Caught this on TV yesterday and had no idea Conti did a James Bond (or forgot about it) and liked his take on the franchise, though the action material was a bit too poppy, I definitely liked the Greek love theme and the material at establishing the Meteora monastery. The Rocky influence on the score is noticeable throughout but even so I found this entry well scored.
Best Non-Barry Bond Score in the history of the franchise IMO. However I completely understand why people would loathe it. But Conti seemed to have an understanding of how to score a Bond that nobody else has ever quite comprehended. Big, loud, brassy, and in your face with a contemporarily popular sound of the day. Does it sound dated? Sure. Does everyone like Disco? Hell no. But for my vote it is the most fun Bond score anyone besides Barry ever came up with. I program the disc in Chronological order and the one-two punch of: 5. Gonzeles Takes Drive 2. A Drive in the Country is my favorite moment in the film and soundtrack. The decision to strip away the ridiculousness of years of gadgets and space lazer battles pays off in this sequence. And Conti's score is the perfect icing on the cake.
Lots of great comments here - love you assessment, Tom. For me the falling piano chords pattern in Ski...Shoot...Jump was my favorite musical moment in the film - so disappointed not finding it on the original album. That was an early expansion that had me grinning from ear to hear.
I'm another who breathed a big sigh of relief when this movie came out and pulled well back from the 70's foolishness. Maybe my favorite Moore Bond.
