You don't have to be a cinephile to know Michael Winner's 1974 cult vigilante movie Death Wish. Starring the ever-stoic, quintessential action hero Charles Bronson, it was this film that defined the further careers of both Winner and Bronson. Right before this, they collaborated on The Stone Killer, in which Bronson plays a gritty detective from New York sent to L. A. to solve a case involving an old Sicilian Mafia family feud. The soundtrack is composed by jazz pianist and composer Roy Budd, who was also responsible for the much-praised soundtrack of the 1971 classic Get Carter starring Michael Caine. It begins with a gentle tender melody but it's a trick, as there is a 70-piece orchestra waiting to pounce. Suddenly the big picture is revealed and the listener enters a full-on Budd theme with a cool jazz accompaniment. The score perfectly demonstrates Budd's ability to blend jazz with orchestral arrangements in ways unparalleled by very few composers. In typical 1970s fashion, this soundtrack will surely satisfy fans of the jazz-funk and library music found on labels such as KPM and Music de Wolfe. The Stone Killer is available as a limited edition of 1000 individually numbered copies on 'Blade Bullet' colored vinyl and includes an insert with liner notes and a fold-out replica of the original movie poster.
