46. Escalation -- Ennio Morricone

Mojo Says: "Wildly psychedelic opus to peculiar painted lady film."

Album: Escalation

Artist: Ennio Morricone

Year: 1968

Length: 29'43"

Track Listing:

1. Escalation
2. Dies Irae Psichedelico
3. Collage N. 1
4. Luca's Sound
5. Senza Respiro
6. Luca, Casa Londra
7. Matrimonio
8. Collage N. 2
9. Carillon Erotico
10. Primo Rito
11. Secondo Rito
12. Funerale Nero

Favorite Tracks:

1. Escalation
2. Collage N. 1
3. Funerale Nero
4. Dies Irae Psichedelico

Worst Tracks:
Luca, Casa Londra just has nothing going for it.

Is it weird?
If my understanding of Ennio Morricone is correct, then definitely.

Review:

I don't know too much about Ennio Morricone, other than he wrote film scores. A LOT of film scores. His Spotify page is so cluttered it's hard to find anything, it just has so much stuff on it. So, if this is his weirdest soundtrack, then well done Mr. Morricone, as this could easily be one of the weirdest soundtracks ever, at least for the time period.

It says something that even the relatively accessible stuff on this album I have a hard time imagining being played during film, maybe with the exception of the last track. The songs range from the seemingly innocuous but slightly off title track to 5-minute-plus guitar drones to tracks of someone making noises with their mouth, and the whole thing is just really bizzare. However, the more experimental tracks don't add to the enjoyability of the album, as they seem formless and dull.

Still, this was an entertaining listen, and though I imagine that this would work much better playing over a film, it still works on its own as a pretty good and decently off-putting in its weirdness.

Grade:

7/10

Listen: