Various Artists The Mad Mad World of Soundtracks (Motor 553 499) Time and again Vik has heard guests mention they came to the world of EZ/mood/exotica/lounge collecting via a love for soundtracks. These days, the "soundtrack" is all but dead, replaced by the "hits package" featuring the latest big pop stars andgeared toward making money for the associated record label. Most times the tracks on today's soundtracks appear for maybe 30 seconds deep in the background of a scene (a passing car, the sounds on a radio, behind a door), but time was when the soundtrack actually functioned to create a feel in the film. The likes of Mancini, Shifrin and Montenegro may have gone the way of the Edsel, but thanks to archivists and indie labels, we are getting the chance to re-discover the lost art of the soundtrack. The latest contender comes again from Germany (land of Vik's fave soundtrack label - Crippled Dick Hot Wax) and brings us the aptly titled "The Mad Mad World of Soundtracks." Produced by Motor Records, this collection runs the gamut from hipster instrumental to psychedelic pop. The booklet contains well written liner notes and small photos of each cover. There is also a companion 12" by 12" coffee table book called "The Album Cover Art of Soundtracks" edited by Frank Jastfelder and Stefan Kassol (Edition Olms, ISBN 3-283-00330-0). A bit pricey in the States (due to being an import) it nonetheless tops Vik's list of recent finds in the "must have" department. Whether a soundtrack fan or simply a music loving hipster, do yourself a favor and find this disc. Henry Mancini "The Party" - Sid Ramin "Stiletto" - Mongo Santamaria "La La La" - Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart "The Ambushers" - Chaquito "The Name of the Game" - Ann-Margaret "The Swinger" - Kenyon Hopkins "Hard Latin" - Mark Lindsay "Something Big" - Dino, Desi and Billy "Thru Spray Colored Glasses" - Hugo Montenegro "(Theme From) The Fox" - Lalo Schifrin "Ice Pick Mike" - Nancy Sinatra "The Last of the Secret Agents" - Chaquito "It Takes A Thief" - The Walker Brothers "Deadlier Than The Male" - Paul Desmond "Lady In Cement" - Peter Thomas "Agent X" - Maurice Pop "77 Sunset Strip" -Harpers Bizarre "Malibu U." - The Sandpipers "Beyond the Valley of the Dolls" - Nilsson "The Cast and Crew" Various Artists Loose and Juicy (Vanguard 79500) Subtitled "A collection of Funky Rare Grooves From the Vaults of Vanguard," this falls into the "mine the vaults for what they are sampling" category. Blue Note did the world a huge favor with their "Blue Break Beats" and "Rare Grooves" series, and let's only hope this is just the start for Vanguard. "Loose and Juicy" features mostly funk/jazz/soul sounds a la "Shaft" or "Truck Turner" for the urban hipster wanting a little "smoove-ness" in his or her life. Bunky Green, James Moody and Elvin Jones show up with fine tracks. Stnad out here, though is Sivuca's cover of "Ain't No Sunshine." Done soul bossa style with delicious female vocal chorus, it's worth the price of admission alone. Exotica/moog cats and kittens should take special note of the "one of these things is not like the other" entry...JJ Perrey's "E.V.A." Granted, "E.V.A." has been sampled by the likes of Ice-T, House of Pain and Gang Starr, and the track is funky as Colt 45, but it seems out of place here. Its inclusion, though, allows Vanguard to add a bonus track of Fatboy Slim's remix of "E.V.A.", and this is the real reason to buy this. FBS keeps the structure and sound of Perrey's original track and warps it into a '90s butt shakin' monster. All in all, a fabulous start to what could be a stunning series from the often overlokked Vanguard label