Looks like it's a dead heat between 007 Store and La La Land: mostly perhaps because it took an incredible six days for the appalling US postal service to move them between one bit of LA and another!
MR sounds beautiful. The extras sound as if they've always been there, which in a sense they have.
I'm still unsure about the Paul Williams versions of the title song; am I only preferring the standard version because I've known it all these years, or are Hal David's lyrics and Shirley Bassey's voice so much better? Well, I guess I would prefer Bassey anyway so I'll need to hear Williams again - the fact that there's two versions helps.
The Hal David lyric is much better. The Paul Williams lyric might be one of the worst I've ever heard him write. I'm a big fan of his work, but he was clearly replaced with Hal David for a reason. It's not right for a Bond song, and it's just not that good overall. The Bassey performance is much better, but I find a certain charm in Williams' performance, as I always do with him. Williams is also only singing a demo, so I think that needs to be factored into rating his performance. In any case, he wouldn't have been performing the final song, and he wouldn't have been right for a Bond song.
I still think the Bassey 'Moonraker' song is one of the most underrated Bond songs. The lyrics are nonsense but the melody and Bassey's phrasing are both fantastic.
It's actually rather shocking what they did to Barry's score in the edit, hearing this. No wonder he was annoyed at it. The 'new' stuff is wonderful to hear, this is an incredible release.
How long until someone edits a version of the film with the score as originally intended? 😁
And now I've heard TMWTGG as well. Again, the improvement in sound quality is very noticeable. The added music brought a smile- I bought the album on vinyl 50 years ago (and 2 CDs later on) and have it burned into my memory so listening to this different version was a pleasure.
Fired up both MR and TMWTGG last night. Just fantastic.
The Paul Williams demos of 'Moonraker' are interesting. Fun to see how they struggled with the lyric and how to make the word 'moonraker' work in there.
'What's a moonraker?'
'Technically, it's the topmost sail on the main mast of a sailing ship.'
'OK. Fine. So...what's a moonraker in terms of Bond?'
What is fair about it though I think is that the bit of melody where Bassey sings 'Where are you' was, most probably, written by Barry with the word 'Moonraker' in mind, which is how Williams sings it.
Thank you! I did not know this. While Moonraker isn't Hal David's best lyric, he did an admirable job with it. And it really makes more sense knowing this meaning of the word. It's a good love song.
While Williams' lyric isn't up to his usual standards, at least it has more to do with the film. David's lyric is a pure love song that really has nothing to do with the film. Is it about the only true romance in the film: the love between Jaws and Dolly? It can't be from Dolly's point of view because nobody dreams of a metallic smile. Or is it about the unrequited that Corrine has for Bond? Don't take any of this seriously!
Comments
I wish they had those on Apple Music. I have the old AVTAK OST though.
check YouTube.
For instance, here's the full TWINE soundtrack save for the final two tunes:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsLPtAuni-Q&list=PLA_6nw_SiTT3YZTOu8NjUE0V56ZR5uUpn
How long did the last ones take to sell out? Could I leave MR til the New Year d'ya think?
Roger Moore 1927-2017
LALD is still available, so you might have longer. I'd imagine MR will be more popular maybe.
The postman has been .
Lucky you, I hope you're enjoying them. Mine are due to arrive on Monday.
Both are unbelievable in audio quality. I may as well bin the original releases as they are now no use.
Or you could sell them on eBay? I think the competition might be fierce, though.
The man with the golden gun seems to have music missing....the scene where nick nack attacks on the boat ,........just before a slow boat from China
I've got 6 of them now. I need TWINE and DAD.
These are the ones I have so far.
MR and TMWTGG have both just arrived. Looking forward to hearing them!
The tracking says mine are out for delivery too, but the postie's taking their time!
This is on the soundtrack as "In The Boot", and it was reused in the film for the Nick Nack fight scene.
They've finally landed in my hands!
Looks like it's a dead heat between 007 Store and La La Land: mostly perhaps because it took an incredible six days for the appalling US postal service to move them between one bit of LA and another!
MR sounds beautiful. The extras sound as if they've always been there, which in a sense they have.
I'm still unsure about the Paul Williams versions of the title song; am I only preferring the standard version because I've known it all these years, or are Hal David's lyrics and Shirley Bassey's voice so much better? Well, I guess I would prefer Bassey anyway so I'll need to hear Williams again - the fact that there's two versions helps.
The Hal David lyric is much better. The Paul Williams lyric might be one of the worst I've ever heard him write. I'm a big fan of his work, but he was clearly replaced with Hal David for a reason. It's not right for a Bond song, and it's just not that good overall. The Bassey performance is much better, but I find a certain charm in Williams' performance, as I always do with him. Williams is also only singing a demo, so I think that needs to be factored into rating his performance. In any case, he wouldn't have been performing the final song, and he wouldn't have been right for a Bond song.
I still think the Bassey 'Moonraker' song is one of the most underrated Bond songs. The lyrics are nonsense but the melody and Bassey's phrasing are both fantastic.
It's actually rather shocking what they did to Barry's score in the edit, hearing this. No wonder he was annoyed at it. The 'new' stuff is wonderful to hear, this is an incredible release.
How long until someone edits a version of the film with the score as originally intended? 😁
I'm finding both releases to sound alot better than the original releases.
Especially moonraker.....the original version was dreadful, the main theme even distorted in places.
This new moonraker release is unbelievable.
I'm very happy.
Thanks, Matt.
And now I've heard TMWTGG as well. Again, the improvement in sound quality is very noticeable. The added music brought a smile- I bought the album on vinyl 50 years ago (and 2 CDs later on) and have it burned into my memory so listening to this different version was a pleasure.
Fired up both MR and TMWTGG last night. Just fantastic.
The Paul Williams demos of 'Moonraker' are interesting. Fun to see how they struggled with the lyric and how to make the word 'moonraker' work in there.
'What's a moonraker?'
'Technically, it's the topmost sail on the main mast of a sailing ship.'
'OK. Fine. So...what's a moonraker in terms of Bond?'
'Yeah, I got nothing. Give it to Shirley.'
What is fair about it though I think is that the bit of melody where Bassey sings 'Where are you' was, most probably, written by Barry with the word 'Moonraker' in mind, which is how Williams sings it.
Hal David was using the word in an archaic way
"the moonraker goes in search of his dreams of gold"
Oh that's fantastic, I've never heard of the roots of it before, thank you.
That's a rare case of the films making a more intelligent use of the title than Fleming did: and who'd have thought it would be Moonraker of all them!
I assumed it was this:
Thank you! I did not know this. While Moonraker isn't Hal David's best lyric, he did an admirable job with it. And it really makes more sense knowing this meaning of the word. It's a good love song.
While Williams' lyric isn't up to his usual standards, at least it has more to do with the film. David's lyric is a pure love song that really has nothing to do with the film. Is it about the only true romance in the film: the love between Jaws and Dolly? It can't be from Dolly's point of view because nobody dreams of a metallic smile. Or is it about the unrequited that Corrine has for Bond? Don't take any of this seriously!
I still want to hear a proper 'Octopussy' song.
A proper 'Octopussy ' song, you ask?
Thinking more, I wonder if Orwell's idealised pub which he called 'The Moon Under Water' has anything to do with this story?