One of
John Barry's best efforts, with a particularly striking title song belted out by
Shirley Bassey between blasting brass fills,
Goldfinger was also the first James Bond soundtrack to hit the number one spot on the U.S. charts (ironically, displacing another United Artists soundtrack,
A Hard Day's Night), even as
Bassey's performance hit number eight as a single. While
Barry effectively expanded his collection of Bond themes with
Thunderball (underwater themes) and You Only Live Twice (space themes),
Goldfinger was a prime opportunity to lock in some of the action themes that would recur over the next 35 years. Of particular note is the track compiling
Barry's cues for the robbery of Fort Knox ("Dawn Raid on Fort Knox"), which provides a slow build so wonderfully agonizing that the remainder of the album, including "The Arrival of the Bomb and Count Down," with its pounding drums and roaring brass, actually serves as stress relief. ~ Steven McDonald & Bruce Eder