Best of Bond...James Bond: 40th Anniversary Edition [ORIGINAL RECORDING REISSUED] [ORIGINAL RECORDING REMASTERED] [SOUNDTRACK]

Various Artists - Soundtracks - Anthologies

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 23, 2002)
• Original Release Date: July 14, 1989
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered, Soundtrack
• Label: Capitol
• ASIN: B00006I0BO
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (60 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #7,955 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
James Bond themes tend to be just as memorable as their movie counterparts and, to a certain extent, just as time sensitive. While many fans can remember the Monty Norman Orchestra's steamy Dr. No theme or Shirley Bassey's "Goldfinger," how many of us remember Rita Coolidge's dated "All Time High" from Octopussy or A-Ha's theme from The Living Daylights? Yes, just as we all have our favorite Bonds, we all have our favorite eras of Bond movie music. But surprisingly, whether they're New Wave, soul, or just Euro-pop inspired, most are still worth hearing. There are some real gems on this compilation: On Her Majesty's Secret Service's "We Have All the Time in the World" by Louis Armstrong, the Thunderball theme sung by Tom Jones, and the spunky theme to The Man With the Golden Gun by Lulu. Just overlook those sporadic lean years and you have a pretty stiff soundtrack cocktail here. --Jason Verlinde

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

42 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars NO Bond Fan Should Be Without This Disc!, September 19, 2002

By	Alan Caylow (USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

I'll just cut to the chase, 007 fans: "The Best Of Bond, James Bond" is a must-own CD. It's got *every single* Bond theme on it, from the first film, 1962's "Dr. No," to the 19th film, 1999's "The World Is Not Enough." ALL original recordings by the original artists are here, such as Shirley Bassey, Tom Jones, Nancy Sinatra, Paul McCartney, Carly Simon, Sheena Easton, Duran Duran, Tina Turner & Garbage. And no Bond CD would be complete without the legendary "James Bond Theme," featured here in no less than *three* versions: Monty Norman's 1962 original, the 1997 version by Moby, and, making it's CD debut, the "Goldeneye Trailer" version from 1995 that has featured in many 007 trailers since then (including the current trailers for the upcoming 20th Bond film, "Die Another Day"). Not only that, but the CD booklet gives you a brief rundown of Bond's history on the silver screen, film by film. Quite simply, "The Best Of Bond, James Bond" is a CD that no Bond fan should be without. It's also a great testament not only to the longevity of the world's most famous superspy, but also to the power of Bond's music. Buy it. Just buy it. :-)

29 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Best of the "Best of Bond", October 8, 2002

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

It appears that MGM/Capitol are going to make a regular event of updating "The Best of Bond...James Bond" and that is just great. The changes will involve the addition of the more recent Bond vocals/themes and, as in this release, maybe an extra cut or two. Two disappointments, however..."Tomorrow Never Dies...Surrender" SHOULD be included in this package...David Arnold's song was the real main theme for that film, and the addition of Madonna's "Die Another Day" would have been a nice promotional touch. There are two versions of the James Bond theme from Moby and Parodi/Fair, the latter never released, that will be interesting for many Bond fans but the big plus here is that apparently for the first time all of the songs and themes have been remastered for what is the best production values ever. This is a must for Bond fans...trade in the earlier versions if you have them (except for the special edition with additional pieces of John Barry's scores...hang on to that). As a 40th Anniversary album this is nice, BUT, somthing like the 30th Anniversary two disc set would have been welcomed with more unreleased music (especially Barry's) from earlier films. Very well produced and nicely packaged (an outstanding collection of photos and notes). In two years or so we can expect that "James Bond Will Return."

28 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars James Bond at his musical best!, August 6, 2004

By	Beth Cholette "doctor_beth" (Upstate NY USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

If you are a fan of the Bond movies and particularly the various musical themes, this CD is a must-have for your collection. Of course, the classic Bond theme is here in its full orchestral glory. Other well-know classics include "Goldfinger" by Shirley Bassey (who actually sings three different Bond themes offered here), "Nobody Does It Better" from Carly Simon, and "Live and Let Die" by Paul McCartney and the Wings. More recent Bond themes have been included as well, from the 80s hits "For Your Eyes Only" by Sheena Easton and "View to a Kill" from Duran Duran to "Golden Eye" (Tina Turner) and "Tomorrow Never Dies" (Sheryl Crow) from the late 90s Bond films. Missing from the most recent Bond movie is Madonna's "Die Another Day," but few will be saddened by this loss. This is a great collection of great music for Bond and non-Bond fans alike.