Search - Ennio Morricone :: Canto Morricone - The Ennio Morricone Songbook, Vol. 3: The 70's

The third volume of Bear Family's gratifying series of Morricone song collections may be its most musically coherent. A stark contrast to the testosterone-charged spaghetti Western balladry of the series' second volume, all but two of this edition's 21 tracks are carried by female voices. Il Maestro serves them well, conjuring up some of his most stately and elegant melodies. Even the schlocky, forgotten Jaws rip-off Orca, Killer Whale is not beneath Morricone's contempt, even if his operatic intentions struggle with typically schmaltzy '70s lyrics on "We Are One." Among the highlights here are two smoky vocal versions (in French and Italian) of the international hit "Chi Mai" from Maddalena by the film's star Lisa Gastoni and a generous sampling of Morricone's collaborations with European pop queens Milva and Mireille Mathieu. Most of the latter are delicious pop reworkings of themes from other Morricone scores, including Mathieu's delightful, Piafesque read of the main title from Duck, You Sucker, "L'eblouissante Lumiere," and Milva's dusky, powerful "Questa Specie d'Amore." Brazilian jazz great Astrud Gilberto is also represented with two turns from The Burglars, "Una Donna Che Ti Ama" and "Argomenti." This collection exudes masterful melodies and playful sensuality from virtually every cut; a marvelous showcase of one of Morricone's most underrated facets as a composer. --Jerry McCulley