Customer Reviews

Music From Mission: Impossible (1966-1973 Television Series)

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

 

 

I was turned onto this album while in college in 1969. I've been a jazz freak since childhood and played music professionally since I was 14, and this just blew me away. Yes, this is a soundtrack album, but it's also a great jazz album. Best of all are the absolute heavyweights on the session. Though only some of the players are listed on the cover, I have seen a more complete listing...the best of the best. This big band (with strings and things, like sitar and harpsichord)includes two of the greatest jazz deities, Bud Shank (formerly with Kenton, Shorty Rogers, Shelly Manne ad inf.) on alto and flute, and Stu Williamson (formerly with Herman, Kenton, Frank Rosolino, Shelly Manne, etc.) accompany a band of Olympian musical peers. They play with a combination of musical artistry and screaming precision that I've only heard from assemblies such as Shorty Rogers' Giants, another all star team that included some of the same players here. Though their solos are often short, there's no mistaking the sound of Bud's flute and alto (theme from Mannix, Daktari, etc.) and Stu's trumpet. In fact, it was hearing Stu Williamson for the first time,(Shelly Manne & His Men Vol.4) at 15, that made me forever obcessed with continually improving my improvisation. Though I have always been inspired by the phrasings of Jack Montrose, Art Pepper, Bob Cooper, Bud Shank and Charley Mariano, I was amazed, once, when listening to recordings of myself, to realize how much Stu Williamson has influenced my playing. Possibly the greatest valve trombone player, I consider him the greatest trumpet soloist I have ever heard. They should hve let him do more. Borrowing from the best is the highest compliment you can give.
The main title theme, which is in 5/4 time, offers the composer, himself, Lalo Schiffrin, plenty of room to blow a nice harpsichord solo.
Along with the hard driving main and ending themes and the jazz/rocker "Wide Willy" are two incredibly melodic classics. "Jim on the Move" is a smooth groove, the main melody a blend of Bud Shank's flute and Williamson's muted trumpet. Too bad the solos are so short.
So melodic that it's a tear jerker, the theme for Barbara Bain's character, Cinamon Carter, is "The Lady Was Meant to be Loved". Strings and flute play the initial melody, with Bud Shank (Ah! That sound of "Mannix") picking it up with just the right amount of swing. This a great haunting melody that you can't get out of your head, like Russ Freeman's "THe Wind", Shelly Manne's "Parthenia" and standards like "Yesterdays" and "What's New?"
Possibly the best piece of all is the theme for Martin Landau's character, Rollin Hand. A hard driving jazz waltz, the initial melody is played by a brace of french horns, and it still rocks all the way to the end. Even the string section cooks. The drummer, throughout the album, never gets in the way, but he is constantly there, driving the band like a mad bus driver, going down a mountain, with no brakes and a major caffeine buz. With not a single solo note on this cut, he still drives this waltz with a passion, all the way to the tasty soundrack fade to strings ending.
Though not laced with the greatest number of solos, the pure music, melody and drive make this one of my favorite albums.

If you're looking for a series soundtrack that encompasses Schifrin's excellent TV scoring, you haven't found it. What you *have* found is a selection of interesting music with a jazzy beat that encompasses the feel of the series, if not necessarily the series itself. This will disappoint some, but the music selection is peppy and high-quality if somewhat repetitive in places and will delight many listeners.

This is a Cd edition of the two Mission Impossible album LP's released in the 60's. The original titles of the LP where "Mission: Impossible" and "More Mission:Impossible". Almost all the tracks are composed by Lalo Schifrin except "Cinamon" by Jack Urbont, "The Chelsea Memorandum" by Shorty Rogers and "Foul Play" by Richard Hazzard. While is not the original soundtrack it has all the themes of the show expanded in a theme format, and is the perfect companion for "The Best Of Mission Impossible" (Crescendo) that contains original recordings.

Although it took someone awhile to get around to re-issuing Lalo Schifrin's classic soundtrack album from the hit 60's TV show (the first of two ST albums he recorded), the wait was worth it. Here we have not only the great title tune, but alot of great incidental music as well, which Schifrin culled from the background scores he wrote for the weekly adventure. A special bonus are the extra tracks from the followup album, "More music from Mission: Impossible."

I would say that i am fanatic with everything related with the words "TV SERIES","SIXTIES".
This album is a great example that we had great TV SERIES with great music scores produced in the USA -not only in UK.
Jazz music,lounge music,even classic music mixed in a brilliant way in this O.S.T.
In this cd you can hear the original and the best by far,famous version of MISSION IMPOSSIBLE theme.
It is a cd that you will hear from beggining to end,again and again.With how many albums that are produced these days can you do the same?A very few i pressume.

Beware: This is a nice 60s-era LA big band album, but none of these tracks ever appeared in the actual television series. A more accurate title for this one would be "Music Inspired by Mission: Impossible." I remember buying this LP in 1968, and trying to return it because I was incensed that it contained no music from the series itself. It seemed to me to be misrepresentation. Even the theme is an expanded and jazzed-up arrangement. A lot of interesting and creative music from different composers was used in the series and was never made available in any format. The newly released DVD Season 2 has the music remixed and remastered in stereo.

I still have the vinyl record of this great soundtrack and decided I needed to finally buy the CD. Boy, am I glad I did! Hearing any track on this album instantly puts me in a good mood and even transports me to new places (as I sit in carpool line!). If you want great music from an old friend, don't hesitate to get this CD. There is not one bad song! Enjoy!

Since I received my cd, I have listened to it quite often. I like it even more than the soundtracks to the more recent "Mission Impossible" films! It really swings!

Was very disappointed. The only music from the TV series was the opening theme. Nothing other than that. You can down load the same theme from any online service including I think Amazon for about 99C.

I had the original album and have had this CD for several years. I still enjoy the music that Lalo has done, especially for Mission Impossible. Enjoy!