Goblin
were formed in Rome in 1974. The line-up on their debut album,
released in 1975, featured Massimo Morante (guitar, vocals), Claudio
Simonetti (keyboards), Fabio Pignatelli (bass) and Walter Martino
(drums, percussion) who replaced the original drummer Carlo Bordini.
All the members of the band had previously played in other acts such
as Oliver, Il Ritratto di Dorian Gray and Seconda Generazione that
never had the chance to record an album. The turning point of
Goblin’s career was meeting film director Dario Argento who
recruited them for the soundtrack of “Profondo rosso” (Deep Red),
one of his most successful films.
Murders,
blood, mystery but also music and humour are some of the ingredients
of this extraordinary thriller that tells the story of an English
musician, Marcus Daly (played by David Hemmings) who, after
witnessing the murder of a famous psychic, gets involved in the crime
investigations teaming up with a female reporter. Actually, the
soundtrack was initially commissioned to Italian jazz musician
Giorgio Gaslini but he didn’t fulfil his task (in that period he
was involved in other projects) and the band managed to complete it
in an excellent manner. The music perfectly fits the scenes on screen
adding tension and rhythm to dialogues and images. Both film and
score were extremely successful and the name of the band became
indelibly associated with this thriller and its strong colours.
Both
film and album begin with the notes of the dark, hypnotic title
track, by far the best known Goblin piece. The album is completely
instrumental but images can be even stronger than words... If you
haven’t seen the film try to imagine a cradle tumbling down, a rag
doll tortured with pins, some strange direful puppets, then marbles,
knives and daggers, a single eye watching you... A face reflected in
a pool of blood, deep red! “Sometimes what you really see and what
you imagine getting mixed up in your memory like a cocktail and you
can’t distinguish the different flavours anymore...” (1).
The
next track “Death Dies” is more aggressive and is associated with
scenes of murders in the film. Flashing blades and leather gloves in
action, blood stains and gloomy puppets come to mind while the music
flows nervous and tense...
“Mad
Puppet” could recall Mike Oldfield’s “Tubular Bells” and it’s
a perfect background for the exploration of a villa haunted by ghosts
and dark memories or for a visit to a deserted school in the middle
of the night while a psychopathic murderer is lurking...
“Wild
Session” begins with sound effects and the wind blowing. There is a
presence... “I feel something like a blade entering my flesh...”
(2). An evil thought is still hanging in the room when the rhythm
takes off on the notes of a haunting piano pattern...
“Deep
Shadows” is disquieting and dark. It features peculiar percussive
patterns and many changes in rhythm. Stop and listen, let your
imagination drive you through a corridor full of mirrors and strange
paintings... Then imagine climbing up the wall of a mysterious house
looking for a missing window... It’s dark, you risk falling, be
cautious while moving like a clumsy acrobat, there’s a threatening
presence observing what you’re doing...
The
last two tracks were composed by Giorgio Gaslini and feature
orchestral arrangements. “School At Night” is a nursery rhyme
that in the film is linked to the perverted mind of a serial killer.
“Gianna” is light and romantic and in the film is associated to
the character of female journalist Gianna Brezzi. A good way to
conclude a 30 minute ride on the edge of folly.
Goblin’s
debut album was not only successful but also very influential on the
whole Italian music scene... A must for every Italian prog lover! By
the way, the re-release on CD features unreleased tracks from the
film score and from the sessions...
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(1) -
(2): Words taken from a dialogue in the film
You can listen to the complete album HERE
