I saw this episode for the first time today. I noticed that when the General invites Columbo aboard his yacht, as Columbo unties the rope and fumbles his way on board, the music sounds like the theme from The Odd Couple. It is also heard over the end credits. Anyone know if this was deliberate, or is it just my imagination?

The music for "Dead Weight" is an entirely original score by Gil Melle (the best of the Columbo composers IMO). If you're talking about the theme Melle wrote for Columbo which runs throughout all the episodes he scored ("Death Lends A Hand","Dead Weight", "Short Fuse" and tracked cues in "Blueprint For Murder") rest assured, it has nothing to do with the Odd Couple at all.

Speaking of composers...

I thought Patrick Williams did an outstanding job on Self Portrait. I liked all of his Columbo episodes, except for me the saxophone was a bit over done in Sex and the married dective....(must we always have a compliant!)

Overall I think Patrick Williams is my favorite composer....However it's been said that the best scores are the ones you don't notice, I did actually notice the music from Patrick Williams. I'll pay attention more closely to some other episodes and see what other composers I may like. (The ones I didn't actually notice).

I heard a bit of Melle's "Columbo" music in a Banacek episode.

Really? Which one?

It was either "Let's Hear It For the Living Legend" or "Project Phoenix", although Melle wrote neither score.