I was listening to this as part of the Bond Back in Action CD from 1999 by the City of Prague philharmonic.
An absolutely brilliant composition by Barry. After all the banter with Goldfinger and Pussy Galore, things get serious with Operation "Rock a bye Baby".
I though the Roland Shaw version of this was pretty good too.
A case where Barry's music really carries the story.
... A case where Barry's music really carries the story.
Agreed: the Goldfinger documentary explains how difficult it was to film this sequence and, in the film, the sequence does lack realism. But the music score carries the scenes, merging the militaristic aspect with the film's theme tune.
On the soundtrack it works when heard in sequence ... I'm less inclined to choose this piece as a stand-alone listen. I recall that when I compiled cassette tapes of film music or John Barry music, back in the dark ages this was not a first choice ... if ever chosen! Hence, the other two recordings you mention, Nic Raine (COPP) and Roland Shaw, whilst welcome, don't come top of my listening choices.
I always found this track to be a bit overblown and irritating. As I recall, the Roland Shaw version is less bombastic and therefore a better listen. I don`t think the impact of the scene in the film would be worse with Shaw`s more subdues version.
I much more prefer Barry`s "The Arrival of the Bomb and Count Down".
I love this cue, but I agree with those who feel that it works better in the film than as a stand-alone piece. That said, I love to listen to it anyway.
I get a lot of enjoyment out of Dawn Raid, including the Roland Shaw version. It doesn't work well on my commute, probably because the quiet passages get drowned out, but at home it's great.
