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REVIEW ARCHIVES: 
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z

There are a myriad number of James Bond or spy music records from the 60s. Here is a series of three cut by studio musician Roland Shaw.

Roland Shaw was London Records' leading house arranger during its "Phase 4" years. He cut a lot of spy-themed records for the Decca subsidiary.

Volume One focuses on music from the first three Bond pictures. Volume Two adds music from Thunderball to the mix. Volume Three adds music from You Only Live Twice and Casino Royale.

Shaw dives deep, playing stuff beyond the main themes and familiar action themes. He goes for the tension-building intrigue cues too. But Shaw doesn't take any chances. Listening to his versions back to back with the originals, it's tough to find notable differences.

Probably the only surprise to be found on any of these discs is the inclusion of a Casino Royale track that doesn't even appear on its original soundtrack: "Let the Love Come Through" -- a sexy EZ track with female vocals. This track was later collected on the Karminsky Experience's In-Flight Entertainment Vol. 1.

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SexMob Does Bond
SexMob
Rope-a-Dope

This could have been called "From Soho with Love" or "The Boho Who Loved Me" or "Dr. PoMo". Ok, maybe not. But that should give you an idea of what this disc is all about: 007 soundtracks re-imagined by NYC's edgy acid jazz combo SexMob. The group covered "Live and Let Die" and "Goldfinger" on an earlier album. Here, the four piece (joined by John Medeski on organ and a "soul choir") dig deeper, expanding the repertoire beyond title tracks. They even perform a John Barry-esque original "Dr. Yes".

Arranged and conducted by slide trumpet and mellophone player Steven Bernstein, SexMob tackles material from Goldfinger, On Her Majesty's Secret Service, From Russia with Love, The Spy Who Loved Me and You Only Live Twice.

There's nothing predictable or easy about the set. Sure, they play favorites such as "007" and "You Only Live Twice." But they also do deeper cuts such as "Teasing the Korean" and "Oddjob's Pressing Engagement." Apparently, Bernstein aimed to create a stand-alone make-believe score using pieces from several soundtracks. The liner notes reinforce that concept, by listing the tracks for "Opening Credits" "Act 1" "Intermission" "Act 2" and "Closing Credits."

What's striking about this Bond-themed cover album is the transformative quality of the music. What had been originally arranged for orchestra gets boiled down for the small group setting -- and miraculously it works -- albeit, in an edgy "downtown" way. Purists may have a hard time with it, but it's definitely worth a listen.

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The World is Not Enough
David Arnold
MCA

It's been said that the only thing good about Brosnan's third Bond movie is the theme song by Garbage (ironic to say the least). But that would be doing principle composer David Arnold a disservice. Arnold may not be John Barry, but he's brought a certain electricity to symphonic spy movie scoring. He balances traditional orchestral sounds with high energy rhythm tracks. He marries technology to romantic intrigue, which is perfect for our man with gadgets.

That said, The World is Not Enough is perfectly listenable, though not in the same league with the classic Bond scores of the '60s.

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Arguably the best Brosnan Bond movie, Tomorrow Never Dies features fine score by David Arnold. After the misstep of hiring Eric Serra to handle the Goldeneye score, Arnold makes a strong case for himself by delivering a nuanced, moving orchestral score. He manages to incorporate classic Bond cues into refreshingly vigorous sound.

The movie's main theme, sung by Sheryl Crow, is underwhelming in comparison to the closing theme "Surrender", sung by k.d. lang, which sounds Barry-esque. It's easily the best Bond song since "Nobody Does it Better" from The Spy Who Loved Me.

Other highlights of the TND score are Arnold's techno chase piece "Backseat Driver" and Moby's techno-revamp of "The James Bond Theme."

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When the Bond series called for a new James, the producers enlisted a new composer as well. Unfortunately, Eric Serra, longtime Luc Besson collaborator (for La Femme Nikita, The Professional, The Fifth Element and The Big Blue), wasn't as natural a choice as Pierce Brosnan was (and is) for the leading role. The Goldeneye score has been called "a disgrace" but that's a bit too hardline. It has some enjoyable passages, but fails to fill John Barry's formidable shoes.

Serra's approach differs from Barry and even his successor David Arnold, in that he relies quite heavily on synthesizers for "orchestration." As a result, the score lacks the dramatic sweep we've come to expect from a Bond score (thanks to Barry).

The use of techno styling on this and more recent Bond scores is like the disco styling of the later Roger Moore films. It comes off as "trendy" rather than natural. It isn't even "good" techno, so it's doubtful that anyone will ever think of Goldeneye as a classic Bond soundtrack.

The theme song, written by Bono and The Edge of U2, and sung by Tina Turner isn't bad -- it's certainly not the worst Bond theme.

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Bond: Back in Action 1 & 2
The City of Prague Philharmonic
Silva Screen

For all the Bond-themed compilations out there (including those in and out of print) one wonders -- upon seeing the two volumes of Bond: Back in Action -- why they are even necessary.

Don't get me wrong. A lot of those old Bond-themed cover records, which were made during the absolute height of the movie series' popularity in the '60s, have some charm -- such as kitsch spy cover art and the occasional left field track (like the groovy "Let the Love Come Through" performed by Roland Shaw). But none of them are likely to overshadow John Barry's originals (though I wonder about the "other" Bond composers -- Marvin Hamlisch, et al).

That's why Bond: Back in Action 1 & 2 are likely to go the way of every other Bond tribute album. Conducted by Nic Raine, the performances are so reverant and true to the originals that the value of these performances becomes a question of whether the listener wants to invest in the entire catalog, or whether they're looking for a sort-of Reader's Digest version, which is what they get on these Silva Screen releases. After all, most of the recent Bond soundtrack compilations tend to stick with the theme songs, while ignoring the more orchestral passages. Bond: Back in Action focuses on those action-packed, intrigue-laden tracks, and for that reason will be of interest to casual fans. For hardcore Bond soundtrack fans, however, it's best to stick with the originals.

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Featuring songs sung by Gladys Knight, Tim Feehan and Patti LaBelle and a score by Michael Kamen, License to Kill doesn't exactly scream "essential Bond score," but any Bond score is worth at least one listen (just to make sure).

This was the second and last 007 film starring Timothy Dalton, and the entire franchise was still trying to recover from a few too many Roger Moore outings.

Side one, which features mostly luke warm or overheated vocal tracks, is pretty much a waste of anyone's time. Side two, which is all Kamen, isn't nearly as embarrassing (funny how Bond vocal tracks rarely age well). Kamen fairs better than most John Barry replacements as he actually knows a thing or two about orchestrating a thriller. Like the movie's star, Kamen does a respectable job, though he isn't a perfect fit (well, who could be better than Connery and Barry? Brosnan and Arnold are acceptable, if not phenomenal).

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With Roger Moore departed, the James Bond franchise got a fresh start with Timothy Dalton. It proved to be a short lived acting stint for Dalton, but that's another story.

The soundtrack is yet another solid John Barry outing and helps maintain consistancy in the popular movie series. Like A View to a Kill, it opens with a performance from an 80s pop group, this time a-ha. It's alright, but isn't as strong as The Pretenders' performance on "Where Has Everybody Gone," which appears as a stand alone track, as well as a melodic motif in other tracks, including "Necros Attacks." I'm sure I'm not alone in saying that Chrissie Hynde is a fine Bond theme singer, in that hallowed league with Shirley Bassey (and later k.d. lang, who sings "Surrender" on Tomorrow Never Dies).

The Ryko reissue of The Living Daylights, like many Ryko soundtracks, features several bonus tracks from the film and a video clip viewable on your computer. Plus, the fold out liner notes are, as usual, terrific.

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A View to a Kill
John Barry
Capital EMI

Roger Moore's final Bond film is one of the worst in the series -- certainly as bad as Pierce Brosnan's The World is Not Enough (arguably the worst in recent memory). Nevertheless, John Barry elevates the mess with a solid score.

It opens with the catchy but dated titular hit performed by everyone's fave 80s glam pop artists Duran Duran.

From there Barry launches into tension-building themes, action passages and love themes. Titles include "Snow Job" "He's Dangerous" "Wine with Stacey".

Perhaps the most inspired title-for-title's-sake is "Destroy Silicon Valley" -- bear in mind the movie was made in 1985, more than a decade before the ill-fated dot-com boom (and bust).

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Like other Roger Moore-era Bond films, the theme song for Octopussy ("All Time High") is dull adult contemporary pop sung by an utterly forgetable singer (Rita Coolidge anyone?). The track closes the score, too -- as if once wasn't enough!

Luckily, everything in between is John Barry working his Bond magic. Sure, he relies heavily on the Bond theme to beef up suspence and action passages ("The Palace Fight"). Likewise, "All Time High" informs the love passages ("That's My Little Octopussy").

The movie itself was fairly mediocre, and the score isn't Barry's best. It has it's moments, though, and manages to avoid using cheesy 80s disco funk, aspiring to a classic Barry sound instead.

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Bill Conti's only James Bond score is just as one might imagine an early '80s score to sound: agressively cheesy. I mean, how could it not be with that schmaltzy theme, sung by Sheena Easton (of "My Baby Takes the Morning Train" fame). The action themes (such as "A Drive in the Country" and "Melina's Revenge") favor that brand of orchestral funk that started to take over Bond soundtracks on The Spy Who Loved Me. It's all punchy bass, wacca guitar, sequencers, drum machines and full tilt synth. It's got it's moments of glory ("Gonzales Takes a Drive") and the Bond theme crops up ("Submarine"). But, on the whole, it's dated in a way more cheesy than cool.

The Ryko reissue features bonus tracks and a video clip.

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Having scored a big hit with The Spy Who Loved Me, Roger Moore returned as 007 in the most ambitious, albeit preposterous Bond spectacle yet, Moonraker. John Barry also returned, after having skipped Spy, to score Moonraker. Other returning figures included Richard Kiel as 'Jaws' and Shirley Bassey, singing her third Bond theme song. The track opens the soundtrack, and while it's not bad, it doesn't quite live up to her previous appearances ("Goldfinger" and "Diamonds are Forever"). The score itself is respectable, too, but underwhelming. Track titles are both inspired ("Miss Goodhead meets Bond" and "Centrifuge and Corrinne Put Down") or merely descriptive ("Bond Arrives in Rio and Boat Chase"). And "Bond Smells a Rat" is a title from the Diamonds are Forever OST. The disco-fied end title, with Bassey again, is actually pretty groovy, thanks to Nile Rodgers-style rhythm guitar.

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The Spy Who Loved Me is popularily acknowledged as Roger Moore's best Bond picture -- it's the third of his seven appearances. For the first time, he really seems to be in command of the 007 role, and moreover, the movie itself seems tailored to his suave, tongue-in-cheek portrayel of the secret agent.

Oddly, after returning to the composer's chair on The Man with the Golden Gun, John Barry passed on The Spy Who Loved Me. Perhaps he'd been discouraged by the former film's poor ratings (after all, his score was the strongest thing in it). In his stead is Marvin Hamlisch, whose lightweight musical contribution seems perfectly matched for Moore. Well, "perfect" may be too strong a word.

The soundtrack starts off with Carly Simon's well known easy listening ballad "Nobody Does It Better". This is followed by the disco-fied action theme "Bond 77". The disco element also crops up on "Eastern Lights" -- an entertaining, if dated, little ditty.

In contrast, Hamlisch's dramatic action themes ("Ride to Atlantis," "The Tanker" etc.) are serviceable, but fall way short of the sort provided by Barry on earlier scores. And there is an instrumental version of the theme song, and an "End Titles" version as well.

Overall, The Spy Who Loved Me is fair, but not as classic as the movie itself.

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Often described as the nadir of the Bond series, The Man with the Golden Gun may be an acquired taste. Perhaps its the po-mo ironist in me that delights in this debauched Bond misadventure. It's Roger Moore's second appearance as Bond, and clearly he's comfortable in the roll, even if the silly plot about being challenged to a duel by an eccentric assasin would advise against it. It co-stars Christopher Lee as the white suit-wearin' ill-mannered hitman dubiously named Scaramanga and Herve Villechaize as his white suit-wearin' Hispanic henchman dwarf. They hide out in a high tech cave compound on an island in the South China Sea -- all of which is arguably the inspiration for TV's Fantasy Island. (There's even a pontoon plane sequence and a funhouse of illusion. What more proof do you need?)

Barry's back in the Bond fold after bypassing Live and Let Die. And while the movie may not be one of the best Bond outings, the score itself is golden. Despite the fact that Lulu was chosen to sing the theme song, the tune itself is hummable enough and crops up in the score to decent effect. Since the movie takes place in Asia, expect some exotic instrumentation mixed in with Barry's trademark dissonant orchestration. There's also some goofy ragtime passages, notably on a version of the theme song, which only serves to heighten the sense of absurdity about the movie itself. There are terrific action tracks like "Getting the Bullet" and "Kung Fu Fight". And Monty Norman's famous JB theme crops up in tracks such as "Chew me in Grisly Land" (what a title!). "Hip's Trip" offers plenty of tension and intrigue, but "Goodnight Goodnight" is just romantic dreck, making it the score's token lowpoint. My guess is, even people who hate the movie will like the score. Taster's choice.

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Live and Let Die
George Martin
United Artists

For the first time in many years (not counting Casino Royale), James Bond had a new composer. John Barry temporarily handed over the baton to Beatle producer George Martin. Speaking of the Fab Four, Paul and Linda McCartney are credited with the title song and its classic performance. It seemed a good change of pace at the time, especially with Roger "The Saint" Moore taking over for Sean Connery. Plus, McCartney was picking up commercial speed with Wings at the time, having released "Band on the Run". For his part, Martin provides a score that is somewhat reliant on the Monty Norman-penned JB theme song. But he handles the theme well enough, even when playing it straight. Martin proved to be a cinematic natural, just as he had let on with his incidental music for Yellow Submarine. On Live and Let Die he proves to be up to the task of creating convincing 007 music. Since much of the movie is set in New Orleans and bayou country, Martin encorporates a wide variety of Haiti tribal rhythms, funk and jazz. It's a strong "debut" for Martin, but his association with Bond stopped there. Barry returned for The Man with the Golden Gun.

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Diamonds are Forever
John Barry
United Artists

Sean Connery returned to the Bond fold for this so-so Bond epic set primarily in Las Vegas. Perhaps the best thing about the movie is... you guessed it, John Barry's score. Not only did Connery return, Shirley Bassey also returned to sing the main theme, making it her second greatest Bond performance after... you guessed it, "Goldfinger" (her later performance on "Moonraker" is a disappointment in comparison to either predecessor). The rest of the score is classic Barry -- lush love themes ("Circus, Circus"), mounting intrigue ("Death at the Whyte House", "007 and Counting"), action sequences ("To Hell with Blofeld"). And if you're into trip hop, listen for the tracks that Grantby and Brown Susan sampled for Pop Fiction and Coffee Table Music. (See Retro Remixes.) Barry managed to convey the crystalline glitter of diamonds through his orchestration on several tracks. Quite nice. The only disappointment is "Q's Trick" which tries to sound saucy, but ends up sounding cheesy. It's a classic Barry score.

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On Her Majesty's Secret Service
John Barry
United Artists

OHMSS, as it is often called, is one of Barry's best Bond scores. You remember... Connery wasn't in it, it was George Lazenby in his only Bond film. It isn't a bad movie, in fact its memorable for all the right reasons and a few wrong ones. And the soundtrack is one of the movie's bright spots. The album opens with the great ballad "We Have All the Time in the World" sung by the inimitable Louis Armstrong. It's an easy listening masterpiece. There's another song sung by Nina, but it is subpar in comparison. Barry really shines on the action themes, including the "Main Title", "Ski Chase" and "Battle at Piz Gloria". Barry's pronounced use of electric bass makes Barry's brash brass and galloping rhythms that much more dynamic and intense. There's some cocktail variations on the Louis Armstrong track filling out the score, but the action themes keep you coming back for more.

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You Only Live Twice
John Barry
United Artists

You Only Live Twice, the movie, hasn't faired as well in retrospect as its predecessors. Although it isn't terrible, it didn't really deliver anything new to the Bond formula. The score, however, is fairly consistant with its predecessors. The theme song itself, sung by Nancy Sinatra, is elegantly exotic and highly memorable. Much of the score -- particularily tracks like "Capsule in Space" and "Tanaka's World" -- are highly atmospheric. In terms of action sequences, staccato orchestration makes "A Drop in the Ocean" and "Bond Averts World War Three" the stand outs. There are choice moments on this score, but there isn't as much variety in style as the previous installments.

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Thunderball
John Barry
United Artists

Thunderball provided a perfect follow up to the international smash Goldfinger. Tom Jones delivered a bravura vocal performance on the title track and John Barry continued to execute the most exciting spy jazz ever written. With tracks like "007" and "Mr. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" (a vocal version of which was the movie's intended theme song), the score is nearly flawless. Since much of the film was set in the Caribbean, Barry went calypso for "Death of Fiona". And the underwater sequences are saturated with intrigue and danger. Thunderball remains one of Barry's best Bond outings. And dig that great comic book cover art!

The CD reissue is expanded to feature music from the second half of the film that failed to make the LP due to a production crunch. This includes the climatic battle music that absolutely kills. You aren't likely to find better action music anywhere.

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Goldfinger
John Barry
United Artists

From Russia With Love
John Barry
United Artists

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