There’s a particularly harsh vein of criticism existing that if you hear one John Barry score, you’ve heard them all. Not only is this nonsense in its own right (listen to any of his 60s efforts and you hear a composer continually redefining yet expanding on his own sound), Barry’s efforts are so resonant, done with such feeling for an orchestra, that it’s churlish to quibble and one simply goes with the flow.

That said, anyone familiar with Out of Africa or Dances With Wolves will have heard High Road to China already. The film itself was supposed to be the one that launched Tom Selleck’s action career, casting him as a biplane pilot who must help an heiress (Bess Armstrong) find her missing father. Of course it didn’t and has now sunk into obscurity.

Luckily director Brian G. Hutton found a capable pair of composing hands in Barry, whose score isn’t markedly different in tone from Africa or Wolves, being cut from the same lush-strings, muted brass cloth as ever. However, it’s important to note that China arrived first (in 1983). At this point, Barry was just moving into the heavily romantic phase that would irritate hardcore film music fans throughout the 80s and into the 90s; here is where that sound originated (although the seeds could clearly be heard in the earlier Bond scores and Somewhere in Time, among others). It’s important to both establish that and look at the score on its own terms.

With regard to the latter, Barry does fall into his frequent trap of not expanding on his (still beautiful) main theme, reinstating it ad infinitum over the brief 30 minute running time. The other quirk (as is often the case with the composer) is the presence of the secondary theme that is often far more engaging than the central one, although when the two are carefully woven together, it’s a real joy. The main theme itself though, heard first in ‘Main Title/A Nasty Headache’, couldn’t be more appropriate for the film: yearning, reaching, soaring above China as Selleck himself does in the film. The other (‘The Flying Lesson’) is a somewhat more stirring, martial piece for the spirit of adventure on brass, snare drums and strings (to call it exciting per se may be a bit of a stretch).

It’s probably Barry’s most adventurous romance score, with just enough variation in tracks such as ‘The Dogfight’ between the orchestral acrobatics and the calmer interludes. This isn’t to suggest Jerry Goldsmith levels of intrigue and energy: the pace is always lethargic and laid back (as it was in many of the Bond efforts) but it’s a moderate step up. There are some exquisite moments that are pure Barry, such as the interplay between a solo violin and flute in ‘You’ll Get Your Money’ but generally the tone is broad, with less room than usual for orchestral nuance.

‘Raid on Wong’s Camp/Finale’ is where the score hearkens back to the classic Bond suspense/action moments, building a portentous tone through the low brass and strings motif for the baddies, before the main theme gets a suitably glorious re-airing, including an unexpected sax solo that is quite wonderful. This second release of the score is, given the brevity of the soundtrack itself, padded out with a number of source music cues, including two from Barry himself, but these are unnecessary. Those who are a sucker for John Barry in full blown romantic soaring mode will already love it; those who like variation in their orchestral ensemble are advised to look elsewhere.