And Carbonara’s numbers, especially “Lipstick” and “Mad Men Suite” are terrific and sound as reminiscent of the era as though they were pulled right out of the soundtrack for Blake Edwards’ Pink Panther films or Mike Nichols’ cocktail party themes from The Graduate by Simon and Garfunkel. Moreover, they feel right at home opposite Gordon Jenkin’s lively, animated “Caravan," which, given the playful orchestral and big band feel, makes the piece an ideal one to which directors can choreograph mischevious action.
Additionally, there are some gorgeous standards on the album like Bobby Vinton’s “P.S. I Love You,” which employs his voice as though it were its own instrument as it overpowers the strings in stunning remastered sound. Likewise, the romantically suggestive background sounds of Robert Maxwell’s sultry sax on the beach tune “Shangri-La,” and the incomparable Ella Fitzgerald performing “Manhattan" are honey to the ears. While at first, Mad Men seems like an ideal disc to play in the background of a cocktail party, the tone switches up throughout which is evidenced after Fitzgerald’s sung wish to “turn Manhattan into an isle of joy,” the song is followed up with the wistfully melancholic yet beautiful Andrews Sisters love-gone-wrong number, “I Can Dream, Can’t I?”
This emotionally abrupt transition also begs to mind the question that perhaps upon their initial release the tunes, which may have felt seemingly innocuous and thematically one-note, now suddenly have much more depth when listened to in this unique tapestry of moods illustrating the complexities of the not-so-innocent '60s.
Aside from Carbonara’s new works including the deceptively delicate and spiritually potent “Babylon” which plays better on a second run-through since it doesn’t quite mesh with the rest of the album’s tone, another modern track that scored even better with this reviewer due to my lack of familiarity with the series was the show’s theme song “A Beautiful Mine,” (not to be confused with “Mind”) by Aceyalone & RJD2. Their impressive composition, which manages to walk the fine line of echoing the period of the show along with making it resonant for today’s society by infusing it with techno qualities is sure to be one of the most replayed numbers on the entire album. Additionally, it makes me eager to explore more by RJD2, whose soundtrack favorite “Ghostwriter Remix” (played in Wimbledon and Prime) I’d found intriguing for years.
Article comments
1 - Manuel Rodriguez
Here's a bit of trivia for you. The opening string-orchestra-theme music from "Mad Men" is actually stolen from the first six bars of the introduction to an arrangement by Enoch Light (of Enoch Light and the Light Brigade) of "Autumn Leaves". The introduction which eventually was used as the "Mad Men" theme quits where the "Autumn Leaves" tune begins and then just repeats for another 8 bars with a heavy Latin/Rock percussion track superimposed over it. I just happened to be listening to the CD "The Most Beautiful Music in the World" by Enoch Light and the Light Brigade when I suddenly recognized the theme music from "Mad Men" (but without the heavy percussion). Curiously, the CD (PRD 5109) was released on the Project3Records label in 1992. The actual recording may be from the 1970's or even earlier (it is discontinued now). Enoch Light recorded in the early 1960's for the Command label (subsequently bought by American Broadcasting Company). So he was certainly prominent during the time frame in which "Mad Men" takes place.
2 - Jen
Wow, that is fascinating. You have a great ear for music. Now I can't wait to check out that particular track... interesting. Thanks for the post and Happy New Year!