Customer Reviews

In Like Flint / Our Man Flint: Original Motion Picture Soundtracks

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

"Our Man Flint", and the sequel "In Like Flint", were part of the mid-sixties "spy-craze", following in the wake of the success of the "Bond" films. Unlike "James Bond", "Derek Flint" was never meant to be taken seriously. The "Flint" films were more about finding the "fun" in spying, and the music of these films is certainly part of that "fun". So some thirty plus years after the release of the films, the music is finally available on CD.

Musically, Track #16 "Our Man Flint" establishes the "Flint theme". This theme permeates the soundtrack of "Our Man Flint", and also reappears in the music of "In Like Flint". So if you find numerous variations of "Flint's theme" objectionable, you should probably pass on this CD. Otherwise this double soundtrack CD is an excellent value, and the booklet provided with the CD is also very informative.

The CD begins with the music from the second film, "In Like Flint". This probably because the music from the second film has more variety, is generally more lively, and has a much lighter tone than the music of "Our Man Flint". Jerry Goldsmith does an excellent job, delivering a set of tunes that are exciting, expressive, and fun. In addition to the original "Flint theme", several new reoccurring themes are used. Classical music themes are included in the mix, and there are even a couple of silly vocal tracks. A favorite would be Track #6, "Mince and Cut Until Tender", which plays as Flint battles in "ZOWIE's" top secret warehouse. Missing however, is the music that played during Flint's short, but exciting battle at "Fabulous Face".

The music from "Our Man Flint", which appears on this CD, is not identical to that on the original soundtrack LP. Besides changing the order of the tracks, four new tracks have been added (#17, 19, 20 & 24) and three original tracks were omitted. Tracks have been rearranged. The final selection appears to have just been renamed to "End Title". It's regrettable that any tracks were omitted, as some interesting music was left off. This CD is 65 minutes long, but there is still a bit of space available to include the missing tracks.

The music of "Our Man Flint" compared to "In Like Flint" is slower, and more orchestral, and at times more romantic. Featuring a bit less electric guitar and keyboards, and more strings and horns. The music is less busy, allowing for gaps in the music. The tone does get a bit dark and heavy at times, and may not be appreciated by everyone. Take the time to sample the tracks (...) and decide for yourself.

Besides the title track, the high points include Track #26, the energetic "You're A Foolish Man, Mr. Flint", Track #24, a "saxed-up" version of the "Flint" theme called, "The Boilermaker" and Track #19, the romantic "New York Skyline".

While fans have had to wait this long for the music to appear on CD, they will have to wait even longer for the films themselves to be released on DVD. Hopefully someone at the studio will care about the fans of these films, and see that they are released on DVD soon.

I admit, I love Jerry Goldsmith. But truth be told, not all his scores are created equal. This one, however, is a particular favorite of mine. It is a solid Goldsmith score, no doubt about it. But it is such a fun departure from many of his more recent scores (which, of course, I love as well.) It has that bad '60s spy thing down pat! It shows such a sense of humor and play. If you are used to Goldsmith's more recent scores, this one may be a bit of an adjustment for you, but give it a try. It will definitely grow on you. Let your sense of humor take over. It is an absolute hoot!

If you are a fan of Flint..Derek Flint and James Coburn, this one is for you. Great music and every tune evokes the style and elegance of Flint, the man who out bonded Bond. I find the music soothing, exciting and yet strangely inspirational. Music to spy by! Great stuff! Dr. Michael Lim The Travelling Gourmet

I'm still trying to find soundtracks similar to this one. No synthesisers and a symphony including every instrument know to mankind. Why can't movie scores sound like this nowadays.

it's a great CD, incredible music- but those missing cuts from the original Our Man Flint LP are some of my favorites. Inexcusable! So disappointing it affects, as another person suggested, the whole listening experience. The orignal LP had more of an impact- I'm just gonna have to finally try to clean up and record my copy to CD. I've been searching for years- and it finally comes out- cut and altered!

These soundtracks will prove a revelation for Goldsmith fans who know him only through later scores such as Alien or the Star Trek Films. On the heels of his work with the early episodes of The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Goldsmith was asked to produce music for a spy genre parody. Encouraged to not hold back, he incorporated traditional romantic orchestration with musical parody, and brought in a number of excellent jazz musicians to add a very contemporary feel to the score. The result is a cd that grows on you. It displays not only Goldsmith's craftsmanship, but a great deal of true musicianship from the performers. There are a few tracks that are better left off, and the occasional arcane recording glitch, but these are rare. From the breathtaking strings of the opening theme, to Shelly Manne's perfect percussion on track 26, this is one to get.

Bravo. Why not 5 stars? I consider Jerry Goldsmith among the most talented composers of movie and tv scores alive today. And Shelly Manne on drums is real treat. This cd has the original soundtrack recordings which were not previously available.

I suppose I'll never be completely satisfied until there is a release that includes every note ever recorded for these two films. But this is an excellent step towards that end.

This is nitpicking, I know, but this album was the reason why I became a lover of movie soundtracks in the first place. The version I grew up with was the re-recording of the soundtrack on vinyl, issued in conjunction with the film. Purists may rejoice, as this new version is taken directly from the tracks used to score the movie itself, and therefore contains about a half-dozen tracks not available on the vinyl version. Because you do get both soundtracks for the price of one, I give it three stars. Now if they'd included both OUR MAN the redo vs. OUR MAN the original, it would've gotten FIVE stars!

Still, for nostalgia's sake, it's worth checking out.

This is a CD full of fun Jerry Goldsmith tunes.

The interesting percussion and early electronic sounds in the "Our Man Flint" track drew me to this CD after hearing it on an online film music radio show.

Varèse Sarabande released over an hour of music on this disc, making it a good buy for the money. The sound quality of this CD is OK, and the music is presented in stereo, but there is a bit of weirdness caused by age.

Overall, a good listen in my book!

Nice thought. Great '60's scores. Produced on CD with a '90's sensibility however (action). What happened to some of the other cues from the films, especially from OUR MAN FLINT? They kind of ballanced the LP. This CD of both scores gives a little bit of a different impression entirely.

Since you can probably pick up both DVDs for little more than the price of this CD, I would recommend that as the better way of getting aquainted with these wonderful pieces of spymania.

And you will also get the movies themselves to boot.