The Living Daylights marked Timothy Dalton's first movie as the popular spy James Bond. It also marked the end of John Barry's tenure as composer for the Bond film series. After scoring most of the early Bond films and both of Roger Moore's final forays as James Bond, John Barry finally left the series for what appears to be the last time. But his final work in the James Bond series is undoubtedly one of his best. Made up of all the elements that made his early Bond scores great, The Living Daylights delivers everything one would expect from a master such as Barry.
This special release by Rykodisc is a masterpiece. It includes all of the music put out on the original 1987 release of the score but it also includes a great deal of music that hadn't been released before. From track 13 onward, the score is all unreleased material. It's a great addition to the original material simply because this is such a great score. Barry was always a composer who understood the benefit of presenting the Bond theme at regular intervals. This score is no exception. Using synthesizers effectively, Barry presents us with an updated version of the Bond theme that has a great rhythm and sounds great alongside a full orchestra. This combination of elements is first heard in Ice Chase which encompasses the stunning chase scene through the snowy Russian mountains. However, the best presentation of this composition is in track 13, Exercise at Gibraltar. This track is the score for the entire pre-title sequence. It opens with the Bond's theme heard during the gun barell sequence and goes from there.
Barry also had a hand in composing the songs for this album. Working with a-ha and The Pretenders, Barry has written some great songs and uses them well in his score. The main title song, The Living Daylights is one of my favorite tracks and sounds great with the vocals of a-ha or in orchestral form as in Hercules Takes Off. The same can be said of Where has Everybody Gone? which is for the chief henchman Necros or If There Was A Man which is the love theme for the film. The score also includes some moving passages such as Mujahadin and Opium which is very reminiscent of portions of Dances with Wolves which Barry would compose several years later. This is a great score and Rykodisc's release makes for even better listening. For fans of Barry or James Bond, this score must be added to your collection. For the others out there looking for a fine piece of music, buy this one from written by a master.
Total time: 65:17
1: The Living Daylights (4:14) - a-ha
2: Necros Attacks (2:02)
3: The Sniper was a Woman (2:28)
4: Ice Chase (4:03)
5: Kara Meets Bond (2:45)
6: Koskov Escapes (2:22)
7: Where Has Everybody Gone? (3:35) - The Pretenders
8: Into Vienna (2:48)
9: Hercules Takes Off (2:15)
10: Mujahadin and Opium (3:11)
11: Inflight Fight (3:10)
12: If There Was a Man (2:49) - The Pretenders
13: Exercise at Gibraltar (6:20)
14: Approaching Kara (2:19)
15: Murder at the Fair (2:19)
16: "Assassin" and Drugged (2:41)
17: Airbase Jailbreak (4:35)
18: Afghanistan Plan (3:32)
19: Air Bond (1:44)
20: Final Confrontation (1:56)
21: Alternate End Titles (3:20))