A 20-year tradition in the annals of British film, the Carry On series celebrated a unique blend of slapstick and sex comedy in films like Carry On Sergeant, Carry On Nurse, Carry On Camping, Carry On Cleo, Carry On Cabby, and Carry On Behind. The scores, by Bruce Montgomery and
Eric Rogers, are well-known to generations of Britons -- though the arrangements rarely matched the excitement and hilarity onscreen. This collection of
Carry On material, including the main titles to several of the films as well as extended themes, doesn't quite fit the bill for nostalgia-seekers, though. In truth, it doesn't even feature the original music from the films; it was recorded in February 1999 by the City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra with
Gavin Sutherland conducting. Of course, that important detail is practically impossible to discover until the music actually begins. The music is well-played and often uses the original arrangements, but it's simply not what most people are expecting when they purchase the album. ~ John Bush