BILLION DOLLAR BRAIN O.S.T. Richard Rodney Bennett LP NM/NM 1967 Stereo

Description: Billion Dollar Brain Review by Bruce Eder Inventiveness in the field of soundtracks doesn't necessarily equate with success, and Richard Rodney Bennett's score for Ken Russell's movie Billion Dollar Brain is a case in point. It sold in only a fraction of the numbers that John Barry's James Bond soundtracks of the same era did, but it was more inventive than any of the Bond scores. The complex main theme, built on a beautifully complex piano part played on three keyboards at once (two of them by Bennett and noted English composer Thea Musgrave) and backed by an orchestra of brass and percussion, leads into a score built on the sounds of the Ondes Martenot, a theremin-like instrument, in a surprisingly lyrical and disquieting mode, juxtaposed with bold examples of faux-Russian romanticism and post-romanticism and very modern electric guitar, keyboard, and percussion pieces, each capturing a different slice of the mood of this somewhat loopy, partly satirical adventure thriller. The music was at times more coherent than the movie in relating to the audience, signaling far better in some instances than Russell did what sequences were intended as wryly humorous. The very fact that Bennett delivered a score that didn't have anything in it that could be adapted to a pop theme, à la "Somewhere My Love" from Doctor Zhivago, was a point in his favor. He also showed throughout that he understood the lesson of less sometimes being more, his most sparely scored sections, such as "Kaarna," with its mix of Ondes Martenot, electric harpsichord, percussion, and guitar, being far more intense listening experiences than some of the larger-scale tracks. The bizarre takes on folk material, such as "Hoe Down," which transposes a traditional American tune ("Camptown Races") into an atonal dance interlude complete with a Russian cast to the brass part, is a bonus for serial music buffs, and "Panic in the Brain" is perhaps one of the best pieces of atonal music ever written for a thriller. The album has been out of print since the end of the 1960s and is well worth tracking down, either in its original vinyl form (the British edition had better sound and superior jacket notes) or the 2002-issued CD (paired with The Ipcress File) from Movietrack. Richard Rodney Bennett – Billion Dollar Brain (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) Richard Rodney Bennett - Billion Dollar Brain (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) album cover More images Label:United Artists Records – UAS 5174 Format: Vinyl, LP, Stereo Country:US Released:1967 Genre:Jazz, Stage & Screen Style:Soundtrack, Big Band, Cool Jazz A1Billion Dollar Brain Theme2:55 A2Anya1:10 A3The Church1:30 A4Skidoo0:59 A5Ambush3:03 A6Kaarna2:46 A7Russian Cavalry1:25 A8Love Scene1:12 A9Hoe Down1:03 B1Panic In The Brain1:14 B2Car Chase2:15 B3Midwinter's Army9:27 B4Anya0:55 B5Billion Dollar Brain Theme (Reprise)1:18 Record Company – United Artists Records, Inc. Copyright © – United Artists Records, Inc. Published By – Unart Music Corp. Arranged By, Composed By – Richard Rodney Bennett Conductor – Marcus Dods GOLDMINE GRADING MINT ---- It should appear to be perfect. No scuffs or scratches, blotches or stains, labels or writing, tears or splits. Mint means perfect. NEAR MINT ---- Otherwise mint but has one or two tiny inconsequential flaws that do not affect play. Covers should be close to perfect with minor signs of wear or age just becoming evident: slight ring-wear, minor denting to a corner, or writing on the cover should all be noted properly. VERY GOOD PLUS ---- The record has been handled and played infrequently or very carefully. Not too far from perfect. On a disc, there may be light paper scuffs from sliding in and out of a sleeve or the vinyl or some of the original luster may be lost. A slight scratch that did not affect play would be acceptably VG+ for most collectors. VERY GOOD ---- Record displays visible signs of handling and playing, such as loss of vinyl luster, light surface scratches, groove wear and spindle trails. Some audible surface noise, but should not overwhelm the musical experience. Usually a cover is VG when one or two of these problems are evident: ring wear, seam splits, bent corners, loss of gloss, stains, etc. GOOD ---- Well played with little luster and significant surface noise. Despite defects, record should still play all the way through without skipping. Several cover flaws will be apparent, but should not obliterate the artwork.POOR ---- Any record or cover that does not qualify for the above "Good" grading should be seen as Poor. Several cover flaws.

Price: 2.99 USD

Location: Saginaw, Michigan

End Time: 2024-10-17T18:18:19.000Z

Shipping Cost: 7 USD