Category: CD’s

SUMMARY:                                  RUNNING TIME: 4:39 Min.

From the soundtrack of 2002’s Die Another Day starring Pierce Brosnan and Halle Berry, this James Bond tune was recorded by Madonna.  This song is also included on Best of Bond … James Bond compilation albums (which includes the franchise’s theme songs to date).   

Note: Best of Bond .. James Bond includes a 40^th anniversary edition in 2002. The subsequent 2008 update adds Chris Cornell’s “You Know My Name” from Daniel Craig’s Casino Royale.

REVIEW:

In theory, a catchy Bond theme song shouldn’t have been a difficult task for Madonna.  At the time, she had racked up at least four soundtrack hits – i.e. “Crazy for You” from 1985’s Vision Quest; “Live to Tell” from 1986’s At Close Range; “This Used to Be My Playground” from 1992’s A League of Their Own, and “I’ll Remember” from 1994’s With Honors.  Yet, after enduring the awful techno-disco sound resonating from “Die Another Day” (aside from the movie’s bland title), one wishes the Bond producers had demanded more from Madonna than cashing a paycheck. 

Maybe it’s just lazy arrogance in an effort to sound hip, but Madonna’s vocals (not to mention, this song’s insipid lyrics) fall far short of her radio-friendly tunes mentioned above.  Unsurprisingly, the song’s over-emphasis on techno-wizardry is indicative of how ridiculously over-the-top Die Another Day goes trying to keep Pierce Brosnan’s aging Agent 007 relevant.  The bottom line is that both the film and this preposterous title song were misguided from the get-go.  Brosnan’s illustrious seven-year tenure as James Bond deserved far better.   

Ever so ironically, in the film, Madonna’s title plays over a montage of a captive Bond being tortured for months on end. Go figure.

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:               2 Stars

SUMMARY:                                    RUNNING TIME: 4:05 Min.

From Tequila Sunrise’s 1988 movie soundtrack, Duran Duran’s Andy Taylor goes solo on this hard-to-find hard rock tune.  However, one should beware that the pulsating song is heavy on sexual innuendo. 

REVIEW:

It’s a shame that only a few seconds of Andy Taylor’s hard-charging rock solo serve as mood enhancement in the film’s background.  Even twenty-plus years later, Taylor’s work on this tune is loud and electrifying.  “Dead on the Money” offers an adrenaline-boosting option for a workout playlist – then again, it’s just as good for 80’s-themed hard rock/soundtrack playlists.

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                     7½ Stars

Note: Also recommended is Taylor’s “When the Rain Comes Down” from 1986.  It appears on the Miami Vice, Volume II TV series soundtrack,.  An  extended version of  “When the Rain Comes Down” is available on Taylor’s 1987 album, Thunder.