The Italian Prog Appreciation den

Studio Album, 1975
3.90 | 27 ratings
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Review by andrea
Prog Reviewer

Murders, blood, mystery but also music and humour are some of the ingredients of this extraordinary thriller that tells the story of an English musician, Marcus Daly (interpreted by David Hemmings) who, after he witnessed the murder of a famous psychic, gets involved in the crime investigations teaming up with a female reporter. Actually, the soundtrack was initially commissioned to Italian jazz musician Giorgio Gaslini but he didn't fulfil his task (in that period he was involved in other projects) and the band managed to complete it with excellent results. The music perfectly fits the scenes on the screen adding tension and rhythm to dialogues and images. Both film and score were extremely successful and the name of the band became indelibly associated with this thriller and its strong colours.

Both film and album begin with the notes of the dark and hypnotic title track, by far the best known Goblin's piece. The album is completely instrumental but images can be even stronger than words... If you haven't seen the film try to imagine a cradle tumbling down, a rag doll tortured with pins, some strange direful puppets, then marbles, knives and daggers, a single eye watching you... A face reflected in a pool of blood, deep red! "Sometimes what you really see and what you imagine mix up in your memory like a cocktail and you can't distinguish the different flavours anymore...".

Next track "Death Dies" is more aggressive and in the film is associated with scenes of murders. Flashing blades and leather gloves in action, stains of blood and gloomy puppets come to mind while music flows nervous and tense...

"Mad Puppet" could remind of Mike Oldfield's "Tubular Bells" and it's a perfect background for the exploration of a villa haunted by ghosts and gloomy souvenirs or for the visit in a desert school in the middle of the night while a psychopathic murderer is lurking...

"Wild Session" begins with sound effects and the wind blowing. There is a presence... "I feel like a blade entering in my flesh...". An evil thought is still hanging in the room when rhythm takes off on the notes of a haunting piano pattern...

"Deep Shadows" is disquieting and dark. It features peculiar percussive patterns and many changes of rhythm. Stop and listen to, let your imagination drive you through a corridor full of mirrors and strange paintings... Then imagine to climb on the wall of a mysterious house looking for a missing window... It's dark, you risk to fall down, be cautious while moving like a clumsy acrobat, there's a threatening presence observing what you're doing...

Last two tracks were composed by Giorgio Gaslini and feature orchestral arrangements. "School At Night" is a nursery rhyme that in the film is linked to the perverted mind of a serial killer. "Gianna" is light and romantic and in the film is associated to the character of female journalist Gianna Brizzi. A good way to conclude a 30 minutes ride on the edge of folly.

Goblin's debut album was not only successful but also very influential on the whole Italian music scene... A must for every Italianprog lover! By the way, the re-release on CD features unreleased tracks coming out from the film score and from the sessions...