Customer Reviews

From Russia with Love [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

From Russia With Love has been remastered and now is available again. I do own the original soundtrack, and sadly no new tracks have been added. Matt Monro performs the Frank Sinatra type title song with slow feeling and that it charted at #20. A personal favorite of many fans, the soundtrack is one of the best. John Barry's famous "007" theme is haerd on the soundtrack and it is a gem! With a exciting brass and a growing beat of music, this track is one of the best. Other exciting adventerous tracks include Opening Titles, Death Of Grant, Death Of Kerim and the thrilling 007 Takes The Lektor! There is also the mysterious mood of John Barry in tracks Meeting In St. Sophia and Tania Meets Klebb. One track not featured in the film, but marvellous on it's own is The Golden Horn. John Barry proved with this soundtrack that he could make thrilling spy music and was asked back to do another stunning 10 James Bond movies, not including this one. From the thrilling "007" Theme to his high pitched brass and action-filled spy music, John Barry was a magnificent asset of the James Bond team! With 18 tracks and 36 minutes of music, From Russia With Love is a thrilling soundtrack from the word go!

Barry's first Bond score is, of course, brilliant. If you want to listen to it in film order, as I do, here's how to re-order the CD:

15, 1, 11, 2, 14, 16, First 1:00 of 9, 5, 7, 12, 8, 6, 3, 4, 18, 17, Second 1:00 of 9, 13, 10.

If you can't split up track 9, put it at the second spot. Also, tracks 4 and 12 do not appear in the actual film, but the positions are where Barry intended these cues to go.

FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE is a no-nonsense Bond film in the tradition of the Ian Fleming novels. The FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE soundtrack is an example of exceptional film scoring and a very satisfying album drawing on all the elements of the film's score to deliver an experience that musically runs the gamut of rhythm, romance, intrigue and flavorful vignettes of the film's locale that seems to go in tandem with Fleming's literary sense for these elements. John Barry began his "official" scoring duties in tandem with his screen credit on FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE bringing a highly recognizable and definitive substantiating sound to the Bond series that distinguished it with his unique and inimitable musical style. That has been a hallmark, which brings a cohesive quality to the whole series even in Barry's absence. John Barry not only firmly incorporated his prowess as a film composer with this soundtrack but also demonstrated his ability to establish his own unique sound on compositions composed by others. "From Russia With Love" from track 1 and "Bond Meets Tania" from track 6, with a melody composed by Lionel Bart, inimitably have that "Barry Sound" stamped on them. Once again Barry also demonstrated his unique musical handling of "The James Bond Theme" on track 14 with "James Bond With Bongos" while his "007 Theme" heard on tracks 7 and 18 bring a staccato and drive to the force of this James Bond classic. The re-mastering is good eliminating much of the background tape hiss. This recording sounds very good.

Well, What can I say? This is the score that started it all, both for John Barry and myself. For it was this actual soundtrack that triggered off my insatiable passion for Motion Picture scores and soundtrack collecting and quite frankly I have'nt looked back since.
This score was the starting point in what was to be John Barry's long, distinguished and fruitful association with the James Bond pictures and he started his 'Bond' scoring career with both guns blazing. This score ranks in my 'Top 5' Barry 'Bond' scores of all time.

I personally hold this score in very high regard on account of it accentuating the sophistication, style and charisma that was needed (and still is) to make a 007 picture what it is - Class with attitude. The "From Russia With Love" score epitomizes the spy thriller genre in a musical sense and style like no other and it set the benchmark for others to follow - the benchmark set by John Barry.
The soundtrack is brimming with exemplary written music which is oozing with intrigue, suspense and thrills and which has a Eastern European flavour interwoven in a number of cues/tracks which is aptly befitting for a film like "From Russia With Love" and which also makes the score what it is.
For some reason I've always held the opinion that John Barry's 1960's James Bond scores had more zest, imagination and originality than any of his 1970's 'Bond' scores (albeit only 3 of them) but he came back to form quite significantly in the 1980's with treasures like (1985's) "A View to A Kill" and (1987's) "The Living Daylight's".

All in all the album is great, and from it I think that some of the 'Highlights' would have to be, "The Golden Horn", "007" , "Death of Grant", "Man Overboard - Smersh In Action", "James Bond with Bongo's" and last but most definitely not least "Stalking".

So what are you waiting for? Enjoy!!

Inventive, tuneful and just pleasant to listen to musical backdrop to what many, including me, believe to be the best of the Bond film series before they got so carried away with gadgets and world domination themes. John Barry is on top of his game really developing what musically becomes the Bond legacy. And best of all, the album stands well on its own as a listening expereince. When the track "007" begins it's like meeting an old friend. You've heard it before, but it's good to hear again.
Heartily recommend!

This is really a remarkable soundtrack and the remastered sound is phenomenal!! To me this is where the music for the James Bond movies really began to take shape. There are themes developed here that have continued throughout the series of films. Great stuff, highly recommend!

Well, what can you say that hasn't already been exclamated? Barry's score for FRWL is, of course, brilliant. Very creative use of eastern/oriental influences that blends effectively with 1960's orchestral sensibilities. The score is extremely dynamic without being overbearing. Barry does a great job of establishing main themes without resorting to predictable embellishments. Personal favourites include the main 007 theme(obviously), "Tanya meets Klebb", and "Spectre Island and Smersh" (classic 1960's Bond suspense). All the bongo parts and rhythmic ostinatos work fantastically well! Listen to pieces like "Girl Trouble", there's some extremely well-crafted and sophisticated exotic motifs there, superimposed over driving syncopated rhythms. We also find a lot of vibraphone/string unisons (my favourite combo) and of course, great brass parts. And let's not forget the solid title theme, beautifully rendered by british vocalist Matt Munro in classic Sinatra style. Munro really set the standard for future title themes. The recording is great, just the right balance between ambience and that nice analog grit that you find on so many 60's orchestral recordings. Some of today's soundtrack composers would do well to take a few lessons from the old masters - you rarely hear music of this dynamic range anymore, which is a real shame considering todays technology and the potential for dynamic range, noise floor levels and soundstage fidelity. But that's the way it usually goes, isnt it? I'm usually more partial towards the Barry's 1970's work and some of the 80s Bond soundtracks like Bill Contis amazing work on FYEO, but when it comes to the true masters and genre milestones, look no further that John Barry and FRWL.

This is the first Bond film to have John Barry at the helm and it is fantastic.
This version is the same as the original LP because they said they could not find any additional music from the film when they remastered it like they have for some of the other Bond soundtracks which is too bad.
For example the music that is played during the credits has an organ in it but the version on the album the organ is not used. The remaster sounds great and takes me back to being a kid when I got this and a Partridge Family LP for Christmas. I dont know what happened to the other one but I still have the Bond LP.

The James Bond films, and the music from them, have been part of popular culture for over forty years. The series started with Dr. No, and began establishing a musical identity with the second film in the series, From Russia With Love (FRWL).

Monty Norman wrote the musical score for Dr. No, and composed the electrically charged, universally recognized James Bond theme. The John Barry Orchestra performed Norman's theme, and John Barry was commissioned to do the music for FRWL. Barry began to further develop the signature "Bond" sound, creating a genre that would influence a generation. Powerful and exciting music that captured the spirit and mood of Bond's different adventures, with their varied plots and exotic locates.

On FRWL Barry's orchestral sound is not as "big" or full, as it would be on later recordings, such as Goldfinger. Still the music is effective in creating the desired moods. Incorporating flavors from Russia, and the Turkish gypsy camp locations.

The music from the gypsy camp portions of the film are very enjoyable just as pure musical pieces. "Gypsy Camp", features romantic classical guitar and dancing violins. "Girl Trouble" is from the gypsy girl fight scene, and is a tension filled little march. And "Leila Dances", is a captivating number with exotic instrumentation.

Parts of Norman's original Bond theme makes appearances throughout the soundtrack, and it is featured in "James Bond with Bongos". John Barry's "007", becomes the second theme that through the years, has become universally associated with Bond. The boisterous "007 Takes the Lektor", is just the first of many Bond compositions to feature this soaring and memorable theme, that has traditionally become associated with action in a Bond film.

The instrumental version of the title song, From Russia with Love, is a dark and beautiful piece with a Russian flavor that incorporates Norman's original Bond theme. The recorded version does not include the organ accompaniment heard in the film version. With lyrics by Lionel Bart, the vocal version sung by Matt Munro, which occurs during the gondola ride at the film's conclusion, begins the tradition of Bond theme songs with lyrics featuring the movie's title.

On From Russia With Love, John Barry builds on what Monty Norman started, and begins constructing Bond's musical universe. His 007 theme is a landmark addition, and just the first of many to come. At a critical point in the Bond series, Barry's music helped to define and shape its cinematic identity, and contribute to its success. From this start, John Barry would become one of the cinema's better known composers, continuing to score additional Bond films as well as dozens of other major motion pictures.

This is one of my favorite bond soundtracks. Almost all of them are by John Barry, who uses orchestration and occasionally minimalist instrumentation to convey the feel of the movie. I have listened to this album many times over, and enjoy it well each play.