199 replies to this topic

[Nikos78]

Well, the 'computer programme' argument about the stereotype form of Bond themes is a peculiar one to use, and I ve been hearing about it since Arnold took over. I mean, wasn't Goldeneye 'generic' Bond? It sure was and brilliant at that too. And how come the generic character of the theme should bother us when everything else in these films doesnt as such? Let's blame Barry then for creating the formula in the first place. All in all, I just relish at something that would bring an old-fashioned flavour to the series, by people that are connected with it and love it and belong to its mythology, instead of picking random industry names that have absolutely no link to the series except for a stake on the widest possible publicity machine on the planet.

[DaveBond21]

Whether or not AWTD worked for you, it's important that the Bond series tries new things so it can continue to grow and stay relevant. This song is not one of those things.

Well it worked for me, and more importantly it fit the tone and theme of the film. This song would felt incredibly out of place if it were the theme for QoS.

Agreed; there's nothing new here, folks, move along...

Why....move along? This is a great discussion so far. That's why I like being a Bond fan. Out of place or not, at least 'NGAG' is a real song with melody in it. 'AWTD' is just noise........

I can't see any reason why someone can't like both songs. I do. I am quite happy with Another Way to Die. Love the guitar riff and it goes so well with the main titles and with the style of Bond movie we have now.

But wish they'd saved "No good about goodbye" for Bond 23.

[JimmyBond]

Whether or not AWTD worked for you, it's important that the Bond series tries new things so it can continue to grow and stay relevant. This song is not one of those things.

Well it worked for me, and more importantly it fit the tone and theme of the film. This song would felt incredibly out of place if it were the theme for QoS.

Agreed; there's nothing new here, folks, move along...

Why....move along? This is a great discussion so far. That's why I like being a Bond fan. Out of place or not, at least 'NGAG' is a real song with melody in it. 'AWTD' is just noise........

AWTD has plenty of melody to it. Maybe it's not your thing, but even so, that doesnt make your opinion fact.

[Harmsway]

Of course "Another Way to Die" has a melody. It's not particularly elegant, but it is a melody all the same. The song does lack a decent hook, though (but I'd argue the same of "No Good About Goodbye").

Though, really, my major problem with "Another Way to Die" is the fact that it's a duet, and that White and Keys' voices don't work together at all. If Keys was singing the whole thing as a solo, I imagine I'd be much fonder of the number.

[MattofSteel]

Of course "Another Way to Die" has a melody. It's not particularly elegant, but it is a melody all the same. The song does lack a decent hook, though (but I'd argue the same of "No Good About Goodbye").

Though, really, my major problem with "Another Way to Die" is the fact that it's a duet, and that White and Keys' voices don't work together at all. If Keys was singing the whole thing as a solo, I imagine I'd be much fonder of the number.

Exactly. Lyrically and musically it's designed to be a duet, though, the idea probably doesn't even apply.

[Jim]

This sounds like exactly what you'd get if you made a computer program to create a Generic Bond Theme Song, and I don't just mean Shirley's voice.

Whether or not AWTD worked for you, it's important that the Bond series tries new things so it can continue to grow and stay relevant. This song is not one of those things.

Agreed. This song is terribly old hat; a pleasant enough half-remembered memory but offers no progress. Good decision not to use it, if it's the case that the producers had the option to.

[Mr. Blofeld]

AWTD has something NGAG (appropriate, that it includes the word gag ) doesn't; a raw, vibrant energy that stems from the hard guitar line throughout the song... which is something no Shirley Bassey Bond song ever had.

[coco1997]

Seriously, everybody's falling over themselves trying to praise this song (including the usually dignified Doctor Shatterhand), but it's just an overrated trifle, nothing more, and it all makes me sick.

Condescend much?

"Only a Sith deals in absolutes."

[Mr. Blofeld]

Seriously, everybody's falling over themselves trying to praise this song (including the usually dignified Doctor Shatterhand), but it's just an overrated trifle, nothing more, and it all makes me sick.

Condescend much?"Only a Sith deals in absolutes."

"I will do what I must."

[coco1997]

Seriously, everybody's falling over themselves trying to praise this song (including the usually dignified Doctor Shatterhand), but it's just an overrated trifle, nothing more, and it all makes me sick.

Condescend much?"Only a Sith deals in absolutes."

"I will do what I must."

What I find condescending is your propensity for stating your opinion as being the de facto, be-all, end-all authority on just that, matters of opinion. It's very patronizing.

[Mr. Blofeld]

Seriously, everybody's falling over themselves trying to praise this song (including the usually dignified Doctor Shatterhand), but it's just an overrated trifle, nothing more, and it all makes me sick.

Condescend much?"Only a Sith deals in absolutes."

"I will do what I must."

What I find condescending is your propensity for stating your opinion as being the de facto, be-all, end-all authority on just that, matters of opinion. It's very patronizing.

I'm tired of this; let's just cut all of this political crap and get on with our lives.

[Angel of Death]

I'm tired of this; let's just cut all of this political crap and get on with our lives.

what political crap?!

Edited by Angel of Death, 13 November 2009 - 12:30 PM.

[Doctor Shatterhand]

LOL! Love this thread.

[singleentendre]

Like just about everything Bond, AWTD grew on me quite a bit. It's got quite the kick and is catchy in my opinion. Not the best song ever, clearly not the worst. NGAG really doesn't have anything going for it other than Bassey. As a QoS defender. I feel that a strength of the film was that it didn't overstate its subtext. NGAG is pretty much doing just that.

However, I'm also the guy who thinks that The World Is Not Enough was the best Bond theme of the 90s and that The Man With The Golden Gun is a good title song. Heck, I don't think any of the Bond themes are bad, but NGAG just doesn't do it for me.

Edited by singleentendre, 13 November 2009 - 09:59 PM.

[Nicolas Suszczyk]

I think this answers your uncertain blanks in your lyrics

1st Verse:
Where is the solace that I crave
Will it still haunt me to my grave
Too broken to forgive
Too painful to relive now

There may be other arms to hold
They'll only keep me from the cold
There always be a space
A fact I have to face now

Chorus:
How long does a heart stay broken
How long, if the pain's unspoken
No solace in a kiss
No comfort in a sigh
No good about goodbye

My heart is no good at pretending
It knows that the hurt's never ending
No solace in a kiss
No comfort in a sigh
No good about goodbye

2nd Verse:
There's only so much you can give
Only a fool forgets to live
An easy thing to say
The past will go away.....now

Chorus:
How long does a heart stay broken
How long, if the pain's unspoken
No solace in a kiss
No comfort in a sigh
No good about goodbye

My heart is no good at pretending
It knows that the hurt's never ending
No solace in a kiss
No comfort in a sigh
No good about goodbye

Bridge:
I'll never be yours
So call on to your senses
Before you make your move
Think of your consequences

Chorus:
How long does a heart stay broken
How long, if the pain's unspoken
No solace in a kiss
No comfort in a sigh
No good about goodbye

My heart is no good at pretending
It knows that the hurt's never ending
No solace in a kiss
No comfort in a sigh
No good about goodbye
No good about goodbye
No good about goodbyeeeeeee

I think that's a more accurate translation of the lyrics

Thanks for this Gustav!

[Athena007]

Wow... I love the chorus!!!

Chorus:
How long does a heart stay broken
How long, if the pain's unspoken
No solace in a kiss
No comfort in a sigh
No good about goodbye

My heart is no good at pretending
It knows that the hurt's never ending
No solace in a kiss
No comfort in a sigh
No good about goodbye

[lazenbyland]

I like it. It is let down by the production quality here. For the film, this would have sounded quite different.

[marktmurphy]

Gosh; I've never heard anyone describe Bassey as smooth. 'Shrill' perhaps...

Her voice is too full and rich to deserve merit the description of "shrill."

I dunno; it goes right through me. Either seems to be off or on; there's no subtlety to her singing. Not my cup of tea at all and I wouldn't choose to listen to her for pleasure.

I really don't care about the ones who say they prefer Another Way To Die to this song titled No Good At Goodbye. That group is small in number and, with all due respect, wouldn't know a GREAT Bond song if it hit them in the face (note the sarcasm).

Small in number? Poll says no.
And I'm not sure you mean 'sarcasm' there, do you? Unless you don't really mean they wouldn't know a great Bond song...?

[Gustav Graves]

You forget one thing. Bond fans...are more biased than ordinary cinema go-ers who aren't Bond fans. It's quite fashionable to support even the worst Bond film in here after it comes out.

Also, I hoped many people in here were judging the plain song as well. But there are some who like to defend 'QOS' with any means....even with crap songs .

I'm also more interested in the reactions on the YouTube page. You see that even people who aren't Bond fans support the song hugely.

[marktmurphy]

You forget one thing. Bond fans...are more biased than ordinary cinema go-ers who aren't Bond fans. It's quite fashionable to support even the worst Bond film in here after it comes out.

Also, I hoped many people in here were judging the plain song as well. But there are some who like to defend 'QOS' with any means....even with crap songs .

I'm also more interested in the reactions on the YouTube page. You see that even people who aren't Bond fans support the song hugely.

Well obviously; they wouldn't have clicked on it unless they didn't like AWTD. You really can't take posts on YouTube into accoutn of anything: they're famously a bag of nutters and you're more than likely to get threatened with physical violence than have an intelligent chat on there.
Your point doesn't really make sense: Bond fans, as with any type of fan, tend to be stick-in-the-mud types who don't like the thing they became a fan of to change into something else (which is understandable really)- hence the big furore about Craig's casting. So you'd expect NGAG to appeal, but it hasn't exactly won universal appeal. Mostly because it's a bit dull.

I, incidentally, still think QoS is one of the worst Bond films. I'm still hugely disappointed. And yet I think AWTD is a decent, if not the greatest, song. So in this sample of one your hypothesis falls down.

[Harmsway]

Either seems to be off or on; there's no subtlety to her singing.

In general, sure, though exceptions abound. Your comment is very true of "Goldfinger" and "Diamonds Are Forever," but less so about some of her renditions of non-Bond songs throughout the years.

There's plenty of subtlety on her new album, which is really why her new album is so remarkable. At her age, she's showing amazing development in her vocal technique, and injects the songs with more restraint than I've ever seen from her. "Almost There" and "After the Rain" are the perfect examples.

[Gustav Graves]

You...didn't git my point for the most part. I also said...that each time when a Bond film is premiering, Bond fans in here tend to go wild....and lack any objective criticism.

I was posting a review of the film here. By jolly, I was figurly slammed to death in here. There was no room for any objective discussion about it.

True, Bond fans are no different from other cinema go-ers: We both expect a Bond film with all its elements. But it is of my understanding that with the last film, people were just...too positive.

About the song then......it's also a matter of opinion I guess. I wonder if many new younger fans in here still take the time to watch the older films...Hence the classic Bond songs...

Anyway, think for me is, that the past days I got more Bond vibe with Bassey's new album than with the last Bond film. That's a matter of taste. But besides the people in here, I think the general audience thinks the same.

By the way, don't forget how EON Productions is surfing the web nowadays. They have internet spies that are browsing Twitter, YouTube, IMDB and even this forum. You underestimate the business behind it. Reactions on YouTube are ALWAYS from those watching a video and feeling the need to react to it....positive or negative.

Either seems to be off or on; there's no subtlety to her singing.

In general, sure, though exceptions abound. At any rate, there's plenty of subtlety on her new album (which is really why her new album is so remarkable; at her age, she's showing amazing development in her vocal technique).

I thought Alicia Keys was not singing at all....just screaming..

[Harmsway]

I thought Alicia Keys was not singing at all....just screaming..

Her vocal performance on "Another Way to Die" is very, very poor indeed. Even worse is Jack White's brand of "singing," if it can be called that.

[007Bond007]

this is really nice.

[JimmyBond]

Also, I hoped many people in here were judging the plain song as well. But there are some who like to defend 'QOS' with any means....even with crap songs .

I can't speak for other's but I am judging the song on it's own merits. And even by that criteria I still enjoy AWTD, I don't think it's better than YKMN, but it's just as good. Definately better than some of the songs from the Brosnan era.

[__7]

Uh, hmm. Am I missing something because uh, that wasn't very good... at all.

[Gustav Graves]

Also, I hoped many people in here were judging the plain song as well. But there are some who like to defend 'QOS' with any means....even with crap songs .

I can't speak for other's but I am judging the song on it's own merits. And even by that criteria I still enjoy AWTD, I don't think it's better than YKMN, but it's just as good. Definately better than some of the songs from the Brosnan era.

Time for a little 'Bondvision Song Contest' then from the past 47 years

[Tarl_Cabot]

I really like this theme. Beats the legit one to death with a carpet beater.

[Harmsway]

I really like this theme. Beats the legit one to death with a carpet beater.

I think that's terrible, actually.

[Tybre]

So long as we are talking other themes, I've always found this to be the best of the non-AWTD that I've heard, and frankly even that isn't very good. Mind, AWTD isn't very good either. The QoS Theme Market is incredibly scant, it seems, on goodness.