“bond_beats_bass”
Bond Beats and Bass
Various Artists
Hypnotic/Cleopatra
Shaken And Stirred
The David Arnold James Bond Project
Sire
Oddly how both of these showed up within days of each other. Though each takes a different approach, both use the music of James Bond movies as their musical foundation. Personally, I don’t think anything will ever surpass Peter Stampfel’s banjo-and-tuba rendition of “Goldfinger,” but a few of the tracks on these compilations really stand out.
Bond Beats and Bass is filled with names I don’t recognize. Not surprising, as the compilation, licensed from Hypnotic, seems to originate from Denmark. Some of the treatments are interesting in their juxtaposition of clichés – Duran Duran’s “A View to a Kill” is given an early Nine Inch Nails edge by Transmutator – but for the most part, the music on here is varied and forward-thinking. A solid set of music inspired by Bond.
David Arnold and his David Arnold James Bond Project seem to be a bit more organized, actually having the clout to pull together top names like Leftfield, Natacha Atlas, Iggy Pop, Chrissie Hynde, and Aimee Mann. The results are consistently good, but not as adventurous. The feeling of Bond-as-marketing-stratagem seems to pervade this collection. The arrangements and production are top notch throughout, however.
Both records excel at what they do; the one to pick depends on your personality. Cleopatra Records, 8726 S. Sepulveda Boulevard, Ste. D82, Los Angeles, CA 90045;
