The Longer Goodbye

John Williams work is so often judged on his blockbuster scores - in my humble opinion undermining his less well known, but equally exciting material.  In "The Long Goodbye" his melody haunts the entire film from before the credits and is integrated into the movie itself, managing to be both classic and innovative.  An old-timer pianist hammers it out as Marlowe walks into a bar; a "popular beat combo" reprise the number on a radio.  The first few notes jangle as he rings the villain's doorbell, and there is even a cheesy strings version over the tannoy in the local supermarket.

Here, Al Nichols has paid homage to William's vision and enlarged upon it - taking the theme and it's late sixties/early seventies setting and playing with it.  Echoes of James Bond, French New Wave cinema and even HRH Gene Pitney filter in and out of "The Long Goodbye Suite."  Oh, and check out the free "stereo test" in part five - do not adjust your sets, folks...

Incidentally, the only other tune in the film is a gloriously post-ironic version of "Hooray For Hollywood" over the final credits.  Way to go, Mr Altman....

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