I remember really liking this movie when I was a kid but am kind of wary to watch it again now. It probably isn't nearly as good as the Charles Addams cover art.

"Main Title/House of Twain/Sand and Wang" starts with a slightly ominous and mysterious bit before going into a peppy and humorous light orchestral section that clearly signals the intention for everything to be in good fun. Then there's a return to the mysterious and suspenseful so we can get the party started.

Stereotypes—"Chinese", "French" (or maybe it's supposed to be Belgian)—kick off "M. Perrier/Mushroom Idiot/Sam and Tess". A gong and then an accordion, of course. But then Grusin has some fun with familiar idioms, like the muted trumpet private eye blues at the end of the cue.

Conventional dramatic underscore with another gong hits and a return to the lighthearted feel of the first track provide context for that good ol' plot device, the "Broken Bridge".

The main theme gets repeated for "Strange Weather", which opens with some nice harp playing, and continues the mood for "Angry Cat and Cozy Fire".

Some of the wind instruments get short solo statements for "I'll Park the Car/Cobwebs" with harp and electric piano taking over at the end.

"Yetta" returns us to suspense with a nice blending of different orchestral colors while "Trust and Change/No Kissing/Hands of Time/Wang Is Wrong" uses harpsichord and electric guitar to bring out some different textures. There's a passage for strings that's very nice too.

A riff on "Rule Brittania" kicks off "Jessica Marbles/Death Mask/Toast to Lionel", continuing its ersatz anthem for a minute or so before switching to more eerie electric piano (or maybe it's a synthesizer) and strings.

The bouncy main theme returns again for "Gather at Table", followed by string clusters and staccatos for "Swords and Beans".

Some kind of tense and more powerful writing begins "Lockin' It Up/Twain Tango", then proceeds to a tip-toe creepy atmosphere.

You wouldn't think that dread could be lighthearted but that's what "Mirrors" sounds like.

More mystery/suspense creeping around music sets the stage for "Butler's Demise" and then there are some miniature suites that mostly shuffle around the various themes we've already heard.

Then we take a break from swinging entirely for the slow, moody, atmospheric "The Spy Who Came in from the Cold". It's in 3/4 and has a chilly, damp feel to it, perfectly appropriate.

When people did a record like this they tried to put an original piece of their own on it so they could get publishing royalties. Presumably that's what "Run Spy, Run" is, even though that's also the name of the first Nick Carter: Killmaster book, which came out the year before this record. It's a cool tune and would have done well as the theme for a secret agent movie or tv show.

Probably the most famous 12/8 movie or tv theme in history (what are some others?) comes up next: "Get Smart". The rhythm section starts out having to keep things pretty straight, then suggest a "Peter Gunn" feel before there's an explosion of great guitar, saxophone and organ playing. Which was really needed. It wasn't especially exciting until that happened.

My favorite of all Bond themes, "You Only Live Twice", happens now. The original will always be the greatest but there are several great covers. The one by The Quiets is maybe the best I've heard. This one is respectable but lacks intensity.

"007" is a great action cue that's in many of the Bond films. I used to play it in my first band! Or at least I tried to. It's a nice feature for Strange's guitar, which always sounds great. But it's another one that sounds kind of watered down. It might have something to do with the recording or mixing or mastering. It goes into a kind of goofy saxophone solo too.

The energy picks up a bit for "Goldfinger" and the guitar is bright and sharp and engaging.

Finally there's "The Rockford Files" because... well, I don't know why. Different decade, different genre. But whatever. I always love to hear it and while this isn't as good as the original—it's a little too slow, for one thing—it's cool to hear Strange's low-toned and tremoloey guitar playing this terrific melody.