Details:
- Film: Death Line
- Soundtrack composer: Wil Malone
- Original year of release: 1972
- Number of tracks: 2
- Soundtrack duration: 21 mins 35 secs
- Tracks with vocals/distracting aspects: 1 Track (4 mins 14 secs) (Track 1)
- Film score duration (with distracting tracks removed): 17 mins 20 secs
- Suggested suitable book genres: Campy, Cheesy Horror or some Bizarro
DLS Summary:
This soundtrack is a two-track offering, the first track being a piece of 1970’s funk and the second track being a collection of miniature musical pieces that make up the film’s backing score.
First off, the funky first track is far too distracting to be used for reading to. The second track however starts off as an okay piece for reading with, but eventually edges into something that’s perhaps a tad too distracting. Furthermore, at just 17 mins 20 seconds for the entirety of this second track, there’s not much there to keep you reading for long, even before it’s cut short when it starts to become distracting with squeaking violins making their presence known.
All in all an interesting but very short soundtrack that’s not one you’re likely to revisit too often, and not really one that’s recommended for reading with.
DLS Review:
The soundtrack starts out with the film’s main theme which is a delightfully 1970’s sounding groovy piece of funk music with electronic synthesizers and high-hat percussions giving it that rhythmic, bouncing vibe throughout the 4 minute 14 seconds long track.
The track’s as cheesy as it is colourful. Bouncing along with a groovy energy that makes you want to bounce along in time with the vibe. There’s no vocals and the music is basically a repeating structure for the entire 4-minute length. Nevertheless, it’s really no good for reading to.
The second track, simply entitled “Incidental pieces” is essentially a collection of all the background musical accompaniments from the film. Opening up this track we have a strings-oriented piece which would probably feel snuggly at home within a Hammer Horror movie. This opening part is however, suitably nondescript, and subtle enough to be used for reading with.
That said, there are a few moments where near ear-piercing notes are injected into the mix to provide a shrieking horror air to it. Again, these don’t last too long and won’t really interfere with your reading.
The track then fades into a quieter backing piece, which feels somewhat akin to the music from Romero’s ‘Dawn of the Dead’ (1978). This only lasts for a couple of minutes before we’re into some evocative choir ensemble, no lyrics, but instead a musical offering built through vocal scales. This again lasts for little more than a minute before we’re back into some classic and dare I say somewhat cliched 1970’s horror backing score. This comprises of small collection of instruments, most notably a clarinet and a Fisher-Price drumkit (or so it sounds).
At around twelve minutes the music quietens down to a lighter score which starts with bells (which sound like a doorbell being rung over and over again), moving onto a xylophone and chimes which are interspersed with a few banging drums and of course our trusty clarinet. This last section, however, begins to edge into the territory of distracting when reading to it, especially when the squeaking violin joins the party within the last minute or so of the track.
All in all, an interesting and different soundtrack as a whole, but not one that’s particularly good for accompanying reading.
As a soundtrack for reading to:
The soundtrack as a whole:
© DLS Reviews
