Lost Issue: Ancient, Dead Reviews No. 2
Here's another installment of reviews of older albums. For various reasons
most or all of these never ran in FSM or even here on FSD.
Many famed FSM writers, including Jeff Bond, poured a lot of time
and effort in to these critiques, only to see them languish on a hard drive
for years and years. But now, thanks to modern technology and enormous
patience, here they are, rescued and restored for all to enjoy. And if
it's any incentive to read on, most of them are short and painless, like
our pocket reviews.
By the way, we're not sure who wrote all of these -- if you happen to
see an old review that you wrote and it's now credited to FSM, don't
be angry. If you want, write us and we'll credit you on Film Score Friday.
M Squad *** 1/2
STANLEY WILSON, COUNT BASIE, ETC.
RCA/BMG 74321433972
12 tracks - 33:04
Count Basie's swinging big band/jazz theme for this early cop series
set in Chicago is the hallmark of this album, although these days Basie's
theme has almost been supplanted in the memory by Ira Newborn's even more
swinging take-off of the tune, which opened the brilliant TV show Police
Squad every weekend. I have never seen this show, but if this album
accurately represents the music in it the show broke some major new ground
by showcasing pure jazz arrangements as background scoring. There's nothing
like a conventional score cue here, only a mix of fast to slow tempo mixes
of jazz, big band and swing for tracks with programmatic titles like "The
Chase" and "The Mugger." Although it was common to jazz up soundtrack cues
for album release at the time this collection was originally released,
most of this music sounds more like source cues (and some, like "The Late
Spot" and "The Cha-Cha-Cha Club" are clearly source music) than background
scoring. Fans may be drawn to this album because it showcases some early
arranging work by "Johnny" Williams, but they should be aware that apart
from Williams's jazz piano playing, there's really no relationship between
this music and his later film scores, or even to his '60s television work.
Hep cats out there will appreciate this as a great collection of jazz and
big band sounds, however.
Experiment in Terror ****
HENRY MANCINI
RCA/BMG 74321489422
12 tracks - 31:55
Hank Mancini was always typecast as a master of comedy, as was director
Blake Edwards, but in this great black and white thriller from 1962 both
proved that they were just as capable of jangling an audience's nerves
as they were of making them laugh. Mancini's incredibly grim opening theme,
with its double autoharp motif for extortionist Ross Martin playing over
heavy double basses, bass guitar and bass clarinet, effortlessly sets the
movie's unforgiving tone. Mancini was also well known for his ability to
gauge the musical tastes of audiences, and he frequently rerecorded and
rearranged his scores for album presentation. While that's not completely
the case here, the score proper is isolated to a few well-chosen cues,
including the hesitant, eerie piano line of "Nancy" and the brutal chase
cue "Teen-Age Hostage" with its complex, agitated low string figures and
harsh trombone accents. Much of the rest of the score is source music and
includes several "twist" tunes, including "Tooty Twist" and even a twist
version of the autoharp theme (Mancini's autoharp bears such a canny resemblance
to the zither from The Third Man that I have to wonder whether Mancini
wasn't subconsciously influenced by actor Ross Martin's resemblance to
a young Orson Welles). That makes this album a bit more of a time capsule
than a completely satisfying score album, but Mancini's few programmatic
cues are well worth the price of the disc.
Deadfall ****
If I were forced to pick John Barry's most impressive year as a composer
of film music I would probably select 1968. I readily admit that taste,
whether invited or not, typically rears its empty head during such extravagant
exercises of selection. Nonetheless, I still stick to it that, even by
broad standards that go way beyond just what this writer likes, '68 represents
Barry at the peak of his creative powers. The four scores of that year,
Boom, Petulia, Deadfall and The Lion in Winter (arguably his
finest accomplishment) are a mixed lot that showcase an artist possessed
of a vast imagination and concentrated formal control.
With Deadfall both director Bryan Forbes and composer Barry were
attempting to elevate the accepted level of integrity accorded to a familiar
cinematic genre, the dramatic "caper" or "hiest" thriller. When the cake
finally came out of the oven it was apparent that Forbes had failed, albeit
honorably, whereas Barry had succeeded. Perhaps Forbes himself is alluding
to this when he offers in the original LP liner notes: "...whatever the
merits of the film, nobody should underestimate (Barry's) achievement."
Deadfall is an example of that rare chimera of the film music continuum,
a transcendent pop score. Mainstream cinematic genres have been enhanced
by scores in the classical idiom; for instance Bernard Herrmann's work
for Ray Harryhausen. Barry's Deadfall is something else, it's a
pop score made respectable and intense via hard-won complexities and sophistication.
Being a serious artist Herrmann despised the fad of starting a film with
a song. Deadfall's "My Love Has Two Faces" is pop, part torch song,
part power ballad, but it is far more elaborate and unpredictable than
the average main title vocal; it's a track Herrmann conceivably could have
appreciated. Burt Bacharach, during the same period as Deadfall,
seemed to be pursuing this same amiability between popular and serious
music, and not merely with an awkward blending of the traditions but rather
(like Barry) by putting into his songs and themes more effort and intelligence
than is typically required by the industry or the public.
Overall Deadfall is a work of darkness, but while sullen and
tragic this powerful music remains dignified -- not a single tear should
rightly fall! How removed this is from the "soaking handkerchiefs" that
must result from every playing of some of the stuff Barry began turning
out more than a decade later. Deadfall also warrants praise for
being cohesive. Barry's "Concerto," "Romance for Guitar and Orchestra,"
doesn't stand out like a snippet of Brahms in the midst of listening to
Goldfinger. The score's two free-standing themes, "My Love Has Two
Faces" and "Statue Dance," as well as the two haunting suites of interior
fragments and passages, all these reference the Spanish flavored "Romance"
both stylistically and emotionally.
Unto itself the "Romance" is a strange experience. The performance executed
for the release of the soundtrack is impressive, making clear that Barry
is a masterful conductor, and soloist Renato Tarrago's virtuosity is exquisite
-- a sensual delight! The piece is satisfying and exciting without ever
evoking any particular emotions; it is a technical victory for Barry over
a complex format. Another Forbes quote from the LP liner notes, this time
referring to the "Romance": "John felt that it would be pretentious to
call his work a Concerto..." I believe this substantiates a perception
of Deadfall as being an exceptional pop work that ultimately exists
as a bridge between popular and classical music. Fortunately, there are
four versions of the "Romance" available: the LP/CD version, Nic Raines
slightly abridged rendition on Vol. 2 of Silva's The Classic John Barry
set, the performance captured on film for the movie, and Barry's own 2:34
distillation which can be found on the Columbia CD The Music of John Barry.
If you haven't already I strongly recommend you give a listen to Barry's
condensed arrangement. It accentuates just how lovely the melody of the
"Romance" is, a precious thing that gets a tad lost amidst the solemnly
considered maneuvers of the full length work.
As a final note I'd like to submit a personal proclamation: I believe
the vocalist on the previously unknown "My Love Has Two Faces" demo to
be Johnny DeLittle. In addition to singing the title track of the legendary
The Knack -- And How to Get It, DeLittle recorded chart vocals arranged
by Barry during the early 60's, so the composer was quite aware of his
abilities. I've heard a few other names suggested but I just think they're
off target. If I'm wrong I vow to sit through Batman and Robin --
twice! -- John Bender
Lolita ****
NELSON RIDDLE (& Bob Harris) .
Rhino/Turner Classic Movies Music R2-72841. mono (label reads Stereo!)
23 tracks - 48:28
A cause celebre in '62 -- the remake starring Jeremy Irons is even
moreso. The big question is: will it ever get a North American release?
Rhino has done listeners a twofold service with this album. First -
a reissue of a rare dramatic outing by one of the premier arrangers of
our time, Nelson Riddle (1921-1985). Second - it's an expanded release,
with some 15 extra minutes of rare Riddle sounds in evidence! It's not
Riddle's best - I reserve that opinion for 1963's Come Blow Your Horn.
(The "Lolita Theme," by Bob Harris -- the director's brother-in-law as
I recall -- had to be inserted into the score). It should be noted that
a rather important 2:55 cue "Humbert Contemplates Killing Wife" is curiously
not included on this expanded reissue.
However, (it's a big however, however) there are also...yes, dialog
extracts. With one exception (the "Mrs. Schiller" track), the dialog is
on separate segments that don't step on the music, enabling us to savor
the score, but also the crisp precision of James Mason's voice, and a very
American sounding Peter Sellers.
The original (MGM SE-4050ST) release, (and subsequent MCA reissue in
1986), was terribly engineered. I suspect it was recorded in England, in
monaural which was the norm at the time. When transferred to records for
stereo release, a most horrible job of "pan-potting" -- moving the sound
from left to right, etc. (as in those MGM 21 Channel Sound albums!) --
to give a stereo effect, and curiously not mentioned on the front cover,
or label. "Ersatz stereo" as it's termed on the back of the CD.
The love theme ("Lolita Theme") is suitably decadent, and "Quilty's
Theme" is a jauntily disturbing excursion for harpsichord and strings;
somewhat reminiscent of Mayuzumi's "there is a fort in the South..." theme
from 1967's Reflections in a Golden Eye. A brief transitional piece
results with "Ramsdale" (LP title "Arrival in Town") -- a bit of "symphonic
suburbanism." Two previously unissued cues, "The Strange Call" and "Mrs.
Schiller" are precursors to Riddle's soundwork on the teleseries "The Rogues";
and some extra source cues include the standards "There's No You" and "Put
Your Dreams Away." And of course, a (too) generous dose of the so-called
Cocktail Classic, "Lolita Ya Ya," of which Riddle had also a Capitol single.
I believe that Sue Lyon, Lolita Haze herself, had a single as well! A real
treat is "Instant Music" (orig. "Two Beat Society") -- real Hollywood party-swing,
with jazz violin & accordion, in the same vein as Hefti's poolside
sounds in '65's Harlow. (Riddle scored the "other" Harlow
the same year). It's a sound patterned after Roy Ross, a 1930s bandleader.
The sound is an improvement over the original releases -- and the packaging
has to be seen to be believed: like the original album, lots of blue and
green. Now: add some pink, matching label -- and a cool blue inlay tray.
My vote for best CD packaging design for 1997! -- Guy McKone
Composed By: Classic Film Themes From Hollywood's Masters **** 1/2
VARIOUS
Rhino/Turner Classic Movies Music R2-72847
23 tracks. 75:31 mono/stereo
As a rule, I dislike compilations; there's always some overlapping.
I've pretty well given up on Morricone (the Elvis of Instrumentalists).
This one is a happy exception, and -- except for one or two glaring glitches,
it's a worthwhile buy. Tony Thomas would have loved this one! Again, a
classy packaging job courtesy of Rhino's crack team of artists, and the
debuts -- never mind just on CD -- of never-before-available recordings
from Hollywood's true Golden Age of film composers. The sound quality is
variable; the debut of Max Steiner's Casablanca main title sequence
for example is marred somewhat by the deterioration of the nitrate source.
What a treat to hear this sans dialogue and effects! I'm amazed by the
sound quality of Korngold's The Adventures of Robin Hood and Steiner's
Now Voyager. Alfred Newman's Gunga Din begins with the RKO
"signal" segueing into the main title. Some selections are taken from music
and effects tracks, but they are -- to me -- minimally distracting. Examples:
Waxman's The Philadelphia Story and Herrmann's The Magnificent
Ambersons. Interesting sidebar: The Ambersons main title (according
to Lukas and others) was most likely composed by Roy Webb, whose music
(originally used in 1945's Murder My Sweet) accompanied George Bailey's
prelude to his suicide attempt in It's a Wonderful Life in place
of the Tiomkin music. I listened to this main title myself -- and it's
decidedly un-Herrmannesque! It's a "sweet" sound, as opposed to Herrmann's
"tart" compositions.
Curiously, the selections from The Wizard of Oz are in mono,
not the glorious stereo "stem recordings" used in earlier Rhino albums,
but it's still wondrous stuff. Alfred Newman's stirring How the West
Was Won -- one of his very favorites -- sounds its best here (and in
the earlier 2 CD set), putting the earlier Sony reissue to shame! The "glaring
glitch" that I mentioned earlier is this: in M. Deutsch's extensive liner
notes, he mentions that Max Steiner's last score was for 1962's Rome
Adventure. What happened to Spencer's Mountain, Youngblood
Hawke, FBI Code 98, A Distant Trumpet, Those Callowaysand Two On
A Guillotine? Guillotine was his last, in 1965 (and a single
was on Decca by Robert Maxwell). For the ones just starting out -- this
is an impressive and heady collection that should remind listeners this
is "how it all began..." -- Guy McKone
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