This track was recorded by John Cafferty & The Beaver Brown Band for 1989’s Eddie & The Cruisers II soundtrack. For the film, Cafferty handles actor Michael Paré’s vocals. In addition to briefly appearing in flashback as the Cruisers’ ‘Wendell Newton,’ Michael “Tunes” Antunes covers actor Anthony Sherwood’s on-screen saxophone work.
REVIEW:
Including some well-scripted lyrics, this bar band-style track is fine for what it is. Yet, it’s not anywhere close to remarkable. “Garden of Eden” is a decent song that’s marginally better than filler material.
From the soundtrack of 1971’s Diamonds Are Forever starring Sean Connery, this James Bond tune was recorded by Welsh singer Shirley Bassey. This song has since been re-released on some compilation albums, primarily multiple updates of the Best of Bond … James Bond (which includes the franchise’s theme songs to date).
Note:Best of Bond .. James Bond includes a 40th anniversary edition in 2002 and a subsequent update in 2008 for Chris Cornell’s “You Know My Name” from Daniel Craig’s Casino Royale.
REVIEW:
As the second in Shirley Bassey’s trilogy of Bond themes (1964’s “Goldfinger” and 1979’s “Moonraker”), “Diamonds Are Forever” is a wonderful showcase. Working off an ideal melody, Bassey’s alluring vocals bring the song’s lyrics re: a lady’s love affair with diamonds wonderfully to life. Yet, if one had to determine which of Bassey’s three Bond tunes is the least significant, then it’s this one.
It doesn’t have quite the iconic panache of “Goldfinger. Though not by much, Bassey’s inspired effort salvaging “Moonraker” surpasses “Diamonds Are Forever,” as far as being an original pop tune – frankly, anyone who can make an analogy to a space shuttle work as an elegant love song deserves immortality.
As for “Diamonds,” it’s still cheesy fun hearing this 60’s-ish song, but the tune doesn’t leave as much of a lasting impression as her other two themes do. Nevertheless, Bassey’s contribution to “Diamonds Are Forever” slyly steals the thunder from Connery’s brief return to the Bond franchise following a four-year hiatus. There’s no doubt that this tune is the best asset of perhaps the worst-ever Bond film.
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 40th anniversary edition in 2002. The subsequent 2008 update addsChris 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.
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.
Recorded for 2018’s Mary Poppins Returns movie soundtrack, Lin-Manuel Miranda performs its opener. Some of this track can be heard in at least one of the film’s trailers.
REVIEW:
This Broadway-like tune can be best described as poignant, light-hearted, and majestic at all the right instrumental moments. As its vocalist, Lin-Manuel Miranda imbues the lyrics of “(Underneath the) Lovely London Sky” with effervescent charm. Yet, his fake Cockney accent isn’t so much annoying, as it’s an unfortunate distraction. Suffice to say, overplaying this accent doesn’t serve Miranda particularly well. As is, the tune is a decent opener. For those would have preferred a pure instrumental, Tracks # 15 (“Mary Poppins Returns – Closing Theme”) by Paul Gemignani has only a 1:38 running time, but it’s a partial alternative.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 6 Stars
Note:The album’s dialogue-heavy fourteen track includes Miranda’s brief reprise.
From Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom of the Opera, “All I Ask of You” is covered as an instrumental for NatureQuest’s 1995 album, Andrew Lloyd Webber Naturally.
REVIEW:
Enhanced by background sounds of nearby ocean waves, this saxophone-and-piano duet of “All I Ask of You” is a terrific boost to any meditative/relaxation playlists. In terms of a sleep aid, the ocean sounds are effective helping drift off to dreamland.
Spoken and briefly sung by actor Ben Whishaw, the track has Whishaw’s widowed father-of-three Michael Banks privately confiding his feelings to his late wife and why he really needs her guidance.
REVIEW:
Matched upon soft-spoken lyrics, the track’s music box-like melody is brilliant. Poignantly performing this track, Ben Whishaw believably conveys a grieving husband’s need for his late wife’s maternal magic raising their young children alone. Although stars Emily Blunt and Lin-Manuel Miranda are rightfully the movie’s featured stars, one shouldn’t lose forget Whishaw’s spot-on contribution here.
Recorded for 1984’s Footloose film soundtrack, Shalamar delivers this R&B/dance-pop tune. The song is included on the soundtrack’s 1998 15th Anniversary Edition. The track was co-written by lyricist Dean Pitchford.
REVIEW:
This tune’s up-tempo, mid-‘80s dance-pop sound is unmistakable. In that sense, the energetic instrumental portions are still terrific. Yet, despite Shalamar’s solid performance, the glitzy lyrics doubling as suggestive pick-up lines don’t age well.
Considering the song is featured in a movie about high school students, “Dancing in the Sheets” pushes a far sleazier inference than what Shalamar likely meant. Though the song’s thematic content isn’t appropriate for kids, the track offers a decent choice for soundtrack and workout playlists.
BRIAN’S ODD MOONRATING: 5½ Stars
Note: Footloose’s extended 15th Anniversary soundtrack also sports an ‘Extended 12” Remix’ of “Dancing in the Sheets,” with a running time of 6:17.
Chicago’s ex-lead vocalist, Peter Cetera, recorded and co-wrote this romantic pop tune for his 1986 solo album, Solitude/Solitaire. Among its other collaborators is the prolific David Foster. The song was utilized as the love theme for The Karate Kid Part II, which was released the same year.
REVIEW:
Long overshadowed by Bryan Adams’ 1991 “(Everything I Do) I Do It for You,” Peter Cetera’s romantic ode to chivalry still holds up fairly well. The main difference is that, unlike Adams’ rousing anthem, Cetera’s “Glory of Love” relies far more heavily on pure schmaltz, i.e. his specific analogy to a ‘knight in shining armor.’ Still, Cetera’s vocals are well-matched with the mid-80s’ easy listening style of melody. It just comes down to a matter of preference re: idealistic love songs, as this track borders on genre pap. Even so, “Glory of Love” rates among Cetera’s best solo efforts, so it’s worth consideration for any Best-of-the-80’s romantic pop playlists.
This rock tune was recorded by John Cafferty & The Beaver Brown Band for 1989’s Eddie & The Cruisers II soundtrack. For the film, Cafferty provides the voice of ‘Eddie Wilson,’ while Michael Paré does the acting. This particular song appears only briefly as background music in the movie. Yet, it isn’t ever made clear if the song is material from Eddie’s new band or came off a ‘mystery tape’ Eddie had recorded more than twenty years before (presumably, one should think the former).
REVIEW:
Its assets are an upbeat rock melody tinged by R&B and John Cafferty’s energetic vocals. Yet, “(Keep My Love) Alive” just sounds very much like it’s filler material. The tune is still solid listening on the complete album — the track itself isn’t likely worth a solo download.
