Pink Panther Theme by Henry Mancini Album: The Collection
Where’d this one come from? My parents’ collection? Oh, yeah, it did. I remember it on the old Maganvox, way back when. It could have been worse. The Refresh button could have picked ‘Baby Elephant Walk’, and then where would we be? So, the Pink Panther it is. Try not to let it make you think of the damn cartoons for just a minute, will ya? Use beginner mind.

That familiar saxophone/flute line suggests feline grace, but there are also some hot drum moves and outrageous horn stings. The way the strings hover over the middle saxophone solo just oozes sophistication.

I think this ranks as Mancini’s finest composition, with the possible exception of Moon River and the theme from ‘Newhart’. The 80’s one, not the 70’s one. Although that was pretty sassy too.

Cul De Sac by Lush Album: Topolino
Check it out; now even Lush has gotten into a jazzy mood. Must be that Pink Panther influence.

I didn’t understand Lush at first. Sure, I bought Gala and Spooky, and I thought ‘nice ethereal vocals’ like everyone else did. But then I saw them live, and there was Miki with the bright red hair, and I thought, ‘Hello, what’s this’?. Then they tore the place apart with ‘Deluxe’, and I reached enlightenment. I still remember standing right in front of Phil on bass, with his incredibly interesting shoes — at least they must have been. The shoes that named a genre.

This track was written by said bass player Phil, and it shows. It’s got a walking bass line, but also vibraphones and sax. I dedicate it to Mancini, who would have been proud.

The Polonaise by Frédéric Chopin Album: Shine (Soundtrack)
A snippet from the ‘Shine’ soundtrack. Chopin was a legend. He died at my age. They all died early. Do you ever wish you could give some of your life to these composers? Because you’re not really doing anything with it, and they could use some extra time. I’d personally give a month out of my life so Mozart could finish his Requiem, even though everyone likes it fine just as it is.

Better to listen to the full version of this song; this version is so short that it’s time to move on to…

Like Dust (Extended) by Passion Puppets Album: Like Dust (Single)
You want to talk 80s. Here’s a band you probably missed. Their debut effort was Beyond the Pale, and the track that got all the airplay on college stations was ‘Like Dust’. The opening bars have a guitar rhythm that sounds like a gallop, and makes the song faintly western. The whole album was a really fine effort, so passionate and heartfelt, and it’s too bad they only ever had the one album. If you see it in some old record store and you still sort of like Modern English or The Icicle Works, give it a spin.

Carol Masters by Alphaville Album: Afternoons in Utopia
Okay, now it’s going to seem like I only have a few albums and they keep repeating. I do have more than just the eight CDs. And yet I’m not complaining that this one’s come up. Again we see Alphaville in a rather complex song with science fantasy overtones. A gorgeous line: “We shall meet tomorrow night, and I’ll kiss you just as tenderly as Cygnus kissed the deserts.” Is it mythology? Or just magical?