GREATEST HITS (1987)

The most effective soundtrack music complements the screenplay rather than upstaging it. Having not seen any of the original films for which the tracks in this compilation were written, I can only remark that GOBLIN produced some absolutely stunning pieces for film, and in a wide variety of progressive styles, mostly moody and keyboard oriented. However, with respect to some of these, their intensity could submerge even a gory horror flick of the type often taken on by GOBLIN. I''m guessing that in "Profondo Rosso", the original soundtrack includes more atmospheric pieces, and the title cut does indeed dominate the proceedings whenever it appears and, as such, makes for a thoroughly engrossing and visual listen with eyes closed, its melody lingering and waiting to....GOTCHA!

"Witch" is almost the polar opposite, an impenetrably dense and amorphous arrangement that seems lost without cinematography. While it may work just as well or better in its intended format, this is a CD review, and as a standalone piece it's invalid. Most of the rest succeed reasonably in the dubious anthology format, the best being the hypnotic "Suspiria", which transforms into an electronic piece worthy of TANGERINE DREAM or VANGELIS halfway through; the more jazzy and mellow "Est", and especially the ravishing "Jennifer", which gives me goosebumps every time, but not in the chicken-hearted manner one might expect from Goblin. Its appearance near the end of the disk helps to assuage some of the disquietude that might have heightened over the prior half hour or so.

While I am not necessarily about to race out to acquire the full OSTs sampled herein, GOBLIN's greatest offers more hits than misses, and may have paved the way for more keyboard oriented and electronic soundtracks by prog artists down the road. Scary thought?