VV.AA.: Polizziotteschi Graffiti (GDM Music, 2005)

Let's make another step in the world of Italian soundtracks of the 70s. As I wrote in a previous post, this is one of the most experimental territories ever explored by Italian musicians, and one of the most varied too. A stunning trait of the genre - but rather obvious, indeed - is its "easy listening" element: though daring, often electronic, or dissonant, or fostering composite rhythms, the tracks always have a strong cynematic flow which makes them immediate and thrilling.
Most of the tracks feature exciting jazz/funk jams, impulsive and lucid, combined with captivating keyboard themes. The deep "semantic" nature of the music relies on the intuitions of composers such as Ennio Morricone, and on a series of cliché associations: horns and action, staccato figures and suspence... These standard solutions are always reworked and recombinated to form a very broad spectrum of inventions, ranging from the Moroder-like pace of "Delitto al ristorante cinese" to the uber-groovy basslines of "Nucleo antirapina".

"Poliziotteschi graffiti" is one of the many compilations recently devoted to the genre. Despite the cover, I think it's one of the best. I will post some more in the future, if you like.

Tracklist:

1. Stelvio Cipriani - Mark il poliziotto (Mark il poliziotto, 1975)
2. Luis Bacalov - The Summertime Killer (Ricatto alla Mala, 1972)
3. Armando Trovajoli - Blazing Magnum (Una Magnum Speciale per Tony Saitta, 1976)
4. Detto Mariano - Delitto al ristorante cinese (Delitto al ristorante cinese, 1981)
5. Guido & Maurizio De Angelis - Goodbye My Friend (Il cittadino si ribella, 1974)
6. Bixio, Fabio Frizzi, Vince Tempera - Nucleo antirapina (Operazione Kappa: Sparate a vista, 1977)
7. Franco Micalizzi - Delitto sull'autostrada (Delitto sull'autostrada, 1982) 
8. Goblin - Trumpet's Flight (Squadra antigangsters, 1979) 
9. Franco Micalizzi - Special Cop (Italia a mano armata, 1976)
10. Luis Bacalov - La polizia è al servizio del cittadino? (new edit) (La polizia è al servizio del cittadino?, 1973)
11. Guido & Maurizio De Angelis - The Life of a Policeman (La polizia incrimina, la legge assolve, 1973) 
12. Stelvio Cipriani - La polizia sta a guardare (La polizia sta a guardare, 1973)
13. Goblin - La via della droga (La via della droga, 1977)
14. Franco Campanino - Napoli si ribella (Napoli si ribella, 1977)
15. Franco Micalizzi - Special Agents (Napoli violenta, 1976)
16. Guido & Maurizio De Angelis - Car Chase at Margellina (Piedone lo sbirro, 1973)
17. Guido & Maurizio De Angelis - New Special Squad (Roma violenta, 1975)
18. Luis Bacalov - Montreal Non Stop (L'ultima chance, 1975)

Download (192 kbps)


Similar albums on the blog:
Calibro 35: s/t (Cinedelic/Self, 2008)
Ennio Morricone: Crime and Dissonance (Ipecac, 2005)

Goblin: The Goblin Collection, 1975-1989 (DRG, 1995)

Roman prog-rock quartet Goblin is mainly known as the band who scored Dario Argento's most celebrated horror films: "Profondo Rosso" and "Suspiria". Their haunting, repetition-based style, often driven by crystalline keyboards, roaring basslines and rampant jazz-fusion drumming is a staple of soundtrack music.

This is a very good collection which gives an idea of the many allures Goblin experimented for different films throughout their long career. Many of their soundtracks are nothing less than masterpieces, but I think it's better to start with a catalogue of their variety and use it to select the specific works that seem to be more interesting for one's personal taste.


Tracklist:

1. Profondo Rosso (Main Title)
2. Death Dies - M 32 (original film version)
3. Profondo Rosso - M 15
4. Profondo Rosso - M 31
5. Wampyr (finale)
6. Chi? - Part 1
7. Chi? - Part 2
8. Patrick - M 32 bis
9. Patrick - M 1
10. Patrick - M 34/34 Bis/35
    
11. Suspiria (Main Title)
12. La Via Della Droga - M 1 IV
    
13. La Via Della Droga - M 2
14. La Via Della Droga - M 6
15. La Via Della Droga - 31
16. L'Alba dei Morti Viventi
    
17. Buio Omega - M6
18. Buio Omega - M25
19. Buio Omega (Main Title)
    
20. St. Helen (Love Theme)
    
21. Contamination - M 3
    
22. Contamination - M 8
    
23. Tenebre (Main Title)
24. Bass Theme (from Notturno)
    
25. Phenomena - M 12
    
26. Phenomena - M 15 (Alternate version)
27. La Chiesa

Download:
Part 1 | Part 2