Digital Roundup 4/1/2015

John Barry, King Kong: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack - Even moviegoers who were first introduced to pop culture's most famous giant ape via Dino de Laurentiis's 1976 version of King Kong probably wouldn't try to claim that it's the best of all possible versions of the film, but if they were feeling particularly bold, they might just dare to suggest that John Barry's score was right up there with the one Max Steiner composed for the 1933 original. It's not, of course, but it's way better than Dino's version deserves, and the love theme might even rank among the most moving compositions of Barry's career…or it might not. (Seriously, though, it really is pretty great.)
Jerry Fielding, The Gauntlet: Music from the Motion Picture - Given Clint Eastwood's history as a bit of a jazz aficionado, it stands to reason that he'd reach out to a jazzy guy like Jerry Fielding to compose the score for one of his directorial efforts. This is a particularly strong effort, too, because it isn't just jazzy: it mixes a variety of musical styles to create a unique entity that works well whether you hear it behind the film or out in front as it plays from your stereo.
John Williams, The Witches of Eastwick: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack - When someone's done as many motion picture scores as John Williams, you have to figure that they enjoy their work, but it's arguable that this is the greatest example of an instance where he was just having fun the whole darned time. It's dark when it needs to be, sure, but it's entertaining throughout, making it one of Williams' best non-Spielberg efforts and possibly even one of his all-time best. (Of course, he's got a lot of 'em, so your mileage may vary on the latter suggestion.)