Various: Kill Bill Vol 1 Soundtrack

By RUSSELL BAILLIE

(Herald rating: * * *)

Seemingly always editing his films with one eye on the dustier parts of his record collection, Quentin Tarantino delivers another soundtrack of vintage gems interspersed with snatches of ripe dialogue.

The pastiche nature of Kill Bill is reflected in the music, borrowing from classic soundtrack composers such as spaghetti western guy Luis Bacalov, Bernard Hermann's Psycho-like theme from the 1968 movie Twisted Nerve, Isaac Hayes, and Quincy Jones (his Ironside theme).

There are two contributions from the Wu-Tang Clan's RZA, though he did the samurai hip-hop thing far better on Jim Jarmusch's Ghost Dog.

Santa Esmeralda's 10-minute latin-disco version of Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood is enough to have you running to the fast forward button as does pan-piper George Zamfir's lift-music classic The Lonely Shepherd.

But that's balanced by Nancy Sinatra's great murder ballad Bang Bang, Charlie Feathers' That Certain Female and the Japanese rock contributions of Tomoyasu Hotei's overwrought Battle With Honor or Humanity and the 5.6.7.8's daft garage rock of Woo Hoo. Not another Pulp Fiction then, but amusing enough.

Label: Warner