Tired of hearing your James Bond compilation CDs? This fresh new take on the famous Bond songs might just brighten up the time while we’re waiting for official word on the next film.
The multi-artist compilation entitled “Song, Bond Songs – The Music of 007” offers a fresh new take on our favourite James Bond title songs and also plays with some of the secondary ones. It was produced by Oregon based label Curry Cuts which offered some of todays best indie pop musicians a go at these legendary tunes that helped define the global Bond phenomenon.
After “Drink A Toast To Innocence: A Tribute To Lite Rock (2013)” and “Here Comes The Reign Again: The Second British Invasion (2014)” have been met with universal acclaim, this new 25 track release will surely not disappoint.
Beginning with the first track, the legendary James Bond theme no less, you’re in for a listening surprise. The sound is different than we are used to. If you get the feeling you heard this version before, you’re not entirely mistaken as elements of the Bond theme by the Beatles were reused. Following that, the album positively strays from the conventional way of covering Bond songs and instead delivers a complete reimagination of the classic themes – moody, funky, sometimes loud and rocking.
Given the age of some of the songs and subsequently the many cover versions in existence, you might think that revisiting them yet again just can’t be worth listening too. False conclusion I must say! With almost 90 minutes running time, the album impresses with incredible versatility and proves how alterable the original compositions are. It becomes evident, that much thought has been given on how to transform them into a completely new listening experience. Bond fans can be hard to impress when it comes to their favourite hero but as long as you approach this album with an open mind, you will be pleasently surprised.
Traditionally, Bond songs have always sounded best when performed with a large orchestra behind the singer. Grandness expressed in violins, trumpets and horns. Using completely different sets of instruments requires skill and experience, maybe even guts. On this album, we can hear a wide variety of instruments, altogether creating a new dimension of harmony. There are guitars, drums, ukulele, mellotones, bells, pianos and even the good old Wurlitzer organ.
Do you remember that Shirley Bassey recorded an Italian version of her 1971 Bond song “Diamonds Are Forever”? It put a smile on my face when I heard the version of The Corner Laughers with singer Karla Kane. Not because they dug up the Italian lyrics but because I recorded it as well years ago. Sounding wonderful in Italian was one reason, but I was even more keen on doing something different with the song. You can work with it and give it your own style. This is the overall essence of this album and the genius one has to attribute to the various performers.
A playground for musicians since decades, this album once again demonstrates that Bond songs have never gone out of style – whichever one you might prefer. A definite recommendation from us here at The Bond Bulletin! It’s worth every penny.
[su_box title=”HOW TO BUY” style=”bubbles” box_color=”#725d00″]If you would like to purchase the album, you can do so at the Curry Cuts Bandcamp website. It is available as a Digital Download for $15 (high quality MP3 or FLAC) and as a 2-CD Disc set for $17 which includes unlimited streaming via the Bandcamp website.[/su_box]
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