Grooving on the soundtrack music of Ennio Morricone. Bought two vinyl LPs this weekend at Forever Young — 1971’s UNA LUCERTOLA CON LA PELLE and the obscure 1969 LA DONNA INVISIBLE. Both could be comfortably filed under Mondo Morricone material, reflecting a dreamier, slightly loungy side of the Il Maestro…although I wouldn’t go so far as saying they’re “psychedelic.” UNA LUCERTOLA is definitely un-easy listening with it’s spare, staccato dissonance. You can tell we’re dealing with a thriller here. I think Dusty Grooves’ website had the best description of Morricone’s work from this period — sampled on the MORRICONE HIGH comp —
There’s a simple, economical approach here that’s really mindblowing — rhythms that flow slowly like fog escaping from a riverbank, notes that fall in slight spare patterns like drops of rain from a leaf after a storm, and gently cascading waves of sound that float and shimmer in the mix — rising as carefully as the sun to give the music a wonderfully redemptive spirit.
I’ve also really enjoyed the soundtracks for VERUSHKA, QUATTRO MOSCHE DI VELLUTO GRIGIO and the Charles Bronson actioner, CITTA VIOLENTA which utilizes themes Morricone recycled through such lowbrow crime dramas as REVOLVER. The movies aren’t bad either if you’re in the mood for a bit of talky Euro-sleaze. A far cry from Morricone’s mainstream success via his legendary DOLLARS trilogy work. Actually, Morricone’s spaghetti western themes seem to come from a completely different place in the composers’ brain compared to the almost experimental nature of his thriller and giallo work from the early ’70s. Recommended.