CD REVIEW - SU LE MANI, CADAVERE! SEI IN ARRESTO


Su Le Mani, Cadavere! Sei In Arresto
Music by Alessandroni Alessandroni
GDM Hillside Series GDM 4114
23 Tracks 57:12 mins

Don't be fooled, as I was, by the dramatic cover of this CD, or by the tense, suspenseful opening track. The score for this 1971 production, featuring Peter lee Lawrence, is a pretty lightweight affair; for once this track is out of the way, Alessandroni introduces his admittedly catchy main theme, initially as the vocal "Gray Skies, which was co-composed with G. De Mutiis, and voiced by Alessandroni's own I Cantori Moderni. A nice, easy, laid-back instrumental version follows, but thereafter, with a few exceptions, like the menacing "Bandidos,"the theme is done to death, often interrupting whatever dramatic moments there are, with the more electronic treatments being particularly irritating. It has its moments, principally when Alessandroni's whistle and the choir take part, but these are seldom sustained, and the out-and-out comic version presented in "Sando Kid Contro Tutti" is to be avoided at all cost.
It's really a shame about this score, because the theme isn't all that bad, it's just repeated far too often and not often shown in its best light.
Accompanying the disc is the usual colourful booklet, with stills, artwork and cast and crew credits. Visit www.hillsidecd.co.uk