Search - Various Artists :: Crime Scene: Ultra Lounge 7

CD Noir

Shaun Mason | 12/17/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It was Thursday, which didn't matter because every day is dark in this business. She walked in on a pair of gams that seemed taller than she was, stuffed down into a pair of heels that whispered a special message to my trouser occupant. Her cigarette was held by a long holder, suggesting a classy dame, but her eyes had the jaded sensibility of a street walker. She sat down and crossed her legs, letting a little more thigh than I expected peek out of the slit in her skirt. She exhaled a lungful of Lucky Strike and smirked at me. My pistol was in an uncomfortable bind, so I readjusted it and asked her what I could do for her. She asked me to play some music, so I threw on The Crime Scene CD. She looked me up and down and said "That's a nice disc." That's how the whole thing got started . . ."

Music to be murdered by

M. Kunz | Tulsa, OK | 10/23/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I picked this album up to help complete my Ultra-Lounge collection, and they haven't missed the mark with Crime Scene.
With jazzy and slick tunes, this one doesn't fail to please. Theme songs to TV shows and movies alike make up a refreshingly familiar and cool set of tunes.Some reviewers have complained that themes like "Pink Panther" and "Hawaii 5-0" should be included, but this CD introduced me to some theme songs that I'd never heard before ("Walk on the Wild Side," "Search for Vulcan") and besides, "Pink Panther" is already on Mondo Hollywood.The best part of this entire album is the last (real) track, "Music to Be Murdered By." Jeff Alexander is credited, but the track is introduced by the Master of Suspense and Macabre himself, Sir Alfred Hitchcock, who assures us that "naturally, the record is long playing, even though you may not be." It's a morbid yet pleasant surprise.The very last track, a "bonus," continues Ultra-Lounge's long-running inside joke with the "Man About Town" soap opera series, this time a love poem (the Hammond Organ is still there). All in all, an excellent disk for rainy days and planning your next bank heist."

Music This Good Should Be a Crime!

loungelizard7 | 05/07/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"When I went to resubmit this under my account name, I found that my opinions about this volume have really changed. I like the CD much better. It GROWS on you, and it becomes one of the series' strongest entries, as well as the jazziest. And of all the volumes, which are themed, this one's flavor and mood carries through each track better than any of the others.Ray Anthony's "Dragnet" starts things off just right, swinging like a Benny Goodman tune after the stodgy marching intro. "Room 43," the song it's packaged with, is highly reminiscent of something you'd hear in an old mobster or detective film. It's a great jazzy tune, not upstaged by "Dragnet" before it and building to a strong climax. Also capturing that detective mystery/film noir feel with uncanny precision are Elmer Bernstein's "Thinking of Baby" (he also helmed "Staccato's Theme" and wrote "The Silencers," both on this volume) and the gorgeous "Big Town" by Laurindo Almeida and the Dansaneros. On of the best tracks, there's just no getting tired of this one. Poetic and dreamy, yet moody, lonely, and a little bit dark, it pretty much defines the CD. And Vikki Carr's "The Silencers," from the Matt Helm film, has it all: sexy, teasing, and a little murderous. (And catch those double entendres!) Love the closing verse, with the trombone in the background!Billy May headlines two incredible tracks this time around. First up is the taut, ominous, esplosive "The Man with the Golden Arm," rocking so hard that you get caught up in the beat. The snarling trumpets, the slurping saxophones, the blaring trombones...May always knew how to arrange a hit. That quality also comes through big time in his faithful "Mission: Impossible" cover. Although it sticks far too close to the original recording by Lalo Schifrin (down to the solo), the dramatic climax, with the strings sweeping up the melody, gets you moving every time.The "Peter Gunn Suite" is okay, but a below reviewer had it all right when he complained about the theme being at the end. I'm guessing it was supposed to be some sort of climax (or a lure to get you to listen to the rest), but for an eight-minute, thirty-three-second track (only about 1:50 of which is the theme), it's awfully annoying to place the theme at the end of the track. Nonetheless, it's the popular Ray Anthony version, and when you do get to it, it's as hard-driving and satisfying as ever. (Note: On the U-L Fuzzy Sampler, the theme is included as a track--without the suite before it.) For a much better crime jazz suite, take a listen to the exciting "Burke's Law Suite" on Vol.13. Another TV theme shares the big spotlight here: Nelson Riddle's "The Untouchables" cover. It starts off a little weak, I know, but keep listening--it's all part of the scheme of things. When it reaches the stomping, thundering, Rockette-kicking climax, you'll know what I mean.But, let's face it. The big draw-in for most everyone is the John Barry's timeless "James Bond Theme." Oh, yes, it is here, incredible and mind-blowing as ever. (Although this is not the original; that can be found on 'The Best of Bond...James Bond' along with all the themes up to "Tomorrow Never Dies.") The Bond theme is undoubtedly one of the greatest and most instanty recognizable pieces of music ever written, and it's easy to see why: it grabs you and never lets go. And Bond's affiliated tunes don't fare so badly, either. Elliott Fisher's flute-led "Mr. Kiss-Kiss Bang-Bang" is far better than Dionne Warwick and Shirley Bassey's versions combined, sounding extremely Bondian from the tense, exciting open. You can just see those female silhouettes dancing in the background... "Search for Vulcan," by Leroy Holmes, is one of the best tracks in all the Ultra-Lounge. An incredible, redo of the slow, drab original from one of the underwater sequences in 'Thunderball,' and played by a wa-wa guitar and backed by bongos, it is decribed by the liner notes as "a cocktail nation anthem waiting to be discovered." Smooth, and cool, but sometimes tough, brassy, and abrasive, this is one you can't miss. And it just doesn't get any better than the Count Basie Orchestra. And boy, they do an unforgettable job with "From Russia with Love." (This track coems from an old album called 'Basie Meets Bond,' found nowhere at all today. The only other available track is "Goldfinger," available on Volume 12. Why do they keep these things locked away! ) Classic lounge that can be listened to time and time again, this is the volume's crowning moment. A dark, intensely jazzy arrangement, this is the Bond-loving lounge fan's holy grail. Superbly played, with flawless solos, don't be surprised to find yourself snapping along with that famous Basie rhythm section!Make no mistake about it: this is one great CD. If you become a fan of the Ultra-Lounge, set some money aside and make this one of your first additions."