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The legendary Percee P – who's been a pivotal figure in the hip hop underground since the end of the 80s – on Stones Throw and produced by Madlib for his first ever official LP! P's presence is inimitable as ever, with Madlib providing beats that are as straight up hip hop as anything he's done in '07 – with guests that include fellow mid school legends Diamond D & Prince Po, plus Aesop Rock, Chali 2Na, Vinnie Paz & Guilty Simpson. Titles include "The Hand That Leads You", "The Man To Praise", "Legendary Lyricist" feat Madlib, "Watch Your Step" feat Vinnie Paz & Guilty Simpson, "Who With Me?", "2 Brothers From The Gutter" feat Diamond D, "Ghetto Rhyme Stories", "No Time For Jokes" feat Chali 2Na, "Last Of The Greats" feat Prince Po, "The Dirt And Filth" by Aesop Rock, "Mastered Craftsman", "Raw Heat" (45 version), "Lady Behind Me" and more.

A triumphant little soundtrack to the second Dr Phibes film – one that's arguably more expansive and redemptive than the first, with less of the dark-edged horror touches! The style here is relatively orchestral, but drops down to contemplative moments from time to time – sparer passages that usually focus on a single instrument and theme, almost in a way that reminds us of some of the Italian soundtrack modes from the time. The overall length of the tunes is quite short – and the CD features a whopping 29 numbers, most of which are less than 2 minutes in length. But together, these shorter tracks work beautifully as a "suite" – stretching out and shifting nicely through the whole soundtrack, in a way that's far less kitschy and a lot more sophisticated than you'd expect! Titles include "Inscripto", "Serpentes", "In Catacumbas", "Apere Gregem", "Decorans Sepulcrum", "Tutus Est?", "Phibes Restimulatus", and "Nox Mala Bakeri".

A bold score for a famous 70s astronaut film – penned by Jerry Goldsmith with almost the same sort of drama he might bring to a war thriller! The story itself is pretty dark – as the astronauts don't make it to space, but are forced into a Air Force base – and Goldsmith's music really follows suit – a really dominating set of orchestrations, with turgid rhythms at the bottom, blaring horn parts on the top, and offbeat instrumental phrases that sort of cascade down, almost in a claustrophobic way. There's less of the funkier or groovier moments you might know from earlier Goldsmith scores, but the soundtrack's still a great one, with a surprising amount of power, even away from the film. Titles include "Break Out", "The Message", "No Water", "Bedtime Story", "The Snake", "Kay's Theme", "The Letter", and "The Celebration".

A surprisingly huge soundtrack from the 60s – thanks partly to the main title theme, which is a variation on the same "Amen" theme that Curtis Mayfield would make big with The Impressions! Most of the record is prime Jerry Goldsmith scoring, though – wonderful instrumentals that have this complicated blend of tones and colors, yet still some folksy undercurrents too – almost a Copeland-like point in Goldsmith's pantheon, with the mix of majesty and humanity that reference implies! Titles include "Homer Returns", "The Roof", "Homer Awakes/Breakfast", "The Contractor", "Out Of Bricks", "Amen", "No Hammer/Return Of The Prodigal", and "Feed The Slaves/Drive To Mass".

Classic songs from Ennio Morricone – reworked in a lush orchestral format – and accompanied by great vocals from Romina Arena! Romina's a younger singer, but has the range that made Morricone's music with Edda Dell'Orso so wonderful back in the day – and unlike other re-recordings of Morricone work, which often focuses on longer symphonic passages, this album has a much stronger focus on the vocalist – and leans nicely towards themes which fit that approach the best. Titles include "What Can I Do", "Ti Ho Amato", "Return To Me", "Le Vent Et Le Cri", "E Un Attimo", "Requiem Of Love", "Il Tempo Sa", "Gioco D'Amore", "Saying Goodbye", and "Ritornerai Dolce Amore".

Lots of Penderecki compositions – including his great "Cannon For Orchestra & Tape" – plus George Crumb's "Night Of The Electric Instruments", the great "Beginnings" from the Wind Harp record, and Mike Oldfield's "Tubular Bells" – the haunting theme of the film!

One of the most striking albums ever recorded by Denny Zeitlin – the dark soundtrack to this late 70s remake of the horror classic Invasion Of The Body Snatchers! There's a very minimal use of electronics on the record, combined with some wonderful orchestrations from Zeitlin – very dark and turgid, with some orchestral touches that are very off-beat – almost electronic sounding themselves! Titles include "The Reckoning", "Escape To Darkness", "Flight", "On The Streets", "Angel Of Death", and "Rescue". CD features notes and photos, plus a bonus interview!

Wonderful work from Horace Silver – part of a great run of late 70s sides for Blue Note that unlock a whole new side of his soulful talents! The vibe here is different than the previous United States trilogy – still very righteous, with an overt message too – but served up in these wonderfully warm tones – with loads of great woodwind passages over these wickedly angular rhythms – grooves that are somewhat like those Silver first started forging on his 27th Man album! The arrangements are sublime – and on some cuts handled by Silver, but orchestrated by Wade Marcus – with players who include Tom Harrell on trumpet, Bob Berg on tenor, Buddy Collette and Fred Jackson on flutes, and Jerome Richardson on soprano sax. The rhythm section is key, too – and features Ron Carter on bass and Al Foster on drums! Side one features "The Tranquilizer Suite" – with passages that icnlude "Keep On Getting Up", "Time & Effort", and "Perseverance & Endurance" – and side two includes the excellent "The Process Of Creation Suite" – with "Motivation", "Activation", and "Assimilation".

Wonderful work from Horace Silver – part of a great run of late 70s sides for Blue Note that unlock a whole new side of his soulful talents! The vibe here is different than the previous United States trilogy – still very righteous, with an overt message too – but served up in these wonderfully warm tones – with loads of great woodwind passages over these wickedly angular rhythms – grooves that are somewhat like those Silver first started forging on his 27th Man album! The arrangements are sublime – and on some cuts handled by Silver, but orchestrated by Wade Marcus – with players who include Tom Harrell on trumpet, Bob Berg on tenor, Buddy Collette and Fred Jackson on flutes, and Jerome Richardson on soprano sax. The rhythm section is key, too – and features Ron Carter on bass and Al Foster on drums! Side one features "The Tranquilizer Suite" – with passages that icnlude "Keep On Getting Up", "Time & Effort", and "Perseverance & Endurance" – and side two includes the excellent "The Process Of Creation Suite" – with "Motivation", "Activation", and "Assimilation".