I’ve been listening to LTK and TMWTGG after they finally arrived. Neither are my favourite scores but they’re definitely worth having.
3 Likes
I’ve purchased all the recent la-la-land records’ James Bond releases (as well as those that came before them). Before listening to these latest scores, The Man With The Golden Gun and Moonraker were two of my least favorites of the series. Not the worst, but clearly toward the bottom, and they were easily my least favorite by the incomparable John Barry. Meanwhile, I liked Licence To Kill but found it lower middle of the road for me.
After listening to them several times, my opinions have now changed. The extra music has helped TMWTGG and Moonraker immeasurably. I still have them as my least favorite by Barry, but they are now MUCH closer to the rest of his efforts than I originally thought.
As for LTK, the extra music helps flesh it out too, and it is now solidly in my middle of the road. (Hey, there’s A LOT of great Bond scores with only about three “bad” ones.)
Anyway, thanks to Neil S. Bulk and the rest of the gang at la-la-land records. You guys did a great job. I really appreciate your efforts in giving us all these long lost expanded soundtracks and eagerly look forward to your next James Bond scores.
6 Likes
‘Planting the Explosives’ is my favourite cue from LTK. ‘Bond Hooks Sanchez’ and ‘Truck Chase’ are good too, but overall I find the soundtrack too samey. On the other hand my rekindled love affair with TMWTGG is still going strong. I know fans think it’s a lesser film in the series but it still features a score from John Barry. The Asian atmosphere and title song variations are fantastic.
6 Likes
Yes, they are!
I always loved those music tracks which were not on the original album, which was a shame. If I could have chosen I would only have put one Scaramanga’s Fun House track and also not TMWTGG dixieland version on it to make room for more other score.
I have to confess that although I waited and longed for the expanded Moonraker cd for over fourty years, somehow now weeks later I feel a little indifferent about it. I don’t exactly know why, but I don’t feel any euphori anymore. What I find a bit disappointing is that you do get extended versions of the freefall and the bondola chase, to call it that, but I would also have liked the versions as they are heard exactly in the film, which we still do not officially have. I find that a bit of a shame.
At the moment I am therefore happier with the LTK double CD, which I regularly put on and which I really enjoy listening to while I am on the computer.
2 Likes
The album presents the cues as John Barry intended. “Freefall” in the film is editorially created by repeating the second half of the cue and omitting the first. As for “Venice Boat Chase” the “Tritsch-Tratsch-Polka” heard in the film was not recorded for the film. It’s this performance.
3 Likes
For a Bond movie, you don’t take just any performance 
Succumbed yesterday and ordered the (available) three that I’m still missing. (TND, LTK and TMWTGG). Could kick myself for not getting the earlier ones immediately after release. When I look for the TWINE one on Discogs, I’m well into the three digit range (and the first digit is more likely to be a 2 than a 1)…
Speaking of money, it would be really great if there’d be a way for continental Europeans to get them at better rates. The CDs themselves are not exactly cheap, but what really kills me are the shipping rates, taxes and tariffs. This time, I ordered from La-La-Land directly instead of the 007 store, as I figured that this might be a little bit cheaper. Still, with the extra costs, I’ll end up north of 160 Euros (still a bargain, total for only the MR one was around 75 Euros).
Would be great if in the future, there’d be an additional way to ship from within the EU (say Ireland or France), would be very much appreciated.
3 Likes
If anyone was bummed about missing LaLaLand’s now out-of-print expanded soundtrack for TWINE, it looks like they’ve found a few copies and are liquidating them on eBay. Not my cuppa, but maybe it appeals to others.
5 Likes
That soundtrack is what made me a Bond fan. Caviar Factory…
3 Likes
Excellent, thanks for the heads-up. 
3 Likes
I just listened to the “The Spy Who Loved Me” score and although it’s nice to listen to, it realy needs an upgrate en expanded edition from La-La Land. We need the original score finally available! Please let this be the next one!
I always liked a 48 anniversary! It’s the best of them all!
Of course, if it is no longer feasible for this year, then a 49th anniversary is the best of all, that goes without saying! 
4 Likes
Nah. 55th anniversaries are the best.
2 Likes
I fully support an expanded TSWLM. Not my favourite score, but it’s pretty crazy to think arguably the most popular Moore film has always had such a limited soundtrack release.
4 Likes
Don’t you mean a 54 anniversary for something beginning with a “D”, have a nice “A” in the middle and ending with a excellent “F”?
1 Like
There was Studio 54, which was diamond-like and glittery, but looking at LaLa Land’s previous releases, 55 seems the correct number to promote.
Also, I am patient. I waited 48 years for THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WIND.
2 Likes
I listened to the MR score from LLL last night and I am all excited about it again, can’t believe I started liking it less the last few days, weeks. It’s fantastic! 
4 Likes
Could TMWTGG have the most prevalent use of a title song melody for a Bond score? Sure seems like it. We get the honky tonk version in ‘Scaramanga’s Fun House’ before the song even officially appears in the title sequence.
Then we have:
Macau/Forever Hold Your Piece
Following Andrea
Scaramanga Strikes
Hip’s Trip
Quite Titillating
Take Mr. Bond To School/Escape
Kung Fu Fight
Moments
Goodnight Goodnight
Let’s Go Get 'Em
In Search of Scaramanga’s Island
Return to Scaramanga’s Island
Absolute Zero
Slow Boat From China
End Title: The Man With The Golden Gun
It works really well in romance and action formats so it’s fine with me. It’s really a solid soundtrack and the expanded material has helped that case big time. With repeated listens it has become one of my favourites. The Asian atmosphere is up there with what Barry did with YOLT, to be honest. It’s also worth noting that TMWTGG was the first appearance of Barry’s reworked Bond theme that carried over to his subsequent scores. It all started here.
5 Likes
Yesterday I listened to the original Octopussy cd from th eighties, the quality is very good, but while listening I always tend to think about which tracks I find redundant or too much and which music I miss. I never understood why the title song is on the album twice, except probably so they don’t have to pay the musicians more money if more minutes of the original score end up on the album? Same goes for the FYEO album and to a lesser extent for AVTAK, because the end song track is slightly different, but not much.
1 Like
I only know about Studio 54 because it’s mentioned a couple of times in biography’s of the Rolling Stones and books about Mick Jagger (I’m a huge Stones fan besides Bond). That was hugh and famous, I believe.
1 Like
Well the mixes are different.
2 Likes
I enjoy bookending the album with the song, just like it was in the film.