66 replies to this topic

[Qwerty]

Madonna & Azmadzai and Crow & Froom did some good stuff, nothing too over the top. I think Arnold could've really done something as he was very anxious to write the mian song for Tomorrow Never Dies.

He did some real magic with the Propellerheads on Backseat Driver. As he did in his follow-up action tracks in TWINE, which seem to get better with every listening.

[TonicBH]

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

I agree with Loomis' comment above in that regard. Arnold has a bunch of good tracks from his scores, but most of his tracks fall flat, and kinda pales in comparison to Barry's style.

The problem is (and this is with all composers, not just Arnold), it's hard to make something new without just remaking something from before. Barry had similar problems, parts of Octopussy had hints of his 007 Theme, and the action theme from AVTAK has hints of the OHMSS theme. Arnold's remaking is more obvious: He took a tune from DAD straight from TWINE ("Christmas in Turkey," I believe).

Arnold's only con in DAD was excessive use of the Bond theme, which kinda spoiled it for me. I mean, it sounds good in theory, but overexcess is never good. (was this his own or Tamahori's decision?)

We know he's gonna be back for Bond 21, so let's hope he can be a bit better than last time. Unless something comes up that makes him unable to return.

[JimmyBond]

We know he's gonna be back for Bond 21, so let's hope he can be a bit better than last time. Unless something comes up that makes him unable to return.

We do? God I hope they go with someone else. I don't hate Arnold, but I think a change up in the music would be great.

And that answers the question of this thread, I like Arnold. If I could go back choose the composer for othe Brosnan films though, I wouldnt choose Arnold. Then again, I think any self respecting Bond fan would automatically go for Barry anyways, it's just a shame the producers no longer want him around.

[Turn]

Then again, I think any self respecting Bond fan would automatically go for Barry anyways, it's just a shame the producers no longer want him around.

It wasn't that the producers didn't want him back. I think they tried to get him for GE. And they definitely had negotiations with him about TND, but they couldn't meet terms, so they went to Arnold.

[DanMan]

I actually really like Arnold's work on DAD. When I listen to TND and TWINE it just seems so bland and "through the motions" but with DAD his addition of the heavy beats, korean instruments, heavy techno, choir, and other elements give it a real flavor and lots of excitement.

[Tarl_Cabot]

I like Arnold just fine. He's not the problem with the recent films.I'd keep him around for a while...

[Icephoenix]

I love Arnold's work, and I think he's the best man out there for the job. His stuff is superb, my favourite score of his is actually The World Is Not Enough, which I think is highly under-rated. I think Ice Bandits is a great track!

[trs007]

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.

Well then, edit your post and remove "We Have All the Time..." b/c that was not an main or end title song and look how popular that became.

[taxman2001]

I must admit it's been a long time since I sat down and listened to a John Barry Bond soundtrack (mainly because all my cassettes are currently residing in my garage) but I love Arnold's work on the last 3 movies.

In his work he openly recognises the importance of themes and arrangements previously set down by Barry but he also embelishes it with his own unique brand.

The last truly great (and as usual underrated) Barry score I heard was ENIGMA back in 2001.

The last great Arnold score (barring Little Britain) was Die Another Day.

Considering how many fly-by-night composers could be approached to score a Bond movie I think we, the fans, are bloody lucky to have someone as passionate and fan-boy-esque as Arnold to score our favoirite hero's adventures.

Edited by taxman2001, 12 April 2004 - 07:23 PM.

[Turn]

Considering how many fly-by-night composers could be approached to score a Bond movie I think we, the fans, are bloody lucky to have someone as passionate and fan-boy-esque as Arnold to score our favoirite hero's adventures.

I think that's a good point. I may not be a big fan of Arnold's last two scores, but I would rather have somebody appreciative of the legacy rather than somebody just wanting to pick up a paycheck. I remember reading a story about the guys who took over the Star Trek franchise in the early 1990s and they said something to the effect that they weren't really fans of the series and I thought that was a bit strange considering Gene Rodenberry took such a hands-on approach to to the series before them.

Although I like John Barry a lot, I felt somewhat let down when he described his Bond scores as "million-dollar Mickey Mouse music" in an interview a few years back.

[DLibrasnow]

David Arnold provided a great score for STARGATE

[Qwerty]

I actually really like Arnold's work on DAD. When I listen to TND and TWINE it just seems so bland and "through the motions" but with DAD his addition of the heavy beats, korean instruments, heavy techno, choir, and other elements give it a real flavor and lots of excitement.

It's exactly the opposite way for me, DanMan. Die Another Day's score was good, but I think he did better on the first two.

[DLibrasnow]

I liked the Cuban music on the DAD soundtrack....I also thought the music for the boat chase in TWINE was interesting.

[Qwerty]

The Cuban music was, totally new to me for an Arnold score, but most welcome. I think his action scores for Tomorrow Never Dies and The World Is Not Enough, such as the Boat Chase, Bike Chase, Car Park Chase, and others have been slightly superior.

However, such tracks as Whiteout and Iced Inc. are terrific also.

[DLibrasnow]

I liked the Cuban music for the very reason that it was different.

[Qwerty]

I think so too, as I watched Die Another Day last night, and it's just odd, I think I have to see it more and more, like all the others, because my view of the music, especially the tracks during Iceland is always changing.

[DLibrasnow]

Altogether I have never been crazy about Arnolds work but every once in awhile he surprises me.

[Qwerty]

He is much better, and the best of the continuing musical composers after Barry. He proved it right off the bat in TND, IMO.

[Johnboy007]

I do!

[Bon-san]

I liked Arnold's work on the "Shaken and Stirred" 007 homage album much better than his soundtrack work on the past three films.

[Dmitri Mishkin]

To answer the question, yes, absolutely. I've been happily enjoying Arnold's work (Stargate, ID4, The Musketeer, Changing Lanes, Baby Boy in addition to his Bond achievement). He's done some absolutely fantastic work, especially in his earlier career when he broke into Hollywood. I'm still waiting for him to reach peak popularity again, and he does have a new movie, The Stepford Wives, coming out this year.

As for Bond, TND was a brilliant score for that movie. I thought he tapered off somewhat in TWINE, writing somewhat more conventional melodies, and his work in DAD was sort of a mixed bag (some great in energy level, some well, not quite fully representative of his talent). Yes, he has taken the Bond theme and overdone it in some places (for instance, some of Caviar Factory, and boarding the Antonov in DAD). Another criticism toward him has been that his themes haven't been as memorable as many of the master, John Barry himself. Personally, I find this true. But Barry was a master of thematic work, one of his greatest strengths. Arnold's strength is in crafting music to fit the film. He's done that in many places (eg. the DAD swordfight, a nasty and brassy piece).

Lately though, the impression of Arnold I have is a bit of Bond fatigue. He looks a bit tired. In his inteviews he makes reference to having a climb a mountain all over again with each Bond score, although by taking 'a different route'. I think he might need to overhaul his attitude a bit (i.e. see it more as a challenge) so he's fresher for Bond 21.

On the whole, Arnold's a wonderful talent. taxman2001 mentioned that we're lucky to have someone with as much as enthusiasm as him scoring our hero's adventures. I would agree.

[Agent 76]

any news if D. Arnold is going to score Bond 21 ?

hope not...

[James Boldman]

Yes, David Arnold will be scoring Bond 21.
Personally I really love Arnold's contributions to the series, thus far. A very classy composer (IMO).

[Jmart007]

Maybe it's just me, but i'm not sure if I really like Arnold anymore for the Bond series. Yes he did a great job in bringing back the "Mood" for the series with his Tomorrow Never Dies score, but I thought his work on Die Another Day was just mediocre. The score did have it's bright spots with the Cuban style themes during that sequence of the movie, but I am sick and tired of hearing a techno James Bond theme.

Well, now that I look at it, i'm just hoping that it was a sidetrack in Arnold's Bond career, but I would just like to hear a Bond score without any techno in it.

[level007]

Arnold said at the time of DAD release that after DAD, he will go in another direction. For me, i don't care because, il love his last three score.
People don't like DAD because the main theme is not inserted throught the whole score. Arnold couldn't do it with Madonna's song.

In fact what i really want, is that EON let Arnold do his job. i mean he surely know how to deal with it, no ? Let him make a good theme (i will return, was i am sure an exciting song, from what we hear in the score) and do his score without someone always behind him, telling to do this or to do that.
I think we should blame more EON or MGM for lack or consistence between the Title song and the score.
You should read some of Arnold interview he made. Basicaly he said that he would love to do his music and give it every week to the director, so that he can listen to it, calmly and discuss about it together. But no. He said that in reality, he has to send his music to various personn, who think they know how a bond score or movie should be.

LET ARNOLD DO HIS JOB ! please


Level

[Turn]

You should read some of Arnold interview he made. Basicaly he said that he would love to do his music and give it every week to the director, so that he can listen to it, calmly and discuss about it together. But no. He said that in reality, he has to send his music to various personn, who think they know how a bond score or movie should be.

LET ARNOLD DO HIS JOB ! please


Level

I'd never heard any of this. I think the suggestion of sitting down with the director is a solid one, if not a practical one. Like a director needs another thing on his plate. Having the suits make a decision on it makes no sense at all.

But it fits perfectly into the movie business these days -- everybody has to have their say.

[gkgyver]

In the same interview, he said he would save his alternate DAD theme song for Bond 21, so expect something similar to DAD.

[The_Mole]

I preferred Eric Serra's GoldenEye music score than many of Arnold's.

Very Cold War, full of Russian motifs, most notably the GoldenEye Overture, which is one of my favourite tracks in all the Bond films.

I find this score deep and almost meaningful.

Actually very atmospheric in terms of it's relation to screen action, but his original tank chase music really didn't work. I've compared it.

Arnold's got some good pieces (Ice Bandits, Backseat Driver) but uses the James Bond theme too much in his scores. This overuse just bugs me, wheras Serra only used it in the (film version) tank chase, I believe.

Wheras Serra was deep and meaningful, Arnold reminds me of computer game music. The theme thrown in for good measure whenever something happens.

Sometimes too much of something isn't a good thing.

[gkgyver]

The_Mole, you should consider that Serra originally didn't want to use the Bond theme at all because he thought it was outdated. That's something that bugs me.
To Serra's credit, he gave the movie a very special atmosphere, but it wasn't Bond anymore. His music for the final confontation on the Cuban cradle has to be the worst "grande finale" music I've ever heard in a Bond movie.
And he gave us a song that is so bad that it could have made Trevelyan jump from the cradle.

Edited by gkgyver, 29 April 2004 - 12:13 PM.

[Turn]

The_Mole, you should consider that Serra originally didn't want to use the Bond theme at all because he thought it was outdated. That's something that bugs me.
To Serra's credit, he gave the movie a very special atmosphere, but it wasn't Bond anymore. His music for the final confontation on the Cuban cradle has to be the worst "grande finale" music I've ever heard in a Bond movie.
And he gave us a song that is so bad that it could have made Trevelyan jump from the cradle.

You are right on. GE was James Bond's triumphant return after a 6-year absence and that should have been reflected in the music. I've heard EON turned to Serra after negotiations with Barry fell through. So it appears they just decided if they couldn't have Barry, they'd take it in a radical new direction for a new era and audience with Serra. This resulted in me liking GE a lot less.

I remember discussing wanting the soundtrack with a hardcore fan back in '95 just before GE came out and the guy said I didn't want it and just cringed. And his gunbarrel music started the film out on a less than exciting note (literally). Apparently, turning to Arnold after Serra's score proves they didn't think too much of it and his decision to stifle the theme that is immediately recognizable a Bond trademark needed to be rectified (just maybe not quite so much.