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Ennio Morricone finally received an Oscar this year, and even if it was “just” a lifetime achievement award, it was nice to him see him recognized as one of cinema’s greatest composers. Yet after almost 20 years of mixed major-studio output, the average filmgoer knows little of him beyond his iconic score for
Il buono, il brutto, il cattivo|The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
. This new compilation is far from definitive, and little of his best work, like “Come Maddalena” or “Aboliçâo,” is here. But these are rare and hard-to-find tracks culled from obscure soundtracks that remind you how he continued to create inspired work through the ’70s and ’80s. Especially innovative is “Recreazione divertita,” which starts out as a delicate music-box melody before giving way to jumpy vocal ticks and psychedelic scatting and then settling into a back-and-forth between drill chants and classical vignettes. The title of this collection looks aimed at a stoner crowd; the album’s tracks drift and shimmer. But Morricone needs no medicinal assistance to amaze. And if this collection isn’t comprehensive or even representative, it’s still a great place to start.