When director Francis Ford Coppola turned novelist Mario Puzo's pulpy The Godfather into one of the greatest accomplishments of modern American cinema in 1972, one of his shrewdest decisions was to hand the scoring assignment to the great Italian film composer Nino Rota. Rota, who had built his reputation alongside Fellini (though he'd already scored some three dozen films in the previous 20 years), brought Neopolitan jazz stylings and a Sicilian melodic sensibilty (characterized perfectly by the main title's mournful solo trumpet, which has since become a cinematic icon) to a story of corruption and betrayal as American as, well, gnocchi. Listening to this masterful score one can't help but wonder what Rota, who died in 1979) might have accomplished had he begun working with Hollywood's resources a decade earlier. --Jerry McCulley

While the first volume in this wonderful series focused on TV and movie themes in the Western vernacular, such as Bonanza, Gunfight at the OK Corral, et al., this second collection digs deeper into the American kitsch experience -- as envisioned through the eyes of a German family's view of popular culture in the States. There are no less than 23 selections here that vary in range and quality from Nat "King" Cole and Stubby Kaye's bizarre rough and rowdy theme song for the Jane Fonda vehicle Cat Ballou, to Jose Feliciano's rockabilly singing of "Old Turkey Buzzard" from the film MacKenna's Gold, to Glen Campbell's gorgeous "A Man With True Grit" from the film True Grit. There's a vibe that runs through all of this seemingly disparate material, and that is how the Western theme song evolved from a simple Hollywood instrumental with lots of sound effects to the aftermath of Ennio Morricone's adaptations for spaghetti Westerns by Sergio Leone to the involvement of show tune composers such as Elmer Bernstein and Dan Black in the genre. There are traditional contributors of course, such as Tex Ritter with his theme to Wichita, the Sons of the Pioneers with "Sugarfoot," and Johnny Gregory with his theme from Bronco. But there was also an era when singers like Wayne Newton contributed his silky Vegas voice to the series Stagecoach and Andy Williams and his champagne throat sang on the soundtrack for the John Huston/Paul Newman vehicle The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean. Thankfully, there is also a fine rendition here from the original released soundtrack to the television program Wagon Train, and Dean Martin weighs in with "The Wind, The Wind" from the film Pardners -- yes, it was a comedy. The package, unlike other Bear Family packages, contains literally no liner notes, but the sound has been remastered expertly and the booklet includes literally dozens of reproductions of movie posters (mostly German versions!) and stills from both film and TV. This is every bit as essential as the first volume and even more off the beaten track. ~ Thom Jurek

Track list
On the Moon Above
Mooncakes
Rocket to the Moon
Rocket to the Moon (Reprise)
Ultraluminary
Hey Boy
Wonderful
Yours Forever (Reprise)
Love Someone New
Moon Phases
It's Good to Meet New People
Family Invasion
Nighttime Conversation
Science Project
Journey to Lunaria
Consider Yourself Welcomed
This Road is a Suicide Mission
A Bonding Experience
I've Lost Everything Now
The Chamber of Exquisite Sadness
Remember when We Said Goodbye
Back Home

With more than 3.5m worth of tickets already sold for Lloyd Webbers production, the new release of The Sound of Music London Palladium Cast 2006 will undoubtedly follow suit in its success. With favorites such as My Favorite Things, Edelweiss, Maria and Do-Re-Mi, this 21 track album allows us to re-live the story of Maria and The Von Trap Family. Alexander Hanson is outstanding in his support role as Captain George Von Trapp. Polydor.