MORRICONE BOSSA

I must admit it’s not that often that I decide to review a compilation, especially when it’s by such a well known composer such as Morricone. Invariably most of the cues that are on the said compilation, collectors will already have via other compilations or even because they own the complete soundtrack. MORRICONE BOSSA however, I looked at in a different light. Ok the musical content of the disc is an important factor to everyone that purchases the compact disc, but in this instance lets look beyond the music or should I say consider other elements as well as the music on the disc. The packaging for this collection is stunning, it comes in a hard back binder cover, which is crammed with some of the most exquisite art work and publicity posters. This is a feast for the eyes as well as the ears, an enjoyable and interesting listening experience and also a rewarding and somewhat nostalgic read. The front cover boasts a photograph of a Morricone that we know from the decade of the 1960,s when he was really just beginning to make his musical mark upon the world, open the booklet and it reveals notes by Paolo Pagliarani, which are in both Italian and English. The short but informative preface is followed by some eye arresting posters, record covers and stills from a total of 18 movies, LE MONACHINE, SLALOM, MALAMONDO, BIRD WITH THE CRYSTAL PLUMAGE, LOVE CIRCLE, WHEN WOMEN HAD TAILS and INCONTRO among them. As well as these visual delights, there are some examples of the original sketches for movies such as LOVE CIRCLE and VERGOGNA SCHIFOSI and re-productions of some of Morricone’s manuscripts.

Amarkord records must be congratulated for their most careful and thoughtful attention to detail on this production. This can also be said for the selection of musical cues that are included, and also the production values on these, as they seem to sound a lot crisper and clearer than they do on the original recordings. So this compilation I recommend whole heartedly, even if you have all the music content, it is still a more than worthwhile addition to one’s collection simply because it looks so good.