Customer Reviews

Live and Let Die [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

For the first time ever, the soundtrack for Live And Let Die has been remastered and now includes 8 brand new tracks available for the first time. Live And Let Die boasts one of the best title songs in the entire series. Paul McCartney and The Wings perform the slam-bang exciting title song with thrilling beats and a magnificent flow! The song charted at #2 in the US making it one of the best Bond songs ever. George Martin composes the score this time around with a very laid back lounge type style, which actually works for the film. He made his own version of the James Bond Theme (Track 14), which can also be heard throughout several other tracks. Adventerous music that includes the very high brass includes Snakes Alive, Baron Samedi's Dance Of Death, Sacrifice and Boat Chase. Also included in the Live And Let Die title song version by B.J. Arnau and alternate versions of San Monique. The famous Gunbarrel is also included as a bonus track on the CD. With 22 tracks and 56 minutes of music, a thrilling title song and a smack-down score, Live And Let Die is a classic soundtrack for all 007 fans!

The remastered release of LIVE AND LET DIE is much improved. The previous issue was no different than the track line up on the original 1973 vinyl record -- or eight track tape, depending on your antiquated stereo. Not only does this release include additional superb tracks, some of the original cuts have also been lengthened and more closely correspond the the film soundtrack. George Martin, the Beatles producer, took the helm from John Barry in scoring the eighth James Bond film soundtrack. Though no one has yet equaled Barry's compositions for Bond films, which we have not heard since 1987's THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS, Martin's soundtrack was perfect for launching Roger Moore's first outing as Bond. Let us not forget Paul McCartney's brilliant theme of the same name.

The musical chemistry between McCartney and Martin is obvious as the title theme music is blended throughout the soundtrack. As a matter of trivia the movie producers originally planned to use McCartney's title theme with a female vocalist before the former Beatle showed his mettle as a negotiator. In the end, Paul McCartney and Wings performed the title track. LIVE AND LET DIE also proved to be a hit Apple/Capitol single as well.

There are a couple things missing from the CD. When some of the James Bond soundtracks were re-released a couple years ago they included selected soundbytes and an analog movie trailer. Apparently the remastered LIVE AND LET DIE soundtrack did not rate these extra features.

Oh well, Live and Let Die. In the meantime, live and go buy.

This is an Incredible James Bond Soundtrack now restored to even greater heights. Gone was Sean Connery and so was John Barry! Paul and Linda McCartney composed the main title and performed it together with Wings! George Martin scored 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 the original album was 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. However this newly released soundtrack with the extra tracks added is phenomenal! "Gunbarrel / Snakebite" and "Bond and Rosie" are just 2 of the newly added tracks that give this score more recognition that it so justly deserved. "Bond To New York" contains some of the best music heard in the film. I can see now that George Martin really had an ear for music and scoring as well. The sound quality of all the newly added music is incredible and surpasses that of the original album. George Martin's 70's interpretation of "The James Bond Theme" is nostalgic of that era but still packs a punch. It is interesting that David Arnold is today given kudos for combing traditional style scoring with techno-sounds while in comparison George Martin was berated for his LIVE AND LET DIE score at the time. One last note about this album is that we finally get to hear instrumental renditions of Paul and Linda McCartney's main title composition interpolated into the score. Their theme was always present and works well throughout. Don't pass this one up.

George Martin's inspiration for composing a score for LIVE AND LET DIE seems to have been SHAFT rather than earlier James Bond films. There is nothing wrong with this approach. However all the musical cues for James Bond, the hero of the piece, should never stray too far from his musical roots and that sound should remain consistent. This is similar to the mistake Michael Kamen made with his score for LICENCE TO KILL.

If you examine John Barry's score for THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN it is has an oriental quality to it reflecting Macao, Hong Kong and the Thailand settings. However, when he employs references to "The James Bond Theme" the score reverts back to a more consistent musical orchestration, only very subtly suggesting the locale and shifts the focus to James Bond the secret agent.

However, as an album LIVE AND LET DIE is very good. George Martin seems to have wisely chosen tracks that combined strains of James Bond and Solitaire's themes with a sustained beat resulting in a cohesive sound throughout. It is not John Barry at all, but instead is a refreshing look at James Bond as he dives headfirst into this unique world at a time and place of the early 70s. The extra tracks are outstanding making this one of the best James Bond soundtracks.

Yes, that is my sentiment....in fact, it seems in all the other re-mastered Bond soundtracks, the best music is left out, and Live and Let Die was no exception.

George Martin took over from John Barry to write the score for Live and Let Die and he more than admirably did the job. First of all, (take note David Anrold), is that he incorporate the theme song into the score even though it wasn't written by him...thus continuing the tradition of Bond music set by John Barry. Second, he wrote another piece for Solitaire which is also used extensively throughout the score. In all, George Martin wrote a score worthy of Barry himself....

Which is what makes the original release such a disappointment because many of the best music was left out. The re-master remedied that and includes virtually the entire score: the music for the pre-title sequence (gun barrel/snakebit), other notables are Bond and Rosie, The Lovers, Bond to New York, and many of the cues for action/chase sequences. There is an alternate cue for San Monique which I think is better than the one on the original release.

But why the 3 stars rating?
We have to wait for Bond's 40th anniversary for the soundtrack's proper release, AND rebuy the soundtrack (I have it in cassette and CD and now the Re-master). Call me bitter, I think the people who runs the Bond empire should stop treating us fans so shabbily.

To my surprise this expanded CD has more of the music from the movie not included on earlier releases including the instrumental versions of Live and Let Die. Prior to this release "OHMSS" and "Goldfinger" were my favorite soundtracks but after hearing this one time and especially after additional listenings it is by far the best SOUNDTRACK. George Martin is great at changing the tempos such,a track beginning slowly, seting a mood and then a hint of the "Live and Let Die" theme picks up or in reverse, starting off with a fast driving theme and slowing it down. There are no tracks that will put you to sleep. Other than the "Closer Walk with Thee/ New Second Line" and the "Filet of Soul/LLD" byB.J. Arnu tracks I could do with out, this is awsome CD. Would have been nice if it was longer but it is still an awsome 55+ minutes. Wish George Martin had done more movie Soundtracks.

I have only been waiting for this for 22 years! Granted when this was first released on LP (Vinyl record technology, pre cd, pre cassette and during the horror period of 8 track tapes!),
Only so much music could be recorded on a record. This album finally satisfies all of us who wanted all of the music. Sir George Martin does a wonderful variation to the classic 007 theme as well as great action sequences with different variations of the main title and then some original songs. Sir Martin was the first to score for Bond since Barry who had scored all of the previous movies unavailable for this one. The music was a fabulous introduction to the new Bond Roger Moore.
This Album will stand the test of time when good music was being made for the series.

I just love bond movies and being able to listen to the music from them is just ausome

The positive reviews on this sold me. It had exactly what I was looking for in all the great music from the movie, as several of the previous reviewers have aptly described. The bonus tracks hold some of the best stuff! The quality of the recording is so good that I was even suspicious that it might have been new recordings, as I've sometimes found in hard to find music.

All in all I say that it exceeded my high expectations.

Live And Let Die (1973), was the start of a new era in the James Bond universe, as Roger Moore replaced Sean Connery as Agent 007. Moore brought a new slant to the character, and there was a change in the music department as well. Mostly known up to this point, for his work as a producer for The Beatles iconic albums of the late 60's, George Martin became the first after John Barry, to score a Bond soundtrack as the sole composer.

Martin's connection to The Fab Four paid big dividends, as Paul McCartney penned the title song Live and Let Die, and performed it with his group Wings. The song was a mainstream of rock number, unlike the title song from any previous Bond soundtrack, and was a massive hit in both Britain and America. Live And Let Die was nominated for an Academy Award for best original song, but lost to Marvin Hamlich's, The Way We Were, which was a Number 1 hit for Barbara Streisand. In 1976, Hamlish would become the third composer to score a Bond film solo, in The Spy Who Loved Me.

George Martin's music for James Bond was a departure from Barry's more traditional orchestral sound. Martin went in more of a funk and rock direction, getting in step with the tone of the film, which featured locations in New York, Louisiana, and Jamaica. Martin does a fine job of coming up with an original approach, and then blending in the James Bond Theme (by Monty Norman), Barry's traditional Bond elements, and McCartney's Live And Let Die melody, into some of his more modern rock influenced compositions.

When originally released on vinyl record in 1973, the soundtrack was a little over 34 minutes in length. The remastered 2003 expanded version, is 56 minutes long, so there was obviously more music that could have been included on the LP. For almost thirty years, a severely truncated version masqueraded as the `Original Motion Picture Soundtrack' (OST). Thankfully this travesty has at last been redressed, and the new version is a substantial improvement over the original.

Notable compositions among the selections from the 1973 OST, are Martin's original works for the voodoo themed scenes. The wild and rhythmic Baron Samedhi's Dance of Death, perfectly captures the spirit of the voodoo crazed Baron. Sacrifice, is mostly drums building up to a climax, and seems like an odd choice for inclusion, as it would appear to have limited musical appeal. Tracks like Bond Meets Solitaire, Snakes Alive, and Bond Drops In, display Martin's musical flair in incorporating some of Barry's traditional Bond themes, with his own ideas. The original album version of San Monique is a more uptempo and fun listen, than the relaxed version that was added as a bonus track. Trespassers Will Be Eaten, features Martin cleverly working a theme, and building it to a climax.

The bonus tracks give the 2003 OST a more well-rounded sound, as the tracks on the original 1973 OST, seem to have more of a Barry flavor, with some New Orleans jazz, and voodoo themed music mixed in. The bonus tracks, Bond and Rosie, New Orleans, Boat Chase, and Underground Lair, all incorporate to some degree, McCartney's Live and Let Die theme, which was not featured very prominently in the selections from the 1973 OST. These tracks, where Martin fuses his ideas, with McCartney's and Barry's themes, puts more of McCartney's stamp on the music.

It took almost 30 years, but we can finally fully realize how fine a job George Martin did, in replacing the masterful, John Barry.