Recording information: 1969 - 1974.

Released on avant-garde performer Mike Patton's Ipecac label, 2005's CRIME AND DISSONANCE is a two-disc, 30-track collection that showcases the more experimental work of revered Italian composer Ennio Morricone, who is best known for his spaghetti Western film scores. The pieces here are primarily culled from Morricone's late-1960s/early-'70s soundtracks, and, consequently, some of them, including the opening "Girono di Notte," have a distinctive psychedelic-rock vibe. Other numbers are more atmospheric and less melodic, incorporating eerie strings, minimal percussion, and haunting, breathy vocals. Patton and composer John Zorn, who contributes liner notes here, have both admittedly been strongly influenced by the bold, dynamic work of Morricone, and this compilation reveals the most adventurous side of the prolific artist.

Entertainment Weekly (No. 852, p.83) - "Musique concrete, cubist jazz, surreal lounge-rock, orgasmic vocals..." - Grade: A

Magnet (p.99) - "The aptly titled set is willfully experimental, lurking around the outer edges of the avant-garde....Morricone is proven a master whose genius transcends genres."

The Wire (p.52) - "Sensitively remastered and boldly presented....Offering some remarkable points of departure and hinting at new areas of experimentation....Just think of it as music to die for."