James Bond Now

Vic Flick | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 15, 2000)
• Original Release Date: November 1, 2000
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: VF Records
• ASIN: B000053F90
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #767,518 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars James Bond Now - Vic Flick, November 14, 2000

By 

[e-mail] (Bristol, England) - See all my reviews

This review is from: James Bond Now (Audio CD)

From the mid-sixties onwards there have been many cover versions of James Bond film themes available to an apparently insatiable record-buying public. Some have been very good, even excellent, but some have been very poor - horrendous in one or two cases. So it's a great pleasure to be able to review a new one, and one by the man who played guitar on the original James Bond Theme, and on many other Bond film scores - Vic Flick.

For 'James Bond Now', Flick has taken seven of his own favourite Bond themes, given them his own highly original treatment, and added three of his own compositions as a bonus. In the case of the Bond themes, some, like Goldfinger & The James Bond Theme have received sparkling makeovers. The famed guitar sound is still prominent, but a backing track years away from the sixties birthplace of these themes has been utilised to surprisingly good effect. In particular, Flick's ad-lib guitar solo on The Bond Theme give it a completely different feel from the original, which is not at all unattractive to the ear.

Live & Let Die has traditionally proved a difficult theme to cover, since the original vocal, by Paul McCartney & Wings is so engrained in the subconscious of Bond fans everywhere. Even Paul's mentor, George Martin, didn't attempt it in the film. However, Flick is obviously not a man to be concerned about reputations and attacks it here with gusto. Guitar takes the forefront during the initial part of the track, but a growling saxophone gradually takes over - a real bravado performance, this one.

The extended and different intro to Diamonds Are Forever had me guessing for a few moments before the familiar main melody kicked in with Flick's low register guitar solo the star of the show, accompanied by some great-sounding percussion.

For me, For Your Eyes Only is probably the best track on the album. I have to confess I was never very fond of Bill Conti's score, but Flick has settled for a thoughtful, mellifluous guitar solo and has won me over completely. Now I know where Conti went wrong!

Flick's own 'Shaken Not Stirred' is a cleverly done alternative, modern-sounding James Bond Theme, which wouldn't be out of place in a modern Bond film. There are shades of Norman/Barry's original melody, without it being too obvious, and again, the combination of guitar (occasionally funky-style) and percussion-led orchestra make for a very satisfying listen.

There is a very ominous feel to the beginning of 'From Russia With Love' before the familiar guitar sound kicks in. From that moment on, Lionel Bart's theme is given a fairly standard style treatment, though the addition of a drum-machine and other percussion does help create an appropriate atmosphere.

A Boogie-woogie piano intro to 'Nobody Does It Better' is very deceptive. An acoustic guitar solo soon brings a change in mood, and suddenly we hear the voice of Mr Flick himself, reciting the words from the Oscar-nominated song from 'The Spy Who Loved Me. I suspect this is likely to be the nearest we get to hearing Flick sing!

Silken Cover is the second of Flick's compositions. A wistful, gentle theme, with acoustic guitar fitting the mood, perhaps written with a love scene in mind, it sits very well on this album alongside some of the other, more up-tempo, tracks.

The final track, Copacabinsky, is another Flick original and quite different from what has gone before. There is a Latin feel to the beat and flute solos together with steel drums accompaniment, make for a mellow and very relaxing conclusion.

Don't be fooled into thinking this is a short album, as all the tracks are lengthy ones, particularly as compared with the original. This is an album well worth adding to your collection. To quote a line taken from the detailed liner notes, "Vic Flick is the Sean Connery of the electric guitar. Accept no impostors."!!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars James Bond NOW scores a hit!, March 6, 2001

By 

Matthew B. Sherman "Pool/Billiards & 007 Expert" (GAINESVILLE, FL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: James Bond Now (Audio CD)

Vic Flick is an amazing stylist on his Bonded guitar--he is going on forty-plus years of working the Bonds since he first strummed the world's most famous hero's theme for James Bond, Agent 007, in 1962's Dr. No.

Flick has taken seven Bonds and well-covered them here, plus added three tunes of his own composition, making James Bond NOW one of the best Bond cover/re-mix albums ever done. The new arrangements and clever beats makes Flick's James Bond NOW a must do for any Bond fan.

Flick's re-working of Diamonds Are Forever is brilliant and (dare I say it!) makes me wish Barry had let him have more of a hand on the overall soundtrack of Bond VII to begin with. His guitar work on all the tracks, especially For Your Eyes Only and Live and Let Die, evokes a great depth of feeling. This CD will stand up to many repeated listenings. Enjoy! Long live James Bond!

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars SYNTHESIZED Bond tunes, BEWARE!, February 19, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: James Bond Now (Audio CD)

I was extremely disappointed when I received this CD and listened to it the first (and only) time. Like one or two reviewers said, Vic Flick is very talented and his performances in the tracks is good. But you hear very little of the guitar and it is always combined with the other NOISES, so it brings down the guitar segments . The surrounding sounds are awful because they are all synthesized (at least they sound it). Some might be true sounds, but I assure you that most are not. You can tell. I would expect these tracks to accompany a 1985 Atari game. And listening to the music is not enjoyable -- my lips curled and my hands snapped up to cover my ears. I am an ardent James Bond fan; I love everything that is Bond. But I cannot and will not love this CD. It has to be a SMERSH propaganda op or something. Do not buy this CD. If Amazon would have provided samples of the tracks, I would not have bought it. You wouldn't either. Trust me, spend your FIFTEEN DOLLARS (!!!) somewhere else. Maybe an orchestra and Vic can get together and redo this CD with some real instruments. The tunes might be good then. Once more, BUY SOMETHING ELSE SHOPPER!!!!