66 replies to this topic

[00Nothing]

I am the only one who loves Arnold's music for the Bond films. It seems there is a lot of criticism on these boards of his music and I'm beginning to wonder why everyone hates him.

I'm not criticising anyone that doesn't like him, I understand everyone has different tastes, but I'm just curious to see what people have against his music, which I think is wonderfully modern, but unashamedy Barry like as well.

[Loomis]

I kind of view Arnold as the Raymond Benson to John Barry's Ian Fleming. He's good, but not the Master.

[Max Zorin]

Hmm...well put, Loomis. Whilst I do enjoy his stuff, Barry will never be beat.

[urhash]

I think he's great. I preferred what he did in TWINE to DAD, however. TND was also superb but I wouldn't want to hear that in EVERY Bond film he scores.

[trs007]

I like what David Arnold has done with the Bond scores and also some of his non-Bond stuff (Stargate, Last of Dogmen, ID4 and Godzilla).

[Max Zorin]

I will say this - I thought "Backseat Driver" was a phenomanel tune, and I almost enjoyed k.d. lang's "Surrender" to Sheryl Crow's song.

[00Nothing]

I will say this - I thought "Backseat Driver" was a phenomanel tune, and I almost enjoyed k.d. lang's "Surrender" to Sheryl Crow's song.

k.d lang's Surrender was a far better tune. It was almost Shirley Bassey like I felt. I have to say I also loved the music in the boat chase in TWINE. Fantastic stuff and brings Bond right up to date without betraying the musical legacy that came before it.

[urhash]

The boat chase and backseat driver are two of the best chase songs I've ever heard, and they fit the actual scenes so well! I can't decide which I like better.

[00Nothing]

The boat chase and backseat driver are two of the best chase songs I've ever heard, and they fit the actual scenes so well! I can't decide which I like better.

I think that the boat chase music pips backseat driver to the post for me. Both are great, don't get me wrong, but I just loved the way Arnold corresponds the music to Bond fixing his tie when the boat dives underwater. It's great.

[Qwerty]

I love his sound, his scores and his style. His three Bond scores have been thrilling and always look forward to more from him!

[Moore Not Less]

David Arnold has done a respectable job so far. There have been pieces of music that I have really enjoyed in each of his three scores that are worthy of almost anything from John Barry, but he has yet to do a complete score that is in the same league as the likes of Barry's scores of YOLT and OHMSS.

[JackChase007]

I'm a huge fan of David Arnold - he's one of my favorite film composers, second only to Jerry Goldsmith.

In fact, his Bond scores are my favorites...but that isn't to say that I dislike Barry's stuff...

[00Nothing]

David Arnold has done a respectable job so far. There have been pieces of music that I have really enjoyed in each of his three scores that are worthy of almost anything from John Barry, but he has yet to do a complete score that is in the same league as the likes of Barry's scores of YOLT and OHMSS.

You do have a bit of a point there. As good as his scores have been, his best score overall was in Tomorrow Never Dies and it was more of a tribute to scores gone by. Not only that, but the theme tunes to the Brosnan films haven't really been classics to me. DAD was to techno, TWINE too slow, TND too whiny while GoldenEye's theme tune was excellent, but not really what you call classic. In fact the only good song to appear in a Brosnan Bond film was Surrender and that was ditched to the end credits of TND.

[Qwerty]

I thought all four of the Brosnan main title songs were excellent, with Turner's as my favorite. All of them reached around #10 in the charts I believe.

None of them I really single out as being a really worse one compared to the other three, but I will agree that Surrender is better than some of them. That's not to say I don't like them still though.

[00Nothing]

I'm not saying they're bad song, they're good, but I don't think they're 'classic' Bond songs. There hasn't really been a Goldfinger, a Nobody Does It Better, We Have All The Time in The World or a A View to A Kill. For me Surrender is a classic Bond song, but unfortunately will never really be counted due to the fact it wasn't in the opening credits, because they're the ones audiences remember.

[Qwerty]

I can agree with that I suppose. If forced to choose, I'd think GoldenEye and Surrender would come to closest, but you can't really count Surrender for the reasons mentioned.

[JackChase007]

I'd hafta agree that the Brosnan main title songs haven't really been too great. "GoldenEye" was strong, but of course, there's not a hint of it in the score. "Tomorrow Never Dies" was okay, but nothing too memorable - "Surrender" was a far superior song, and made for a great theme throughout the TND score. "The World Is Not Enough" was okay - better than "TND", but not quite "Surrender" material, and was used rather well throughout the score. "Die Another Day" was just plain rubbish. But Arnold's themes in the score were very good - I especially loved the theme heard most often, which was to be the song "I Will Return".

[00Nothing]

But Arnold's themes in the score were very good - I especially loved the theme heard most often, which was to be the song "I Will Return".

Please tell me what this theme is on the film. I didn't realise that Arnold had prepared a theme for the film. Does anyone have more information on this theme as I never realised he had one in the works.

[JackChase007]

Arnold and Don Black cooked up an idea for a song called "I Will Return", but were unable to come up with a finished product in time for the film's release. This theme is noticable in many of the cues on the soundtrack, such as "Hovercraft Chase" and "Some Kind of a Hero". I'm at work at the moment, and I'm unable to tell you when the theme kicks in, but once I get back to my room, I could let you know, unless someone else beats me to it.f

[Qwerty]

I wonder if it would be as good as their previous work on TWINE and Surrender. Black has some interesting lyrics sometimes.

[00Nothing]

Thanks for the responses folks. You have enlightened me to a piece of 007 history I knew nothing about.

As for Don Black's lyrics Qwerty, you're absoloutly right. Very interesting, his lyrics for DAF always raise my eyebrow.

[Qwerty]

I love some of his lyrics to the Bond songs, I can't understand whay is sometimes criticized for thoughtless lyrics. I've always thought some of his older work (TB, DAF) and now his newer Bond song ylrics have been pretty good!

[00Nothing]

I love some of his lyrics to the Bond songs, I can't understand whay is sometimes criticized for thoughtless lyrics. I've always thought some of his older work (TB, DAF) and now his newer Bond song ylrics have been pretty good!

Couldn't agree more. His lyrics to TWINE are superb while the lyrics to Thunderball are dynamic and electrifying (I love the story that Tom Jones collapsed while recording the song).

[Qwerty]

That's true performance. While I'll agree that his lyrics are a bit different from some other Bond songs, I think it only adds to the originality of the song itself.

Thunderball's lyrics are excellent in that they can both describe Bond and/or Largo, for example.

[00Nothing]

The only Don Black song I'm not too sure about is The Man With the Golden Gun. The lyrics seem more like plot exposition to the film itself rather than a song.

Edited by 00Nothing, 01 April 2004 - 09:47 PM.

[Qwerty]

Yes, I was going to mention that one as his lesser than perfect lyrics, but compared with all his others, he's done some fine hits.

[level007]

From what we can hear through the score, i am sure "i will return" would have been a blast. In fact, after leasting to the sundtrack many time, i came to the conclusion that this theme is use like Surrender in TND. And what nice is Hovercraft Chase is made of the song like Backseat Driver is made of Surrender.

It's os bad the song was not used. When you get an idea of what the song is, you ll have it in your head for some time. Some time, i surprised my self by Whistle it !

Didn't arnold say in an interview that he will certainly use it n the next bond movie ? I just hope so.


P.S.: I am currently listening to the Johnny English score and it's very nice, especialy the track called "Russian affairs" and also "theme from Johnny english"


Level

[00Nothing]

And what nice is Hovercraft Chase is made of the song like Backseat Driver is made of Surrender.

I see what you mean. I think I Will Return would have made a great Bond theme. It's a shame that Arnold, who saved the music of the Bond films after Eric Serra's awful mess is never really given a chance to create the theme tunes. From the look of it he would be doing a better job than those who wrote the songs for Madonna and Sheryl Crow.

[TheSaint]

I will say this - I thought "Backseat Driver" was a phenomanel tune, and I almost enjoyed k.d. lang's "Surrender" to Sheryl Crow's song.

Maybe I'm mistaken but, wasn't "Backseat Driver" by Moby & the Propellerheads?

As for Arnold, I loved his TND score but, I found his TWINE & Dad scores tame.

[[dark]]

Maybe I'm mistaken but, wasn't "Backseat Driver" by Moby & the Propellerheads?

David Arnold worked with the Propellerheads on Backseat Driver, but Moby had nothing to do with it.

Moby performed the version of the James Bond Theme that appears on the soundtrack album.