Customer Reviews

Live and Let Die

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

 

 

George Martin, being the first composer after John Barry to score a Bond film, did a fabulous job for "Live and Let Die". Highlight tracks includes Bond Meets Solitaire, Snakes Alive, and Solitaire Gets Her Cards.

Unfortunately, many of the cues for the action sequences, which uses the main theme, was left out, as was the gorgeous instrumental (which rivals John Barry's skill in composing romantic themes) used when Bond seduced Solitaire with a deck full of Lovers card. It is a shame. WIth these in, Live and Let Die would merit a four star rating instead of the three I gave.

Gone is Sean Connery and so is John Barry! Paul and Linda McCartney compose the main title and perform it together with Wings! George Martin scores the rest of the film. This was the greatest departure from the Bond formula as Roger Moore took over the role of James Bond in 1973's "Live and Let Die" and what a departure it was. Pleasantly this is not a bad Bond album. It is a good combination of background and source music, which has a strange cohesive quality about it that really works. The best cuts on the album are `Trespassers Will Be Eaten' and George Martin's 70's interpretation of "The James Bond Theme." Paul and Linda McCartney's main title composition is also very good.

Live and let die is an a-typical Bond film. No martini's (neither shaken nor stirred), no tuxdoes, no Q, no M's office... still it's the good old 007 action. The music is strange as well, being composed by 5th Beatle George Martin, execept for the title track by 1st Beatle McCartney. Martin's music is very 70ies but also very enjoyable, and it makes good use of the Bond Theme. It's not as Bond as you might expect, but it's a nice soundtrack none the less.

Gone is John Barry. Here is George Martin. for the first time in James Bond history, the title song is performed by a band. Paul McCartney and the Wings perform the title song which is considered to be one of the best. It charted at #2 in the charts for three weeks. This soundtrack is so full of exciting and intense music. Tracks like San Monique and Snakes Alive are truly exciting. Bond meets Solitare and If he finds it, Kill Him give the listener a mysterious and magical feel. George Martin also includes his own 007 theme. Also very generous about this soundtrack is the nice amount of 14 tracks. A great title song. Great additional music. A new James Bond. It makes a fantastic soundtrack!

With the superb title song Live And Let Die sung by Paul McCartney and performed by Wings, one thinks that this soundtrack will be good. Well it is and it isn't.

"Bond Meets Solitaire" is an okay song, with a good tune that is very tense. Then we get into "Whisper Who Dares" which is a tense and exciting action cue, and at about one minute into the song we can tell that this is Bond music for the seventies. "Bond Drops In" is another good song, starting out with a quieted excitement as Bond enters Kananga's hideout via hanglider. But then the song moves into music that was not in the movie. "Trespasser's Will Be Eaten" is another good song, but does not include all the music from that scene, and sounds like it has been changed around a bit. Then we go on to track 14, "James Bond Theme" which is heard in the movie as Bond's taxi follows Kananga to the Filet Of Soul restaurant in Harlem. This has another seventies sound to it.

Despite those good songs there are also bad ones and missing ones. Some of the bad ones are "Baron Samedi's Dance Of Death" and "San Monique". Why are they on this CD? They aren't the greatest songs, and were only used as background music for the scenes where Bond checks into his room in San Monique. The big downside is the lack of music. There is a lot missing, some including the music from the boat chase, airplane chase, and the fight between Bond and Kananga in his underground office/heroine shipping cave.

The music isn't that bad, it is just that it doesn't sound like Bond music. Then again we were changed from John Barry to George Martin music. It is still good though, and receives three and a half stars. Definitely one to consider for bond and music fans alike.

Live and Let Die is my favorite soundtrack. There is a lot of use of the Bond Theme in the soundtrack. It also has a good beat. It isn't much like John Barry's soundtracks, which I like a lot too, but is very good.

"Live and Let Die" (1973) introduced a new Bond, Roger Moore, and a new musical team, Paul McCartney and Wings and former Beatle's producer, George Martin, to set the tone. The primary focus here was to produce a hit title with Paul and Linda McCarney and Wings. Martin simply came with the deal. The title remains one of the most dramatic and best songs of the series, and was especially striking with Maurice Binder's amazing opening and end titles. George Martin's score included a foundation based on the James Bond theme and the title song, but he also introduced a fine theme for Solitaire, and interesting island music for "Baron Samedi's Dance of Death" and "Sacrifice." Without McCartney and Wings, George Martin would not have sufficed, but together they produced one of the best non-Barry soundtracks.

The film is good. Great actor Roger Moore has replaced George Lazemby and there are 6 villains; Kananga, Baron Samedi, Tee Hee, Rosie, Whisper and Adam. But the thing I liked the most about it is the great music. I got the soundtrack just for the excellent music when Bond escapes from Adam and hi jacks the plane in the airport and for the cabride music played a few minutes earlier. Unfortunetly this music is not on the soundtrack but to my surprize, the excellent music that can be heard when Bond is in the hotel room (track 7) and Baron Samedi's Dance Of Death (track 6) is on it. The music may sound old compared to Goldeneye and The Living Daylights but if you like funky 70's music then buy it. I'm also reviewing all the other Bond soundtracks over the next few months.

This is a great cd for the most part, and it contains sone great tracks, like "Bond Meets Solitaire", and "Whisper Who Dares". But, like most of the Bond soundtracks, it is missing some crucial cues, like the music during Rosie's death, or the New Orleans cab ride.

All in all, this is a good cd. George Martin may not have John Barry's talent for soundtracks, but this is a great effort.

I think this soundtrack is my favorite of all the soundtracks I have.It is a very thrilling and exciting score.Also the James Bond Theme is very exciting,and the Live and Let Die Theme song is sung by Paul McCartney.George Martin did a great job of composing the music.