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The FYEO score by Bill Conti- Your opinions

MayDayDiVicenzoMayDayDiVicenzo Here and there
edited August 2013 in Music Posts: 5,080
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ax5scn5KhOY
What an absolute fantastic piece by Bill Conti, for the ski chase in For Your Eyes Only. I think this piece really knows what it is, or at least Conti does. He recognises that ski chases Bond style aren't serious or gritty but rather fun and entertaining and 'runway' that plays as the soundtrack for the chase, really suits it (and the film for that matter). What do you think of 'Runaway', Mi6 Community? Its certainly my favourite soundtrack piece from Bond!
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Comments

  • barryt007barryt007
    Posts: 19,339
    Its obviously dated now but i loved it when i was younger and it was my favourite for a long time too,so i agree with you on that one !

    I used to have the film soundtrack on cassette and listened to that piece over and over.
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 24,183
    We're not going to keep a thread open for one single track in the soundtrack. Title changed.
  • NapoleonPluralNapoleonPlural
    Posts: 512
    I liked it at first, a good catchy tune, but it has a happy triumphant sound that doesn't work with what should be a slightly scary chase, it doesn't really lend urgency. Admittedly it's directed so everyone looks like a stuntman going through his paces, no surprise in the next movie Glen instructed the stuntmen on the aeroplane to 'try to make it look difficult'.
  • SirHenryLeeChaChingSirHenryLeeChaChing
    edited August 2013 Posts: 3,494
    Like most of the soundtrack, this song is absolutely awful. Being from Philly, I love his Rocky work and appreciate that but the only thing that's Bondian here is that he gets what to do with the title song as far as using it properly within the film, and variates it. He's not as liberal with the Bond theme and this dud doesn't include it in a piece that needs to be less "happy" and more serious as NP mentions. This isn't necessarily Glen's fault, unless he asks for a retool he's stuck with it. Conti most disappointingly of all doesn't step outside of his comfort zone, he mixes in disco :-& , uses instruments that are cliched or ill fitting for the scenes which they are in, the whole thing is a mostly a mess. Not that there aren't a few good moments, such as the dive down to the St.Georges and the climb up St. Cyrils, I like the gun barrel cowbell otherwise it sounds identical to the LALD version, but for me the only Bond soundtrack that's even worse is GoldenEye's. I think he coasted through this one.
  • MurdockMurdock The minus world
    Posts: 16,351
    To me It's alright. I don't listen to it often. I like the gunbarrel music, the helicopter music, submarine. It's not the worst but I don't often come back to it.
  • WillyGaloreWillyGalore
    Posts: 6,396
    SirHenryLeeChaChing wrote:
    Like most of the soundtrack, this song is absolutely awful. Being from Philly, I love his Rocky work and appreciate that but the only thing that's Bondian here is that he gets what to do with the title song as far as using it properly within the film, and variates it. He's not as liberal with the Bond theme and this dud doesn't include it in a piece that needs to be less "happy" and more serious as NP mentions. This isn't necessarily Glen's fault, unless he asks for a retool he's stuck with it. Conti most disappointingly of all doesn't step outside of his comfort zone, he mixes in disco :-& , uses instruments that are cliched or ill fitting for the scenes which they are in, the whole thing is a mostly a mess. Not that there aren't a few good moments, such as the dive down to the St.Georges and the climb up St. Cyrils, I like the gun barrel cowbell otherwise it sounds identical to the LALD version, but for me the only Bond soundtrack that's even worse is GoldenEye's. I think he coasted through this one.

    Surely @SirHenry you should be showing Conti some 'Brotherly Love'? ;-)
  • SirHenryLeeChaChingSirHenryLeeChaChing
    Posts: 3,494
    @Willy- not for this one I won't. Fugeddaboutit! Philly's a tough crowd to please and the "Rocky meets disco" experiment didn't work at all for me.
  • Perilagu_KhanPerilagu_Khan
    Posts: 2,483
    A middling Bond score. The earlier, syntho-disco stuff (viz the Citroen chase) is terrible and truly detracts from the film. Also not crazy about the romantic music in the Bond-Lisl liaison section--just sounds too urban, American. But the track where Bond ascends the ski lift surrounded by Kristatos' thugs is one of the greatest Bond tracks of them all.
  • WillyGaloreWillyGalore
    Posts: 6,396
    I think this is a score that is very dated. By comparison, listen to a Barry score from the same era - AVTAK or TLD and they're timeless. Conti's score whilst good for '81 has not aged well and is certainly a product of it's time.
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,801
    My memory of it is that nobody does it worse, makes me feel good for the rest. Even GE.
  • SirHenryLeeChaChingSirHenryLeeChaChing
    Posts: 3,494
    Perilagu_Khan wrote:
    A middling Bond score. The earlier, syntho-disco stuff (viz the Citroen chase) is terrible and truly detracts from the film. Also not crazy about the romantic music in the Bond-Lisl liaison section--just sounds too urban, American. But the track where Bond ascends the ski lift surrounded by Kristatos' thugs is one of the greatest Bond tracks of them all.

    You actually like that "kid pounding on a piano" sound there? Or do you mean after that part?

  • Perilagu_KhanPerilagu_Khan
    Posts: 2,483
    Kid pounding on a piano.
  • SirHenryLeeChaChingSirHenryLeeChaChing
    Posts: 3,494
    Khan, you've lost me there bro. Bond ascends the ski lift after that part.

    I could have done more easily with some good porn type sax in the Bond/Lisl love scene, and I don't mean the cliched Kenny G type. Instead we get flugel horn and it might as well be Kenny G.
  • Perilagu_KhanPerilagu_Khan
    Posts: 2,483
    Actually, it's probably not the piano, perhaps chimes instead.
  • pachazopachazo Make Your Choice
    Posts: 7,314
    This score is a guilty pleasure for me. There are a couple of songs that don't quite work but overall I find it to be enjoyable. I'm glad that they never attempted to do anything like this again though. One film was enough. So in that respect I appreciate it's uniqueness.
    Perilagu_Khan wrote:
    But the track where Bond ascends the ski lift surrounded by Kristatos' thugs is one of the greatest Bond tracks of them all.
    I love that part too. It does a great job of building up the tension of the scene. It's in the second half of "Ski...Shoot...Jump" I believe.
  • talos7talos7 New Orleans
    Posts: 8,216
    I find Conti's score the most ineffective and instantly dated of all the Eon Bond scores; it nearly makes the movie unwatchable for me. There are so many strong elements in FYEO that are undermined by Conti's music. With that said, I think his score for Rocky has much to do with it's success, not only the Rocky theme but the more intimate moments between Rocky and Adrian.
  • thenoisydrumthenoisydrum
    Posts: 69
    Huge fan of this particular piece and huge fan of the soundtrack - apart from the flugelhorn piece, just because it's pretty boring.
  • Samuel001Samuel001 Moderator
    Posts: 13,355
    On the whole, this is not a bad score and is no where near as dated as The Spy Who Loved Me's in my opinion.
  • 4EverBonded4EverBonded the Ballrooms of Mars
    Posts: 12,480
    I'd have to listen to the whole soundtrack again to give a complete opinion. What I remember is that the theme song is lovely and is woven in well throughout the movie. I did not like the disco type sounds, although for some reason the Citroen chase does not bug me, maybe because it was such a well done chase. I don't like the music during the ski chase scene; it was annoying to me.
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,801
    Samuel001 wrote:
    On the whole, this is not a bad score and is no where near as dated as The Spy Who Loved Me's in my opinion.
    Not a huge fan of that one either, but the nicer moments aren't as far apart, if memory serves.
  • CraigMooreOHMSSCraigMooreOHMSS Dublin, Ireland
    Posts: 8,217
    A good soundtrack shouldn't detract from the mood and atmosphere of the film it accompanies. On this most basic level, Conti's music fails.
  • RogueAgentRogueAgent
    Posts: 12,526
    It was odd at first but I suppose it is what he thought was a musical fit for the time? Too use to Barry mixing the main title throughout the movies with his counter melodies.
  • NapoleonPluralNapoleonPlural
    Posts: 512
    Anyone know of a bootleg with Barry sounds on it? That I'd be interested in seeing.
  • thenoisydrumthenoisydrum
    Posts: 69
    The gunbarrel is one of the best in the entire series. Those cowbells kick ass!
    There are some brilliant cues throughout the movie and the main title piece is a classic. Do I listen to the main title? No, never but it is a classic. I know, just my opinion.....

    When Bond is being followed by Charles Dance and Locque, he is absolutely sh1tting himself and the music makes the scene very suspenseful. I know it's dated but I think that Run, Shoot &Jump is a very well scored piece that fits the scenes very well.
    Again the St Cyril's Monestry climb sequence is very tense and suspenseful.
    Melina's Revenge - a fantastic cue. Are people really overlooking these just to jump on the bandwagon of saying it is dated and would have been better written by John Barry?
    The music is upbeat and I think it fits the film.
    I just wish that the little guitar piece that was playing whilst the two old dudes were dancing was on the soundtrack. Oh yes, and the other vocal piece. I doubt Conti scored those though.
    Thinking about it I must be biased because I even like Make it Last all Night! Has it dated? Maybe but I love it!
    "Take him away....."
  • WillyGaloreWillyGalore
    edited September 2013 Posts: 6,396
    You got me confused there @thenoisydrum. Do you actually like Sheena Easton's song or not because you refer to it as a classic yet never listen to it.
  • MayDayDiVicenzoMayDayDiVicenzo Here and there
    Posts: 5,080
    WillyGalore wrote:
    You got me confused there @thenoisydrum. Do you actually like or Sheena Easton's song or not because you refer to it as a classic yet never listen to it.

    I sort of know what he means. For example, Thunderball is a classic, but I wouldn't listen to it- it's not my 'kind' of Bond theme, but I still acknowledge it's powerful vocals etc.
  • LeighBurneLeighBurne
    Posts: 57
    In really like it. In fact it's one of my favourites.

    Conti definitely composed the best gunbarrel of the series.
  • SirHenryLeeChaChingSirHenryLeeChaChing
    Posts: 3,494
    LeighBurne wrote:
    In really like it. In fact it's one of my favourites.

    Conti definitely composed the best gunbarrel of the series.

    Maybe it's just me, but except for the cowbell it sounds nearly identical to Martin's LALD which obviously came before.

    The best gun barrels are still Barry's. Kamen did a great one too.

  • WillyGaloreWillyGalore
    Posts: 6,396
    SirHenryLeeChaChing wrote:
    LeighBurne wrote:
    In really like it. In fact it's one of my favourites.

    Conti definitely composed the best gunbarrel of the series.

    Maybe it's just me, but except for the cowbell it sounds nearly identical to Martin's LALD which obviously came before.

    The best gun barrels are still Barry's. Kamen did a great one too.

    Yes Kamen's gunbarrel is still the best piece of music in his score. The first time I heard his darker version of the Bond theme, I knew I was about to watch a different Bond film to what I was used to :-)
  • thenoisydrumthenoisydrum
    Posts: 69
    Yes, MayDayDiVicenzo is pretty much spot on with his interpretation

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