Rob Price
Gutbrain Records
rob + gutbrain.com = email

2012 August 20 • Monday

David Shire's score for The Taking of Pelham One Two Three is the 231st Soundtrack of the Week.

How I wish Dexter were old enough to watch this movie! He has a special relationship with the New York City subway system. (He likes the bus, too.)

The CD begins with the "Main Title" theme music, a groovy, rocking 12-tone tune with elements of funk and big-band jazz. It's really amazing. This is followed by "The Taking", which begins with a constant low-end pulse with martial snare. !2-tone horn lines come in and build tension before a more atmospheric section with strings or electronics.

"Dolowitz Takes a Look/Dolowitz Gets Killed" begins as off-kilter, syncopated madness with various instruments—horns, piano, guitar—making lively, odd statements. THen it goes into a depressive mood before returning to the previous musical feel.

Lots of percussion and bass set up a big groove for "Blue and Green Talk". It stops suddenly, though, and mournful, creepy strings take over.

"Money Montage" has the same groove as the main title music but different figures on top. The similar "Fifty Seconds/The Money Express" is suspense music with an arresting arrangement and intriguing instrumentation.

Solo piano and dissonant strings create a creepy atmosphere for "Conductor Killed/The Money Bag". "The Pelham's-Moving-Again Blues" isn't really a blues but a slower, heavier versino of the main title music.

"I'm a Police Officer/Renewing Disguises/Goodbye Green, Hello Garber, Goodbye Hippie/Smoking More, Enjoying It Less" comes bursting out of hte gate with percussion and urgent instruments climbing higher and higher. Then there's music with a lot of space alternating with more dense, frantic sections. This is followed by an atmospheric section and a return to the main title groove.

Percussive electric guitar (with muted strings) and a stripped down main title groove get "Mini-Manhunt" started. The whole band come blasting in for a bit and then it's back to the original sparse groove. It gets pensive at the end. Finally, the "End Title" is a reprise of "Main Title".