The soundtrack to a late-'60s crime thriller,
Stiletto has many of the qualities of classic suspense soundtracks. The bongo-led "Confrontation" sounds very much like the theme to Mission Impossible, but with electronic effects, weird horn figures, and other stock suspense/horror shock devices. "Knife Fight on the Hill" is more atmospheric, picking up at the end in preparation for the fast "Main Title," a great, blaring horn-fest that emerges from a quiet percussion intro. "Stiletto" is a slightly slower, shorter variant with bass, deeper percussion, and punchier organ. The beginnings of
Ramin's blockbuster "Music to Watch Girls By" can be heard in the sluggish instrumental "Goat Island." "Sugar in the Rain" is a soft bossa with lyrics by Alan and
Marilyn Bergman and orchestrations by
Dick Hazard.
Stiletto succeeds not only as a soundtrack, but as great music, period.