Search - Various Artists, John Barry :: Goldfinger [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]

The most famous Bond score of all -- expanded!

Ryan Harvey | Los Angeles, CA USA | 04/28/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This CD release of "Goldfinger," the most famous of all James Bond scores and without a doubt one of the most influential soundtracks ever produced, expands the album for the first time for U.S. buyers to the original length of the U.K. album. The U.K. album had four extra tracks ("Pussy Galore's Flying Circus," "Golden Girl," "Laser Beam," and "Death of Tilley") that were mysteriously cut from the original Stateside release. These four tracks later appeared on a compilation CD, but this is the first time all the tracks have been released on one CD for American consumption. The CD is also wonderfully re-mastered, far superior to the old CD release that was muffled and even had misaligned track markers! (The sound difference is most notable on the brassy, hard swingin' instrumental cover of the theme song, which on the original CD sounded scratchy, as if it were lifted directly from an old vinyl record!) This album, however, is missing a track that would have been a nice extra: Anthony Newley's original demo recording of the theme song, smooth and low-key, which makes for an interesting contrast to Shirley Bassey's hard jazz-pop rendition heard in the film.What is there to say about this music that hasn't been said a million times in books, documentaries, reviews, and Internet forums? It's the quintessential `spy jazz' album, and it changed action film music forever. John Barry had worked (mostly un-credited) on "Dr. No," did the full score for the remarkable "From Russia, With Love," but here he absolutely explodes with an original vibrant style for the series and charted the way for every score to follow. Barry took his experience as a jazz/rock trumpeter and bandleader (he headed the popular British group "The John Barry Seven") and expanded it into a tremendous orchestral juggernaut. The melody "Goldfinger" (with lyrics by Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse) becomes a screaming, sexy jazz anthem, with Shirley Bassey's sassy and snarling reading of the lyrics making the piece into an instant, unforgettable classic chart-topper. It's the most famous title song from the Bond films, and deservedly so.Throughout the rest of the score, Barry uses the theme song in interesting ways. "Alpine Drive" presents the lyrical, laid back John Barry. The instrumental version of the theme song (which isn't in the film) is gritty and guitar-driven, and also includes music from "Dawn Raid on Fort Knox." "Oddjob's Pressing Engagement" makes great up-tempo use of the Goldfinger theme as well. The famous James Bond theme appears in "Bond Back in Action" (the music for the pre-credits sequence). Barry uses very mysterious, sexy music for "Teasing the Korean" (lots of musical jokes and stings on this one), "Golden Girl," "Auric's Factory," "Gassing the Gangsters," and the extremely tense "Laser Beam."The score highlight, however, is the lengthy, pounding "Dawn Raid on Fort Knox," which starts with a slow building military march on snare-drums and gradually grows into an explosive version of the Goldfinger Theme and concludes with dramatic, tense vibraphone and brass punctuations as Goldfinger's private army lasers its way through the doors of Fort Knox. This is followed up with "Arrival of Bomb and Countdown," where a thundering hypnotic brass piece builds up the `seconds-to-doom' finale. ("A few more ticks and Mr. Goldfinger would have hit the jackpot.")This really is a quintessential film music album. It's jazz. It's lounge. It's swing. It's rock. It's lyrical. It's JAMES BOND in a single CD, and it will transport you back to the mid-sixties when Bond, martinis, divas, and loud sexy trumpets seemed to rule the world. Tip your razor-bladed bowler hats to John Barry, the Bond musical master -- and buy this album!"

Track order

James Luckard | Los Angeles, CA | 03/28/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Barry's own favorite of his Bond scores is, of course brilliant. Sadly, it seems there were no masters left to lengthen this album. However, it still includes the four bonus British tracks, and it's wonderful to listen to no matter how much there is.Anyway, yet again, here is my film order track listing, for those nuts like me.5, 1, 2, 12, 3, 13-15, 6, 7, 4, 9-11, 8"

Worthy, But Not Quite Solid "Gold"

G M. Stathis | cedar city, utah USA | 03/07/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Sadly, of all the "Remastered" and extended James Bond soundtracks produced by Capital/EMI/MGM to celebrate 007's 40th Anniversary, "Goldfinger" is the biggest disappointment. This is not a bad recording, far from it, but one hoped for a bit more. John Barry's score for "Goldfinger" is clearly one of the two best of the entire series and it has what is easily the best vocal title. The problem here is that even with an additional four "bonus" tracks, music that has been available for quite a while on LP and CD, this recording represents only part of the full score. In comparison with the "Remastered" version of Barry's "On Her Majesty's Secret Service," which was wonderful, "Goldfinger" comes up a bit short. No one is at fault really. The fact is that the rest of the score was not saved. That is the bad news. The good news is that the recording is excellent, the packaging is first rate, and again the price deserves a big hand. "Goldfinger" was the first Bond project that Barry had all to himself (with the exception of the lyrics)and it remains the standard by which all other Bond scores have been measured, and only "OHMSS" is actually in the same class. A full score would have been solid gold. This version does come very close, however, and is a must."