“Listen you screwheads. Here is a man who would not take it anymore; a man who stood up against the scum, the dogs, the filth…” Bernard Herrmann’s exquisite score for Paul Schrader’s semi-autobiographical tale of a virtuous and lonely (“well, I’m the only one here”) cab driver directed by Marty Scorsese and starring Bobby DeNiro, Jodie Foster, Harvey Keitel and Cybill Shepherd. This is an easy cop if you’re one of those *this is the audio equivalent of a film I love and I must own it* types. Or if you’re a *I dig a good mix of sophisticated jazz-funk and ominous brass swells* type this is also for you. Herrmann was already considered a legend for his extensive work with Alfred Hitchcock; this would be his final (and most resounding IMO) work as he passed away only hours after completing it. The wall of sound brass drones “God’s Lonely Man“ are the most memorable cues, but the score swings heavily between that and stirring romantic pieces filled with harp, woodwinds, brass, sax and timpani, resembling the wax and wane of Travis Bickle’s deteriorating mental state. Rolling jazz-funk numbers like “I Work The Whole City,” “Betsy In A White Dress,” “Reprise Theme” and the Herbie-esque “The Days Do Not End,” when amplified outside of the context of the film, lend additional character and color to the story. To pair such a brilliantly nuanced and colorful score with a depiction of New York City so vile and disgusting I can’t even fathom (the whorehouse was filmed on 13th street just a few blocks from the TTL store) is sheer genius. 180g audiophile pressing on yellow colored vinyl, housed in high-gloss individually numbered jacket, limited to 2500 copies. Recommended.

• 180g audiophile pressing
• yellow colored vinyl
• housed in glossy jacket
• limited to 2500 individually numbered copies
• music label: Music On Vinyl 201x

reviewed by lady cab driver 04/2019