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WELCOME TO MY JAMES BOND 007 Soundtrack Review site. I have been a knocked-out Bond fan since I first saw Diamonds Are Forever in early 1972, and Goldfinger and Dr. No a few months later. Like most of my generation, I have a slight preference for Sean Connery as 007. (Note: Read the preceding sentence bearing in mind my penchant for understatement.) I have never particularly cared for Roger Moore in the role; I did like Timothy Dalton, and I was rather sad to see him not continue the part after Licence to Kill. But despite some severe deficiencies in the scripts of the films from the late 90s and early 2000s, Pierce Brosnan sewed up the part of 007 with admirable style. And now, with Casino Royale having hit the screens, Daniel Craig  has proven to be not only capable of filling some very big shoes, he brings to the cinematic Bond a solid portrayal that may be the closest to Fleming's character yet. I went into Casino Royale wanting to like it, and I was anything but disappointed.

All t
hat said, however, my favorite Bond film remains On Her Majesty's Secret Service. While George Lazenby may not have been world's most convincing 007, he did a respectable enough job in a film that is truer to Fleming's original, both literally and in spirit, than any other (at least until Casino Royale). John Barry's score to OHMSS ranks as his all-time best and adds significantly to the quality of the film as a whole. I've always thought it a pity that most casual Bond viewers are quick to dismiss both Lazenby and the movie as "deadly dull," when in reality it's a suspenseful, beautifully directed gem with all the elements that made the early Bond films successful. Expectations of Sean Connery as Bond no doubt played a part in its lackluster reception from the public, but among most of the die-hard Bond fans that I know, OHMSS rates deservedly high.

New, re-mastered editions of several of the original soundtracks, some including extra music cuts, were released a few years back; those that I own have been reviewed on the relevant pages. Also: since there are quite a few Bond music compilations on CD, those reviewed on this site are limited to the ones I actually own. And for those who have asked, I haven't included the scores to 1967's Casino Royale and 1983's Never Say Never Again because I don't own them. At some point, they may yet be included.

If you discover any errors or omissions in the text, feel free to email me and set me straight. In my research, I occasionally found inconsistent or conflicting film info; I have attempted to cross-reference as much material as possible to ensure something resembling accuracy.

Enjoy the site, and thanks for stopping by.

 
 


 

 

The Albums

Click on a cover image to bring up a review page. Each page contains a synopsis of the film, a review of the musical score, cast and credit listings, song lyrics, and more.
 


Dr. No
(1962)

From Russia With Love (1963)

Goldfinger
(1964)

Thunderball
(1965)

You Only Live Twice
(1967)

On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969)

Diamonds Are Forever (1971)

Live and Let Die
(1973)

The Man With the Golden Gun (1974)

The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)

Moonraker
(1979)

For Your Eyes Only
(1981)

Octopussy
(1983)

A View to a Kill
(1985)

The Living Daylights
(1987)

Licence to Kill
(1989)

GoldenEye
(1995)

Tomorrow Never Dies
(1997)

The World Is Not
Enough
(1999)

Die Another Day
(2002)

Casino Royale
(2006)

Quantum of Solace
(2008)

Skyfall
(2012)

The Best of Bond... James Bond (1999)

Bond Back in Action Again (1999)

 Links to other JAMES BOND  Sites

TRANSMIT CODE


Damned Rodan's 007 Film List — Best, Worst, and Everything In Between


Stephen Mark Rainey is author of the novels Dark Shadows: Dreams of the Dark (with Elizabeth Massie), Balak, The Lebo Coven, Blue Devil Island, and The Nightmare Frontier; the short story collections Fugue Devil & Other Weird Horrors, The Last Trumpet, Legends of the Night, and Other Gods; and over 80 works of short fiction. He achieved questionable infamy and absolutely no fortune as editor of Deathrealm magazine, and has edited the anthologies Deathrealms, Song of Cthulhu, and Evermore (with James Robert Smith).


All material on this site ©2009 Stephen Mark Rainey; all official James Bond 007 images are copyrighted by their respective owners and/or creators and are featured here in accordance with fair-usage laws. No copyright infringement of any form is intended. PS: This site is dedicated to my brother Phred because he got me those CDs for Christmas.


Most Recent Update: Wednesday, January 02, 2013 09:15:35 PM