After original composer Johnny Mandel was dismissed at the eleventh hour, producers of the little-seen Al Pacino comedy-drama Author! Author! recruited Dave Grusin, who contributes one of his most delightful scores to date. Due no doubt to the urgency of the project, Grusin's themes are wonderfully unfussy, drawing on contemporary pop sensibilities to create a series of sly, buoyant melodies that emphasize the film's aggressive wit; his droll, clever piano sparkles with the same kind of intelligence that galvanizes Pacino's lead performance. This limited-edition release from Varese Sarabande's Soundtrack Club imprint also includes Mandel's never-heard work, a gorgeous but often dark suite of themes that works better on its own terms than it would have in the context of the film.