"One of the most memorable elements contributing to the success
of SUSPIRIA (1977) was the soundtrack. Combining elements of
music (a synthesizer-heavy rock combo) and sound effects (heavy
breathing, murmuring voices), Goblin provided something that went
far beyond traditional background scoring, to become an integral
part of the film. In a fashion somewhat similar to Ennio
Morricone's contribution to Sergio Leone's Westerns, Goblin
helped director Dario Argento achieve an almost operatic effect
on screen; their auditory excess was the perfect counterpoint to
Argento's extravagant visuals, transforming a series of horrific
set pieces into beautiful arias of violence. Goblins's soundtrack
music has been preserved on various vinyl, tape, and CD release;
in fact, the original album pressing was probably one of their
most successful releases, thanks to the popularity of the film.
However, their SUSPIRIA music, which is so perfectly integrated
into the film, fares less well as a stand-alone item. All that
pounding, howling, thumbing, and wheezing is enough to send
chills down your spine even without the movie images (it is the
perfect imaginary soundtrack), but not all of it could be called
a pleasant listening experience (unless your idea of pleasant is
having your nerves set on edge). The highlight of the album is
"Suspiria ," the main title music that recurs throughout the
film. One of the greatest tracks in the entire Goblin catalogue,
this opens with an eerie 14-note melody line doubled on vocals
and synthesizer, with a buzuki strumming the accompaniment.
Halfway through, it switches to a rock-and-roll arrangement with
guitar, bass and drums pounding out the rhythm while Simonetti's
synthesizer slices through the texture, playing a speeded up
version of the melody. Then song segues back to the slower,
moodier approach to bring the piece to a conclusion. This is
great stuff by turns eerie and overpowering and it really
rocks! "Witch" features a combination of timpani drums, vocals,
and synthesizers, with some bass guitar underneath. The piece is
a non-melodic collage of sound that works perfectly in the film,
less so as a piece of musical entertainment. "Opening to the
Sighs" with its pounding timpanis backed by synthesizer
sounds like a brief reprise of "Witch." Building quickly to a
climax, it serves as an intro to the next piece (on the original
vinyl album they were listed as one continuous track). "Sighs"
begins, appropriately enough, with sighing vocals that suggest
sound effects more than music (a technique Goblin had used in
"Wild Session," a track for Argento's previous film DEEP RED).
Then some jangly acoustic guitars jump in with arpeggios and a
repetitive riff, backed by wailing vocals. The music finally
guilds up to some ominous organ cords before fading out. "Markos"
is heard twice in the film: once during the maggot infestation,
one at the conclusion. The track features a sequencer playing a
simple synthesizer line, while timpani and other drums pound in
the background the the bass guitar ripps through a series of solo
lines up and down the fretboard. For all its sound and fury, this
is one of the most musical tracks on the album it sounds a bit
like a furious jam session. The next two pieces do not appear in
the film itself. Like "Opening to the Sighs" and "Sighs," "Black
Forest" and "Blind Concert" are two separate titles that were
originally combined into one unbroken track. With an electric
guitar picking a moody pattern (enhanced by a flanging effect),
bass and drums providing a traditional rhythm section, and
keyboards adding melodies, "Black Forest" is straight-ahead piece
of jazz rock fusion that begins softly before eruptng into an
explosion of solos, alternating between guitar, synthesizer, and
saxophone (the later by guest musician Antonio Marangolo). As
musical entertainment, this is one of the best tracks on the
album. "Blind Concert" is somewhat less successful. After a brief
transition from "Black Forest" (in which the "Suspiria" theme is
played on celesta over some jangling bells and a vibraphone), the
instrumental sinks into a funky jam session. While the drums and
bass lay out a functional but uninspired riff, keyboards and
guitar doodle in a sharp stereo split from your left and right
speaker; an overdubbed synthesizer sweetens the results somewhat.
Though not a great track, it is an interesting rtunity to
hear the musicians just get together and play. When the SUSPIRIA
soundtrack was originally released, the final track was "Death
Valzer," a solo acoustic piano piece that, in the film, is played
by the blind pianist when the ballet students are practising. It
is a pretty little waltz, but it served as a weak climax to the
album. Subsequent CD releases have improved on this by including
several bonus tracks, including an alternate version of "Markos"
and some variations on the "Suspiria" theme. The new "Markos"
track features a different synthesizer sound played by the
sequencer, and the track fades out without the funny little final
pops and whistles of the original. The "Suspiria" variations
include a version with keyboardist Claudio Simonetti chanting
non-grammatical nonsense about witches, over a scaled down
arrangement of the theme played only on celesta and bells, and a
new rev-ed up version performed by Simonetti's band Daemonia.
This version retains the three-part structure of the original but
retains a more conventional rock-and-roll arrangement throughout,
blurring the distinction between the different passages."