The Blob (And Other Creepy Sounds)
VARIOUS ARTISTS
Monstrous Movie, 2008
(Review
by Jeff Berkwits)
Perhaps best remembered as one of Steve
McQueen's earliest films, this 1958 shocker is also notable for
its music, especially the title track, which was one of the few sci-fi
theme songs to crack the Top 40. While that bouncy novelty number -- cowritten
by Burt Bacharach and Mack David -- launches
the collection, the 56 other orchestral selections are actually far more
memorable.
Along with 28 appropriately evocative cues
composed primarily by Ralph Carmichael, the recording is,
quite unexpectedly, a mood-music lover's dream. Over 20 cuts from The Valentino
Production Music Library are featured, including Roger Roger's
"Dreaming Awake" and "The Search Beyond" by Michael Reynolds
(both cuts were also used on the classic "Attilio Mineo Conducts Man In
Space With Sounds" LP). Other familiar names include Italian composers
Angelo
Francesco Lavagnino and Mario Nascimbene. Offering
melodic moments ranging from frightening to frisky and terrifying to tranquil,
these vintage instrumental interludes are satisfying and altogether spellbinding.
Buy this album from
A long-time aficionado of retro music and movies, Jeff Berkwits
has covered vintage sounds for numerous publications and websites including
Bachelor
Pad Magazine, Filmfax, Outré, and
Amazing Stories.
He can be reached at jeffberkwits@sbcglobal.net.
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