Although it has been his more productive year, Howard Shore will not remember 1996 with enthusiasm: to the rejection of his scores for Ransom and Mars Attacks!, it adds the null sway of his music for That Thing You Do!, Striptease and The Truth about Cats & Dogs, and only the recognition of his terrific score for Looking for Richard appears as point on his favour. To this we must add the strange score which comes on Crash, the last collaboration with his friend David Cronenberg, probably the director with whom best he fuse. Using a different instrumental ensemble than the one he has habituate us lately (with electric guitars, harps, winds and percussion, as well an important electronic support), only in A Benevolent Psychopathology and in part of Prophecy is Dirty and Ragged appears the Shore who use the string section with tension and mastery; the rest, nearer to some of his first scores for the movies, becomes interesting and, at least, original. We musn't forget that the essence of J.G.Ballard's plot (the union of man and machine) should be supported not only visually but musically; Shore goes for it on the best possible way. M.A.F.

/ MILAN 74321-40198-2 / 45'