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Ah - that would be it. I thought it was a rather abrupt ending! I must start listening to the YouTube links you're posting rather than the versions I have on my Apple Music :)
With the wonderful news of the Octopussy score release, we can live in hope about this!
I missed out The World Is Not Enough in my earlier post, which I ranked at number 5. This is a banging gun barrel! David Arnold is more comfortable with incorporating the electronic elements in this score and I love the drive of the percussion, particularly the relentlessness of the kick drum and snare. Whilst the orchestral arrangement is very similar to that of the TND gun barrel, there’s more agency to this, with the electronic tambourine and triangle really adding to the pace and sense of danger. I think my enjoyment is enhanced by hearing the separate elements of the gun barrel on the LLL Records release and appreciating how it’s all put together.
I placed Dr. No in 8th place, mostly as the OG of the gun barrel sequence. I didn’t know about the ‘Atoms In Space’ backstory until recently. It's interesting that Peter Hunt opted for the 'be-bop' section of the Bond theme for this gun barrel rather than the vamp.
This is such a good point :D
The Man With The Golden Gun was sixth place for me. This is fantastic gun barrel. I love the progression to more of a symphonic sound. This sits perfectly between the brashness of Barry’s orchestral palette in DAF (xylophone, prominent brass etc.) and the more sedate sound of Moonraker (prominent strings, harp, etc.). Note after the chords at the start of the gun barrel the descending E minor scale, which remains in the arrangement of all of Barry’s subsequent gun barrels. He’d used an ascending E minor scale for OHMSS. Like many of you, I really like hearing the vamp played three times on the strings. I also like the very subtle use of harp on every other note in the vamp, which is usually reserved for trumpet or woodwind in Barry’s arrangements. It creates an ethereal, other-wordly effect which blends very well with the first cue of harp and flute representing Scaramanga’s Island.
Goldeneye was seventh place for me. I know that Eric Serra’s score was widely derided at the time, but I’m pleased that it’s gained more critical acclaim in recent years. Playing the infamous James Bond vamp on the timpani - of all instruments - is pretty wild, but it’s an effective choice, signalling that this is James Bond for a new decade. The film, and score, are going to break with convention. I love the sparse, industrial electronic percussion and low, ominous arrangement of the strings (likely John Altman’s influence). The sampling of the Goldfinger barrel - but pitched up and drenched in effects - is pure 90s.
I ranked The Living Daylights in fourth place. I have an emotional attachment to this gun barrel, given that it’s Barry’s last. There’s a majesty and poise to the arrangement and I echo everyone else’s comments about the expansiveness of the orchestral sound, compared to Octopussy and A View To A Kill. Rumour has it that Barry originally planned to incorporate the electronic synth and percussion that you hear later in ‘Exercise At Gibraltar’ and ‘Ice Chase’ in the gun barrel, to distinguish it from the Roger Moore arrangements. However, a decision was made to keep this as a surprise for the reveal of Timothy Dalton’s face.
From Russia With Love is ninth place for me. I like how lo-fi it is and its simplicity is what makes it so effective (more so than the Goldfinger and Thunderball arrangements, in my opinion). The orchestration is very similar to the original arrangement of the James Bond Theme in Dr. No, but I think with slightly more brass, added harp and xylophone (or vibraphone or possibly even marimba) and cello on the chromatic ostinato. The electric guitar sounds so vibrant and I love the unusual ending with the double bass and xylophone quietly fading out, as the gun barrel disappears on screen.
So it looks like I’m the only naysayer when it comes to Licence To Kill, as I ranked it 21st. I don’t object to this gun barrel, as it’s certainly dramatic and I admire Michael Kamen’s attempt at breaking with convention. The dissonance of the chords certainly reflect the violence of the film and the timpani rolls create a sense of drama. I also like the subtle pizzicato strings in the second violins. But overall the chromaticism and lack of pleasing harmony mean I can’t enjoy it on a musical level. This may be intentional, but John Barry (and later David Arnold) prove time and again that you can have dramatic gun barrels that are still pleasing to the ear. Whilst it’s a thrill to have Vic Flick back on electric guitar, I’m not convinced the guitar and violin combination works on the vamp. I think the guitar sounds quite lifeless compared to its 60s heyday and it’s always bothered me that it doesn’t complete the vamp. I think I’ll be in the minority here though :)
LTK is a firm favourite of mine, ranked it 2nd. It's got those tension-building first notes that continue through Tim's walk, who absolutely looks the business in his gunbarrel if I may say so, followed by the Bond theme kicking in in grandiose style, this one is second only to one for me.
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Time for another reveal. The Number 6 gunbarrel music is our final tie of this game, and it's between...
THUNDERBALL
and
YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE
Thunderball was ranked between 4th and 15th place, and You Only Live Twice was ranked between 1st and 14th place.
Both films received 5 votes in the ones and 5 votes in the tens, and both scored 165 points.
I ranked Thunderball in 15th place, mainly because I find the guitar sounds a little high-pitched and thin for my taste, though on the positive side, the vamp played on muted strings sounds very, very cool. A very moody sound.
I ranked You Only Live Twice in 9th place. I love the different key in which the Bond theme is played this time around, as well as the fascinating timbre of the guitar (do I even hear a pitch bend in there somewhere?). I also love the powerful sound of the opening chords (especially those piccolos) and the vamp sounds great on violas in that register (it would also be played on violas in later Barry gunbarrels, but in this one, the notes of the vamp are not divided).
You're welcome to share your thoughts.
I ranked YOLT 13th. I’m not a fan of the key change at the beginning but I dig the ominous sounding bass which captures the Japanese setting of the movie.
Overall, very distinctive but there are quite a few I prefer to this one.
I find the Kamen score in general is a more demanding listen, if you catch my drift. Features little of the long-lined melodies typical of Barry, seemingly more focused on how the timbres of the instruments play off against each other in short phrases. There is little to "hang on" to in the way one can with a Barry score, which perhaps suits the film, with its more unsettling, uncertain tone.
Speaking of guitar and violin, how does this gunbarrel work for you?
I love the fact you play this game!
That's right. Everyone is welcome to take guesses on the order of the remaining gunbarrels!
1. OHMSS
2. FYEO
3. GF
4. LALD
5. DAF
FYEO (which I’m pleasantly surprised to find this high) is my absolute #1. For whatever reason I thought this one would be quite low. Maybe because of Bill Conti or the cowbell which I understand most folks seem to hate - but those are exactly the things that make this one an absolute blast for me!! Nothing ushers in 80s Bond better than Bill Conti and lots of cowbell. :)
LIVE AND LET DIE
Ranked between 2nd and 23rd place, Live and Let Die received 8 votes in the ones, 1 in the tens and 1 in the twenties. It scored 178 points.
I ranked it in 8th place. This rendition of the Bond theme is pure 70's awesomeness. When played on guitar and muted brass, the riff sounds simultaneously sinister and full of swagger, which perfectly suits the film's black comedy undertones. The sound of the vamp conveys these same qualities. The arrangement is incredibly rich and detailed (check the first post of this thread for more info)—I love the very, very subtle touch of adding vibraphone to the riff to give it a more percussive sound.
Full of awesome cues as the LALD score might be, my favorites are without a doubt the gunbarrel music and the James Bond Theme as heard when Bond visits New York. These arrangements of the Bond Theme are just superb.
What do you think?
@mattjoes summed it up perfectly, this gunbarrel just oozes cool and menace.
GM absolutely aced this one.
For TLD, my personal ranking was at #22. It’s too similar sounding to the Moore era gun barrels of the last two films for my personal tastes. Perhaps if Barry had laid those rhythm tracks he uses in the score later on I would’ve taken to it more.
FRWL I had listed at #15. I do quite like the tempo and speed at which the theme plays, but I find some of the other Barry scored Gunbarrels to be much better.
LTK is ranked at #9 for me. From the moment you hear those intense orchestral strings, you realize that this is going to be a Bond film unlike any other. A great way to start off the movie!
Great to see you back. I would have liked the TLD gunbarrel to incorporate something of the sounds and rhythms of the last part of Exercise at Gibraltar, of Ice Chase, of Hercules Takes Off, etc. Of course, it's also worth considering that, by going with a traditional gunbarrel, the film saves the surprise of the modern Bond Theme arrangement for the Land Rover scene, something which turns out to be quite effective. Also, perhaps having the gunbarrel play at such a frantic pace as that Bond Theme rendition would not have been ideal. However, I think the gunbarrel could have subtly incorporated the synth sound that plays the vamp in that modern Bond Theme, to give the gunbarrel a slightly fresher sound without ruining the musical reveal of the Rover scene, and without sounding too upbeat for the rather moody and slow-paced intro of the film.
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We're gonna play this a tad more slowly. The #4 reveal will be tomorrow, not today. This will also give people more time to comment (and to catch up with previous reveals if so desired.)
LALD is a lot of fun, but perhaps not as to my tastes as some others. It's got real punch though, and the ever-building outro is a lot of fun.
You Only Live Twice is at #14. This one was very tricky because on one hand, I absolutely love the idea of reworking the pitch of the music, and giving the track a “Japanese” sound, but what I dislike it the sound mixing on the track itself. Personally I think the music sounds much better in its original ‘Mono’ track from the VHS/Special Edition DVD’s than it does on the modern releases of the film/the actual recording itself. The original ‘Mono’ track feels a bit grittier, and the reverb on the track doesn’t sound as overbearing as it does on the ‘Stereo’ track.
Live and Let Die is #4. This is another one for me where the difference in sound between the ‘Mono’ and ‘Stereo’ tracks is quite apparent, but I actually might prefer the ‘Stereo’ track this time around. Although DAF technically started off the 70’s era of Bond, the opening notes of LALD’s gunbarrel makes it loudly apparent that we’re passed the 1960’s, we’re passed Sean Connery, and this is the start of a brand new era for Bond. I love the subtle guitar riff playing in the background below Martin’s orchestration, and the final notes of the track builds up so much excitement for me personally, even more so when paired with that opening shot on the UN building.
Again, FYEO is my absolute favorite. Again by a different composer other than Barry. Conti nails that one! I love Barry’s gunbarrels. But as classic as they are there’s something special when you hear someone like Martin or Conti give their own spin to it and come out with something truly magnificent!
At least for the way the riff is mixed, I prefer the mono mix to the newer one. In the newer mix, the riff sounds less edgy. I'm not sure what it is that makes me feel that way about it. Maybe it's the lack of sound compression.
it just me or does anyone else think that more recent dvd/blu-ray versions of some of the bond films when remastered their music sounds slightly retarded in play speed to the cinema and earliest vhs and dvd presentations,or its just me getting way to old.
DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER
Original film mix:
Soundtrack mix:
Diamonds Are Forever was ranked between 2nd and 19th place. It received 8 votes in the ones and 2 in the tens, securing a total of 187 points.
I ranked it in 3rd place. Yes, this is one of my absolute favorites, only ranked below Moonraker and A View to a Kill. The xylophone in the opening chords sounds delicious, as does the guitar playing the riff—for me, it's definitely better than the one in Thunderball, and rivals the one in Goldfinger. I also adore the very busy percussion and the picked bass guitar that doubles the acoustic bass. And let's not forget the strings. The strings! There is no other gunbarrel in which the strings playing the vamp (and harmonizing against it) are played without vibrato. Check it out, they sound fantastic: such a clear, stable sound. Overall, the gunbarrel has this ultra-cool, badass, and almost "glowing" sound (partly thanks to the lack of vibrato in the strings) that perfectly compliments the shimmering look of the gunbarrel in the film itself, the glitzy Las Vegas location, and the return of Connery as Bond.
Despite the shortcomings inherent to such an old mix, I prefer the film version of this cue, because of that heavy reverb, which is mesmerizing to listen to, especially in the section after the opening chords, but before the guitar starts playing. It only makes everything better, and emphasizes the glowing sound of the arrangement. The soundtrack mix sounds more full-bodied and sharp, but doesn't have the heavy reverb! I wish that, for the expanded album, failing to locate the film mix, they had tried to approximate it using the music stems they had at hand. A couple of times, I have attempted to restore the reverb to the soundtrack version, but I don't think it's possible to get it right without having isolated instruments. I hope I'm wrong, and I might give it another try at some point.
Tell us what you think about the Diamonds Are Forever gunbarrel!
I wasn’t particularly fond of this particular arrangement in the past, but it has since considerably grown in my esteem.
If I had to describe its sound in one word, I would say ‘sleazy’ which, again, kind of fits the Vegas setting.
For my money, Barry's YOLT-OHMSS-DAF run marks perhaps the best three scored films in film history, even better than, say, John Williams. Not coincidentally, those are my top three gunbarrels.
They are terrifically scored films, for sure. I love how the use of music is so judicious. When action breaks out, music doesn't have to start playing immediately—only when it's really necessary.
While I feel the gunbarrel is infused with some of that Vegas sleaziness or "showiness" (without going overboard on it, thus maintaning a certain elegance, as you say), I think the one legitimately sleazy section of the entire score is the music that plays when Bond chokes Marie (1:12 in the video above). The scene merits it, of course.
In the DAF gunbarrel, unlike others, that melody is played on piccolos, and because of their high pitch, the melody they play stands out more than in other gunbarrels. Typically, that melody is played only by horns and/or trombones, which are lower-pitched, and thus end up being obscured by the trumpets which play certain notes of the gunshot chords.
Now that I think about, I'm not sure I would call it a counter melody, because there is no other melody—the rest is all harmony, that is, chords.