... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Musical themes from classic Bogart flicks, including Treasure Of Sierra Madre, Key Largo, The Big Sleep, Sabrina, and To Have And Have Not, plus an extended suite from Casablanca – performed by Charles Gerhardt and The National Philharmonic Orchestra CD

... CD

A sleazy film, but one with some really great music from Francis Lai – the composer better known for his mainstream contributions to classics like A Man & A Woman and Live For Life! In any setting, Lai displays an amazing genius for spare tunes that hit a lyrical chord and a warmly sentimental mode – never one that's sleepy or drippy, but just the right balance of sounds and rhythms to convey a tremendous amount with very little. Lai plays a fair bit of keyboards here, lightly electric, and relatively spare – but not as much so as on some of his other 70s soundtracks – and titles include "Emmanuelle 2", LA Seduction De L'Ile De Bali", "Emmanuelle Au Hong Kong", "Le Plaisir D'Amour", "La Maison De Rendez-Vous", and "L'Amour D'Aimer" – which has vocals from Sylvia Kristel. LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic meeting of the minds – as director Jim Jarmusch makes a film that's a nod to the old martial arts films of the 70s that inspired the Wu-Tang Clan in their music – and RZA gets a chance to contribute to the soundtrack, with help from the Clan as well! The music is maybe the strongest realization of the Wu aesthetic at work – and RZA also shows that he's got a great flair for the right sort of sound for an action scene too – on titles that include vocal and instrumental versions of "Raise Your Sword" – plus "Fast Shadow", "Ghost Dog Theme", "Funky Theme", "RZA's Theme", "Gangsters Theme", and "Dead Birds". (Hip Hop, Soundtracks) CD

One of the most famous Jerry Goldsmith soundtracks ever – even if the film itself wasn't much of a hit! Goldsmith really rose to the top ranks of film composers with his work for Blue Max – able to orchestrate both full action and quiet moments with effortless ease – often through these compressed passages that really move beyond the usual Hollywood scoring standard of the time! Things are never too flowery, yet still remain quite full at times – and Goldsmith really demonstrates his great skill with creating special odd sounds out of more familiar instruments. Titles include "First Blood", "Bridge Duel", "The Lonely Victor", "Small Favor", "Statchel in Berlin", and "The Bridge". CD

British soundtrack great Ron Grainer makes a great American appearance here – turning in music for the early 70s film The Omega Man – the first film version of I Am Legend! The styles here are much more fitting for the time of the movie's release than the world of America in the future – as there are plenty of great blacksploitation and cop/crime elements that really fit the 70s urban setting of the story – really great elements that make the whole thing very different than the usual horror soundtrack of the period, and which also widen the palette of Grainer's style too! There's also a few familiar themes that are used almost tongue in cheek – instrumental hits that offset the darker mood of the action – and together, the blend of sounds is wonderful – presented here in an overstuffed collection that's well worth the 2.0 billing in the title. Given that the original score never showed up on record in the 70s, this release is long overdue – with titles that include "The Omega Man/Where Have All The People Gone", "Surprise Party/After The Ball", "Zachary Makes His Move", "Richie On The Roof", "The Trap/Nemesis For Neville/Matthias The Victor", "Dutch Takes Over", "Swinging At Nevilles", "Jumped By The Family/The Trial", and "Dutch Takes Over". CD

Wonderful stuff – Nilsson's soundtrack for one of the strangest movies of the 60s – a mad film directed by Otto Preminger, and featuring a cast of characters that included Jackie Gleason, Frank Gorshin, Peter Lawford, Cesar Romero, and Groucho Marx as God! The sounds are a weird hippy dippy soundtrack style – but also drenched in Nilsson's wry wit, which keeps them from being too silly, a good thing, if you've seen the movie! The highlight of the album is the incredible "The Cast & Crew" – a number that rolled at the beginning of the film, in which Nilsson sings the name of everyone associated with the production – including the lighting guys and electrician! Other tracks include "Green Bay Packers March", "Angie's Suite", "The Tree", and "Garbage Can Ballet". LP, Vinyl record album

Features Judy Garland with Victor Young and The Ken Darby Singers on Wizard Of Oz; and Cliff Edwards, Ken Darby Singers, The King's Men, and Julietta Nobis with the Victor Young Orchestra on Pinocchio. LP, Vinyl record album

Music from Alfred Newman, Nelson Riddle, Walter Scharf, Johnny Douglas, Paul Dunlap, David Raskin, Harry Sukman, Roy Webb, Franz Waxman, Daniele Amfitheatrof, Victor Young, and more. CD