Which Films have the best and worst scores?

DieAnotherDayDieAnotherDay Glasgow, ScotlandPosts: 460MI6 Agent
in James Bond Music
My favourites are:
LALD - So different and unique, it was a brilliant score to start off Moore's run as Bond
AVTAK - I just loved how atmospheric that score was and I really do think it elevated that film no end.
TND & TWINE - Just love these modern, techno influenced scores. David Arnold just pumped energy into the action scenes here

Worst:
DN - It had some exotic music that suited the film and introduced the Bond theme but really nothing else.
TSWLM - I don't dislike this one but I just think it's so dated and pretty laughable now
LTK - I thought it was just plain dull - some people love it though
QoS - I don't remember one bit of it
....and the best he ever managed was a sermon on the mount.
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Comments

  • Fillet_of_SoulFillet_of_Soul Posts: 18MI6 Agent
    edited June 2014
    [edit] oops, this is about the score. Sorry.
  • BarbelBarbel ScotlandPosts: 37,856Chief of Staff
    Moving this to the Music Forum.
  • hehadlotsofgutshehadlotsofguts Durham England Posts: 2,112MI6 Agent
    Despite being a goofy Bond film i love the moodiness of Barry's soundtrack for Moonraker . I'm also fond of LALD's score from George Martin.

    Not fond of Michel Legrand's score for NSNA score though.
    Have you ever heard of the Emancipation Proclamation?"

    " I don't listen to hip hop!"
  • BarbelBarbel ScotlandPosts: 37,856Chief of Staff
    Good choices! {[]
  • AlphaOmegaSinAlphaOmegaSin EnglandPosts: 10,926MI6 Agent
    Always loved it when the LALD Theme kicks in when Kananga makes those Cuts in Bonds Arm -{
    1.On Her Majesties Secret Service 2.The Living Daylights 3.license To Kill 4.The Spy Who Loved Me 5.Goldfinger
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy Behind you !Posts: 63,792MI6 Agent
    I like all the Bond scores, Goldeneye being the weakest ( just my opinion ) and NSNA
    The worst, with OHMSS the Best. :D
    "I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
  • Charmed & DangerousCharmed & Dangerous Posts: 7,358MI6 Agent
    Th ü nderpussy wrote:
    I like all the Bond scores, Goldeneye being the weakest ( just my opinion ) and NSNA
    The worst, with OHMSS the Best. :D

    +1 -{ . I can't recall the soundtrack to the 1956 Casino Royale, but the 1967 version had some good songs (albeit not very suitable for a Bond film). After OHMSS I would volunteer Thunderball followed by Goldfinger.
    "How was your lamb?" "Skewered. One sympathises."
  • BlackleiterBlackleiter Washington, DCPosts: 5,615MI6 Agent
    YOLT and OHMSS are the best.
    Don't really care for LALD (except the excellent title song) and FYEO.
    "Felix Leiter, a brother from Langley."
  • PDJamesBondPDJamesBond Posts: 180MI6 Agent
    YOLT, LALD, AVTAK, and CR are the best, in my opinion. I could (and do) listen to those again and again.

    GE is by far the worst. So bad it makes me twitch when I hear it. I don't think it's even music; it's a bunch of weird computery mechanical noises.
  • CmdrAtticusCmdrAtticus United StatesPosts: 1,102MI6 Agent
    Since to me Barry defined the sound of Bond, I'd put his scores at the top. I grade the quality of scores the way I do films. If I can remember every piece of dialogue from a film and quote them, I consider them a classic piece of cinema. It's the same with scores. I've heard the tracks of Barry's work so much I can play any in my head. Whether it's the moody, tension filled Meeting in St. Sophia or Gumbolt's Safe or the shrill, brassy notes and crashing drums and symbols of Dawn Raid on Fort Knox, the Barry scores are the best. Some of his tracks in the later films may have gotten repetitive and less engaging, but even in TLD he proved he could still put out thrilling tracks. I admire the other composers for their work and some date the films more than others (though that's not really a problem, as the film's date themselves anyway when they've tried following pop and cultural trends). However for me, the films scored by Barry will always be the best.
  • BlackleiterBlackleiter Washington, DCPosts: 5,615MI6 Agent
    CmdrAtticus wrote:
    Since to me Barry defined the sound of Bond, I'd put his scores at the top. I grade the quality of scores the way I do films. If I can remember every piece of dialogue from a film and quote them, I consider them a classic piece of cinema. It's the same with scores. I've heard the tracks of Barry's work so much I can play any in my head. Whether it's the moody, tension filled Meeting in St. Sophia or Gumbolt's Safe or the shrill, brassy notes and crashing drums and symbols of Dawn Raid on Fort Knox, the Barry scores are the best. Some of his tracks in the later films may have gotten repetitive and less engaging, but even in TLD he proved he could still put out thrilling tracks. I admire the other composers for their work and some date the films more than others (though that's not really a problem, as the film's date themselves anyway when they've tried following pop and cultural trends). However for me, the films scored by Barry will always be the best.

    I absolutely concur with your thoughts about the Barry scores. They are still unmatched as far as I'm concerned.
    "Felix Leiter, a brother from Langley."
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy Behind you !Posts: 63,792MI6 Agent
    +1, -{ John Barry, was as important to the success of the series as anyone. {[]
    "I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
  • JarvioJarvio EnglandPosts: 4,241MI6 Agent
    Best score is TB.

    Worst is either DAD, CR or QOS (although none are particularly bad)
    1 - LALD, 2 - AVTAK, 3 - LTK, 4 - OP, 5 - NTTD, 6 - FYEO, 7 - SF, 8 - DN, 9 - DAF, 10 - TSWLM, 11 - OHMSS, 12 - TMWTGG, 13 - GE, 14 - MR, 15 - TLD, 16 - YOLT, 17 - GF, 18 - DAD, 19 - TWINE, 20 - SP, 21 - TND, 22 - FRWL, 23 - TB, 24 - CR, 25 - QOS

    1 - Moore, 2 - Dalton, 3 - Craig, 4 - Connery, 5 - Brosnan, 6 - Lazenby
  • AlphaOmegaSinAlphaOmegaSin EnglandPosts: 10,926MI6 Agent
    Best -

    LALD
    TMWTGG
    OHMSS

    Worst -

    DAD
    YOLT
    FYEO
    1.On Her Majesties Secret Service 2.The Living Daylights 3.license To Kill 4.The Spy Who Loved Me 5.Goldfinger
  • AdamOmegaAdamOmega Edmonton, AB, CanadaPosts: 297MI6 Agent
    Best (John Barry): OHMSS & The Living Daylights
    Best (David Arnold): Tomorrow Never Dies & Casino Royale
    Best (Misc.): Live And Let Die (George Martin) & The Spy Who Loved Me (Marvin Hamlisch)

    Worst (John Barry): Octopussy
    Worst (David Arnold): N/A
    Worst (Misc.): Dr. No (Monty Norman), For Your Eyes Only (Bill Conti*), Licence to Kill (Michael Kamen), Skyfall (Thomas Newman)

    *Done with trepidation; I actually enjoy this score.
    "The secret agent. The man who was only a silhouette..." -- Ian Fleming, Moonraker

    1) The Spy Who Loved Me 2) On Her Majesty's Secret Service 3) GoldenEye 4) Casino Royale 5) Goldfinger
  • BlackleiterBlackleiter Washington, DCPosts: 5,615MI6 Agent
    AlphaOmegaSin wrote:
    Best -

    LALD
    TMWTGG
    OHMSS

    Worst -

    DAD
    YOLT
    FYEO

    Interesting - I don't recall ever seeing anyone express the opinion that the score for YOLT is one of the worst. Can you give some insight into why you don't like it?
    "Felix Leiter, a brother from Langley."
  • AlphaOmegaSinAlphaOmegaSin EnglandPosts: 10,926MI6 Agent
    To me, it's always felt underwhelming compared to Goldfinger's or Thunderball's.
    1.On Her Majesties Secret Service 2.The Living Daylights 3.license To Kill 4.The Spy Who Loved Me 5.Goldfinger
  • AdamOmegaAdamOmega Edmonton, AB, CanadaPosts: 297MI6 Agent
    AlphaOmegaSin wrote:
    To me, it's always felt underwhelming compared to Goldfinger's or Thunderball's.

    Also strikes me as a little "repetitive" compared to Barry's other work (save perhaps Octopussy).
    "The secret agent. The man who was only a silhouette..." -- Ian Fleming, Moonraker

    1) The Spy Who Loved Me 2) On Her Majesty's Secret Service 3) GoldenEye 4) Casino Royale 5) Goldfinger
  • BlackleiterBlackleiter Washington, DCPosts: 5,615MI6 Agent
    AlphaOmegaSin wrote:
    To me, it's always felt underwhelming compared to Goldfinger's or Thunderball's.

    Obviously I don't feel the same way, but I can understand how someone could have that opinion. But does not measuring up to the score of GF or TB really make it one of the worst?
    "Felix Leiter, a brother from Langley."
  • Charmed & DangerousCharmed & Dangerous Posts: 7,358MI6 Agent
    Interesting. I think YOLT has a stunning score - particularly the Capsule in Space theme, which is iconic. Seeing that scene for the first time in the cinema, with Barry's powerful and dramatic theme, was spectacular and gave me goosebumps. I also think Mountains and Sunsets is haunting and beautiful.
    "How was your lamb?" "Skewered. One sympathises."
  • walther p99walther p99 NJPosts: 3,416MI6 Agent
    Best: Skyfall, Newman injects so much emotion into the tracks "shes mine" and "deepwater" especially in the bond theme.
    @deanwdunlevy
  • BlackleiterBlackleiter Washington, DCPosts: 5,615MI6 Agent
    Charmed & Dangerous wrote:
    Interesting. I think YOLT has a stunning score - particularly the Capsule in Space theme, which is iconic. Seeing that scene for the first time in the cinema, with Barry's powerful and dramatic theme, was spectacular and gave me goosebumps. I also think Mountains and Sunsets is haunting and beautiful.

    +1
    "Felix Leiter, a brother from Langley."
  • CmdrAtticusCmdrAtticus United StatesPosts: 1,102MI6 Agent
    edited September 2014
    Charmed & Dangerous wrote:
    Interesting. I think YOLT has a stunning score - particularly the Capsule in Space theme, which is iconic. Seeing that scene for the first time in the cinema, with Barry's powerful and dramatic theme, was spectacular and gave me goosebumps. I also think Mountains and Sunsets is haunting and beautiful.

    Totally concur. If one can just listen to it without thinking of the visuals, the power and threat it conveys feels chilling to me.
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy Behind you !Posts: 63,792MI6 Agent
    +1, YOLT is a fantastic score. {[]
    "I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
  • SilentSpySilentSpy Private Exotic AreaPosts: 765MI6 Agent
    The majority of the Bond scores are very good. It's difficult to pick the best one. Even so so ones have good moments. Quantum of Solace has a few good elements. So does Skyfall. Even Goldeneye with its bad chase music has things that off set that.
    "Better late than never."
  • BIG TAMBIG TAM Wrexham, North Wales, UK.Posts: 773MI6 Agent
    AdamOmega wrote:
    Best (John Barry): OHMSS & The Living Daylights
    Best (David Arnold): Tomorrow Never Dies & Casino Royale
    Best (Misc.): Live And Let Die (George Martin) & The Spy Who Loved Me (Marvin Hamlisch)

    Worst (John Barry): Octopussy
    Worst (David Arnold): N/A
    Worst (Misc.): Dr. No (Monty Norman), For Your Eyes Only (Bill Conti*), Licence to Kill (Michael Kamen), Skyfall (Thomas Newman)

    *Done with trepidation; I actually enjoy this score.

    Strongest John Barry: DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER
    Strongest David Arnold: CASINO ROYALE
    Strongest Other: Thomas Newman (SKYFALL)

    Weakest John Barry: A VIEW TO A KILL
    Weakest David Arnold: DIE ANOTHER DAY
    Weakest Other: Monty Norman (DR. NO)
  • AlphaOmegaSinAlphaOmegaSin EnglandPosts: 10,926MI6 Agent
    For Your Eyes Only, it's very much an early 80's Style.
    1.On Her Majesties Secret Service 2.The Living Daylights 3.license To Kill 4.The Spy Who Loved Me 5.Goldfinger
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy Behind you !Posts: 63,792MI6 Agent
    When I'm in the mood for romance, with my medallion and drink with
    Umbrella, I like to put on " Make it last all night !" :)). Which I'll admit
    Is a bit of wish full thinking at my age. ;) :))
    "I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
  • Charmed & DangerousCharmed & Dangerous Posts: 7,358MI6 Agent
    Yes that song has possibly the least subtle lyrics in the entire series :))
    "How was your lamb?" "Skewered. One sympathises."
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy Behind you !Posts: 63,792MI6 Agent
    Oh, I think " touch it, stroke it and undress it " doesn't leave much to the
    Imagination either ! :)) ;)
    "I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
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