Quote:
So... I stand by my previous statement. There is barely enough Bond music to qualify this as a Bond score.


So if I'm interpreting correctly, when you say "Bond music" what you really mean is the Bond theme. For me "Bond music" is a style and a sound. Barry was brought back again and again not to provide the Bond theme but to provide the Bond sound. Broccoli and Saltzman could have used any composer they wished and still included the Bond theme as they did with Marvin Hamlisch, Bill Conti, Michael Kamen, George Martin, Eric Serra and David Arnold. Of these, only Arnold has come anywhere close to capturing the right sound.

You can hear the embryonic shape of Bond music to come in Barry's score for BEAT GIRL. THE INCREDIBLES had a very Bondian feel and sound. Believe it or not but the song "A Girl Like Me" (I think is the title) sung by Beyonce' in Steve Martin's THE PINK PANTHER could well fit into a Bond film. It's got the sound. (Be advised that the orchestration is different in the movie, which is better, from the single release and music video.) AUSTIN POWERS and the sequels have excellent faux-Bond music. All without once using the Bond theme. However, they use the instrumentation, similar orchestrations, and signature musical characteristics that Barry employed to get that distinctive sound.

However, if you need the Bond theme to make it a Bond score then I suppose nothing else will do. That is a limiting factor that makes me believe you will not enjoy many, if any, of the Barry Bond scores because he doesn't repeat it in toto very often. I'll still be interested in hearing what you think of the others.