This Month's Thrift Store Vinyl Sharity

Montana, A Dance Fantasy Inspired by Close Encounters of the Third Kind (Atlantic, 1978)

This is one of two albums recorded for Atlantic by Vincent Montana, Jr. Aficionados of the Philadelphia Sound will recognize him as one of the geniuses behind the SalSoul Orchestra (up to about 1977 or 78) and the present mastermind behind the label Philly Sound Works and its Philly Sound Orchestra. And it seems he was a member of MFSB, too. His work is groundbreaking and classic: where's there disco--uh, dance--music, Montana's influence can be heard.

This album presents a full-side 15:45 masterpiece: a disco summary of the plot of Close Encounters. With seven movements (tied to specific scenes, such as "The Toys Come to Life," "The Child Communicates," and "India"--but, sadly, no "Big Mashed Potato Model of Devil's Tower") and a finale, the dance floor must certainly become cinematic in a way that Meco never dreamed. Montana plays it pretty seriously, though--the track is too earnest to really be a novelty piece. And at this length, the "Fantasy" probably didn't get much airplay (perhaps a radio edit is out there somewhere).

The second side is more SalSoul-like: some original compositions that are competent, if occasionally unmemorable, and an odd "sci-fi" cover of "Fly Me to the Moon."

I think this is out of print entirely. All track and bad cover scans are available as one .zip file at rapidshare.com.