Album Review: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack – Twisted Nerve

In 1968 a British psychological horror film called ‘Twisted Nerve’ starring Hywel Bennett, Hayley Mills and Billie Whitelaw was released. Although now long forgotten, only to be referenced now and again by film critics of the obscure, it does have one positive, the soundtrack. Regarded as one of on’s finest works it was plucked from obscurity by Quentin Tarantino who revived its main whistle theme for his 2002 film ‘Kill Bill: Vol. 1’ which brought Herrmann’s music to a whole new audience.

The complete Original Motion Picture Soundtrack has been mastered and cut at London’s Abbey Road Studios with Grammy winning engineer Sean Magee overseeing the project

Being a soundtrack nerd I lapped this one up, lots of short pieces, all orchestrated beautifully to convey the tension and drama of the scenes within the film. The whistle theme’s melody is inventively used throughout the soundtrack on various instruments with varying tempos, you’ve even got longer cuts on the theme with a bit of jazz in there, a highlight for me on Twisted Nerve – Jazz version. We also have the pleasure of being able to hear studio sessions in ‘Prelude to Main Titles’ (Alternate), ‘Main Titles (Alternate Ending) and ‘Second Meeting’ (Rehearsal) which has the musicians working through the pieces with pauses for instruction, fantastic stuff. To top it off the ‘Whistle Theme’ sessions have also been included, a bare boned studio take which brings out the actual complexity of what seems to be a simple melody. A must for the serious soundtrack collector.

Available now on Stylotone Records

Check out the package…..

Two Super-Deluxe Edition combined vinyl, CD and download packages featuring the soundtrack from the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack.
Super-Deluxe Editions include:

1 x 180g Heavyweight 12” vinyl, cut at 45rpm, available in two ‘blood spattered’colour vinyl editions – yellow and black
Yellow Edition – “blood spattered” yellow vinyl / Black Edition – “blood spattered” transparent vinyl
Expanded Album on ‘Vinyl’ Replica CD in Gatefold Sleeve
High-Definition 24-bit WAV + 320kbps MP3 download of the LP, CD and Complete Unedited Recording Sessions
Exclusive ‘Film Replica’ 3-Track 7” Single featuring pop and jazz versions of the film’s main theme – arranged and conducted, at the composer’s request, by composer Howard Blake
30” x 40” British Quad Film Poster
Certificate Signed by Mrs. Norma Herrmann
Sleeve notes by director Quentin Tarantino and Herrmann biographer, Steven C. Smith