The Ultimate Pink Panther gathers the themes and other pieces of Henry Mancini’s scores from the six Pink Panther movies. Beginning with the instantly recognizable “The Pink Panther Theme” and verging from almost unbearable romantic (“Royal Blue”) and lusciously smooth (“Champagne and Quail”) to silly (“It Had Better Be Tonight,” “Shades of Sennett”), the tracks from 1964′s film The Pink Panther are the most enjoyable. The theme to A Shot in the Dark (also from 1964), a wonderful and inventive slice of spy music, is also quite fun. The tracks from the Pink Panther films of the ’70s don’t hold up quite as well. One track that really measures up to the ’60s work is “Main Title from The Pink Panther Strikes Again,” which dresses up the original with some witty musical quotes and plays it for laughs. The Bobby McFerrin version of “The Pink Panther Theme” from 1993′s Son of the Pink Panther is also interesting upon first listen. If you are looking for a disc that gathers up the best of the Pink Panther scores, this is the place, although the absolute best of Mancini’s Pink Panther work can be heard in the score for the first film. – Tim Sendra