Ennio Morricone finally received an Oscar this year, and even if it was “just” a lifetime achievement award, it was nice to him see him recognized as one of cinema’s greatest composers. Yet after almost 20 years of mixed major-studio output, the average filmgoer knows little of him beyond his iconic score for Il buono, il brutto, il cattivo|The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. This new compilation is far from definitive, and little of his best work, like “Come Maddalena” or “Aboliçâo,” is here. But these are rare and hard-to-find tracks culled from obscure soundtracks that remind you how he continued to create inspired work through the ’70s and ’80s. Especially innovative is “Recreazione divertita,” which starts out as a delicate music-box melody before giving way to jumpy vocal ticks and psychedelic scatting and then settling into a back-and-forth between drill chants and classical vignettes. The title of this collection looks aimed at a stoner crowd; the album’s tracks drift and shimmer. But Morricone needs no medicinal assistance to amaze. And if this collection isn’t comprehensive or even representative, it’s still a great place to start.
