Screenthemes

One has to ask; who is this new release actually directed at? Barry afficiandos of every stripe? The occasional soundtrack listener? Fans of the film, or those struggling to find the orginal score from Silva Scree Records on CD or a Decca vinyl copy on the secondary market or from Film Music shops/online stores/Ebay? While the original score is one of my favourite Barry scores of the Espionage genre, I'm really not bowled over by the news or that motivated to own unlike the Séance on a Wet Afternoon and the three television films starring Katharine Hepburn - outstanding. The Ipcress File, of all Barry's 60's scores, is so distinctive, so highly original, that any replication 60+ years on, is never going to hit the mark. The instrumentation, in particular, the cymbalon, is not either a sound that is easy to replicate nor can compete with the orginal sound recording. I've given all the samples a one-time listen, and I have to say, I'm not blown away. Pacing is my first issue: there's a noticible hesitance in the opening track: the percussion and tempo simply not hitting the mark, and this filters through into the other samples - It all feels very dirge-like, which, lets face it, is not doing any great favours to a score that was already, in its original form, a dark, lugubrious work. While Quartet are to be applauded for continuing recording and producing such wonderful film music, on this occasion, with Ipcress, I'm unsure what this new presentation is adding to an already stunning OST? In truth the re-record offers significant reprisal material, which is apparent when viewing the film itself. There is repetition of the central theme through with multiple incorporations and interpolations of said theme. Are there new, younger Barry fans that are going to find this release an essential purchase? Are aged soundtrack-purchasing stalwarts like me, going to fork out £17 quid plus overseas P&P for a recording that will perhaps get a couple of spins and then end up on the collection shelf next two the two other Ipcress CD's I already own, and I'm going to be honest and admit, now rarely ever play. *I'm writing this, but at the same time, I'll still probably end up forking out for the damn thing! Others here may feel very different about this release news, many will be excited, overjoyed maybe. Personally, it all just feels like a record company scraping the bottom of the barrel; a barrel that now has very little unrecorded or unreleased John Barry material to offer film music fans and admirers of the late composer.