Moonraker

for those who enjoy a lot of 1970s movies and music this is it. barry has great orchestras and electronic music to go with it as well. if you're a fan it delivers. a 10 out of 10.

The release of re-mastered editions of the James Bond scores offered up some great albums that expanded the original soundtracks with extra cues ("Thunderball" and "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" are particularly superb). However, "Moonraker," one of the best scores of the series and one of the most lyrical and unusual (especially when you consider what a silly slapstick film it accompanies) arrived on CD in a bare-bones 30-minute edition that replicates the original LP version with no extra tracks.This is an unfortunate occurrence, but the people loudly complaining and blaming EMI need to understand that the album producers had no choice. They wanted an expanded album (who wouldn't? more people would buy it), but there was a major stumbling block because of the way the "Moonraker" recording sessions were originally produced. "Moonraker" was a French-British co-production for tax reasons, and most of the film was shot in France. The recording sessions were also done in France, and the original masters reside in vaults in Paris. The American producers of this album were unable to obtain access to these master tapes to make a longer version, and the work to get them would have been prohibitively expensive -- which would mean no album at all.I too am disappointed we don't have a longer "Moonraker" album; however, the re-mastered sound and the general brilliance of the music makes it impossible for me to give this album anything less than five stars. I've loved this album for years, and still do. I think it shows John Barry at his best, and it's the most experimental score for a Bond film. Barry avoids the period music clichés (except for a slight disco beat under the end titles) that plagued Hamlisch's "The Spy Who Loved Me" score, and he also ignores the silliness of the film and turns in a serious, ethereal, and sensual score. Regardless of length, the "Moonraker" score wields a potent spell.The theme song, sung by Shirley Bassey of "Goldfinger" fame, never became a big hit, but it's one of the best songs from a Bond film: exotic, timeless, and filled with soaring romanticism. Barry uses the heavy romantic melody in the cue "Bond Meets Dr. Goodhead," one is one of the album's most beautiful tracks. The theme also appears in the first half of "Bond Arrives in Rio and Boat Chase," this time with an understated calypso beat and chorus.Barry ditches one of his signatures styles of the Bond series, the brassy and sassy use of trumpets and horns, for a more elegant and smooth approach. (In fact, you won't hear "The James Bond Theme" anywhere on this album, although it does appear in the film.) You can hear Barry's changed approach most clearly in "Centrifuge and Corinne Put Down," where Barry follows the death of Corrine at the fangs of Drax's hunting dogs with a hypnotic, slow building piece using strings and harp and only culminating in the brass at the end. More typical suspense music appears in "Bond Smells a Rat" (which covers Bond sneaking into Drax's Venetian laboratory and seeing the effect of the nerve gas on Drax's employees).The action cue most reminiscent of the earlier scores is in the first half of "Cable Car and Snake Fight," with exciting brass punctuation marks, but then it segues directly into the snake deathtrap music, where Barry again takes an unusual approach with the orchestration, focusing on lyrical action and tension music. The second half of "Bond Arrives in Rio and Boat Chase" sees the return of `007,' a piece of thrilling action music Barry first used in "From Russia, With Love," only here it is orchestrated to match the tone of the rest of the score; it's both beautiful and exiting, and a perfect example of how Barry could turn the expectations of action upside down.But the real highlights of the album are "Bond Lured to Pyramid," "Space Laser Battle," and "Flight into Space," where Barry creates hypnotic and gorgeous musical suites. "Bond Lured to Pyramid" plays as Bond weaves through the jungle following a beautiful woman to Drax's lair; Barry uses a chorus and chirping woodwinds over a thick layer of strings to create a feeling of exoticism and mystery. (In the film, this cue leads directly into "Snake Fight.") "Space Laser Battle" takes the ridiculous laser duel between Drax's forces and the U.S. Space Marines (???) and makes a slow, lyrical dirge out of it -- a brilliant move on Barry's part that emphasizes the `space' aspect of the scene. "Flight into Space" is six and half-minutes of sustained beauty, and one of the greatest pieces Barry composed for any film: it's almost a complete ballet based on the theme of space travel, using a chorus, organ, and elegant trumpet and horn passages to create the portrait. The music for the emergence of the space station out of the darkness is especially stunning.Yes, this isn't the longer album we hoped for. Perhaps one day the legal problems will be settled, but this is the best that EMI was able to do. And the remarkable score is still there and still as potent a piece of work as it ever wars. An essential album for all James Bond and John Barry fans.

I loved the cover on this cd. The song is good and the score is fun. I really like music from the seventies. The movie is great and I thought of the movie while I was watching it. I would recommend this cd to people who like James Bond films and music.

Good

solid CD...

Great product...great service! Would use again.

This cd has all the memorable music you hear in the background. It's not a long protracted soundtrack where you have to listen 10 minutes just to get to the good part of the song. These are all short and sweet in comparison.

John Barry does it again with a brilliant score! Shirley Bassey's powerful voice can be heard in the beginning and ending tracks with the film's theme song. Although I can't say much about the movie, the music is AMAZING! Buy it if you can!

Although "Moonraker" is generally regarded to be one of the weaker movies in the Bond series the score is defiantly amongst it's best ! Moonraker for me would easily rank in the top 3 Barry Bond scores of all time along with "Diamonds are forever" and "The Living daylights" After taking a break from scoring "The Spy who loved me" due to being a tax exile in the UK which prevented Barry from scoring the film in London, Barry was invited back by Cubby Broccoli to score the next bond movie in "Moonraker" (this largely due to the production being based in Paris which allowed Barry to return to the series) and it's definitely one of his best Bond scores. At a lean running time of 31 mins it's a little lighter on music than some of the other Barry Bond scores but it's not about quantity it's about quality and every cue on the album is just sublime ! from the majesty of "Flight into space", the exciting "Cable car and snake fight" and the "Space lazer battle" the great music just keeps coming! Some of Barry's scores would be somewhat repetitive, repeating themes and motifs too many times but "Moonraker proves to be different and every cue is highly melodic but doesn't overuse the use of the movies theme tune or the bond theme. Shirley Bassey returns for her final Bond outing delivering a vocal on one of the most underrated Bond theme tunes in my opinion. You also get the disco version which i think actually works slightly better, the choice is yours though.The only downside though is that this re-master isn't that good and is a lot poorer than the other Bond remasters in the series, the sound quailty can be somewhat muddy on occasions, it depends on which cue your listening to. Pretty disappointing really as some of the other one's are of a much higher quality.John Barry's theme's and motifs are still being used as a template to this day by composer David Arnold who has scored most of the Bond movies since they returned in 1995. Truly one of England's finest film composers.A great loss to the industry. RIP John

For me, the essence of a good James Bond soundtrack has always been synonymous with the name of the composer John Barry. After his soundtrack for "On Her Majesty's Secret Service", that to "Moonraker" has had pride of place in my affections. Whether it was due to a sudden discovery or exploration of the symphonies of Bruckner or Mahler, his work for "Moonraker" is signified by many instances of low sustained brass chords.As for the theme song, Shirley Bassey returned for her third and final vocal contribution in the opening track, her words floating in the air like the shuttle above the Earth. `I've seen your smile in a thousand dreams, ...' Why was this not a big hit?"Space Lazer (sic) Battle" follows on this CD, a slow march with brass, snare drum and choir, as well as full strings, and some subtle electronic sounds too. The sound quality on the transfer is not as good as expected, the performance being muffled in places. "Miss Goodhead Meets Bond" is a slow version of the graceful title track; it segues into a nocturnal suspense. Repeated rising notes remind me again of Bruckner, and alas, once again the sound quality of the transfer to disc is poor, especially at the very end."Cable Car And Snake Fight" is full of suspense. A trumpet theme on a bed of sustained brass and strings segues into another march, again heavy on the brass and with snare drum. "Bond Lured To Pyramid" has a romantic other-worldly feel, sustained notes again in the choir. Woodwind imitate birdcalls, there are harp glissandi, and strings play an upwards figure that conveys us to heaven at the end by means of a rise of an octave.The longest track (at six-and-a-half minutes) is the majestic "Flight Into Space". The introduction is like a Bruckner chorale. There is a marvellous trumpet call over a Bond signature riff played in the strings. When the trombones take the trumpet theme and move downwards, the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end: it is a magical moment. And yet the sound quality is really bad at times, worse than my old LP. Have I been sold a pirate copy?As you would imagine "Bond Arrives In Rio & Boat Chase" is replete with Brazilian rhythms accompanying the main Moonraker theme in an upbeat arrangement. The boat-chase theme is a reworking of one that John Barry has used before in a previous Bond movie. Brass and strings alternate between providing the main theme and providing the rhythmic accompaniment. It is very effective, and a shame it ends so early."Centrifuge And Corrinne Put Down" combines sustained low strings and brass, but the harp plucks ominously as the strings play faster and faster and higher and higher. The woodwinds swirl in chaos and confusion but are silenced by brass chords that indicate the deed is done. The plucked harp at the end is fatefully reminiscent. The following track is "Bond Smells A Rat" and is again quietly menacing: sustained brass and a four-note rising figure alternates with sustained woodwinds indicating the clinical atmosphere inside the lab. The ensuing death scene is very Mahlerian.And finally we have the end-titles, a disco version of the main theme with Shirley Bassey strutting her stuff.Alas, with only 31 minutes of music, many might scoff at purchasing this worthy CD. And the quality is really bad in places. But the music is so wonderfully atmospheric, so imaginatively composed and arranged, that I would be loathe to go without this wonderfully evocative example of a brilliant soundtrack.

I found this sound track softer richer and the theme music sung by Shirley Bassey is done lovely, wish there had been more track s.

What a cracker of a soundtrack...I know that when compared to other Bond films like Dr. No, From Russia With Love, and Casino Royale that Moonraker is weak enough (I still liked the film though!) But its soundtrack is certainly up there as one of the best.My favorite has to be track 7, 'Bond arrives in Rio' it comprises of the moonraker theme played in a samba style and then it jumps to an old reliable 'On Her Majesties Secret Service' played at a slower tempo. Also 'flight into space' truly conveys the void of space..in a bond kinda way! I bought the CD instead of download as its good value and you always have a hard copy backup, also you can import it into itunes on the highest bit rate to give excellent audio quality.

Probably the greatest John Barry, Bond soundtrack.The title song is a beautiful track. Shirley Bassey manages to restrain herself to give a hint of subtlety.The rest of the tracks are great standalone pieces of music, but, "Flight into space" is a truly magnificent soaring work of art.If you like John Barry, then you must own this album.I hope you found this review helpful.