Soundtracks — CDs  

An obscure and wonderful chapter in the career of Burt Bacharach – material penned for a 1967 TV musical starring Rick Nelson and Joanie Sommers – all of it perfect 60s Bacharach pop all the way through! The plot of the musical is a bit silly, but the performance isn't – tightly-crafted vocal numbers that often mix Burt's older Brill Building style with a bit more of a Sunshine Pop kind of approach. Although penned by Bacharach, the music is actually conducted by Peter Matz – who does a great job of retaining the maestro's sense of space and timing, but also unlocks some bolder flourishes in the tunes, and manages to get some really amazing vocal performances out of both Sommers and Nelson! There's a sophistication here that goes beyond the roots of both singers – and the record's filld with lesser-known tracks that still sparkle with plenty of Bacharach brilliance – including "It Doesn't Matter Anymore", "They're Gonna Love It", "Juanita's Place Montage", "Try To See It My Way", "They Don't Give Medals", "Fender Mender", and "Juanita's Place".

A great late 60s western score from Italian composer Francesco De Masi – hitting on all of favored sounds to accompany the best Italian made westerns of the era – rustic solo guitar, string-tightened tension, both lonely and densely orchestrated horns, and swaggery mood to spare! Excellent work that hits all the right notes – and it's got a groovy vocal opener, to boot! This CD marks the first ever release of the complete score, mastered from the original mono tapes. "Maybe Somwhere, Maybe Someday", plus "Non Potro Domenticare", "Sogni Ed Ombre Nell'Incubo", "La Pista Nella Sabbia", "Ecce Homo", "Triste E Sospeso", "Un Giorno Ti Pentirai", "Passagio Ne Nistero" and many more.

An amazing little soundtrack – one that's as spooky and eerie as the film for which it was written, and which was also one of the few American recordings issued by Polish jazz great Krzysztof Komeda! The core of the album is an especially haunting theme – one hummed as a lullaby by Mia Farrow on the title, and which is repeated often throughout – a dreamy little number that had a surprising life long beyond the film and this album, in a number of different versions on the market. We still like the original best – and especially appreciate Komeda's blend of soft jazz, odd electronics, and some darker atonal passages – all of which combine here to make the record a masterpiece throughout – on a level that easily matches the best from Morricone at the time! Titles include "Panic", "What Have You Done To Its Eyes", "Dream", "Expectancy", "Lullaby", "The Coven", and "Main Title". This expanded version is incredible – with 24 more bonus tracks (!!!!!), including the full film score on top of the original album – with lots of cool "ritual" tracks – and the source music, and even some tracks from the 45 of the main theme! Great sound, amazing booklet – and the best-ever CD reissue!

Wonderfully groovy! This is the first-ever album by the legendary Marc 4 studio group – a funky Italian combo that featured Armando Trovajoli on keyboards, plus backing by guitar, drums, and bass. The keyboards vary from funky organ to jangly electric harpsichord to sharp-edged piano – and the group's sound is often augmented by some extra horn work. Things are nicely funk and nicely groovy throughout – and although you may have a few tracks by Marc 4 on other comps, this is a great complete release of their work, with plenty of tracks that we've never heard before. Titles include "Silouette", "Jockey", "To Pedal", "Trafalgar Square", "Soho", "Love Theme", "Mato Grosso", "Lua Linda", and "Gare". CD features 3 bonus tracks too – new versions of "Alex" and "Mato Grosso", and the track "Just Simple".

Dark and spooky jazz from the godlike hands of Kryzstof Komeda! Komeda's best known in the US for his soundtrack work for the film Rosemary's Baby, but this album features tracks he scored for an earlier Roman Polanski film, the dark thriller Cul De Sac. The music is a strange blend of bossa nova, crime jazz, and some sci-fi touches – horns, piano, off-beat rhythms, and some odd production serving up a wonderful set of tunes that make the album one of Komeda's best soundtracks ever. 7 tracks in all – but it's also the only way you'll find this material in this form, and comes with a good set of notes on the music and Komeda. Titles include "Walk On The Water", "Pushing The Car", "Radio One", "Cul De Sac", and "Dicky's Death".

Komeda soundtrack work from the early 60s – his legendary score for Roman Polanski's Knife In Water – plus a bit of his work from the earlier Innocent Sorcerers and other jazzy material from the period! Knife In The Water Is a wonderful score that echoes with the modern tones and phrasing first explored in French cinema during the new wave! Komeda plays piano, and there's wonderful saxophone lines on nearly every track in the score – stretching out with stark edges and bold colors, and sounding a bit like Barney Wilen on some of his best soundtrack work! Titles on this version are "Ballad For Bernt", "Crazy Girl", "Typish Jazz", "Cherry" and "Roman Two". This CD on El also pulls together some similarly jazzy Komeda work from the film Innocent Sorcerers, some Warsaw festival recordings and other bits. 18 tracks in all – with titles including "Niewinni Czarodzieje" (in three parts), "Get Out Of Town", "Stella By Starlight", "For Heaven's Sake", "Three Little Words" and more.