Saturday's theme today comes from the former bassist of Magazine and one time Bad Seed, Barry Adamson, a man whose solo back catalogue is littered with delights and treasures. In 1992, on his Soul Murder album, Adamson recorded his take on the James Bond Theme, a version that has been sent to Jamaica and infused with ska and a big band orchestra, a sample from the original 1962 John Barry and Monty Norman Bond theme and a spoken word vocal that imagine a world where Bond is from Kingston and Bond is black.
I know it's close to pop culture heresy but I've never been that fussed about the Bond films. Some of the 60s ones have a period charm- the suits are well cut, the women are beautiful and the villains villainous, but it quickly became a joke that wore increasingly thin. I like the voodoo nonsense of Live And Let Die, I must have watched that at an impressionable age on a wet Sunday afternoon at some point. The modern Bonds don't do much for me at all. Is it just me? Have I got Bond all wrong?
5 comments:
The Sean Connery films, even when he's fannying about in hollowed out volcanoes, are fun spy romps. George Lazenby's sole outing is pretty much a substandard Connery film. The early Roger Moore efforts have a camp charm about them. Every film made in the eighties is terrible, in particular the straight laced action-lite pair with Timothy Dalton at the helm. Pierce Brosnan is far too serious and stars in one the two worst films in the series in Die Another Day (invisible cars, iffy facial reconstructions and Madonna). The Daniel Craig era is dull. Incredibly dull. Especially Quantum of Solace; the other worst film of the series. In short, you aren't missing much.
Snooze fests. Books possibly even duller.
I grew up watching The Saint and The Persuaders, so naturally my James Bond is Roger Moore. I haven't seen many of the films since his tenure ended and none at all with Daniel Craig in the starring role.
I think part of the trouble with modern Bond films is that they aren't really Bonds films any more, are they? They're just spy thrillers that feel the need to chase after Mission Impossible and Jason Bourne, in terms of pacing, set-pieces, effects, tone...
That said, I've quite enjoyed some of the Daniel Craig efforts, notably Skyfall. But the only thing they have in common with Connery-era (and the best Bond film of the lot, Goldfinger) is the name of the protagonist.
I like that tune, by the way. And how you managed to end with "have I got Bond all wrong" without linking to this, well, that shows epic restraint on your part, respect.
Ha ha. Thanks Martin for the link.
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