Lovingly culled from the rarest of flexi discs found hidden in European used vinyl shops, compilations like Beat at Cinecitta and Popshoppingbrought to the light of day scores from Italian films lost to historyand German commercial jingles from decades ago. Crippled Dick's latestcollection seems loosely bound together thematically: 21 pieces fromvarious TV and movie soundtracks from the '60s and '70s. However, these"peas" as the liner notes call them, call attention to Crippled DickHot Wax!'s mission of rescuing these tiny gems from disappearing intoobscurity.It's easy to imagine that a vast majority of these tunes came frompolice thrillers or suspense films, because they're jam packed withboth tension and an air of cool. They're often fast-paced and funky,with a streak of eeriness or mystery to them -- and lest we forget,they're also catchy as hell. The sound is dated, but that's part of theappeal. There's blaring horns, wah-wah bass, jazzy percussion andexotic flourishes like xylophones and violins tossed in for goodmeasure. Tracks like Paul Kuhn's "Gateway to a Crime" and Made inGermany's "Sprungbrett 1" are choc full of enduring vibrancy, whileothers like Günter Platzek's "Heavy Steel" embody 1970s smoothness.Sadly, the packaging lacks extensive information on each of the piecesand artists, which is unusual for CDHW! releases.Although this CD will be a must-have for anyone with a taste for kitschor retro, it's also genuinely well-done music that anyone could have anappreciation for. Sure, it's fluffy as a roll of toilet paper, but whocares? This compilation is the perfect soundtrack for trying to outrunthe police in an Alfa Romeo, getting into a shootout with jewelthieves, or maybe just as background music to a groovy cocktail party.
- G. Grant / S. Park - Good Company
- Paul Kuhn - Gateway to Crime
- Made in Germany - Sprungbrett 1
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