Search - Various Artists :: Gems of Italian Cinema 1

Great introduction to Italian B Movie music!

09/26/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The Gems of Italian Cinema collection is a perfect beginning for the music fan that is looking to expand their knowledge of Italian film music beyond Nino Rota or Ennio Morricone. These three composers Umiliani, Ferreo and Piccioni have a definite style of their own while capturing the flavors of the time. The late-Sixties early-Seventies spawned many a great B film and the music that went with them was exotic and well-thought. Which brings us to the second type of person that would love this record - a lounge or jazz fan. These compositions, while written for film, stand well on their own just as great mood music. The feel and musicianship is top-notch and stands up well even in today's standards. A great CD!!"

Cool Space-Sexy-Italo-Jazz Compilation

L. S. Slaughter | Chapel Hill, NC | 11/02/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This compilation pulls mainly from three distinctive soundtracks, each worth purchasing separately: Umilian's THE BODY (IL CORPO), Piccioni's CAMILLE 2000; and Umiliani's LE LEGGE DEI GANGSTERS (Gangster Story), and some stuff by Ferriero, a lesser talent in my opinion. This disc is worth purchasing alone for "White Sand", an Umiliani conga-electric guitar-synth-organ cut that resembles nothing so much as a wacked out, celestial version of "Why Can't We Live Together?". Which is not to say there are not other highlights, such as the drop dead gorgeous "Twilight by the Sea", and the sex-and-sleaze saxophone of "Empty Beach". Also handpicked are two cuts from outtakes of Umiliani's SWEDEN HEAVEN AND HELL featuring Gato Barbeiri on sax before he recorded "Last Tango.." and blew his career at A&M on Fuzak.Really, though, unless you are flat broke, I direct you no further than the complete original scores to THE BODY-IL CORPO, and LE LEGGE DEI GANGSTERS. Both are stellar sets of existential-psycho-love grooves."