From Russia with Love [SOUNDTRACK]

James Bond Films (Related Recordings), John Barry

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 1, 1991)
• Original Release Date: May 27, 1964
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Soundtrack
• Label: Capitol
• ASIN: B00000DRBW
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #303,999 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
From Russia with Love was a linchpin event for maestro film composer John Barry. After his first Bond score, Dr. No, yielded a stunning main theme but little else of substance, Barry went great guns for Russia, composing a richly stylized soundtrack packed with adventurous melodic lines and taut, inventive arrangements. Though Barry didn't actually write the main Bond theme (that credit goes to old-guard conductor Monty Norman), he takes that familiar tune in some fascinating directions here, applying unorthodox instrumentation and elements of indigenous Russian music. Barry has never been as suspenseful a composer as, say, Bernard Hermann, but he excels with some downright chilly passages on Russia. The score solidified his role as an essential element of the Bond mystique. It also marked the beginning of an intensely prolific period for Barry, a period that would earn him the distinction as one of the 20th century's greatest film composers. From his Bond-film work to The Ipcress File to Midnight Cowboy (and many sublime points between), Barry's mid- to late-'60s canon is without peer. Russia was his springboard. --Matt Hanks

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Most complete early soundtrack, November 19, 2000

By	Kendrik Lau (New York City) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is John Barry's first score for the Bond series, and it is the most complete commercial Bond/Barry soundtrack to date. Whereas in most other Bond soundtracks, a lot of music are noticably missing. IN FRWL the music are well represented.

Highlights of the score are of course, the title instrumental of the title song, sung by Matt Munro. Also Tanya Meets Klebb, Bond meets Tanya, the Golden Horn (which wasn't used in the movie), Guitar Lament (also used on the WOrld Is Not Enough DvD tribute to Desmond Llewelyn), James Bond with Bongos ( a variation of the Bond theme), the 007 theme made its first appearance here.

Noticably missing is the music that the belly dancer danced to in the gypsy camp. The track "Leila Dances" is NOT the music we heard in the movie.

Compare to later scores, the music for From Russia With Love is subtle, almost sensual, as opposed to later scores, like the brassiness of Goldfinger, the almost pompous excess of Thunderball, the rousing excitment of On Her Majesty's Secret Serice, or the glittering Las Vegasy sound of Diamonds Are Forever.

It is surprising that after a soundtrack so chock full of tracks, later soundtracks would have such sparse selections.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars From Barry With...., January 26, 2000

By	G M. Stathis (cedar city, utah USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

John Barry's association with James Bond began with his arrangement and production of the James Bond Theme (attributed to Monte Norman) for "Dr No" (1962), an otherwise very ordinary score. "From Russia With Love" (1963) was Barry's first full score for the Bond series, and it is amazingly rich and varied. Barry's skill at weaving local and exotic idioms into his scores is evident here with some Turkish and Gypsy touches. The title song was written by Lionel Bart and works much better as an instrumental arranged by Barry than as a vocal (sung by Matt Munro). Note that the opening credits uses Barry's version, while the vocal is delegated to background music later in the film ("Goldfinger" actually established the Bond tradition of the vocal title). Barry also introduced his own James Bond theme, "007," in this film which appears in several of the Bond films but never quite replaced the original Norman-Barry theme. Barry was an emerging talent with "From Russia With Love," but his skills are unmistakable integrating suspense, action, menace and romance as few film composers can. Barry seems to have a special liking for the pre-title sequences since some of his most memorable Bond music appears in them, and that is true here as well with "Stalking," the intriguing opening that suggests for a moment that 007 has been strangled, a scene that is subtly accentuated by Barry. Most of Barry's score is included on the soundtrack with the exception of the "train music" which is to be found, in brief form, on Nic Raines' "Bond Back in Action" ("The Zagreb Express"). In many ways the soundtrack recording works better than the score on the screen since some of the music is repeated in what is sometimes an annoying manner in the film. It is said that the film editor was to blame, rather than Barry. Sadly, Barry ended his relationship with the 007 series after "The Living Daylights," but his imprint remains on all of the Bond films. John Barry's style, which came into full flower with "From Russia With Love," has become as much of an artistic trademark for the series as the "007" logo.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Barry's first, Barry's best?, March 3, 2000

By	Håkan Tallgren (Karlstad, Sweden) - See all my reviews

This is the first James Bond album John Barry have been written. It's one of the best Bond-scores, but not quite The Best. The same theme appears a little to often, and most of the songs are to short. (Example: "Tania meets Klebb": 1.27. "Meeting in St. Sophia": 1.06) But it is a soundtrack that lives, and Barry really showes you how good he is already her, in his first album. The film, which is very thrilling, goes perfect together with the music. The music is very thrilling, and you get some action-songs to, whick is the exakt music that John Barry is best to write. The tree best songs: 3. "Meeting in St. Sophia" 5. "Girl Trouble" 9. "Death of Grant" If you like John Barry, you're definately gonna like this CD!