19 replies to this topic

[deth]

I just got it, and am really quite surprised that not once did they use the "James Bond theme" !!. The music is alright, but I'm a bit dissapointed...... oh well. What do you think of it?

[Kingdom Come]

I love it! Not only is it close to Barrys best score for the series but also one of his best scores. I think the main love theme is perfect.

[ChandlerBing]

I would give it a B. It starts out good, but goes downhill. The first 4 tracks are the best. Good love theme. It's John Barry, for Christ's Sake! The man can do love themes like no other.

[symbolic]

I think it's his best work. The themes are the most individualized and song-like. The cd includes all the good stuff, it's only really missing the Bond theme from the beginning and the chase in Venice. It's missing the gunbarrel too. Still, that's not much, unless you're really compulsive about having every gunbarrel and use of the Bond theme. I think it's missing the music when they destroy the globes too, but if I remember, the music used in that scene was a rehash of stuff on the cd already.

If there's one thing I don't like about Barry's scores, it's that a lot of the time the music is great, but it's more like background music. Moonraker does not have this problem.

[Blox]

Moonraker impressed me as being a very disappointing Barry score -- but that may owe to some extent to my dislike of the heavy handed use of humor in that picture. The 007 theme was lumbering, the Bond theme was peformed with strings, the main title was a slow baleful ode to Barry's mother. I think the film lacked the "pow" and "balls" of the early films, and that the score reflected this. Glen deserves credit for getting things back on track in the next one...

[kevrichardson]

I like the soundtrack too "Moonraker" . especially since it came after the disappointing "TSWLM" score. Plus the followed by the "FYEO" by Bill Conti . It was also the last time the 007 theme was ever used in a Bond film . The space music was classic Barry . And the opening FreeFall fight was out of this world.

[deth]

Originally posted by kevrichardson
I like the soundtrack too "Moonraker" . especially since it came after the disappointing "TSWLM" score. Plus the followed by the "FYEO" by Bill Conti .  It was also the last time the 007 theme was ever used in a Bond film .  The space music was classic Barry . And the opening FreeFall fight was out of this world.

too bad the freefall is not on the CD. I just don't like the final 3 tracks..... and the space flight. There is just NO melody. All there is, imo, is noise....

[kevrichardson]

Originally posted by deth

too bad the freefall is not on the CD. I just don't like the final 3 tracks..... and the space flight. There is just NO melody. All there is, imo, is noise....

The FreeFall is on one of those Nic Raine(?) albums of Bond film music . I have read that the soundtrack was recorded in France . So no extra music is around . The no melody is how i felt about the "GoldenEye" soundtrack.

[Turn]

Originally posted by Blox
Moonraker impressed me as being a very disappointing Barry score -- but that may owe to some extent to my dislike of the heavy handed use of humor in that picture.  The 007 theme was lumbering, the Bond theme was peformed with strings, the main title was a slow baleful ode to Barry's mother.  I think the film lacked the "pow" and "balls" of the early films, and that the score reflected this.   Glen deserves credit for getting things back on track in the next one...

This pretty much summed up my feelings on this one. Not so much for the humor in the picture though, which makes me wonder why Barry made the music seem heavier for this than he did with something like DAF, which also placed emphasis on humor.

MR is okay, but definitely one of the last of the remastered soundtracks I'll purchase. Probably my least favorite Barry effort.

[kevrichardson]

Too bad you guys feel that way about "Moonraker" . I consider it part of a good grouping of John Barry's space music. The first being "YOLT" then the Diseny film "The Black Hole"(1979) . From the same period musically as "Moonraker" . The film it self was not that great so it my "show" in the minds of some . I feel it's superior to "TSWLM" . Remeber barry was asked to do both "TSWLM" and "FYEO".

[symbolic]

I would hardly say Moonraker has unmelodic elements. Goldeneye has some real nice melodic stuff in its love theme.

[ChandlerBing]

GOLDENEYE has its moments. Moonraker starts out good on the soundtrack, but loses steam near the end with the disco version of the main title.

[kevrichardson]

Originally posted by ChandlerBing
GOLDENEYE has its moments.  Moonraker starts out good on the soundtrack, but loses steam near the end with the disco version of the main title.

Truthfully i don't recall any moment worht discussing here about the soundtrack to "GoldenEye" . In fact i don't even remember hearing the "James Bond Theme" once in the whole .

[ChandlerBing]

Goldeneye has a good cue on the beach with Bond and Natalya.

[kevrichardson]

Originally posted by ChandlerBing
Goldeneye has a good cue on the beach with Bond and Natalya.

That's not enough - Dr.No has "Underneath the Mango Tree" !! So what. Even the music for the action in St Peterburg sucks. And that was the best part of the film.

[symbolic]

I'd say Goldeneye and Moonraker have the best ballad-like themes of the whole series. I would say Living Daylights, but I don't think "If There Was a Man" comes off anywhere near as effective as an instrumental theme as it does a song. Goldeneye does briefly use the Bond theme in track 10. I've noticed to some people here, the use of the Bond theme is a huge deal. I am a real completist with music, but for some reason, I don't pay much attention to the Bond theme being on the cd.

[Robinson]

Originally posted by kevrichardson
Too bad you guys feel that way about "Moonraker" . I consider it part of a good grouping of John Barry's space music. The first being "YOLT" then the Diseny film "The Black Hole"(1979) . From the same period musically as "Moonraker" .  The film it self was not that great so it my "show" in the minds of some . I feel it's superior to "TSWLM" . Remeber barry was asked to do both "TSWLM" and "FYEO".

Kevin, Barry scored The Black Hole and Moonraker in the same year, 1979. I loved the music for The Black Hole(I loved the film as well- I was 10 then) as I did Moonraker. Given the period in which these films were made, the late 70s, orchestral music had made a comeback thanks to Star Wars.

I think Barry did a tremndous job with MR. I think the music- especially the arrival at Drax' space station and Bond's arrival at the temple are among Barry's best.

It's been said that Barry's music can carry a film at times. It certainly did in Moonraker. We won't even talk about the job Barry did with King Kong back in '76!

[kevrichardson]

I love John Barry's music . Both film and non-film scores . here is a small listing of just his work in the 70's . each one a major motion picture.
A Doll House :1973
Love Among The Ruins : 1973
The Dove :1974
The Tamarind Seed :1974
Robin and Marian : 1976
The Deep : 1976 - the best underwater film ever .
King Kong : 1976
The Besty : 1977
The White Buffalo : 1977
The Game of Death : 1978
Star Crash : 1978 - i left this out . another example of John Barry's space music.
Night Games : 1979 - Exotic film just before "BodyHeat"
Hanover Street : 1979 - World War 2 film Romantic score .

[SirMiles83]

I loved his score in Moonraker. I especially liked the space theme. Shirley Bassey's song played well throughout the score. MR is one of my favorite Bond scores.

[deth]

lured to the pyramid is also really good.