Customer Reviews

Thunderball [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]

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4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
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The Capital/EMI/MGM release of the "Remastered" and extended recording of John Barry's music for the James Bond epic "Thunderball" is part of their 40th Anniversary tribute to 007, and it is one of the best productions of this extensive effort. The long-standing problem with the original soundtrack recording for "Thunderball" (on LP) began with the use of the album as a promo for the release of the film. The soundtrack was scheduled for production before John Barry had finished his score. The result was a soundtrack that represented only a bit more than half the score. The current release goes a long way to rectify that old problem. The music added to this recording is outstanding. Most of the additional score does represent the second half of the film, especially the climatic underwater battle and the death of Largo and good stuff it is. With what is effectively a full recording of Barry's score, one can now really appreciate just how effective this music was. Without doubt, this is one of the three or four best scores in the entire series and this recording substantiates that conclusion. Very well recorded and packaged, with an incredible price, this is a soundtrack that should not be missed.

Thunderball was the film that made Bond an international phenomenon. Adjusted for inflation, it's far and away the highest grossing in the series and it has all the requisite elements - a mad villain intent on killing millions with a stolen nuclear weapon, exotic locations, a lovely Bond Girl, an even more gorgeous and extremely lethal Bond Bad Girl - the first one indeed, and one of Barry's most aggressive, thematic Bond scores.

If you want to put this CD in film order, rather than the total mess it is here, head over to johnbarry.org.uk where they have a page detailing the correct order. It takes a bit of work, because a number of tracks have to be cut apart and put between other tracks, but believe me, it's worth it. You get a coherent listening experience rather than the schizophrenic order the album had to have because they were contractually obilgated to present the original first twelve cues in the order Barry placed them in 1965.

There simply is no doubt about it! No-one, exept for John Barry, could have scored Thunderball as thrilling and spectacular as this. We've waited for almost 4 decades to get the FULL score released, and thanks to the remastered recordings our dream has come trough. With over 79 minutes (!) of the best music ever written for a Bond movie, this cd is just something you MUST have! It includes the previously unreleased gunbarrel, underwater climax, and all the rest missing on the original release. Its digital performance is perfect on your stereo. It's allmost as if the score tops the film. John Barry truly doesn't have the spectre of defeat...

My thanks to EMI for the remastering and expansion of this outstanding film score. I was always disappointed that the original release omitted so many of the fine cues that played in the film. The expanded tracks including the chase through the Junkanoo festival, the expanded underwater combat scene, all seem to be restored and the sound is fabulous. I'm proud to add this to my extensive Barry collection.

The score for Thunderball is a fantasic one by John Barry. Now it has been remastered and remixed and sounds better than ever, with new never-before released bonus tracks! John Barry returned after the terrific success of the Goldfinger score and title song to create another riveting James Bond score that would lead on to several more. The title song for Thunderball is performed with the gigantic power of Tom Jones and has the wonderous lyrics of Don Black. Ending the song with a huge finale, it is reported that Tom Jones fainted while singing the last note. The song was a terrific success and charted in the USA and UK at #25 and #35 respectively. However, the title song was originally going to be Mr. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. A song that was recorded by both Dionne Warwick and Shirley Bassey. Two instrumental versions of the song are on this CD, the vocals are on the 30th Anniversary 2-CD Set. The score is atmospheric and filled with mysterious and suspensful underwater music. Chateau Flight is an example of the suspensful action music. There are also the striking tracks The Bomb and Bond Below Disco Volante. A tension-filled atmosphere is in Search For Vulcan as 007 tries to stop the detonation of 2 warheads. The magic here, however is the majestic 007 theme. This time the "007" theme is played over the huge underwater battle. It is now regarded as one of the best versions of it ever used in a Bond film. The classic Gunbarrel music is here as well as the blasting Traction Table music all in one track with many others. The favorite Street Chase track is on the CD also as Fiona Volpe and Vargas hunt down 007. Track is 16 is monstrous in size, with five different cues from the movie. It contains the action music where Bond Joins Underwater Battle. Underwater Mayhem has the clasic "007" theme in it and the track also includes the powerful Death Of Largo. The CD concludes with a Mono version of Mr. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang.

Another great piece of work from John Barry. Thunderball has the some of the best music for film scores. John Barry has his orchestra and brassy tunes. This fits the movie perfectly and this CD has a lot of great music and John Barry fans will not be disappointed.

This is a fine James Bond soundtrack. I like this soundtrack because you get a lot of the James Bond Theme intermixed into the score. The restoration is OK but some of it sounds muffled. Still, it is good to have extra tracks.

Next to Diamonds Are Forever, and perhaps On Her Majesty's Secret Service, Thunderball is one of John Barry's most truncated commercially released scores....like "Tomorrow Never Dies" by David Arnold, the soundtrack was released before Barry even finished the score.

Fast forward to Bond's 30th Anniversary where they released a 20 minute suite of the Thunderball soundtrack, along with two versions of Mr. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang by Dionne Warwick and Shirley Bassey.

Ten years later, Thunderball is released and remastered with these same 20+minutes, along with some new stuff (the whole soundtrack just couldn't fit!), like an instrumental version of Mr. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang of Shirley Bassey's rendition (I would much rather they kept this out and leave the space for the music actually used in the movie...like the cues used for Fiona and Bond, when she picked him up after his boat "capsized" and their running into each other in his suite's bathroom).

Even though the songs by Warwick and Bassey are lefted out, this is a definitive release of the music from Thundreball. The remaster improved on the music...for example, the piece "Bond Meets Domino" is barely audible from the double disc 30th anniversary release, here it is like somebody finally turn up the volume.

Musically, there is something obnoxious and pompous about the Thunderball score....but it is still pure Barry.

So why didn't he scored Die Another Day?

This isn't a review per se, but more of a general comment.

Most of the extended tracks were already present on the 20 minute Thunderball Suite which was part of the James Bond 30th Anniversary Limited Edition CD. Since the extended tracks go well beyond 20 minutes, there is some extra music that is to be had for anyone that is still holding out, notably "Street Chase"

I wanted this complete soundtrack for years and it was only recently that it became available. I enjoy hearing all the soundtrack finally. Got the package in time for Christmas. Love i Thanks!