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Comments
Worst: GE. Boring answer, I know, what can I say. I'm in the majority camp.
As for rankings/classifications, I'd go:
Gold standard:
TB
OHMSS
CR
TLD
LALD
YOLT
Very good:
FRWL
GF
TND
TMWTGG
DAF
Decent:
AVTAK
OP
LTK
SK
SP
QOS
SF
Not a big fan:
DAD
FYO (there are a couple of cues I like. Not a bad score, just one that doesn't grab me that much)
DN (as music per say, it's actually good. As a Bond score, it's iffy)
TWINE (similar to TND, but somehow a lot more generic)
TSWLM (sure, it has some charm, but overall it's just not for me)
No thanks:
GE
I think we'd mostly agree that Bond theme apart, the score for DN isnt that great. In FRWL the score is by John Barry and its pretty good throughout right?
So why on earth at the end during the boat chase do they use that god awful track from DN that sounds like its from a 50's B movie?
You surely cant be telling me that John Barry couldnt knock out a better piece of music than this in his lunch break?
The only logical conclusion I can draw is that initially they decided they didnt want any music with that scene, Barry scored the film and went off on holiday or something and then at the 11th hour someone decided that the scene really needed some music so they just did a quick copy and paste. Given the acrimony between Barry and Norman I can t envisage why John would use a (poor) track from the previous soundtrack of his own volition.
Maybe it was a decision by Cubby & Harry to have some sort of continuity?
Best- OHMSS, TLD, TB and YOLT
I'd probably leave it up to time constraints. If you recall, there are a couple versions of Thunderball in distribution where the last scene has 2 different versions. The ultimate/blu-ray version has the unfinished score using the DN Bond theme where as the VHS/Special edition have the completed score with a heavier Bombastic version of the Bond theme. That was of course because John Barry didn't have enough time to finish the score before the film's competition but had most of the score complete. So I'd probably the same reasons applied to FRWL's boat finale.
Finished Soundtrack Version - http://picosong.com/hCme/
Original Unfinished / Blu-Ray version. http://picosong.com/hCmL/
2. Thunderball
3. You Only Live Twice
4. Moonraker
5. Quantum of Solace
6. Casino Royale
7. A View to a Kill
8. Goldfinger
9. GoldenEye
10. The Spy Who Loved Me
11. Tomorrow Never Dies
12. The Living Daylights
13. Octopussy
14. Live and Let Die
15. From Russia with Love
16. Skyfall
17. The World Is Not Enough
18. Die Another Day
19. No Time to Die
20. Licence to Kill
21. Diamonds Are Forever
22. The Man with the Golden Gun
23. Spectre
24. Dr. No
25. For Your Eyes Only
Yes, I agree. I think I actually like all the scores. I may not be sure about every single track, but in general I can enjoy all of them. A consistenly good aspect in the franchise, I'd say. A bit like the pre-title and title sequences.
Yeah. Same here. Bond music is the best film music. So consistent. Not sure there's any other franchise where fans are eager to know who and who are doing the music.
1. DAD (really cool, Bond theme takes are well done, and I Will Return would have been a great theme)
2. TWINE (Really easy listening, dramatic when it needs to be, M and the alarm clock is great as well as Come In 007)
3. QoS (Oil Fields and Field Trip are great, as is the Vesper/Bond theme overlap at the end of the film.
4. TND (bit eager with the Bond theme and falls off for the end of the film, but still quite cool and nice listen)
5. CR (works well with the film to complement the scenes, but doesn't hold up on its own for a listen)
The Barry scores:
1. OHMSS (great theme, other music is great too)
2. YOLT (music suits the setting and is quite original as well)
3. DAF (Lots of brass, with really cool cues, integrates the theme well, Bond meets Bambi and Thumper is a highlight)
4. TLD (Pretty good on the whole, not entirely a fan of the Ice Chase cue though, but an overall good score)
5. GF (Lovely integration of the theme. Sometimes is silent when it shouldn't be though)
6. AVTAK (Great use of the theme, new OHMSS inspired theme is cool)
7. TMWTGG (Theme isn't great, but good integration, and Bond theme is used well)
8. MR (Freefall is great, and the space parts are epic)
9. TB (Great use of the Bond theme in stealth moments. Not a fan of the 007 cue usage however)
10. FRWL (Rough around the edges but nice theme and Bond Meets Tania is a highlight)
11. OP (Theme is boring so uses fall flat. Bond theme is pretty uninspiring (except for Bond Look-Alike). Best part is probably circling violins in palace fight)
The Rest: Norman Dr. No , Serra,
1. Martin's LALD (bit quiet in places, but really cool, especially for the first half of the movie)
2. Kamen's LTK (only shame is that Youtube barely has it. Good use of the Bond theme without being repetitive)
3. Hamlisch's TSWLM (alright, but most unmemorable apart from Ride to Atlantis and Bond 77, both of which are nice)
4. Zimmer's NTTD (alright, would probably be more positive if it wasn't for use of All the Time in the World)
5. Newman's SP (bit boring, but PTS score is great, and score when Bond and Madeleine escape the building (Detonation) is nice as well. Elsewise unremarkable)
6. Newman's SF (Some cool motifs that I personally think fit better in Spectre. Bond theme and action motifs a bit repetitive though. Score when M reads poetry is quite good)
7. Conti's FYEO (Alright listen on its own (especially the Bond theme parts like Goodbye, Countess or Submarine, or Melina's Revenge or the Citroen Chase etc.), but in the context of the film it doesn't work. Removes any tension)
8. Norman's Dr. No (Not great. Probably the style of soundtracks of the time.)
9. Serra's GE (complete nonsense, can't believe this is one of the few Bond scores on Spotify. Really is quite frustrating).
Great write up!
Respectfully disagree regarding Kamen's use of the Bond theme not being repetitive. He's already overused it before the PTS ends!
I must say that I circle around about the multiple uses of the very brassy and loud effort, at least on their own, but for me it works in the film. Either way, the quieter Bond themes, such as when Bond prepares to kill Sanchez or when he walks into Lupe's room, are spectacular.
Best score: You Only Live Twice (just gorgeous)
Worse score: Goldeneye (in an otherwise perfect Bond movie)
Least Favourite: Dr. No
(MR a close second)
Worst: QOS
Best non-Barry 007 score: GoldenEye
-
Worst 007 score: Skyfall
(Barry):
1. On Her Majesty's Secret Service (just perfect in every aspect, I don't know, everything about this film is perfect, as Louis Armstrong said: "Nothing more, nothing less")
2. A View To A Kill (May not be a fan of the film itself but goodness, the score is lovely from 'Wine With Stacey' which is the main highlight, to the 'Golden Gate Bridge Fight', it's 80s, but the scores doesn't sound dated at all, Barry managed to encapsulate the classy feel of the scores).
3. You Only Live Twice (Exquisite and lovely)
4. From Russia With Love (Mystery, danger, and intrigue, very Hitchcockian, yes, but it fits well within the film, I think the scores in this film fit well with the mood and tone of the Fleming Books, as they're not fantastical, not bombastic, but full of intrigue and grounded, if I'm going to read the books again, and think of a score to give background music to my reading, at least in my mind, scores like in FRWL may fit in).
5. Thunderball (Very grand, elegant and exquisite, a breathe of fresh air after the dramatic and serious in sound that's Goldfinger).
6. Goldfinger (The scores sounded and felt like they're telling the film's story already, the scores captured the film's mood).
7. The Living Daylights (I do missed the classy sophisticated Bondian scores in this particular film, 'The Inflight Fight', for example, is nice to hear as a score on its own, but I don't think of it as Bondian style, I do say, the score is a bit dated, very 80s in sound with the use of beats and some effects, didn't aged well for me, very New Wave in feel).
8. Diamonds Are Forever (Scores sounded a bit like those played in Soap Opera TV shows, it's like Barry was trying to make it dramatic and bombastic at the same time, but didn't quite worked, it's like trying to bake the most perfect cake but it ended up overcooked).
9. Octopussy (I liked 'The Palace Fight', but that's all, not bad, but none have stood out in order to be one of the best scores, they're decent, but compared to the other Bond scores above, the scores here are a bit neutral in comparison).
10. Moonraker (For how I liked Moonraker, sadly, upon rewatching the film, the score here felt a bit of Star Wars, just listen to the 'Flight In To Space', one may think of Close Encounters of A Third Kind, too much over the top, although I still liked the film, but it's too much for Bond).
11. The Man With The Golden Gun (Bond scores in Oriental Style, YOLT did it great and more exquisite or creative, this one, on the other hand, more like an exaggerated showing of what Bond in Asia sounds like and it's not good).
(Arnold):
1. The World Is Not Enough (Dramatic but the scores are put in proper places)
2. Tomorrow Never Dies (Yes, it's the year for TND this time, the scores are balanced in tone yet complemented very much of the film's scenes without pretending too much, 'Paris And Bond' is a very touching score, but the most wonderful score is 'Kowloon Bay', I liked it, it brought me back to the classic Bond of Connery/Lazenby, Arnold captured the Barry style in this film).
3. Casino Royale (the scores complemented the film very well and decent as a individual scores on their own, although not as great as those other two, a middle of the pack, not bad, but not excellent either).
4. Die Another Day (Too much high tech, I do liked 'Going Down Together', but apart from that, they all sound very video game-y).
5. Quantum of Solace (Quantum of Solace suffered for me, from the same case as with Licence To Kill, the scores are not that much different from the action films that came around at that time, that same sound and style that I've also heard in the likes of Mission Impossible, Jason Bourne, Taken, and many more, hearing the score on QoS, reminded me of those other action films released around that same time, again, just as with Licence To Kill which also sound very generic, similar to the 80s action films).
(Other Composers):
1. SPECTRE (The one that I liked the most, I liked 'Blindfold' and 'The Safe House' scores, the scores sounded a bit exotic, I liked it, there's something in those scores that I liked).
2. Skyfall (Great, but unlike SPECTRE, the scores lacked a bit in feelings or atmosphere, it's like just made as an obligatory scores to complement the film only, but as songs on their own, they're lacking a bit in melodies).
3. Licence To Kill (Here's now what I've compared with Quantum Of Solace, like what I've said in the former film, the score felt a bit trendy like with most action films' scores of the time, I've felt the same in the scores in this film, here, the scores sounded like those 80s Action Films, I've watched some 80s Action Films free on TV and the scores of those films were reminiscent of those in Licence To Kill, those are still decent scores, but very generic).
4. The Spy Who Loved Me (Some scores can be a bit discotheque, but I've enjoyed it a bit, I do liked 'The Tanker' score, and it's fun, although, it's obviously not one of the best, but the scores in this are something I could enjoy those scores even outside the film itself, as songs on their own).
5. Live And Let Die (Forgot this one, sorry 😅, anyway, those scores are decent, but they're somewhat repetitive, I've found the scores somewhat tiring while watching the film).
5. No Time To Die (Some good scores like 'Should We Get To Know Each Other' and 'Home' but some scores also leaned too heavily on On Her Majesty's Secret Service and The Lion King callbacks (like 'Closing The Doors' and 'Square Escape', which I really disliked, it shows the lack of originality and creativity of Hans Zimmer at some point).
6. For Your Eyes Only (The scores doesn't sound Bondian with the possible exception of 'Take Me Home', the rest were just too much Pop Sounding).
7. Goldeneye (Yes, seen this coming, but I think others have pointed out the flaws of the scores in this film better that I don't need to emphasize it anymore, is it bad? No, there are no outright bad Bond films, but in the case of Goldeneye, there are some scores that are just better.
You're missing Dr. No by the way! I doubt it could go any higher than 6th however...
FRWL
GF
TB
YOLT
OHMSS
DAF
MR
OP
AVTAK
TLD
LTK
GE -- yes! GE. You read it well. GE. Sue me.
TND
CR
QOS
SF -- yes! It's a shocker, isn't it?
SP -- yes! It's another shocker, isn't it?
NTTD -- yes! It's - Oh, you get the point.
Good
LALD
TMWTGG
FYEO
TWINE
DAD
Mediocre
DN
TSWLM
Terrible
NSNA
Awesome though not Bondian
CR67