Roy Budd Diamonds (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) LP

"This 1975 album, the soundtrack to an adventure film set in Israel, is one of the finest in Roy Budd's catalog. Diamonds is a memorable soundtrack because it presents Budd's unique combination of jazz, soul, and orchestral styles at its most catchy and innovative. Fans of funky soundtracks will loves this album because it overflows with intense rhythms: 'The Thief' layers suspenseful strings and heavy brass over a thick bassline that is pushed along by tight, relentless drum work, and 'Beauty and the Bass' crossbreeds an airy bossa nova melody with jazzy scat vocals over a taut bassline spiced up with wah-wah guitar. The Middle Eastern setting of the film also allows Budd to show off his knack for Eastern sounds on 'Market Place,' a suspenseful cue that underpins its swirling Eastern string and flute melodies with frenetic tabla rhythms. Suspenseful moments like these are offset by some easy listening-styled cues built on lush arrangements and mellow keyboard sounds: 'Hearts and Diamonds' alternates lovely saxophone and electric piano lines over a gauzy backdrop of strings and harmony vocals, and 'Party Piece' allows Budd to show off his keyboard skills atop a cocktail jazz beat. The score is nicely rounded out by 'Hearts and Diamonds,' a title song with elegant vocals by the Three Degrees. All these diverse moods and styles are held together nicely by Budd's arrangements, which carefully weave familiar themes throughout the cues to keep the music unified. In short, Diamonds is one of Roy Budd's most impressive achievements and a fine introduction to his style." -Donald A. Guarisco, AllMusic.com