giuseppe Vari's crime thrillers Terza Ipotesi Su Un Caso Di Perfetta Strategia Criminale (aka Who Killed the Prosecutor and Why?) and La Padrina (aka Lady Dynamite).

If that's all there is to Bertolazzi's film work it's too bad, because both of these soundtracks are cool. (Further research reveals that he's scored at least three other pictures, two of which appear on another Beat CD release).

Being Italian crime soundtracks from '72 and '73 there are funky grooves with thick juicy bass lines, fatback drumming, flaming fuzz-toned guitar and hot Hammond organ, delicate moods featuring Edda Dell'Orso-style vocalese and tension-building passages that use dissonant keyboard textures to create a nasty atmosphere of nausea-inducing terror. Then there are occasional baroque-style keyboard lines suggestive of diabolical schemes and brief love themes featuring lush sentimental strings. And that's describing the first few tracks! And then, presumably after the crime has been solved, there's a track featuring laid back jazzy vibes.

Although Bertolazzi is relatively unknown don't hesitate to pick up this killer double feature from Beat.

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In the Heat of the Night / They Call Me Mr. Tibbs!
Quincy Jones
Beyond/MGM

Quincy Jones cut at few soundtracks for movies starring Sydney Poitier, but these two are probably the best known. A few years ago this same double bill was released on Ryko. That version featured a video track, different liner notes and original cover and poster artwork, but the track listing is the same on both versions.

In the Heat of the Night was cut in 1967. The classic title track features Ray Charles, and other tracks feature good ole' boy Glen Campbell and soulful Gil Bernal. There are some dialogue tracks, as well. But the main attraction is undoubtedly Q's jazz score. Tracks such as "Nitty Gritty Time" and "Peep-Freak Patrol Car" are dramatically charged, but groovy too.

They Call Me Mr. Tibbs! was cut three years later and Q's stylistic development is evident. The title track itself is a massive slab of big band funk; it's so fine it appears twice, not counting the End Titles reprise. Another funky cut is "Fat Poppadaddy," which also appears on MGM Soul Cinema Vol. 1. This score also includes dialogue tracks, but no soulful vocals.

Together, these scores form an essential chapter in Quincy Jones' soundtrack portfolio.

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They Came to Rob Las Vegas!
George Garvarentz
Harkit

The liner notes for this Harkit reissue of the score for a '68 heist actioner makes the claim that it belongs in the "Blaxploitation" genre, comparing it to Superfly and In the Heat of the Night. That comparison alone should make one suspicious. Superfly is a classic of the "blaxploitation" genre, boasting a supremely funky soundtrack -- a must for any Blaxploitation flick. In the Heat of the Night, on the other hand, is not a Blaxploitation movie (despite the racially tense subject matter) and the Quincy Jones' score is less about funk than it is about orchestrated jazz, which is rare in the Blaxploitation genre.

That said, Greek composer George Garvarentz's score for They Came to Rob Las Vegas! is a highly polished exercise in crime jazz in the mainstream Hollywood mode. It's a swinging set, featuring titles like: "Effervescence" and "Chase in San Francisco." There's plenty of swagger in the arrangements, which favor brass, organ, piano, guitar, electric bass and lots of percussion.

The movie itself, which stars Gary Lockwood, Jack Palance, Elke Sommer and Lee J. Cobb is undoubtedly a minor effort -- good luck finding it on video. But Garvarentz's score is excellent -- even if it isn't "Blaxploitation!"

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"Melting Sequence" from The Thing from Another World (MP3 edit)
"Contamination" from The Thing (MP3 edit)

The Thing From Another World /
The Thing
Dimitri Tiomkin / Ennio Morricone
Film Score Monthly / Varese Sarabande

Separated by more than 30 years, Dimitri Tiomkin's score for the influential Howard Hawks film and Ennio Morricone's score for John Carpenter's successful remake make for a study in sci-fi horror evolution.

Tiomkin’s score for the original employs a full orchestra with theremin. Although it is a fair example of the golden age film composer’s tendency toward symphonic complexity, the orchestration is unusual in that it eschews a heavy string sound. In fact, Tiomkin uses only double bass in addition to brass, woodwinds, timpani, two pianos, three harps, pipe organ, a flexatone and wind machine.

While there’s no mistaking this eerie, angular, tension-mounting score for anything other than a sci-fi horror spine-tingler, it’s interesting how its brash, brassy character mirrors the story’s militaristic leanings.  In the film, the military runs roughshod over the empirical curiosity of the film’s scientists to destroy the alien invader. In that sense, Tiomkin’s busy, hot-blooded score is perfectly suited to the conservative socio-political undercurrent of the story, while its use of theremin serves as a convenient aural metaphor for the alien threat hanging over mankind or at the very least an remote arctic outpost.

The sound is less pristine than most FSM releases, but unavoidable in this case. Also, this CD contains Tiomkin's score for the WWII film Take the High Ground from '53.

Morricone's score for the remake of The Thing was completely used by Carpenter who opted to use some of his own compositions in combination with il Maestro's. This CD contains Morricone's complete score and non of Carpenter's cues. The score is orchestral and ominous. The low cello strokes that introduce "Shape" should get your skin crawling. The jazzy double bass and pizzicato string frenzy on "Contamination" is brilliantly conceived and executed. The layers of repetitious notes on "Eternity" are nothing short of hypnotic. Overall, this is a brilliant score and is one of Morricone's better efforts for a Hollywood picture. Unfortunately, it appears to be out of print.

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Una Sull'Altra / Teresa La Ladra /
Tiffany Memorandum
Riz Ortolani
Beat


Fans of Riz Ortolani and Italian beat soundtracks will find plenty to like in this triple feature. In fact, they'll hear a few familiar tunes -- tracks from all three movies appear on the Easy Tempo series, volumes one, six and seven.

Although Dagored recently reissued the score for Una Sull'Altra, getting all three of these scores on one disc is the real deal.

Una Sull'Altra features some of Ortolani's best work. The brass attack that opens the title track sounds like something out of Ellington -- this track really swings. But then Riz puts on the mellow charm with tracks such as "Susan and Jane" -- talk about lush lovin' sounds. He puts the groove on with "Lombard Street" and "The Roaring Twenties". And it just wouldn't be a 60s soundtrack without "Sitar in Blues".

The score for Teresa La Ladra features the big beat psyche dance track "Teresa l'illusa". The other four tracks for this "mini-soundtrack" are demure and forgettable in comparison.

The score for Tiffany Memorandum saves the disc from losing momentum. Opening with "Beat fuga Shake" it gets off to a rousing start. This track along with a few others (the Tiffany sequence tracks, for instance) also appear on Crippled Dick's Beat at Cinecitta Vol. One.

Bottom line: If you have the Easy Tempo and Cinecitta discs, there isn't that much for you here. But this is some of Ortolani's best work, so it's still worth considering.

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30 is a Dangerous Age, Cynthia
Dudley Moore
Harkit

As screenwriter and star of 30 is a Dangerous Age, Cynthia, Dudley Moore writes in the liner notes of the soundtrack's reissue that his greatest satisfaction came from writing the music. The project called for pop, jazz and parodies of stuff like Kurt Weill and 16th Century chamber music.

This comic movie tells the story of an ambitious young man with the goals of becoming famous and married by the approaching age of 30.

Like Moore's other scores, most notably the superb Bedazzled, this one has a mix of charming 60s pop stylings and memorable melodies. If it's lacking anything, it would be that "x factor" that makes Bedazzled really shine.

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The Thomas Crown Affair
Michel Legrand
Ryko/MGM

When it comes to sophisticated '60s scores, Michel Legrand's "jazz-influenced symphony" for the original version of The Thomas Crown Affair is the real deal. While the score for the Brosnan/Russo remake is relatively forgetable, Legrand's music for the McQueen/Dunaway caper contains one of the most memorable theme songs ever: "The Windmills of Your Mind". Beyond the theme, Legrand provided a subtly balanced score, which combines playfulness with tenderness. The OST is at its grooviest with "Cash and Carry" and "The Boston Wrangler". For sheer instrumental brilliance, "Playing the Field" and "The Crowning Touch" can't be beat. Like other Ryko/MGM reissues, this one is beautifully packaged with insightful liner notes. And, the disc contains dialogue tracks and the theatrical trailer, playable on your computer.

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The Third Millenium Vol. 1
Various Artists
Studio Uno


"Hidden treasures from the Italian vaults of 60's and 70's" reads the subtitle. Opening with two versions of "W La Felicita" ("Viva Happiness" from the soundtrack for the European cartoon Signor Rossi), the collection gets a cheery albeit unconventional start. Back to back servings of the same melody, then a mediocre third track will have you wondering if this is going to be a good compilation. After all, the cover art isn't very hip looking with its old-fashioned sepia-toned photo of a lady's ruffled arm reaching for an antiquated turntable's tone arm. But fear not, there are better tracks to come. Max Rocci's "Outcast" and Alberto Baldan Bembo's "Kama Sutra" are early standouts. Things get aggressively funky on tracks like Gerardo Iacoucci's "Citta Del Capo". But the easiest, most pleasing groove must be Nino Rapicavoli's "Dispersione". And things get twisted on "Bisca" by G. Sorgini and A. Alessandroni. If some of those composers aren't ringing a bell, Marc 4 and Piero Piccioni also show up. Like any decent compilation, The Third Millennium has its highs and lows, but the highs definitely make it worthwhile.

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Three Tough Guys / Truck Turner
Isaac Hayes
Stax/Fantasy

For those who are only familiar with Isaac Hayes' most famous foray into film music (Shaft, of course), it's time to get up to speed with this "Double Feature" on Stax (released by Fantasy), featuring the full scores to Truck Turner and Three Tough Guys. No, Hayes' brilliant scoring didn't stop with Shaft ('71). In fact, Hayes not only provided fine and funky soundtracks for these two '74 films, he starred in them too (yes, his acting predates his role of Chef on South Park). It's truly amazing how many great, catchy, funky ass tracks there are on this double disc (26, it turns out). Hayes' innate melodic sense is in full bloom here. And get a load of the track titles: "Buns O'Plenty", "A House Full of Girls", "Pursuit of the Pimpmobile". Man, I'm dying to get in a lowrider and cruise around town, playing this stuff full blast! Ah well, one can dream.

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"Richard Diamond" (MP3 edit)
"The Fugitive" (MP3 edit)

Thriller/Richard Diamond
The Fugitive
Pete Rugolo
Fresh Sound Records/Silva Screen

 

Pete Rugolo, legendary arranger and composer (for Stan Kenton among others) was one of many jazz artists to score for TV crime shows of the late '50s and early '60s.

Fresh Sounds, a Spanish label, has compiled Rugolo's music for Thriller (’60-’62) and Richard Diamond (’57-’60). It displays Rugolo’s ability to not only swing but compose dramatic music as well. Like Mancini, Rugolo used the cream of West Coast jazz soloists. The liner notes includes helpful scene descriptions for each of the tracks, which already have such evocative titles as “The Hungry Glass,” “Girl with a Secret” and “Twisted Image.” 

Rugolo’s work on the later TV show, The Fugitive (’63-’67), is more ambitious. Performed by the London Studio Symphony Orchestra, The Fugitive features jazz elements, but is understandably influenced by Bernard Herrmann’s Hitchcock work of the previous decade.

On the whole, Rugolo's music for both shows (and The Fugitive) isn't as aggressive as Elmer Bernstein's crime sound and his compositions aren't always as catchy as Henry Mancini's, but fans of the genre are sure to appreciate his ability to create dramatic nuance and mood.

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The Thriller Memorandom:
Mood Mosaic 2
Various Artists
R.P.M.


The cover reads "24 Cracking Shots of Leather Armchair Mood Swingers Inspired by the World of International Espionage". If that doesn't provide sufficient impetus to give this disc a listen, than you haven't got a clue. Recorded between '62 and '72, this collection's liner notes insist that the listener "forget the sound gallery - this is the shooting gallery!" That's a thinly veiled jab at another British easy groover collection (actually two) named The Sound Gallery (to be reviewed here in January 2001). Like The Sound Gallery, The Thriller Memorandum (a pun on the John Barry soundtrack The Quiller Memorandum) features spy jazz covers and stylistically consistant sound library tracks. The roster of music makers includes John Schroeder, Tony Hatch, Sounds Orchestral, Ken Woodman, Des Champ and Mark Wirtz (whose fluffy brand of go-go music is well documented on Mood Mosaic 1) and others. So, is this better than The Sound Gallery compilations? It's a tough call. Both offer groovy instrumentals along with the occasional vocal number. This disc, however, has its gumshoes more firmly planted in the crime/spy jazz genre.

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"Main Theme" (MP3 edit)

La Tigre è Ancora Viva: Sandokan Alla Riscossa!
Guido & Maurizio De Angelis
Digitmovies

Strings of fire! The exotic soundtrack by Guido & Maurizio De Angelis for Sergio Sollima's movie La Tigre è Ancora Viva: Sandokan Alla Riscossa ('77) is a hot bed of thrilling string sounds. The film, starring Kabir Bedi who reprised his role of Sandokan created by Emilio Salgari, is the theatrical sequel of the 1976 TV hit.

Sitars, guitars, mandolas and violins blend beautifully with flutes, percussion and bells for a sound that evokes the mysterious Far East without sounding like a cliché. That's because the De Angelis brothers composed haunting themes for the film that invite repeated listens.

The mood ranges from solemn to sinister to serene. Among the highlights are the action-oriented cues that build reverberating layers of hypnotic strings and percussion.

The CD insert includes Italian lyrics for the one vocal track, "Mompracem".

Sandokan is an unexpected pleasure and one of the most exotic Italian scores to be reissued in recent memory.

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"Wetten, Das...?" (MP3 edit)

Timm Thaler
Christian Bruhn
Diggler

To get an idea of this soundtrack's mood, it helps to know that Timm Thaler ('79) is basically an updating of the Faust story. As its bilingual liner notes explain, the teenage character of Timm sells his laughter (!?) to the rich Baron LeFuet (whose name is an anagram for "Teufel" — German for devil).

Sounding like a combination of Goblin prog and Giorgio Moroder space disco, Christian Bruhn's soundtrack for the German cult TV show, is as trippy as the show's concept.

Filled with great vintage synth sounds, ominous atmospheres and disco-fueled rhythms, Timm Thaler's score benefits from the performances of its players. The group includes fusion keyboardists Kristian Schultze and Christian Bruhn (of Captain Future fame), Vampyros Lesbos composer Siegfried Schwab and Frank Diez on guitars, Gunther Gebauer on bass and Curt Cress on drums. The 17 tracks include four bonus cuts.

The package includes liner notes by Bruhn and several film still shots and behind the scenes photos.

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"Lost/Hallucinations" from Atlantis (MP3 edit)
"Time Machine Model" from The Time Machine (MP3 edit)

Atlantis, The Lost Continent / The Power
Russell Garcia / Miklos Rozsa
The Time Machine
Russell Garcia
Film Score Monthly

In '60 and '61, legendary sci-fi/fantasy filmmaker George Pal hooked up with composer Russell Garcia for The Time Machine and Atlantis, The Lost Continent. Legend has it that Garcia’s ’59 sci-fi concept album Fantastica caught Pal's attention and the rest is history.

For The Time Machine, which is based on the H.G. Wells novel and stars Rod Taylor and Yvette Mimieux, Garcia works his orchestral magic. Garcia’s richly evocative and romantic orchestral score blends English folk-type melodies to capture the story’s initial Victorian setting with more modernistic, Stravinsky-inspired passages for tension and action. The descending, three-note theme for celesta is employed whenever “time travel” is involved. The California-born composer also indulges in sound effects creation for futuristic scenes and time machine operation. He employed three percussionists to create effects by hitting a musical saw with a soft mallet and wavering it, hitting gongs and holding a mike in the center and gradually moving it out to the edge, among other things. Although Garcia re-recorded this score as well as a suite from Atlantis for Talking Rings Records year ago, but the original recording is available from Film Score Monthly, complete with an outtakes suite, thorough liner notes, film stills and art work associated with the production.

While The Time Machine is still regarded as a classic film of its time, Atlantis is pretty well forgotten. It’s fair to say that Garcia’s adventurous but still melodic score outshines the film, which went into production with little known TV stars and a smaller-than-needed budget. For Atlantis, Garcia blends full-blooded, triumphant orchestration with fanfares that evoke ancient pageantry, romantic strings and themes that flirt with the exotic but steer clear of clichés. A good example occurs during the love scene where a submarine approaching in the background is suggested by gentle yet dissonant pulses created by harp and horns that reminds one of underwater sonar bleeps without being obvious about the reference. The Atlantis CD also contains Miklos Rozsa's score for the Pal-produced sci-fi crime thriller The Power.

These FSM releases contain crystal clear recordings, extensive liner notes and plenty of eye-candy.

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Tokyo Eyes
Xavier Janaux
Auvidis

This electronic soundtrack for this late '90s Euro-Japanese cult thriller is quite engrossing. Peppered with short snippets of dialogue (in Japanese), Frenchman Xavier Janaux's score is funky crime jazz and moody cinematica shot through the lens of modern electronica and ambient music.

The sound is by turns lushly dramatic and rhythmically charged. Janaux's melodies are memorable, even haunting -- there's even a catchy electro pop ballad featuring Nancy Danino singing in English.

Janaux is better known as Bang Bang, but also records under the name Ollano for Shadow Records.

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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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Tony Arzenta: Big Guns
Gianni Ferrio
Right Tempo/Easy Tempo

Tony Arzenta: Big Guns is a moody soundtrack for a 1973 thriller, starring Euro-hunk Alain Delon as Tony Arzenta, a hitman seeking revenge for the murder of his wife and child while trying to cut his ties to the mob. Given the subject matter, one expects a more action-oriented soundtrack, but Big Guns is actually light on fire power. The score features 21 tracks in all, but the number is deceiving since there are only a handful of themes, which are reworked a few times a piece. While this is true of most soundtracks (particularily with Easy Tempo releases), it seemed particularily striking in this case. Luckily the themes are memorable and benefit from variation. The sounds range from the quietly atmospheric to funky, and the performances are generally very good. Two of the included tracks appeared previously on Easy Tempo Vol. 1.

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Traffic
Cliff Martinez/Various Artists
TVT

The appearance of a contemporary soundtrack may strike some readers as odd, considering ScoreBaby's retro leanings. What's more, Cliff Martinez's score for Steven Soderbergh's drug war thriller doesn't have a retro note in it. Truth be told, I wouldn't have sought its inclusion here, had it not arrived via the daily mail. When it arrived I'd not yet heard of it, since the Hollywood hype machine hadn't quite kicked in.

Giving it a listen, I found Martinez's Eno-esque ambient music quite refreshing. I happen to be a long time fan of ambient music, and this is some of the best I've heard in years. One track leads into the next, and the next. It's all very hypnotizing (and serves the movie well, by the way). Martinez is aided by fellow Red Hot Chili Pepper Flea, Herbie Hancock and -- not surprisingly -- Eno collaborator Michael Brook. Speaking of Eno, the score ends with his rapturously beautiful "An Ending (Ascent)."

Sandwiched in between Martinez and Eno, however, are a few other artists making respectable appearances including Morcheeba, Fatboy Slim and Rockers Hi-Fi. The only track that doesn't really fit in the flow is Wilhelm Kempff's performance of "Piano Sonata No. 1 in F Minor."

Traffic may not be an obvious choice for ScoreBaby, but it's well worth hearing.

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"Main Title" from Agent 505 (MP3 edit)
"Main Title" from Il Successo (MP3 edit)

La Trappola Scatta a Beirut / Il Successo
Ennio Morricone
Escalation/GDM

Here's an unexpected '60s "double bill" by Ennio Morricone that is sure to delight his fans. It's "unexpected" because the two films have nothing in common aside from the composer, and because it took so long for such cool stuff to get released!

Morricone's score for La Trappola Scatta a Beirut (aka Agent 505 Todesfalle Beirut or Agent 505: Deathtrap Beirut, '66) is one of the era's better "second rate" spy movie soundtracks. It's certainly good enough to make one wonder how it was overlooked during the spy-crazy reissue days of the 1990s. The brass arrangements that juxtapose brash big band jazz and discordant spaghetti westernisms dominate, but are joined by explosive drums, tinkling piano, mysterioso flutes and Vic Flick-style guitar fills. To Morricone's credit the score never mimics John Barry's 007 work and mostly avoids the cheeky comedic pastiche often heard on Italian spy soundtracks of the '60s. Then again, this isn't a straight Italian production, but a multinational with West Germany and France in on the action. When it does get light and frothy Morricone uses chiming keyboard textures, odd percussion and Hawaiian guitar. Bottom line: it's an unusual spy score and very entertaining.

The score for the drama Il Successo (aka The Success, '63) boasts a brash, dynamic main title with dualing brass figures, pulsating rhythm, a jazz trumpet solo and a lively Latinesque coda. Compared to the spy score, Il Successo is mostly light and breezy, dipping into bossa nova, samba, piano lounge, Spanish guitar reverie and dance pop (a twist). In the end, the best bit is the theme, but the rest is pleasant enough.

This just goes to show that there are still cool '60s soundtracks waiting release — including some by a master.

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"Trauma" (MP3 edit)

Trauma
Pino Donaggio
Cinevox

First an observation: This arrived along with Ennio Morricone's La Cosa Buffa. Both are Cinevox releases, and both feature liner notes that belittle their related movies. La Cosa Buffa was described merely as "unsuccessful," but Trauma's plot summary goes so far as to say that Argento neglected the "needs of both the plot and the public." Thankfully, neither soundtrack suffers from the negative associations.

Pino Donaggio's score for Dario Argento's '93 slasher flick Trauma opens with "Ruby Rain," a stately synth ballad that seems vaguely inspired by Peter Gabriel's So period (specifically "Red Rain" and "Mercy Street"). Laura Evan sings it beautifully.

The theme music that follows it on the CD sounds reminiscent of Bernard Herrmann's Psycho score. Talk about your unexpected transitions. Most of the score naturally aligns with the style of the title track, with occasional lapses into synth programming instead of the Herrmanesque orchestral approach. Both prove effective in conveying the mood of terror and... TRAUMA.

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Trouble Man
Marvin Gaye
Tamla

Marvin Gaye is best known for his legendary soul pop albums like What's Goin' On, and this soundtrack is a fine part of his legacy. MG really stretches on this outing, delivering jazz instrumentals alongside scintilating vocal numbers.

From the funky strut of "T Plays It Cool" to richly dramatic "Poor Abbey Walsh" to the suspenseful "The Break-In (Police Shoot Big)," MG shows much more range than any "Top 40 classics" radio station could ever suggest sticking to the man's hit singles.

Trouble Man may not be one of the most celebrated "blaxploitation" soundtracks, but it deserves the same attention afforded to the acknowledged classics Shaft and Superfly.

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250 Miles Per Hour
Jerry Van Rooyan
Crippled Dick Hot Wax

This disc features Van Rooyan's soundtracks from four flicks of (you guessed it) the late 60s and early 70s, including Succubus (Necronomicon), Death on a Rainy Day, How Short is the Time for Love, and The Vampire Happening; all originally produced by Aquilla Pictures. The jazziest of CripDick's sleazy composers, Van Rooyan still knows how to get up a groove and rock out. Funky organ, vamping horns, and a crack rhythm section all enliven the swinging material. And the occasional string section reminds you it's film music. (See Mondo Digital for a review of the Succubus and The Vampire Happening DVDs.)

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