112 replies to this topic

[CM007]

I wouldn

[Cody]

TWINE was my favorite theme of the Brosnan era, I thought it was great. GoldenEye was alright. I wasn't very impressed by Tomorrow Never Dies or the title sequence it accompanied. Die Another Day kind of grew on me (like a fungus), but I would really rather it didn't exist.

[OK Connery]

In a weird way the problems with these songs are problems with the Brosnan films themselves: In trying to please everybody, they end up leaving most people feeling always slightly disappointed with the end product.

Case in point: The "Tomorrow Never Dies"/"Surrender" conundrum. k.d. lang's is unquestionably the superior song of the two, but it's so unabashedly retro, it might alienate casual movie goers. So instead they push it to the end credits and get Sheryl Crow for the main titles, which has a bit of that James Bond vibe but is completely undone by Sheryl Crow's vocals which are not at all put to their best effect. (Frankly, Crow would have been better aping Carly Simon than Shirley Bassey)

As for the song "Goldeneye", like the Brosnan films it's top-heavy with big names (Tina Turner doing a song by Bono & the Edge), but lets the listener down by the fact Tina never cuts loose with the full-lunged power we know she has, and make the song completely her own. Still I'd give it a thumbs up even if with the names involved it should really have blown us away.

"The World is not Enough" is a much better balance of the need for a traditional Bond sound with the attempts to be more modern. I'm a huge Garbage fan so it is, "Surrender" aside, my favourite of the Brosnan-era title songs. However I will admit it's not one of the band's best songs, and it's not one truly great Bond songs. A pity.

As for "Die Another Day"? I'll just say that after hearing how the song was essentially pre-made and seen by Madonna's camp as just a bit of marketing synergy, I sometimes wonder if not just the execrable quality of the song but such a blatant example of uncaring business on Madonna's part is what made the Eon producers decide to draw the Brosnan era to a close, and rethink what they wanted to do for their next Bond film.

Edited by OK Connery, 22 September 2006 - 05:29 AM.

[Double-O Eleven]

Garbage wins for me in a very weak field.

[Daddy Bond]

I like all of the songs actually, even Madonna's. True, it is not a great Bond song, but I like the tune and it goes well with what's occuring in the Title Sequence.

My favorite is Goldeneye (I like the beat), Followed by TWINE, then DAD and TND.

Still, none of these compare with songs I prefer MUCH more from the past Bonds - such as FRWL, GF, TB, AVTAK and yes, I like TLD song.

Regards

[Double-0-7]

None of them are at the top of my favorites list, but of them I think that Goldeneye is the most Bond-like theme song. So from that field, GE is the winner for me.

[00Twelve]

I'm surprised Tina doesn't get more props. GE is currently trailing TWINE (which is fine, every opinion counts), and I guess I've just been naive in thinking GE was and is the best Bond song since AVTAK, and maybe before. (Of course, it would have been better if the GE score had incorporated that theme...) I never got nearly as excited about TND, TWINE, or DAD. "Surrender" comes pretty close, but, of course, dropped like 3rd period French. Oh well...

Edited by 00Twelve, 23 October 2006 - 03:20 PM.

[sonicyouth735]

Tomorrow Never Dies: My next favorite. Its got the classic Bond sound to it. Sheryl Crowe may not be my most favorite singer, (hell they could have totaly screwed this up and chosen Alanis Morrisette to do the song!), but her voice just seems right for this. It also happens to be my most favorite film of all the Brosnan Bonds.

The World is Not Enough: From this point, things start to go down hill. Will the theme tune is quite good, I'm still scratching my head as to how Garbage was chosen to perform it. I'll always associate them with that damn annoying " Stupid Girl" song.

Ew. Alanis Morissette would be a perfect Bondian singer. Have you ever heard 'Uninvited?'

And Garbage has an excellent record. Stupid Girl is an excellent song.

[Qwerty]

Welcome to the CBn Forums, sonicyouth735.

[the other fellow]

I think they're all good. GE and TWINE are perhaps more traditional while
TND and DAD are more adventurous.
But Surrender is the best bond song since Nobody Does It Better.

[moorebond82]

Don't like anyof them that much but if i had to choose.

Sheryl Crow

[Agent 0015]

In Order:

1) Tina Turner / GoldenEye
2) Garbage / The World Is Not Enough
3) Sheryl Crow / Tomorrow Never Dies
4) Madonna / Die Another Day

[Geof]

Obviously from my avatar I'd choose The World Is Not Enough. Shirley rocks all, end of story.

An epilogue, however, would be that I still don't understand how or why Madonna was involved in the 40th Anniversary movie at all. I wish Graves had "accidentally" beheaded her during the Blades Club fight. In real life.

[Bondfiend]

I like TND the most. I've never been a big fan of Tina Turner and "Goldeneye" didn't rub me the right way. "The World is Not Enough" sounded too gloomy to me and "Die Another Day" was just techno-trash. "Tomorrow Never Dies" had the right feel to me, although Sheryl Crow reaches her vocal limits in it.

[DamnCoffee]

I've actually voted for Madonna! , i'm going though a DAD phase atm so forgive me

[Nicolas Suszczyk]

Voted for TWINE... Excellent song (and Shirley Manson is gorgeous ;-) )

[Miss Miranda Frost]

I always had a thing for Die Another Day.

[Qwerty]

Interesting to see that both GoldenEye and The World is not Enough continue to be pretty much neck and neck for the top spot.

[Navy007Fan]

I voted for TWINE, Shirley Manson's vocals have an operatic quality that I like. Goldeneye, though, comes in a close second.

[Safari Suit]

I would rank them in this order:
TWINE
DAD
TND
GE

TWINE is nowhere near my favourite Bond theme, and GE is my least favourite. In my opinion it was the worst era for theme songs.

[LadySylvia]

Although I don't consider it among the best of Bond theme songs, "The World Is Not Enough" is a personal favorite of mine.

[QWorm]

i agree. my favorite was surrender, but since it wasn't neccesarily a title song then I guess you wouldn't put it up as a choice. my runner up is probably garbage. i don't really care about the other ones and I really dont like DADs and I had a gruesome nightmare with Sheryl Crow's song in the background

[DaveBond21]

I voted for Goldeneye. It is interesting to see that people seem to prefer TWINE.

[MkB]

I voted for TWINE. Oddly enough, Goldeneye is the title song I listen to the less readily, but when it was issued, I really hated the DAD title song. Then I get used to it, and now I appreciate it. I like Sheryl Crowe's TND, but still, I favour Garbage's TWINE, a beautiful, powerful, haunting song.

[Qwerty]

Not too much change in this poll lately. GoldenEye and The World is not Enough still seem to be the frontrunners.

[O'Toole Galore]

Here is my overview of the music of the Brosnan Era.

I have never understood the Eric Serra bashing. His music was distinctive. it fits the tone of the film, and can be listened and enjoyed on their own without the visuals. How can you see it is horrible piece of work with compositions like: We Share the Same Passions, The Severnaya Suite (which was used repeatedly in other tracks), Ladies Firsts, the GoldenEye Overture.

Then again, I have yet to hear anyone of those bashers gives a reason to justify their dislike of the soundtrack.

I have been a huge fan of Bond music and I found David Arnold's work very much mediocre. Very generic and with very little distinction between the first three movies he scored. The only one he did that I actually like is Casino Royale....that is because by then Arnold realized Bond music is not about noise.

As for the songs, Madonna's Die Another Day is unusual for a Bond movie but far from the worst. It is interesting that even though she is a woman, the song itself can be said to be sung in the voice any of the five main characters in the movie (Bond, Moon, Frost, Jinx or Zao). David Arnold once bragged that he didn't incorporate any of Madonna's song in the score. Ironically, her song was much better than the score that he composed. In the song, she sang: I'm gonna avoid the cliches, I'm gonna shake up the system. In a way she did, she could have easily composed a typical Bondian song, but knowing Madonna, she is not going fawn over 007.

For me, the worse title song is GoldenEye. While I admired Tina Turner's vocals work in it, lyric and melody-wise it is awful. It started out well until it hits the chorus: You never know how I watch you from the shadows blah blah blah blah...just jam in all the words you need regardless.

The best song in the Brosnan era for me is Surrender by kd lang,relegated to the credits (however, I do notice the version used in the films have different vocals than the one in the soundtrack. The movie version sounded like a demo whereas the soundtrack sounded more polished). Otherwise it is "The World Is Not Enough".

As for Bond 23, I am praying the David Arnold continue the trend that he followed in Casino Royale: incorporate the title song more into the score and cut down on the noise and repetition.

[Harry Fawkes]

I voted for Tina. The song was strong. Reminiscent of the Goldfinger and Thunderballs. Just how a Bond song should be. Bring back Shirley Bassey for Bond 22. Go back to the classics.

Harry

[Solitare]

TWiNE for me wins hands down. I love how musically and lyrically it's done. The song completely matches Elektra in the movie.

Then I'd have to choose Die Another Day. Madonna gives it a twist that doesnt seem just like another song. Give that unique spin.

Then Tomorrow Never Dies.
Love the Lyrics here as well.

Lastly Golden Eye.

[Mr. Blofeld]

TWINE and GE are tied for me; TND and DAD both suck equally, I think.

[sharpshooter]

This is a hard one.

I voted for GoldenEye by Tina Turner, but TWINE is a very close second. I really like that song, it is mysterious and quite catchy.