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Quick Big Mi6 Music Score Ranking Game

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  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 40,492
    I definitely see it as a love-or-hate type score for most fans.
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 23,564
    Birdleson wrote: »
    I had it at #6. I’ll never forget how it thrilled me in the theater, it was invigorating (and it still is to this day; not the first I’ve said that about). I still find it startling that I watch the entire film pretty much unconscious that it’s not a Barry score, and I don’t even miss the lack of The Bond Theme and signature Barry bits. One of the great ones.

    I see what you're talking about, @Birdleson . Around this time, Barry wasn't using the Bond Theme all that much, but Martin certainly did. The problem for me is that he didn't use the Theme all that well. Why would you play it when Bond is in a cab, not even driving the cab himself--just looking around nervously and giving orders to the driver? That's not a very impressive, cool, "Bondian" thing to do. Also, the Theme was butchered in that scene, played with the least bit of musical imagination, just statically punching out the notes. The Theme returns at other occasions in the film, usually pulled from far away in the background to the foreground, and then morphed into the score. I'd say Martin really did use the Theme quite a bit in this score, and certainly more than Barry was in those years, but not always well. The few seconds of Bond Theme when Sean hovercrafts from Dover to Holland sound so much better to me than anything Martin did with it.
  • GoldenGunGoldenGun Per ora e per il momento che verrà
    Posts: 6,791
    Stating only my personal opinion here, but LALD is one of my least favourites. It's ranked over DN's monster movie score and SP's rehash of SF but not much else. I prefer every other one-timer over this one, except DN. There are good tracks for sure, but I find it a bit cheap-sounding at times, much like the movie really.

    Still though, it seems I'm fairly alone with these sentiments and I'll always respect differing choices. For me however, I'd take Serra, Conti, Kamen or Hamlisch over LALD anyday.
  • ThrasosThrasos
    Posts: 1,469
    GoldenGun wrote: »
    Stating only my personal opinion here, but LALD is one of my least favourites. It's ranked over DN's monster movie score and SP's rehash of SF but not much else. I prefer every other one-timer over this one, except DN. There are good tracks for sure, but I find it a bit cheap-sounding at times, much like the movie really.

    Still though, it seems I'm fairly alone with these sentiments and I'll always respect differing choices. For me however, I'd take Serra, Conti, Kamen or Hamlisch over LALD anyday.
    No you're not totally alone in this...I agree with many of your points. I had it at #16. I don't own a copy of LALD and am not a big fan of the film, but I gave the soundtrack a fair appraisal, so I think #16 is pretty good. However, it's beyond me how as a group we rank this above GF or even FRWL--Barry had a deft touch even in that one. GoldenGun I also agree with you about Conti and Hamlisch, and even above those, I would add Arnold's CR soundtrack, which I find much more imaginative, gripping, and applicable to the film's imagery and mood. You mentioned cheap-sounding, and I would add over-the-top in places, even generic. But I agree that the soundtrack works and even some parts are good--it's just that I find several other soundtracks are better.
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 23,564
    Count me in as well. I had it at #21.
  • Some_Kind_Of_HeroSome_Kind_Of_Hero
    edited July 2021 Posts: 6,844
    I can understand how Live and Let Die would be not to everyone’s taste. The score becomes a bit much at times, particularly in those two cues that play when Bond is traveling by car, “Whisper Who Dares” and “The James Bond Theme.” The second instance in particular, as @DarthDimi noted, exceeds the onscreen action to a degree not seen since Bond checked out his hotel room in From Russia With Love.

    But I’d say there is much more to enjoy here than not. Tracks like “Bond to New York,” “Bond Meets Solitaire,” “Bond and Rosie,” “The Lovers,” “If He Finds It, Kill Him,” “Solitaire Gets Her Cards,” “Trespassers Will Be Eaten,” and “Boat Chase” demonstrate an excellent blending of funk with danger and excitement. It’s very much of its time and like GoldenEye a wholly unique sound for the series, but those are things I like about it.
  • vzokvzok
    Posts: 4,026
    70s funk + Bond = perfection
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 40,492
    vzok wrote: »
    70s funk + Bond = perfection

    Absolutely!
  • ShakenNotStirredShakenNotStirred
    Posts: 1,395
    Creasy47 wrote: »
    vzok wrote: »
    70s funk + Bond = perfection

    Absolutely!

    Truly unique for the Bond series. Love this score!
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 40,492
    I'm happy to see some others sharing in the beauty of this score. It's unique enough to really stand out for me but just Bondian enough to be very fitting for the series and for Moore's first installment.
  • BennyBenny In the shadowsAdministrator, Moderator
    Posts: 14,886
    I had it at 15, kind of a middle of the road entry for me. Certainly not terrible, but not in the upper half of the scores.
    I really do enjoy Martin's mix of the Bond theme though. Toe tapping awesomeness.
  • Slazenger7Slazenger7 Gothenburg, Sweden
    Posts: 1,334
    A favorite of mine, and easily best non-Barry score. I had it at #5.
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 23,564
    From here on, I'll be perfectly happy, I promise. The six remaining scores are all in my top 7. Among the first seven was DAF which, sadly, has already been kicked out. At least we've got six absolutely brilliant Barry scores still holding up, and whichever wins, I'll be satisfied. ;-)
  • Some_Kind_Of_HeroSome_Kind_Of_Hero
    Posts: 6,844
    DarthDimi wrote: »
    From here on, I'll be perfectly happy, I promise. The six remaining scores are all in my top 7. Among the first seven was DAF which, sadly, has already been kicked out. At least we've got six absolutely brilliant Barry scores still holding up, and whichever wins, I'll be satisfied. ;-)

    This is a darn good top 6 Barry. With Diamonds off to greet St. Peter, four of my top five Barrys remain—and the other two, Thunderball and The Living Daylights, are both strong, robust scores full of wonderful moments of their own.
  • marcmarc Universal Exports
    Posts: 2,609
    Sounds quite like referring to TB and the annoying 007 theme, to me 😁
    (/irony off)
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 23,564
    Birdleson wrote: »
    I can’t go along. There’s one remaining that annoyed from the first I heard it. Far too tinny and an irritating refrain that rattles around in my brain like wasps.

    My, I am exceedingly curious now, @Birdleson! My guess would also be Thunderball... Are you perchance talking about Barry's more action-driven theme, the one that gets fused with '007' at times?
  • mattjoesmattjoes
    Posts: 6,747
    I'm a bit busy these days but I hope to get back on the conversation soon enough. There have been some interesting discussions and opinions here.

    I just came by briefly to say that I think I know which score Birdleson doesn't like. He has talked about it before. I won't say what it is, though (unless you pay me).
  • Some_Kind_Of_HeroSome_Kind_Of_Hero
    Posts: 6,844
    mattjoes wrote: »
    I'm a bit busy these days but I hope to get back on the conversation soon enough. There have been some interesting discussions and opinions here.

    I just came by briefly to say that I think I know which score Birdleson doesn't like. He has talked about it before. I won't say what it is, though (unless you pay me).

    I know as well and am willing to undercut @mattjoes in price, so let's make a deal! B-)
  • GoldenGunGoldenGun Per ora e per il momento che verrà
    Posts: 6,791
    Narrowly missing out on the top 5 is:

    THUNDERBALL
    Music composed by
    JOHN BARRY

    john-barry-0777-7-90628-2-9-cd.jpg

    TB collected three gold medals, three bronze ones, one 4th place and one 5th place. Six more top 10's were noted.

    All participants gave TB a spot in the top 20, so no bottom 5's for this one. Its lowest rating was a 20th spot, on one occasion.

    TB's original music obtained 159 points.
  • GoldenGunGoldenGun Per ora e per il momento che verrà
    Posts: 6,791
    Standings so far:
    6. TB
    7. LALD
    8. DAF
    9. FRWL
    10. GF
    11. QOS
    12. OP
    13. CR
    14. TND
    15. TMWTGG
    16. TSWLM
    17. LTK
    18. DAD
    19. TWINE
    20. SF
    21. GE
    22. FYEO
    23. CR67
    24. DN
    25. SP
    26. NSNA

    Still in the game:
    - YOLT
    - OHMSS
    - MR
    - AVTAK
    - TLD
  • BennyBenny In the shadowsAdministrator, Moderator
    Posts: 14,886
    I have TB at 19th. Not one of my favourite Barry scores obviously. As with all the Bond scores it's never terrible, I just find it quite repetitive throughout.
    Still I've got four left in the top five, so it's looking like I'll be happy with the final five.
  • Quantum_of_TomorrowQuantum_of_Tomorrow
    Posts: 508
    I have LALD at #18. It's ok in my opinion but not like the Barry scores. I had TB at #15, one of Barry's weakest for me, despite the fact it's grown on me recently. 4 of the 5 left aren't in my top five :))
  • ThrasosThrasos
    Posts: 1,469
    TB at #4. Bond Meets Domino (when they're both underwater I think) is short but sweet; a nice mix of strings, harp, vibraphone and flute, plus some electric guitar or bass and a touch of the Bond theme thrown in. Vibraphone is a star player in the score, translating the watery element, and I think the cool lounge music vibe of many selections works; both the vibraphone and lounge music were in vogue then. I also like Cafe Martinique, the lush Dance With Domino, At The Casino; Bond Below Disco Volante is subdued yet suspenseful. And a fun evolution of the 007 theme.

    The Music of James Bond says Barry wanted to create a sense of suspension, like in water. "Lots of echo, and no bass...It was just melodies and lines floating. It wasn't rooted, which is what you feel when you swim underwater; you're not attached to anything. I just removed all that low end and did it in a strange, linear scale of overtones with alto flutes and vibraphones to create the effect."
  • StirredNotShakenStirredNotShaken Toronto
    Posts: 2,400
    I'd at least be willing to reevaluate my #1 spot and consider OHMSS superceding it, but it's incredibly tough for me. I think the main underwater motif is gorgeous, the theme song is like an improved Goldfinger, and the fact that Barry had two theme songs from which to draw leitmotifs makes for one of the richest scores in the series.
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    It is hard to differentiate between the top five or six scores, and any one of them could have gotten the top spot, but this time I gave it to TB. Some of the tracks there are unbeatable.

    I also know which score Birdleson is talking about. I had that one as no 18 myself.
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    edited July 2021 Posts: 23,564
    I truly enjoy this score, especially the one that was released in the early 2000s, which contains so much more music than the original soundtrack. I can see where the complaints about repetitiveness come from, but the tunes that are being repeated are really good, from the underwater 'suspense' music all the way to the "action" bits that Barry composed complementary to his 007 Theme. I enjoy both the 'Thunderball' and 'Mr Kiss Kiss Bang Bang' tracks and especially how Barry pulls them into his score. I love his exotic use of harps, flutes, and quiet strings. The music we hear when Bond meets Domino for the first time underwater ultimately defines the mood of this film for me.

    But even during the PTS, when Bond fights Jacques Bouvar, I'm getting truly excited, more so thanks to Barry than to the sped-up action on-screen. He blasts open the Bond Theme with more punch than ever before. And this is what I was talking about when we discussed LALD. Somehow Martin didn't always get the Bond Theme right, in my opinion, not just in how it was played but also in when and to what effect. Now check out what Barry does in the TB PTS: he smashes glass and punches through concrete, firing on all cylinders. This guy knows exactly what he's doing. Not one note is misplaced, not one instrument sounds "off", not one beat is missed and not one choice feels lazy.

    Now let's talk about that delicious scene when Quist gets thrown in the shark pool. Not only do I absolutely love how Largo walks away from said pool while kissing his ring, which perfectly sums up "Bond villain" for me, but I furthermore enjoy the harp melody on top of which we hear these high-pitched flutes which enhance the brutality of the moment. Only Barry can make screaming flutes still sound good. I'm a fan of Arnold's but I get cold chills thinking about the deafening noise that he most likely would've produced. Yet everything Barry does feels like soft silk, even his dramatic thunderbolts and shouts so to speak. He held such a mastery over his orchestras!

    Lastly, when Bond is being "driven" by Fiona, and the theme song kicks in like a Stinger missile, I want to drop on all fours and pledge my eternal allegiance to the great John Barry. You see, I don't think Tom Jones' Thunderball is the greatest theme song of the bunch, but the ease with which Barry smuggles this song into his score, both for romantically smooth as well as powerfully actiony moments, is downright impressive.

    I love TB as a movie, but with this one, I just know that more than 50% of that love comes from the score. Barry brings it all together; he is the flavor, salt and seasoning, and presentation of wonderful food on a plate. TB is not just exotic because of the palm trees, white sands, and blue water, but especially because of the sound Barry brings. The underwater scenes, technically impressive but constantly at risk of being overused, remain a delight simply because of the dreamy tone Barry manages to impart on them.

    My love for TB cannot be overstated, and yet I had it only at #6, which tells you how much I care for the ones that are still to make their entrance. ;-)
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 40,492
    TB came in at #6 for me, it's so damn good.

    I'm with @DarthDimi, not a big fan of the title song but the way it's infused into the score is really something.
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    edited July 2021 Posts: 40,492
    Birdleson wrote: »
    The title song is in a three way tie for #1 for me (with GF and DAF).

    I remember you mentioning how much you loved it during one of our viewings together. It's not the worst, by far, and Jones has a great voice but I don't love it like others do.

    Now, those other two title songs are so excellent. DAF is one of the most catchy for me.
  • ShakenNotStirredShakenNotStirred
    Posts: 1,395
    First place for me, every track just defines Bond.
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    ShakenNotStirred wrote: »
    First place for me, every track just defines Bond.
    ShakenNotStirred wrote: »
    First place for me, every track just defines Bond.
    Yep. Just listen to this.

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