Customer Reviews

For Your Eyes Only [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]

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

 

 

Bill Conti's score for the James Bond film FOR YOUR EYES ONLY is innovative, vibrant, uplifting and quite controversial. Though the controversy is not quite as great since Eric Serra scored GOLDENEYE, Conti's score remains somewhat counter to what a conventional "Bond" score should sound like. For years we only had Bill Conti's `disco' portions of the score when the soundtrack was only available on LP or cassette. When it was finally issued on Compact Disc additional elements of Conti's score were included. These selections are good and demonstrate Conti's versatility and innovator as a film composer. This soundtrack demonstrates Conti's originality as the music relies on very little inspiration from the `James Bond Theme' or John Barry's prior influences. Yet, Conti seems to have composed a very upbeat and versatile `Bond' sound of his own. Conti's "Gunbarrel" opening included on this CD is powerful and announced that this film was indeed a return to a tougher James Bond. Cont's music for the film's numerous underwater scenes is very effective as are his compositions for Bond's penetration of the villain's mountaintop lair in "Run Them Down / The Climb" making this an impressive James Bond soundtrack.

The new For Your Eyes Only remastered CD is without a doubt one of the best. The music sounds much more crisp than on the original CD's. For Your Eyes Only by Sheena Easton is a great James Bond theme that is a favorite by all. A Drive in The Country, Melina's Revenge and Runaway are blasted with a magnificent disco-funk theme that really adds to the music. Rage performs the MOTOWN feeling Make It Last All Night which is a welcome addition to the CD. Bill Conti fills the rest of the score with exciting synthesizers, horns and an outrageous symphony for the rest of the tracks. A perfect mix between disco-funk and quiet mysterious music, this CD delivers it all. Very generous with 19 tracks and 58 minutes of music, For Your Eyes Only is one everybody should have in their collection.

For whatever reason Bill Conti was given the task, of producing the score for "FOR YOUR EYES ONLY" it was a commendable one. In that it gave Mr Conti the coveted opportunity to revive the somewhat lame and waneing sound of mediocre James Bond scores being produced - at that point in time anyway or more specifically the 1970's (excluding "The Spy Who Loved Me" score from that observation), if one is to be honest with one's self. A breath of fresh air was badly needed and by golly, a breath of fresh air was given - and then some.

Quite frankly, this beautiful Bill Conti score in my humble
opinion has more bite than a piranha with a bout of hunger pains.
Bill Conti definitely left his mark on this film indelibly, with his distinctive fusion of Pop/Funk and orchestra. A fresh, modernistic and creative approach that was so sorely needed.
His score hits all the right notes with all the designated scenes that he was requested to compose music for. Superb use of strings, brass, guitars, percussion and everything else!
The Main Title Theme Song is a superb composition and rightly so was nominated for an Academy Award - beautifully sung by the gorgeous Sheena Easton.

This new Digitally remastered with 7 added bonus tracks album is exquisite for a number of reasons, one of them being that it finally completes more or less a work that was left incomplete for 22 years! This updated "FOR YOUR EYES ONLY" soundtrack not only sounds great (in every sense of the word), looks great, but it arguably is GREAT!
I just honestly wish some individual who had a say in the development of this remastered and updated album could have in their wisdom included a 5 or 10 minute interview with Bill Conti himself about the composing of this soundtrack - but alas it was not to be.
Even a word or two from Sheena Easton herself I'm sure would have
been appreciated, but for whatever reason neither of these two scenario's or options came to fruition.

Usually when I review a soundtrack score I like to choose a few highlight's from the soundtrack album, but in this instance I honest'ly can't, purely because they're all soooo good!!! Melodic, Creative, and Essential!

Overall the "FOR YOUR EYES ONLY" score is a pure listening pleasure and is a work that Bill Conti should be very proud of - I know I would be! I'd also hasten to add that this particular score ranks in my 'Top 5' Bond' scores of all time!

This is a good James Bond soundtrack album. Bill Conti's soundtrack of FOR YOUR EYES ONLY is one of the finest James Bond albums issued especially with the extra tracks now included. You can appreciate the work that Bill Conti put into his score. Bill Conti in no way tries to imitate or emulate John Barry's definitive and distinctive sound. Instead Conti gives us a very lively and upbeat score with his own vibrant sound and interpolates the James Bond Theme into his compositions in a somewhat innovative style. This soundtrack is very representative of the exciting score heard in the film. In retrospect this score is one of the best composed for Roger Moore's tenure as James Bond.

As great as this album is, it is still missing quite a few good cues. The missing music totals about 12:40. Here are the missing cues:

"Not Deep Enough"/Moscow (0:15)
Film version of Lotus Driving music (Gonzalez takes a dive) (0:54)
Unreleased Ice skating music (2:00)
Film version of Motorcycle Attack music (first part of Ski..Shoot...Jump) (1:02)
Sleigh Ride and Hotel Room Cue (1:28)
Death of Ferare and Intro to Greece (0:42)
Greek Shopping Music (Source Music) and Stone Balcony Music with Melina (1:42)
Casino and Restaurant Music (3:55)
Warehouse in Albania Music (0:55)
Followed (underwater cue)
Greek Celebratory Music (Source Music) (in the the wrong St. Cyril's) (0:49)
Scaling the Cliff (Bond theme) (0:21)

The album track "St. Cyril's Monastery" could be completed by incorporating the "Bond theme" music and the track "The Climb" within it.
Anyone who wants to see a release of the complete score to this film should write to:

MGM Music
10250 Constellation Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA
90067
U.S.A.

EMI-Capitol Records
1750 N. Vine St.
Hollywood, CA
90028
U.S.A.

If enough people bring the absence of this music to the attention of EMI/MGM, we might one day have a complete release of this great score.

John Barry may be the most well known composer for the James Bond films, but there have been quite a few other composers to score the James Bond movies. For this fantastic Bond adventure Bill Conti was used to score the film. The reviews for many Bond fans are mixed. Some feel the music to be a bit too dated now, while a fair share really seem to enjoy it. I myself find it largely enjoyable and is a fantastic listen, especially if you listen to the whole album in full.

There is no mistaking that that the wall of sound created for this film is much different than that of any Bond film before and after. There is no other Bond soundtrack that sounds like this, thus giving it much more originality and freshness. The sound/genre is a bit hard to describe for this album. There is certainly a huge element of funk in there. Bass lines can be heard clearly through many songs. While on the other hand, there are certainly many songs with beautiful melodies and textures.

All and all, "For Your Eyes Only" is a wonderful soundtrack for any true music fan. There are so many great rhythms and riffs within these short songs. Bill Conti did an excellent job on the film. In my eyes this is by far the most underrated soundtrack in the series. The score is nearly as great as the film! Highly recommended.

As much as I appreciate Bill Conti's creation of the FYEO theme, the theme is not emphasized enough in the soundtrack (a couple FYEO instrumentals are not included). The James Bond theme can be heard in quite a few tracks. Half of the soundtrack is disco or music that, of course, sounds like the late 70's and early 80's. The music suits the movie very well. The other half is more instrumental, which also brings forth the more suspenseful and as well the romantic side of the story.

The cues missing are romantic/mellow instrumental versions of FYEO. One is heard on the sleigh ride with Roger and Melina, with Conti playing the piano and strings in the background. The second one is at the balcony (Balcony Terrace, Achillion Palace, Gastouri, Corfu, Greece) at dusk over the Corfu Bay, with the most romantic cue of them all. The two cues are only a minute long, but man, finding something that sounds like that is nearly impossible unless you buy the DVD and hear it in the movie. I think that is what bugs me about this soundtrack, is that they could not include those two important cues.

However, you have two romantic FYEO songs on this soundtrack that are also very enjoyable to listen to. The FYEO Instrumental features Derek Watkins as the flugelhorn soloist accompanied by strings, chimes, woodwinds, a harp, and an electronic keyboard playing a few momentary chords. This track is my favorite on the soundtrack. It is played in the DVD during James and Melina's underwater scene in the Bahamas.

Nevertheless, it is overall an energetic soundtrack, with mellow tracks like 'Take Me Home', 'Cortina', 'FYEO Instrumental', and 'FYEO P.M. Gets The Bird' at the end. Also, half the song of 'Unfinished Business' has Conti playing a mellow piano solo with strings in the background, not relative to FYEO.

If you are looking for the James Bond theme in any of the tracks, it is heard in 'Submarine', 'St. Cyril's Monastery', 'Melina's Revenge', 'A Drive In The Country', 'Goodbye, Countess', and of course the Gunbarrel--which is quite powerful. There are a couple more tracks it is heard in, but only a hint of it.

Basically, this soundtrack has two sides to it: a disco-like (synthesizers, keyboards, electric guitar, piano) version primarily with the action scenes, and instrumentation (strings, woodwinds, brass, chimes, piano) included with the more settled parts of the story.

Despite a couple missing cues, this soundtrack is great. It is certainly worth listening to. You will not be disappointed with Conti's work, especially because you will have trouble finding any instrumental song in any movie that is as good as listening to the ones in this sountrack.

I bought this Cd mainly because I like the Sheena Easton opening and closing title track. The surround sound effect on the Film Soundtrack version is the best I have heard of the song and as a Sheena Easton fan a must have for me.The rest of the tracks remind you of the film and always makes me want to watch it again.A must have in my music collection.

For Your Eyes Only is truly a very beautiful song;
i really recommend this tune to all who have not
heard it.The song is sung by Sheena
Easton-it really has alot of love/passion/feeling to it when you listen to it. I barely heard it again while i was watching
(Roger Moore) in this 007 James Bond motion picture titled,"For Your Eyes Only" translated
in Spanish. The song really brought back nice memories when i was a little boy growing up in the
1980's. Once Again, Recommended; the Song is a Jewel.

"For your eyes only" is a really nice song.
It brings beautiful memories in my teenage.