Soundtrack Apocalisse

Fernando Di Leo’s Milano Calibro 9 (aka Caliber 9, 1972) has been described as a cinematic achievement for Italian cinema and is widely regarded as one of the greatest poliziotteschi movies.  And its soundtrack is just as engaging and full of tension and surprise as the movie itself.

Argentinean composer Luis Bacalov composed the original score to the movie, and it is a beauty.  Bacalov had previously made amazing scores for such Italian films as Django (1966) and The Summertime Killer (1972) and would later in his life receive an Oscar for his score for Il Postino (aka The Postman, 1994).  His orchestration is a perfect complement to the movie, and is melodies are powerful, haunting and unforgettable.  If the movie had an alternate soundtrack, it may not have had the same effect it ultimately deserved.

The only actual release of the soundtrack is not the music found in the movie, but rather a reinterpretation of the original themes played with the Italian progressive band Osanna.  Osanna were quite popular in their time and were one of the more notable acts of the Italian progressive rock scene of the early 1970’s.  They were known for their theatrical costumes, a flute player who played through effects, and their album Palpoli (1973), which many say is one of the best Italian prog records.

Osanna’s additions to Bacalov’s compositions make the score slightly more accessible, as they add synthesizers and distorted guitars.  They also contribute several wild original compositions, full of chord changes and crazy sax solos that border on free jazz.  And to top it all of, there’s the Engrish laden lyrics of There Will Be Time, which is a fantastic, unforgettable Italian pop song.

The albums beats and melodies have had a rebirth of sorts with the current sampling generation.  DJ Shadow sampled an orchestral sweep on his infamous debut Endtroducing, and more recently underground hip hop group Non Phixion used bits from a track on a collaboration with cult horror sampler Necro.  Osanna is amazingly still a band and they perform songs from this album to this day.

The album is unfortunately, like many great scores, hard to find in the States.  Italian and Japanese copies can be found, but usually at high import prices.  And trying to find a vinyl copy seems nearly impossible, but this album is definitely worth it for those looking for a great Italian progressive score.