"Suspense enters the picture [The Bird with the Crystal Plumage] when a malevolently groaning male voice pursues the frightened panting of a female voice over avant-garde jazz, with angular keyboard lines being taunted by frantic drums and spastic, sickly brass. While abrasive atonality is a perfect accompaniment for onscreen murder and mayhem, most record collectors will agree that it makes for a difficult and sometimes disconcerting listening experience. Fans of Morricone’s relentlessly experimental spirit, however, will appreciate the extremes on display."– from Chapter 6: A Fearful Earful of Kristopher Spencer’s Film and Television Scores, 1950-1979
