Now Sound — CDs  

A pair of 60s albums from one of the more dynamic bandleaders at RCA! Something Special For Movie Lovers has Marty Gold taking on a host of movie themes from the early 60s – numbers by Ennio Morricone, Henry Mancini, Johnny Mandel, and others – all given a twist that's somewhere in the territory of some of Marty's earlier hi-fi material, but which also respects the sensitivity of the original soundtracks as well. There's some inventive arrangements on the set – just what we'd expect from Gold – and titles include "Sylvia", "Goldfinger", "Funny World", "Polly's Song", "A Heart Must Learn To Cry", and "Emily". Suddenly It's Springtime features lush strings mixed with occasionally dynamic touches – definitely one of the mellower albums that Marty Gold ever cut, but a set that's still got a wonderful sonic range overall! Titles include "The Story Of My Love", "Portrait Of Jennie", "I Wish You Love", "Don't Take Your Love From Me", "Smile", and "Suddenly It's Springtime".

The "chorus" in the title is appropriate – as there's a flurry of wordless vocals in the mix of this one! The record feels a bit like some of Ennio Morricone's more vocal-oriented soundtracks from the early 70s – with breezy voices drifting over slightly funky arrangements, working together in a mix of moods and styles that could have only come from the pen of the godlike Janko Nilovic! Titles include "Boom Bang", "Ilion", "One Together", "Third Power", "Mrs Brown", "Down Down", and "Magical World".

Incredible! Although the first album by Balanco had a definite Italian bossa sound (which was very popular in their acid jazz scene a few years ago), this great second album by the group breaks into whole new territory – like French and Italian soundtrack grooves, particularly in the vein of Ennio Morricone (who they covered on their first LP) and the great Francis Lai! The style of the group's changed slightly – and they've developed this amazing keyboard, bass, and vocals sound that's very similar to the instrumentation used in some of Morricone's best 70's work. Titles include "The Bachelor Waltz", "Mrs. Beat", "The Girl From Montenegro", "Dreamflight", "Man & A Woman", and "Bossa Memorandum". One of our favorites recently – and a another delight from the Schema label!