Customer Reviews

Bond and Beyond

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

All I can say is listen to the Trumpet solo on goldfinger. The best

Erich Kunzel plays the Bond themes? What a great idea! In addition, there are a few more selections in the same vein, like the cops-n-robbers TV medley, music from The Untouchables, Lethal Weapon, Beverly Hills Cop, etc.

Sometimes, you want to listen to the 007 music in instrumental only, and Kunzel and the Cincinatti Pops do a good job with the arrangements. But where are the rest of the songs? Missing are three of my all-time favorites, You Only Live Twice, Diamonds Are Forever, and Moonraker. I think the album would be better with 'more Bond, less other.' We certainly don't need TWO selections from Dick Tracy. And the theme from Darkman is stylistically quite similar to Dick Tracy; nothing is gained by playing both. Don't get me wrong; I like Danny Elfman (check out his "Beetlejuice" theme on Kunzel's 'Great Fantasy Adventure Album'). I just wanted to hear all my fave Bond pieces on the one CD.

Still, it's a keeper.

Lots of hit or miss tracks here. Love how he went with the Barry orchestral version of the Bond theme instead of the Bella Fleck guitar solo which is ALWAYS emulated on compilations in some form or another. Can't stand Lethal Weapon because it sounds like nothing that was in the film. I'm not even sure where that theme came from but it wasn't from Kamen's score? Maybe some random song from the album back in the day? ew.

Morricone's Untouchables is a masterpiece and he does great justice to it. It's so good I prefer this version to the original recording. Could to without the TV themes because I don't watch TV. Live and Let Die is also a surprise, as it actually sounds like the George Martin score instead of a band version of the McCartney tune (a route that they could have easily taken). For the most part it's a classy presentation.