NOTTURNO (OST)

By 1983, Goblin had split into two camps: The "Real" Goblin, featuring core members Claudio Simonetti and Massimo Morante; and The "New" Goblin, led by drummer Agostino Marangolo and assisted by Maurizio Guarini among others. Bassist Fabio Pignatelli would straddle both lineups, and provide both guitar and bass on this spy thriller soundtrack. This incarnation of the group would keep not only the Goblin name, but hearken back to a sound not heard since its heyday. While Simonetti-Pignatelli-Morante still had ties to Dario Argento, their work on 1982's Tenebre was hardly representative of the Goblin tradition, but instead featured the electronic sounds of the day and some repetitive themes. The score to Notturno is arguably better, and among the best of Goblin's output in the entire decade. However, Notturno is definitely not RPI, and really not even prog, and can only be rated as such - 2 stars.

The title theme "Nocturne" sounds immediately familiar, as the similarity to Dawn of The Dead is apparently obvious. Regardless, this derivative track reminds me of what Goblin does so well, and that is score films. I must admit I have never seen Notturno (aka "Spy Connection"), but one can imagine a high-speed chase or action scene set quite easily to this music. "Bass Theme" is exactly what it sounds like, a chance for Pignatelli to show off some of his fretless bass chops. The tone here is decidedly "eighties," but not unlike King Crimson circa side two of Beat. The creepy synth pads also remind us this is Goblin, but are also reminiscent of Libra's soundtrack to Schock. "Landing Strip" is a ballad more akin to what Goblin was doing on Amo non Amo, and "Helycopter" also echoes those soothing sounds. This goes a little too far on "Est," which careens into Grammy Jazz territory as we are treated to more fretless bass. The original LP would end here, after a reprise of the "Landing Strip" cue.

Notturno was issued on CD once by Cinevox in 1998, and this version features seven variations on the "Notturno" theme. None of these outtakes really add any value to the album as a whole, but do display the commitment Cinevox has to keeping the Goblin catalog as complete as possible, and are a treat for fans in that regard. But it is those Goblin fans alone that will be bothered to track this down, as I can't recommend Notturno to anyone else, really.