Search - Vic Flick :: James Bond Now

James Bond Now - Vic Flick

playitagain@blueyonder.co.uk | Bristol, England | 11/14/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"From the mid-sixties onwards there have been many cover versions of James Bond film themes available to an apparently insatiable record-buying public. Some have been very good, even excellent, but some have been very poor - horrendous in one or two cases. So it's a great pleasure to be able to review a new one, and one by the man who played guitar on the original James Bond Theme, and on many other Bond film scores - Vic Flick. For 'James Bond Now', Flick has taken seven of his own favourite Bond themes, given them his own highly original treatment, and added three of his own compositions as a bonus. In the case of the Bond themes, some, like Goldfinger & The James Bond Theme have received sparkling makeovers. The famed guitar sound is still prominent, but a backing track years away from the sixties birthplace of these themes has been utilised to surprisingly good effect. In particular, Flick's ad-lib guitar solo on The Bond Theme give it a completely different feel from the original, which is not at all unattractive to the ear. Live & Let Die has traditionally proved a difficult theme to cover, since the original vocal, by Paul McCartney & Wings is so engrained in the subconscious of Bond fans everywhere. Even Paul's mentor, George Martin, didn't attempt it in the film. However, Flick is obviously not a man to be concerned about reputations and attacks it here with gusto. Guitar takes the forefront during the initial part of the track, but a growling saxophone gradually takes over - a real bravado performance, this one. The extended and different intro to Diamonds Are Forever had me guessing for a few moments before the familiar main melody kicked in with Flick's low register guitar solo the star of the show, accompanied by some great-sounding percussion. For me, For Your Eyes Only is probably the best track on the album. I have to confess I was never very fond of Bill Conti's score, but Flick has settled for a thoughtful, mellifluous guitar solo and has won me over completely. Now I know where Conti went wrong!Flick's own 'Shaken Not Stirred' is a cleverly done alternative, modern-sounding James Bond Theme, which wouldn't be out of place in a modern Bond film. There are shades of Norman/Barry's original melody, without it being too obvious, and again, the combination of guitar (occasionally funky-style) and percussion-led orchestra make for a very satisfying listen.There is a very ominous feel to the beginning of 'From Russia With Love' before the familiar guitar sound kicks in. From that moment on, Lionel Bart's theme is given a fairly standard style treatment, though the addition of a drum-machine and other percussion does help create an appropriate atmosphere.A Boogie-woogie piano intro to 'Nobody Does It Better' is very deceptive. An acoustic guitar solo soon brings a change in mood, and suddenly we hear the voice of Mr Flick himself, reciting the words from the Oscar-nominated song from 'The Spy Who Loved Me. I suspect this is likely to be the nearest we get to hearing Flick sing!Silken Cover is the second of Flick's compositions. A wistful, gentle theme, with acoustic guitar fitting the mood, perhaps written with a love scene in mind, it sits very well on this album alongside some of the other, more up-tempo, tracks.The final track, Copacabinsky, is another Flick original and quite different from what has gone before. There is a Latin feel to the beat and flute solos together with steel drums accompaniment, make for a mellow and very relaxing conclusion. Don't be fooled into thinking this is a short album, as all the tracks are lengthy ones, particularly as compared with the original. This is an album well worth adding to your collection. To quote a line taken from the detailed liner notes, "Vic Flick is the Sean Connery of the electric guitar. Accept no impostors."!!"

James Bond NOW scores a hit!

Matthew B. Sherman | GAINESVILLE, FL USA | 03/06/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Vic Flick is an amazing stylist on his Bonded guitar--he is going on forty-plus years of working the Bonds since he first strummed the world's most famous hero's theme for James Bond, Agent 007, in 1962's Dr. No.Flick has taken seven Bonds and well-covered them here, plus added three tunes of his own composition, making James Bond NOW one of the best Bond cover/re-mix albums ever done. The new arrangements and clever beats makes Flick's James Bond NOW a must do for any Bond fan.Flick's re-working of Diamonds Are Forever is brilliant and (dare I say it!) makes me wish Barry had let him have more of a hand on the overall soundtrack of Bond VII to begin with. His guitar work on all the tracks, especially For Your Eyes Only and Live and Let Die, evokes a great depth of feeling. This CD will stand up to many repeated listenings. Enjoy! Long live James Bond!"

Unmissable CD by one of the greats!

P. Greenhill | London, -- England | 05/24/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"In 1962 The James Bond Theme was recorded for the opening credits of the first James Bond film, Dr.No. It was such an effective piece of music that it was used in several other scenes in the film to heighten tension and went on to be used in the next eighteen Bond films produced by Eon.. A very significant contribution to the success of this piece of music was the electric guitar riff played by Vic Flick. Indeed Flick's guitar sound has very much been a key element of the James Bond films over nearly 40 years. Therefore for Vic Flick to produce an album of his interpretations of seven classic Bond themes plus his own take on the Bond music style with three of his own compositions was particularly welcome. I wasn't disappointed. Goldfinger is an outstanding opening track, keeping Barry's intro and then proceeding with a strong guitar interpretation of the classic melody line. 'Live and Let Die', never my favourite Bond theme, is given a new lease of life here .One of my favourite tracks is 'Diamonds are Forever' which is upbeat and driving and one of the best versions I have heard of this theme. However, listeners are also advised to listen carefully to Flicks own compositions, 'Shaken and Stirred' is a strong take on Bond action music, 'Copacabinsky' has a warm tropical feel that vividly conjures up the beautiful locations of the Bond films. However my favourite is ''Silken Cover' a lounge/jazz theme which opens with Vic's acoustic guitar weaving a beautiful melody before melting into a glorious sax solo by Bob Efford. This music would enhance many a love scene in a 007 film.Basically Mr.Flick has kept the essence of the originals but has moved them in a new direction with strong contemporary arrangements. 'James Bond Now' is a joy from start to finish and is never far from my CD player.'James Bond Now' is an essential part of any Bond music collection."