Erich Kunzel - Bond & Beyond (1991)

In this collection, Erich Kunzel and the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra play glossy arrangements of music from the Bond movies and other films of crime and intrigue. The Theme From Goldfinger and the James Bond Theme effectively establish the album's tone, and the tribute to 007 continues through other famous numbers, such as the themes from Live and Let Die and For Your Eyes Only. To extend the compilation's scope, music from Dick Tracy, The Untouchables, and Shaft are included. However, the program's looseness admits a few puzzling selections. It's a Long Road, from Rambo: First Blood Part II, is a fairly subdued piece and seems out of place here, as does the soft, pop/romantic confection from Lethal Weapon. Woe, the Darkman, Woe! is also incongruous, since its gothic menace is too far removed from the detective or secret agent genres. The Medley of TV Adventure Themes is the kind of jumbled fare one expects in pops programs, and it amounts to a "name that tune" exercise, including a few melodies (Hill Street Blues, L.A. Law) that are foreign to the album's purpose. All Time High, from Octopussy, returns to the Bond concept, but its quiet mood brings this disc to a weak and unsatisfying conclusion.

Review by Blair Sanderson