Customer Reviews

Crime and Dissonance

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Soundtrack fans-and you know who you are-have long recognized Ennio Morricone as on of the most eclectic and versatile of all film scorers. Having worked on over 500 films, his work has ranged from spaghetti westerns featuring Clint Eastwood to films from Martin Scorsese, Quentin Tarantino and Roman Polanski. The secret to Morricone's longevity is his ability to convey the emotion of a scene-and perhaps even accentuate it-with music. That said, the films represented here must be on the unusual side and certainly independent releases. Many of these recordings were done over 30 years ago and yet in another Morricone trademark, hold up nicely. There are dark jazz numbers, wild Indian sitar forays, trips into psychedelia, "epic" orchestral pieces, striped down minimalism, heavy breathing, guitar feedback sequences, haunting pianos and what could only be called demented clown music. Arranged by master musician of the macabre Mike Patton, the double disc set is generally a dark journey into the underbelly of soundtracks far removed from mainstream commercialism. In fact, Crime and Dissonance is perfect for late-night highway jaunts and Halloween background music.

Crime and Dissonance is by far the best collection of Ennio Morricone's film music on the market. Primarily, because it focuses exclusively on a phase of Morricone's career that's largely been ignored (until now). This 2 disc collection contains some of Morricone's most startling, dark, spooky and adventurous music. Composed largely for obscure Italian horror movies and crime dramas, the music contained here is quite innovative for its time. Filled with almost avant jazz and psychedelic sounds, this is a great listen. The excellent tracklisting ignores chronology in favor of a thematic flow, and it works. This two disc set along with one of the many fine Morricone Western score collections is essential for any good music library. The man was far more than just a film composer, as this disc proves. Excellent.

The great thing about Morricone is that back at his peak (early seventies) he was creating basically every genre of music that existed and some that didn't. This Compilation takes many tracks from some of his best soundtracks from that period focusing on tracks from that are more noise, rock, experimental, collage, psychedelic, improvised, strangely erotic, as the title suggests dissonant, or otherwise undefinable in style. I own most of the complete soundtracks that these tracks were taken from and they all some of my favorite from Morricone's catalog, but really there are dozens of equally great or greater Morricone soundtracks out there which are not addressed in this comp. That being said, this is a great place to start for someone unfamiliar with Morricone or who has only heard the more classical, or conventional side and is looking for more. Some of my favorite tracks on here come from the soundtracks to: "La Moglia Piu Bella" "Forza G" "L'assoluto Naturale" "Machine gun Mccain" "Metti una Cera a Cena" "L'Attento" just to name a few.

Ennio Morricone is a true musical genius, most widely known for his work for Sergio Leone's "spaghetti westerns" but the breadth of his work is far reaching. Often incorporating twentieth century compositional techniques and challenging vocal arrangements. This collection deserves a full five stars, not the paltry and ungenerous three. Branch out into the unsettling with a true master.

A sticker on the jewel case proclaims Crime and Dissonance "an absolutely essential Morriconography". A couple of listens had me wondering what is so essential about this? Unfortunately, essential is an abused term when it comes to describing music. This might be said to be essential if you are a Morricone completeist, but when you compare the quality of the music here with that of some of his other compositions, you'll find that Crime and Dissonance is rather easily dispensible.
Is the music here unusual? Quite. But the question must be asked why anyone would sit around and just listen to it. This stuff belongs in a movie. Unlike many other Morricone compositions, the pieces here do not fit with any kind of mood you might have except that generated while you are watching a film.
I know a lot of folks with broad musical tastes, but I don't know of anyone who would listen to this CD just for pleasure or even for background music unless one was operating a commercial haunted house or having some kind of themed party. There's too much other better Morricone music out there!
I like Ennio Morricone and I am sure these pieces fit in the contexts for which they were intended, but I could have gone on quite happily without ever having heard Crime and Dissonance.

This compilation is gifted with lush photographs that depict the films they represent. However, not only are there far more vibrant Morriconne compilations available but the majority of these "rare" tracks already exist on other compilations. I love and treasure anything by Morriconne but, this compilation seems inappropriate especially with the Thriller Collection available (which mirrors this compilation in selections and tone). Out of the Argento/Morriconne collection, main titles compilations, and miscellaneous other soundtracks this one ranks among Wolf at a groveling beautiful suspensful mediocrity. But, when mediocore is written in the same sentence as Morriconne; one can only expect it to be the most heavenly kind of medicore.

Pros:
Ennio Morricone was a terrific experimental composer. This music is Wierd.

Cons:
Kind of wierd combination of songs.. a lot of them don't feel like they should be on the same album.

It's as if they took the most obnoxious parts they could find, and memorialized them.

Morricone is the master. But this collection misrepresents his genius.

I guess the Dissonance part in the title excuses all.