Customer Reviews

Goldfinger (Soundtrack)

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The soundtrack to Goldfinger is a famous one, and when it was released in 1964 it selled real good. Just like any other Barry-Bond-soundtrack it is a great CD, but still not one of the best. Barry didn't found a perfect balance with action-songs, beatufil songs and exiting songs before his next Bond-score, Thunderball. The Goldfinger soundtrack doesn't have a great balance.

The Main Title song Goldfinger is of course a superb one, and you can say nothing bad about that one. Probebly did John Barry understand how good this song was, cause in the soundtrack he works alot with it. In 5 five songs can we hear instrumental versions of the title song, both in very beatufil music (like in "Alpine Drive") and something like action-music (in "Dawn Raid on Fort Knox").

The entire instrumental version of the title track is not so good, and it "steals" some of the great tunes from "Dawn Raid on Fort Knox", but it doesn't fit in the instrumental song.

As usual this Bond-soundtrack is in-complete. What is so special with this CD is that is doesn't even have all the music from the LP! Four songs have been taken away, "Golden Girl", "Pussy Galores Flying Circus", "Death of Tilley" and the great "The Laser Beam", which come from the unforgettable scene whear Bond is about go be split by a laser beam. (What a surprise, hey!)Beacause of that this CD only is 31 minutes long!

Enjoy a great CD, that mostly have superb versions of the title track on it. But there is better Bond-soundtracks, like "You Only Live Twice" and "On Her Majesty's Secret Service".

If one were forced to make a list of the best James Bond scores, John Barry's "Goldfinger" should be ranked a close second to Barry's own "On Her Majesty's Secret Service." Thankfully no Bond fan really has to do this. "Goldfinger" in many ways is the definitive Bond soundtrack and score. Shirley Bassey's vocal of the title tune is not only the best of the series, it is one of the great show tunes of all time. The score is excellent as well; "Bond Back in Action" is a particular delight which includes the James Bond theme opening and then presents a kind of mini-score from the pre-title sequence. As with all of the early soundtracks there is a good deal of Barry's score which did not make it to the original recording. A number of cuts do appear on the double disc, anniversary issue of the "The Best of Bond" (wihich includes an Anthony Newley vocal of the title that is "interesting"), and it would be nice if a new recording were released to include an expanded score. "Goldfinger" established Barry as the master in this genre, and made clear his enormous talents in film scoring. Moreover, this score became the standard by which all Bond scores have been and will be measured (it just happened that "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" measured up quite well).

Having impressed both moviegoers and the industry in his rookie year as the Bond series' lead composer, John Barry followed up with a soundtrack that's almost as impressive. This CD is a combination of spectacular music and -- even without the remastering -- brilliant production.

While Barry had to give way to Lionel Bart when it came to composing the "From Russia With Love" title song, the "Goldfinger" theme music is Barry all the way, and it's as close to a perfect movie song as there is. Mix the bombast of Barry's horn-soaked arrangement, the over-the-top lyrics by Leslie Bricusse and Tony Newley, and of course the powerful delivery by vocalist Shirley Bassey...and you have a theme song that's a thriller itself.

The CD is filled with gems, including the brilliant big-band instrumental "Into Miami" -- used just after the title credits to accompany the wonderful slow aerial zoom to the Fountainebleau Hotel. The suite "Alpine Drive - Auric's Factory"
has wonderful violin passages balancing the "Goldfinger" music and a suspenseful section during which Bond spies on the Auric Enterprises plant.

The soundtrack CD reaches its powerful peak in "Dawn Raid on Fort Knox" and "The Arrival Of The Bomb And Countdown." Each has violins and horns building upon each other dramatically to a finish that doesn't need the movie visual to leave you tingling.

The only clunker is the Duane Eddy-ish, monaural guitar instrumental of "Goldfinger..." which obviously sounds as if it's from a worn master tape. The arrangement is fine, but the audio quality is a drawback from what's otherwise a spectacular disc...which comes awfully close to the brilliant "From Russia With Love" in front to back quality.

That was my late mother's question when I bought this album at age 16, the very first soundtrack album I ever owned. She simply didn't see it as music, as such. Composer John Barry got his start in Duane Eddy-style twangy-guitar music, which is probably what influenced the "James Bond" theme used in all 007 films, where Bond strides across the frame from left to right, and then wheels and shoots at the camera POV. But Barry proved in this and other Bond soundtracks that he had a command of brass and string arranging as well. Closest antecedent would probably be some Henry Mancini stuff, but this rocks more. It's a fusion of jazz and rock that isn't really "jazz rock" as we know it. The jazz part of it is big band derived rather than small combo. One critic uncharitably but descriptively called it "million-dollar Mickey Mouse music" for the way the music fit the on-screen action. Bond punches somebody out, the music goes "ka-bam", just like in the cartoons. Goldfinger's in the process of cutting Bond in half with a laser, the music takes on the hissing sound of the laser cutting through the metal of the table. The odometer-style timer on the atomic bomb counts down, there's tympani and trombones counting down right with it. There are recurring bits of the main theme throughout a Bond film in different forms. There are recurring themes that carry on from one film to another--like the "Bond" theme and one I call "Chase Theme" because it gets different titles in different films. It always involves Bond travelling really fast, like in a speedboat. You know which one I mean--it has a rhythmic tympani groove underlying a lead by a grouping of trombones and French horns; "Bah-baaah....buh-bop bah baww-baww", etc. The style became just as identified with James Bond as any actor who ever played the role. So much so that George Martin cobbled up a parody of it as an intro to "Help", and we all knew what he was driving at. Barry even released a compilation album titled "Music To Read James Bond By". Even if familiar themes crop up in soundtrack after soundtrack, does that take anything away from John Williams' brilliant "Star Wars" music? It isn't music? Sorry, Mom (God rest your soul), but you're wrong.

Of all the Bond scores, 'Goldinger' has always been my personal favorite. As the movie is also my favorite Bond film, the score holds a special place with me, bringing some good memories. The newly expanded score CD replaces 4 tracks there were on the original UK LP, that was not released in the US. 'The Laser' is actually one of my favorite tracks from the entire album. Thanks to EMI for its fine remastering and expansion of this classic Bond score.

Overall this soundtrack is great. It starts off with "Goldfinger", sung by Shirley Bassey, which is a good song with good lyrics. Then we move on into the main part of the soundtrack where there are a few notable parts:
"Alpine Drive" is a great song, with the sweeping instrumental version of Goldfinger played by violins and harps.
"Oddjob's Pressing Engagement" is an exciting, fast-paced song, starting out with strings and horns playing James Bond's theme and then going into a bold rendition of "Goldfinger" played by horns.
"Bond Back In Action" contains the music that was heard during the pre-credits sequence in Goldfinger. It starts out with one of the best versions of the gunbarrel song, and then transforms into tense music as Bond climbs over a wall and sets explosives inside a giant tank.
From there the soundtrack goes into the rest of the music from the movie, some good songs being the tense and exciting "Dawn Raid On Fort Knox", and the tense and exciting "The Arrival Of The Bomb And Countdown".
The rest of the soundtrack is good, and this is undoubtedly one of John Barry's best Bond soundtracks, but there are a few songs missing. Most of the other Bond soundtracks have missing songs also unfortunately.
Despite the missing songs though this soundtrack is definitely a good soundtrack, and is definitely worth buying whether you're a Bond music fan or not.

The 'Goldfinger' main title is the best song in the James Bond film series. 'Into Miami' is a great jazz intro. 'Alpine Drive' is very good in the way it combines the main title with fragments of the James Bond beat in the background. However, my favorite cut on this album has always been 'Bond Back In Action Again.' It is the best representation of the 'James Bond' theme. My only complaint with this CD is that it is missing 4 cuts from the LP I had since I was a kid. Put those 4 tracks back into this album.

This is one of the best James Bond soundtracks ever. The title song is great, track 4 is a pleasure to listen to, track 3 is exciting and fast paced, and track 2 starts out with beautiful instrumentals of GOLDFINGER. If you are looking for a great soundtrack, this is the one to buy. Definitely one of John Barry's best.

I have bought 3 versions of this Soundtrack. Originally a monoral record, than a stereo record and finally a CD. I also have the import version of this soundtrack on record. It contains 4 tracks that are not on the American version. These tracks can be found on the 30th Anniversary 2-CD set of James Bond. This album, along with From Russia With Love and On Her Majesty's Secret Service are the finest music for Bond. Barry's best soundtrack though is Born Free.

Goldfinger has to be the best James Bond soundtrack. It not only has the best James Bond Theme song but the score is one of the best. They don't compose them like this any more. It brings back fond memories.