(Classical, Soundtracks) CD

A surprisingly complex score from the great Les Baxter – written for Roger Corman's famous film version of The Fall Of The House Of Usher! The music is quite lush at times – more orchestral than some of the Baxter exotica from the same period, but still filled with lots of great little twists and turns – especially as the narrative moves on – that ear for odd sounds and unusual tunings that made Les one of the real standouts of his generation! There's lots of weird watery passages, moody reed tones, and offbeat string sounds – and this great reissue features remastered sound and a full booklet of notes. Titles include "Madeline Usher", "Roderick Usher", "Buried Alive", "Catalepsy", "Pallbearers", and "The Ancestors". CD

A terrifying comedy score from Les Baxter – one penned for a mid 60s film that starred Vincent Price, Peter Lorre, and Boris Karloff! Baxter's music has just the right twist to fit the title – and really matches the tongue-in-cheek images on the screen – the right sort of drama for a spooky film, but often given these sprightly little touches that shade the scene with a nice degree of humor too! Instrumentation has all the key hallmarks of Baxter's exotic orchestrations from the Capitol Records years – and titles include "He Is Not Dead", "Play It Straight", "The Axe", "Hearse Of A Different Color", "A Tisket A Casket", and "Two Birds". CD

A landmark record – not only in the history of the western, but in that of Ennio Morricone! The soundtrack, written for this hit Clint Eastwood spaghetti western, is everything you'd want in a 60s western – driving orchestral passages, twanging guitar parts, and spooky little bits that isolate the mood of a scene nicely. The work's an instant classic, and is still one of Morricone's strongest western soundtracks – even if it is one of the most familiar. This expanded Italian version features 17 tracks in all – including some rare mono and stereo mixes – and titles include "Quasi Morto", "Musica Sospesa", "Senza Pieta", "Tortura", "Alla Ricerca Dell'Evaso", "Consuelo Baxter", and "Ramon". CD

An early 60s Italian tale of love between a boy, a girl, and a shark – scored here with some great exotic elements from Francesco De Masi! The approach is slightly in the mode of the early exotica scene in late 50s US – more conventional charts mixed with just a few island-styled elements – either an exotic woodwind, unusual keyboard passage, or twangy steel guitar – all used in lots of different ways to spice up the sound of the film! Think some of the more serious Les Baxter albums – like Ports Of Pleasure – and you'll get part of the feel here – although the overall soundtrack has a lot more variety, including a few sweet jazzy moments. 2CD set features a massive 50 tracks in all – with loads of rare, unreleased, and alternate titles! CD