|
Book Review: by Lang Reid
Casino Royale
 With
yet another James Bond (Daniel Craig) and another James Bond movie (Casino
Royale), Penguin books have seen the opportunity to re-release Ian Fleming’s
Casino Royale in paperback (ISBN 0-14-303766-8). And having just seen the
movie, I thought it would be interesting to see just how faithfully
Broccoli’s movie followed the book, and to see just how well a book that was
written 54 years ago would stack up today.
The results were very interesting. The “new” less sophisticated Bond has
deviated far from Ian Fleming’s original, and it should be remembered that
Casino Royale was the first Bond book, setting the style of Commander Bond
for the future.
In Fleming’s book, our hero James Bond is not driving the latest Aston
Martin, but in fact a pre-war blower Bentley, which would have been 20 years
old at that time. The original James Bond obviously not as well off as his
current celluloid counterpart!
WWII was obviously still very much on people’s minds in the 1950s, and
Russians and Communists were the protagonists. KGB and SMERSH being the
baddies for the original Bond.
Mr. Broccoli also did not really feel that the characterizations as penned
by Ian Fleming were all that important either, with Le Chiffre being a fat
126 kg man in the book, and the secretary of a communist workers union,
while in the movie he has slimmed down to a mere 85 kg and was the banker
for the world’s terrorists.
The movie also began with the exciting scenes in Madagascar, with Bond
chasing someone from a terrorist organization, leaping from scaffolding and
overhead cranes, in the new pseudo-sport called ‘parkour’. However, this was
a figment of someone else’s imagination, as it certainly was not Ian
Fleming’s! Parkour having become an entity only in the past five years. In
addition, the book’s Casino Royale narcissistic Bond was much too suave and
blasé to be doing such physical pursuits, and the book actually opens with
Bond already at the casino playing roulette!
You can search the book from cover to cover as well, and you will not find
Vesper and Bond drinking Chateau Angelus wine on the train to the casino.
Wine? Train? There was none of that, no Chateau Angelus, no train, and no
adherence to the Fleming book.
Even the central part of the book and the film do not follow each other,
where they are playing cards in the Casino Royale. In the book, Bond is
playing baccarat with Le Chiffre, but in the movie this was replaced with
the modern high-stakes card game of Texas Hold ‘Em.
However, you will be pleased to know that both in the book and in the movie,
Vesper the double agent, gets her just desserts - but yet again, in a
totally different fashion.
I believe the book has passed the test of time, even though it is very
obviously dated. Who has ever heard of a radio salesman? However, Ian
Fleming’s attention to detail is enough to keep you involved. At B. 350 it
is inexpensive, but your copy won’t last. The paper stock is woeful!
Mott’s CD review:
Mott the Dog
Steppenwolf
Monster
 Rating:
5 Stars
After inventing the heavy metal tag in the Bikers Anthem “Born To Be
Wild” and flying the anti-drug cause in “The Pusher”, John Kay and the
boys turned their attention on the anti war campaign with their smash
hit album “Monster”.
Coming out during America’s involvement in the Vietnam War this group of
songs proved very popular with the youth of America with it’s stance
against the military war machine, and is as relevant now as it was in
1970.
But casting aside all political intentions of this group of songs
(Steppenwolf’s credibility later thrown into contrast with albums such
as “For Ladies Only” and Steppenwolf at your birthday party), the
musical ability and the arrangements shown on these songs are glaringly
apparent from the opening chords of the Trilogy Monster/Suicide/America
slipping from country rock into heavy metal bluster at the twinkling of
an eye with its built for stadium choruses and cutting lyrics. The
strong guitar work of Larry Byrom and Goldie McJohns keyboard work in
particular stand out supporting John Kay’s rants. The band also gets a
chance to shine during the album’s only instrumental “Fag” which is a
slide guitar/piano workout which comes in welcome contrast to some of
this album’s heavier vocal songs.
That is not to say that all of the songs hit the spot. They do with
“Draft Resister” - certainly being this Dog’s rallying call if somebody
wanted to cart him off to be shot at (especially against cats).
My two big complaints though are against the record company. In the days
of vinyl, 33 minutes is plainly not long enough. Could they not have
doubled it up with Steppenwolf 7 (an album of equal length) to make one
CD or found some out takes or live versions?
My second major quibble is the transfer of Monster onto C.D. This is
appalling. Removing all the pomp and majesty of the original, this power
package deserves far more.
To contact Mott the
Dog email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.mott-the-dog.com
|
