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David Arnold on 'Skyfall'...


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Poll: David Arnold on 'Skyfall'...

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#301 JimmyBond

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Posted 03 January 2012 - 07:54 PM

What's "original thought?" If it's what I think you think it is, we had a score like that once.


Yeah, it gave said film a unique identity. In the last twenty years Goldeneye's soundtrack is the only one that really stands out from the pack. Everything else is derivative of Barry in some way (though QoS is pretty good).

#302 Orion

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Posted 03 January 2012 - 08:26 PM

On the topic of David Arnold returning - Did anyone else hear his rather beautiful score for A Scandal In Belgravia (the first episode int he new series of Sherlock) on Sunday night. Adlers theme (written by Arnold, performed by a member of Bond) was a beautifully mournful piece. If Arnold does return to do Skyfall something like that would be good, if appropriate.

#303 MajorB

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Posted 04 January 2012 - 01:28 AM

Alas, we here in the States have to wait until MAY to hear that music, or hear or see anything else in the episode. Not that I'm bitter. Oops, wait, yes I am.

PS: Oh, and TWO WEEKS we have to wait for Skyfall. You damn lucky Brits.

#304 Captain Tightpants

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Posted 04 January 2012 - 01:40 AM

Stop whinging. Australia has to wait an extra month for SKYFALL. Probably so that celebrities nobody cares about can attend the premiere.

#305 MattofSteel

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Posted 04 January 2012 - 01:52 AM

As long as the whole thing's not on Youtube in 13 parts the Friday before it opens in North America. That was the most difficult afternoon of mustering willpower...er, I mean work....I've ever had. No, that's probably an exaggeration. But it was still unfortunate!

#306 MajorB

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Posted 04 January 2012 - 04:08 PM

Stop whinging. Australia has to wait an extra month for SKYFALL. Probably so that celebrities nobody cares about can attend the premiere.

Just because you're more unhappy than I am doesn't mean I'm happy . . . ;-)

#307 Wade

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Posted 04 January 2012 - 06:05 PM

Breaking news: Thomas Newman to score 'Skyfall'!

http://www.mi6-hq.co...22&t=mi6&s=news

#308 ggl

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Posted 04 January 2012 - 06:43 PM

Breaking news: Thomas Newman to score 'Skyfall'!

http://www.mi6-hq.co...22&t=mi6&s=news


Well, if this is true, that "other" website has won one point.
I don´t know why the hate, but as we can see, it is good to search in as many webs as we can for pieces of news...

#309 graric

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Posted 05 January 2012 - 01:42 PM

What about the beautiful love theme?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUkFWKQN9sQ


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JRmE5-3sOg

Sorry, but I've heard farts more memorable than that.


I'll agree with you about Natalya's theme actually it suited her character and the film (although I only remember it really being used in two scenes in the film)
But I find that it is the exception on the Goldeneye soundtrack (listen to tracks like the one found during Xenia and Bond's car chase, the Gunbarrel/ pre title sequence, Bond and Natalya trapped in the helicopter or the terrible piano track playing during Bond's confrontation with Alec in the grave yard.)

I'm not a big fan of the Stairwell Fight track from Casino Royale, but that is just 3 mins of the film! Vesper's theme is one of the most beautiful theme ever composed for a Bond girl (Kara's theme from LDL and We Have All The Time In The World are the only two I can think of I would rank above it.) African Rundown is a strong piece of action music and the use of YKMN in tracks like Aston Montengro is a perfect example of what a Bond soundtrack should sound like.

While you may complain that Arnold sounds to much like a wanna-be John Barry that's the type of sound I want to hear with a Bond film! Its one of the staples of the franchise, along with the Bond, James Bond line and the gunbarrel, and when watching a Bond film I want to hear that sound embraced (and maybe updated like Arnold's use of synths in some tracks) but not wholly abandoned (which is what it seemed to me Serra had done)

#310 The Shark

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Posted 05 January 2012 - 03:19 PM

I'll agree with you about Natalya's theme actually it suited her character and the film (although I only remember it really being used in two scenes in the film)


I count the Seveneya sequence, the prison cell, the beach, Xenia's arrival in the helicopter, and the finale in the grass

IBut I find that it is the exception on the Goldeneye soundtrack (listen to tracks like the one found during Xenia and Bond's car chase, the Gunbarrel/ pre title sequence, Bond and Natalya trapped in the helicopter or the terrible piano track playing during Bond's confrontation with Alec in the grave yard.)


Granted, I give the pørno car chase and the schmaltzy piano track, but I love the others you mentioned. The gunbarrel is perfect. Edgy, daring, modern and very cool, as is the whole "Goldeneye Overture." The Tiger helicopter escape is one of my favourite cues in the score, though sadly unreleased.



Menacing, funky, surreal. Gotta love that slap bass groove and the timpani Bond theme.

I'm not a big fan of the Stairwell Fight track from Casino Royale, but that is just 3 mins of the film!


Yes, but just imagine the anthemic awesomeness of Barry might have done? I picked that particular cue, but there's a hell of a lot more where that came from. The PTS, Le Chiffre's entrance, the dull ambient stuff for Bond hacking into phones, computers and CCTV, the whole Miami chase (minus the catching opening French Horn figure when the DB5 drives past), the underscore during the casino games, the poisoning, the car pursuit, the torture, the sinking house etc.

There's some much mindless underscore there. Sure, it's a bloody long film, but the music didn't have to be so wall-to-wall and derivative at that.

Vesper's theme is one of the most beautiful theme ever composed for a Bond girl (Kara's theme from LDL and We Have All The Time In The World are the only two I can think of I would rank above it.) African Rundown is a strong piece of action music and the use of YKMN in tracks like Aston Montengro is a perfect example of what a Bond soundtrack should sound like.



I agree, they're easily the standouts of the score, but in its entire runtime (1:27:59) they're like needles in a haystack.

While you may complain that Arnold sounds to much like a wanna-be John Barry that's the type of sound I want to hear with a Bond film!


The problem with Arnold is that he likes to play it safe. That's why QOS is easily his best score (including non-Bond stuff). There's less of a feeling of compromise or trying to walk in the shadow of Barry.

#311 graric

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Posted 05 January 2012 - 05:16 PM

The problem with Arnold is that he likes to play it safe. That's why QOS is easily his best score (including non-Bond stuff). There's less of a feeling of compromise or trying to walk in the shadow of Barry.


I can understand your view there, and agree with it to an extent, but its also part of the reason I like David Arnold and don't like Serra's score. Arnold playing it safe with occasional risks means we are likely to get a nice Bondian score (even if it doesn't end up being a stand out of the series) which I would prefer to a score that a score that sounds "contemporary" at the expense of sounding like Bond (In my opinion Serra's soundtrack was a failed attempt at updating the sound because he did not retain enough of what a Bond film is meant to sound like.)

I do think that Arnold has improved over time at taking risks while remaining respectful to the music of Barry (I think its clear he holds Barry's sound in greater reverance than Serra) I disagree with some of what you think are weaker tracks in Casino Royale (Miami International might become a bit much by the end but the gradual build up of instruments and rise in tempo as Bond follows first Dimitrios then his assassin is well done by Arnold, the underscore in the Poker tournament helps add to the tension of what could have been a very boring scene and the Fall of the House in Venice I love for the way Arnold slowly builds up the Bond theme as Craig fights his way up the sinking house before the tragic piano of Vespers theme.)

Casino Royale is one of my favourite Bond soundtracks, and I think David Arnold's best. But I do think it is a good thing he is not doing Skyfall because it show's the producers are not just going to play it safe with the 50th anniversary, and I hope Thomas Newman provides an amazing mix of new ideas and classic Bond for the anniversary. (I would also love to see a move away from the more rock sounding opening title theme and have a strong female singer thats a little more Jazzy have a go, as a tribute to Shirley Bassey for the anniversary)

#312 The Shark

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Posted 05 January 2012 - 05:37 PM

Arnold playing it safe with occasional risks means we are likely to get a nice Bondian score


Yes, and if I buy it on CD I get a nice coffee mat.

(In my opinion Serra's soundtrack was a failed attempt at updating the sound because he did not retain enough of what a Bond film is meant to sound like.)


Well that's where we have to agree to disagree, since it not only discredits Serra's score, but also Conti's, which I admire a lot.

(Miami International might become a bit much by the end but the gradual build up of instruments and rise in tempo as Bond follows first Dimitrios then his assassin is well done by Arnold, the underscore in the Poker tournament helps add to the tension of what could have been a very boring scene and the Fall of the House in Venice I love for the way Arnold slowly builds up the Bond theme as Craig fights his way up the sinking house before the tragic piano of Vespers theme.)


While the MIA suspense stuff is serviceable and works to support the drama (otherwise Campbell would have asked for a re-score after hearing the mockup), it's works terribly on its own in album form. The casino stuff is very weak and by-the-numbers, and while it does increase suspense on a basic level, there's none of the subtext, melancholy, and lyricism of Barry, just gloom. There Bond theme is the only thing I recall about the sinking house fight. Other than that, it just meanders aimlessly., as does most of Arnold's action material

Casino Royale is one of my favourite Bond soundtracks, and I think David Arnold's best.


Really? Better than QUANTUM OF SOLACE? I really love the later's leanness and lack of boring filler. Makes for a much smoother listening experience. There's also much more daring underscore in it, that at times evokes Serra.

#313 graric

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Posted 06 January 2012 - 03:44 AM

Well that's where we have to agree to disagree, since it not only discredits Serra's score, but also Conti's, which I admire a lot.


I actually think Conti did a fine job of updating the sound, while remaining Bondesque (the ski chase is a fine example of this) while it does sound very much like an 80's film score to me it is still recognizably a Bond score, which is something I always felt Serra failed at...but that may just be my opinion.

My preference for Casino Royale is very likely down to my love of Vesper's theme and You Know My Name and while it is likely to have more filler moments, a result of being a longer soundtrack, I find it over all has a lot more stronger moments within the soundtrack than Quantum (which I do also love.)

I understand your complaint though about listening to tracks on the album compared to how they work within the film, but for the most part I tend to judge tracks by how I felt they worked in the film rather than simply how they sound on the soundtrack (as ultimately their primary purpose is to service the film.) I do in the end find myself having a more enjoyable listening experience listening to most of the Casino Royale album than I do just listening to Goldeneye, but we are obviously on differing sides for that one.

#314 Bond... Raybond

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Posted 10 January 2012 - 09:43 PM

Arnold does say that he's still involved with Eon over 50th Anniversary stuff - I wonder what that might entail?

"I'm looking forward to watching Skyfall as a fan.first time in 14 years! Still working with Eon on 50th anniversary stuff..exciting" (from his twitter feed).

Could he be helping prepare expanded/complete OST releases? Or re-recording those that might be lost? An anniversary concert?

#315 DamnCoffee

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Posted 10 January 2012 - 09:45 PM

I'm thinking he'll create some kind of James Bond Prom. Like Doctor Who at the Proms, etc. Would seem appropriate.

#316 ggl

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Posted 10 January 2012 - 09:55 PM

My vision:

The Broccolis thought in Arnold for Bond 23 and all things 50th Anniversary.
They hired Mendes.
Arnold went Olympics.
Mendes proposed Newman.
The Broccolis accepted Newman, but kept Arnold for the 50th Anniversary Documentary and, depending on Skyfall, maybe, for Bond 24?

#317 univex

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Posted 10 January 2012 - 11:48 PM

Arnie gets a +1 from me for being gracious and a true fan. That being said, awesome news about Newman.

#318 Harmsway

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Posted 11 January 2012 - 12:08 AM

The gunbarrel is perfect. Edgy, daring, modern and very cool, as is the whole "Goldeneye Overture." The Tiger helicopter escape is one of my favourite cues in the score, though sadly unreleased.

Yep. In those cues, Serra absolutely nails it. The score has some very rough edges, but for my money, the highlights of the GOLDENEYE score are really spectacular. I'm not sure I would have wanted the Serra sound to become the default new sound for the series, but it helps grant GOLDENEYE a very distinct atmosphere that I think is one of the film's strongest assets.

#319 x007AceOfSpades

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Posted 23 January 2012 - 06:05 AM

I for one am very excited to hear Newmans score once the film is out.

#320 univex

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Posted 24 January 2012 - 10:27 PM

The gunbarrel is perfect. Edgy, daring, modern and very cool, as is the whole "Goldeneye Overture." The Tiger helicopter escape is one of my favourite cues in the score, though sadly unreleased.

Yep. In those cues, Serra absolutely nails it. The score has some very rough edges, but for my money, the highlights of the GOLDENEYE score are really spectacular. I'm not sure I would have wanted the Serra sound to become the default new sound for the series, but it helps grant GOLDENEYE a very distinct atmosphere that I think is one of the film's strongest assets.

You mirrored my opinions on Serra perfectly Harms.

I for one am very excited to hear Newmans score once the film is out.

Me too, and I haven´t felt like that in a while regarding a Bond soudtrack.