Piero Umiliani - To-Day's Sound '1973

Tracks list

Although he is best known for lounge-oriented film scores like Svezia Inferno E
Paradiso and Angeli Bianchi...Angeli Neri, Italian composer Piero Umiliani was
also a prolific composer of easy listening pop. His finest effort in this vein
was To-Day's Sound, a 1971 instrumental double album. This adventurous
undertaking manages to justify its length by dishing up 21 tight, punchy
instrumentals that mix lounge, jazz, easy listening, and pop hooks in equal
measure. To-Day's Sound is also notable because it incorporates the then-new
Moog synthesizer into a large number of its tracks. Indeed, the fast-paced samba
of "Caretera Panamerica" and the mellow jazziness of "Coast to Coast" get added
sonic kick from the thick but artfully integrated synthesizer textures that
layer their arrangements. Another one of the Moog-oriented tunes, "Lady
Magnolia," has become a favorite of remixers on the modern lounge music scene
thanks to its effective combination of funky rhythms and bubbly synthesizer
lines. The non-electronic compositions prove to be just as ear-pleasing as the
Moog-oriented ones: "Green Valley" wraps mellow guitar and organ lines around a
fat groove from the rhythm section and "Safari Club" layers airy flute and
soulful organ riffs over a light samba rhythm. There is also a strong funk edge
to a number of the tracks: "Truck Driver" and "Railroad" both layer wah-wah
guitars and rippling keyboard work over rumbling basslines. All in all, To-Day's
Sound is a stunning and beautifully crafted album that is guaranteed to please
lounge enthusiasts and an ideal choice for anyone interested in the work of
Piero Umiliani.

Tracklist:
1.01 - Piero Umiliani - Open Space (4:19)
1.02 - Piero Umiliani - Green Valley (3:06)
1.03 - Piero Umiliani - Caretera panamericana (3:02)
1.04 - Piero Umiliani - Goodmorning Sun (4:44)
1.05 - Piero Umiliani - To-Day's Sound (2:29)
1.06 - Piero Umiliani - Free Dimension (2:22)
1.07 - Piero Umiliani - Truck Driver (4:39)
1.08 - Piero Umiliani - Blue Lagoon (3:43)
1.09 - Piero Umiliani - Wanderer (3:56)
1.10 - Piero Umiliani - Lady Magnolia (3:27)
1.11 - Piero Umiliani - Pretty (3:13)
1.12 - Piero Umiliani - Railroad (4:18)
1.13 - Piero Umiliani - Country Town (3:33)
1.14 - Piero Umiliani - Bus Stop (2:49)
1.15 - Piero Umiliani - Cotton Road (3:46)
1.16 - Piero Umiliani - Nocturne (3:30)
1.17 - Piero Umiliani - Exploration (2:13)
1.18 - Piero Umiliani - Tropical River (4:24)
1.19 - Piero Umiliani - Coast to Coast (3:27)
1.20 - Piero Umiliani - Safari Club (5:11)
1.21 - Piero Umiliani - Music On the Road (4:27)

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