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CR--I gave it the gold medal. GoldenGun, fun to see the photo image on the back of that CD! I echo what some of you have said, especially Benny and DarthDimi. Why did I give it the gold? A bit tough to give exact details since I can't access the score right now. But in a nutshell, while there are several Barry scores I love and ranked highly, the CR score, in addition to being very imaginative, just seems to fit the film to a T. Arnold was able to come up with a wide variety of phrases and themes for situations and characters. Some cues I think of: Bond's in M's apartment accessing her computer (I think there's music then); getting off the plane in the Bahamas and driving to the Ocean Club; checking the security disk to locate Dimitrios; scenes with Solange; Bond and Vesper chatting about her dress and his dinner jacket and him trying his on; the poker tournament; and "Vesper's theme". Those are some I remember, and I know music is good or fits the film when I remember it. The score is at times energetic, muscular, suspenseful, menacing, tender.
We have an interesting twelve remaining: one Arnold, one Martin, and a whopping ten of Barry’s eleven.
OCTOPUSSY
Music composed by
JOHN BARRY
OP is the second Barry score that leaves the contest.
It received one 6th place, one 7th place, one 8th place, three 9th places and two 10th places. In addition it ended up in eleven more top 15's.
One bottom 5 was noted, also its lowest rating: a 22nd spot.
OP is the highest rated entry that did not obtain a top 5 spot.
The original music for OP ended up with 127 points in total.
That's why I had it at #3, really. That's most of what appeals to me about CR in general. It's just an incredible film. It cares more about that than being a Bond film.
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I like Octopussy. Arrival at the Island of Octopussy was mentioned before. I like its exotic sound. That thing the flutes and clarinets play at the beginning (and later violas I think) just makes me think of an octopus' tentacle moving. It's got to do with the repetiveness of the phrase, the sort of strange mood it goes for, and the instrumentation.
The following didn't crystallize in my mind until recently: the action theme of the film (the one from The Palace Fight) truly does sound like "Bond meets India", between the quirky woodwind melody and the Bondian brass stabs. Also, I love those fast violins in the background; so much of the piece's effectiveness rests on that. Barry does fast violins better than Thomas Newman I think, even though he doesn't do them that often.
I wish the film version of The Palace Fight had been included in the album, with the Bond theme playing over the shot of the Union Jack balloon. I love that little insert...
...almost as much as I love this film's march-like version of the Bond theme. Many people prefer the theme on guitar, but I enjoy hearing those brief, fast-paced notes on violins, accompanied with brass that grows louder as it goes along. And the variations of the theme in Bond Look Alike are delightful as well.
I agree with the appreciation for That's My Little Octopussy. Very inspired and heartfelt music. I also love the film's cocktail version of All Time High. It's got a supremely gorgeous string section-- really beautiful. Have a listen to a bit of it here!
In fact, I also love the song All Time High. Rita Coolidge's voice is so beautiful and soothing. And I like those sexy pitch-bending guitars in the background. That part where she goes "in my time I've said these words before..." with arms showing up from behind Bond is my favorite moment of the title sequence, one of my favorite moments in any Bond title sequence, and a perfect combination of sights and sounds.
There are three short cues that were left out of the score that I think are essential, because as brief as they are, they work wonders in enhancing the respective scenes. One is Bond observing Kamal Khan outside Sotheby's. The other is the opening India music (really exciting and majestic-- can't stress this enough!). The last one accompanies Bond crossing into East Berlin.
I agree, the music changes very effectively and neatly from one mood to the next.
Edit: This is not strictly about the score composed for the film, but Octopussy has a number of catchy, upbeat themes from the De Wolfe music library. I like them!
I actually really like the song "All Time High" as well. I know not everyone goes in for the soft love ballads as Bond openers, but this is one I think works really well both in the film and apart from it.
I'm glad you posted the excellent arrival in Delhi music. I notice one of the top comments on that page mentions how it wouldn't be amiss in Conan the Barbarian. I had never made the connection before, but the similarities truly are remarkable. As Conan came out just the year before in '82, I wonder if Barry subconsciously had Poledouris's score in his head and let some of that come through here.
I'm trying to think of a track that doesn't work, or fit the tone of the film.
I even like Rita Coolidge title track.
It's not as memorable as an OHMSS or YOLT, but Octopussy's score is tremendously effective. There's a lot of darker, sneakier, more ominous stuff in it that help keep the film mostly grounded. Roger Moore and John Glen deserve a lot of credit for not letting the film's lighter or sillier moments run away with everything, but John Barry's score plays a big part as well.
But hey, that's just my opinion. ;-)
If only someone could do a nice midi of that cocktail version of ATH, or the backgammon music.......
Interesting point of discussion, @Creasy47.
I guess I'm a "maniac" when it comes to the Bond scores. I keep them on heavy rotation when I'm doing computer work, driving my car, hiking in the woods, reading books... Despite some upbeat action moments, most of these scores are fairly soothing and relaxed, the perfect background music for when the brain muscles need flexing or for cooling off after a tough day at work. Consequently, I know these scores in and out, and I can hum or whistle the music from any scene in any of the films. I've always assumed that would've been the case for all of us, but when the voting session for this game started, several members said that they can't really call too many of these scores to mind. That's okay, of course. I just found it interesting. ;-)
I've seen lots of people, close friends I've made on here included, who seem to listen to the tracks outside of the films quite often, and I'm ashamed to say I rarely do that, but I should. I'll have the scores inside my head for days, weeks even, after I watch a film but rarely check them out in my own free time. I should change that.
But yes, I thought for sure I would've had most of them locked in when I started my ranking, no extra research required, and was surprised that a couple of the scores didn't stand out to me whatsoever, this one included (which is a real disappointment because I really, really love OP the film).
I guess I'll never get in a Bond score trivia game with you, then, as I'll surely lose nearly every time!
I do have something started on the first one. But dammit I've got to see Goldfinger out the door first! I'll get back on it.
You are a star. I've listened to your Goldfinger tracks more times than I'd care to mention.
@DarthDimi you sound like my kind of maniac! Throughout the course of a lifetime, I have experienced different stages of listening to the Bond scores. They were heavily featured in the discovery stage, but since then it's been intermittent.
I have always tried to listen to a wide variety of music (despite my personal preferences and biases that we all incorporate to some extent) and admittedly, the older I get the harder it is to identify with new music, but before this ranking game came along I hadn't properly listened to some of the classic scores in quite some time.
Happy to say that I've rediscovered them all over again while they've been on heavy rotation at work, home and in the car. It's been a great experience, this. I have enjoyed reading all of your opinions and collective analysis.