Live And Let Die CD soundtrack

soundtrack review

The CD soundtrack to Live And Let Die marks the first time (apart from Dr. No) that John Barry does not do the score. George Martin takes on the role and produces a good well rounded score with a style very much suited to the movie. The punchy up-beat title theme sung by Paul McCartney & Wings really stands out from previous slower themes such as Diamonds Are Forever and You Only Live Twice. The flavour of the CD is hinted in 'Just A Closer Walk With Thee / New Second Line' which erupts into a jazzy exotic feel. All the usual styles of tracks are here, but all with a hint of excitement, funk and exoticism. The tension filled 'Sacrifice', 'If He Finds It, Kill Him' and 'Trespassers Will Be Eaten' (to name a few) have all been jazzed to increase the suspense but also still generate the exotic Caribbean feel. The adrenalin starts pumping in 'Boat Chase', the out of control feeling grows in 'Bond To New York' and you feel yourself get lost in the rhythm of 'Baron Samedi's Dance Of Death'. All the tracks on this CD offer something different, so a highlight or two is difficult to choose since even the slower tracks offer something special.

play listing

While you may prefer to listen to the tracks as they are presented, below is a list of the tracks arranged in the order they appear in the movie, which is my personal preference of listening to the James Bond CD's. Advanced instructions on this method can be found at John Barry : A Life in Music.

15. Gunbarrel/Snakebit (1:31)
2. Just a Closer Walk With Thee / New Second Line** (2:15)
1. Live and Let Die* (Main Title) (3:12)
16. Bond to New York (2:47)
8. Fillet of Soul - New Orleans***/Live and Let Die/Fillet of Soul - Harlem# (3:20)
3. Bond Meets Solitaire (2:41)
6. Baron Samedi's Dance of Death (1:42)
17. San Monique [Alternative Take] (2:46)
4. Whisper Who Dares (1:43)
5. Snakes Alive (2:41)
7. San Monique (1:57)
18. Bond and Rosie (3:51)
9. Bond Drops In (3:34)
19. The Lovers (2:09)
10. If He Find It, Kill Him (1:20)
20. New Orleans (2:53)
11. Trespassers Will Be Eaten (2:45)
21. Boat Chase (2:01)
12. Solitaire Gets Her Cards (1:50)
13. Sacrifice (3:21)
22. Underground Lair (4:15)
14. James Bond Theme# (1:47)