This
Michel Legrand release contains his original soundtrack for the 1970 movie Paris Was Made for Lovers and updated versions of two of his best known celluloid themes, "Windmills of Your Mind" and "Summer of '42." These new takes on already well-tread material are pleasant at best, while the original soundtrack material is quite good. Particularly impressive are the vocal numbers "Paris Was Made for Lovers" (
Legrand in decent vocal form), "A Place in Paris" (
Matt Monro sounding like
Tony Bennett), and "Sand and Sea" (
Dusty Springfield at her best). There are some fine instrumentals, too, like the dramatic themes "Where Love Begins" and "Where Love Ends" and the
Ravel-esque ballads "In Love in Normandy" and "They Simply Fade Away" (the latter two are based on the "Sand and Sea" melody). To break up the soundtrack's predominately melancholy mood,
Legrand includes some respectable Dixieland jazz ("Concerto for Cabs") and bit of circus music ("Do You Come Here Often?"). Like '60s-era soundtracks by
Mancini and
Bacharach,
Paris Was Made for Lovers succeeds with a winning mix of strong melodies, provocative arrangements, and a variety of styles; and even though it doesn't match the quality of top
Legrand releases like The Thomas Crown Affair, it still is worth seeking out. ~ Stephen Cook