• Composed by Ennio Morricone
• Dagored / 2007 / 54:16

Written and directed by and starring Vittorio Gassman, Adolfo Celi and Luciano Lucignani, L’Alibi (translation: The Alibi) is a 1969 comedy drama about a trio of friends who reunite after many years apart.  It was a quiet year for Ennio Morricone – he only scored 22 films, the lazy git.  The score brims with 60s cool, lots of cheerful tunes, some pop arrangements, some lounge jazz, some dazzling vocals – all of them featuring that unmistakable Morricone flair.  It’s light music and very much a product of its time but highly entertaining, listenable throughout and full of delightful little touches.  You could dance to some of it (if you really wanted to – I suspect not many readers will).

There’s some more serious material too – “Pennellate” is a very classical-sounding piece of drama scoring, highlighting Morricone’s wonderful string writing.  Even some interminable suspense music slips in – “Guardando nel vuoto” is not a piece of music to play to a new belle or beau on your first date (save it until at least the second, that’s my advice).  “Canzone della liberta” is an unusual piece, an apparently sincere song performed by Sergio Endrigo and I Cantori Moderni di Alessandroni including snippets from famous speeches about freedom.  But best of all is the moody, catchy main theme – the unusual instrumentation, maddeningly addictive tune and “Girl from Ipanema”-style percussive accompaniment make a great combination.  There have been various CD releases over the years – this, from Dagored, presents the complete score, including some alternative versions.  Nothing major – by Morricone’s standards, anyway – but a lovely album all the same.

Rating: ***

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