599 replies to this topic

[[dark]]

Jack White And Alicia Keys Team Up For 'Quantum of Solace' Theme Song

'Another Way To Die' to become first duet in James Bond soundtrack history

[sark]

My gut reaction is this sounds pretty crap to me. I hate the title of the song, it sounds like something from the Brosnan era, and I hate the fact that Arnold is not involved with the song at all. The collaboration sounds like U2 and Tina Turner's GE - which I absolutely hated!!!!!!

EON, what the hell are you doing? My fears were roused when I saw Craig flying the plane in the QOS trailer, and now this!! Did they not learn anything with what they did during the Brozza era, and with what they have now so miraculously done with CR?

Right now my optimism for this film is waning, especially in light of a truly great film like TDK. Nolan managed to pull off the impossible by making his sequel even better, but I'm beginning to think Babs and Co. only had one great film within them.

So to summarize then, a song you haven't heard sounds like another song you didn't like, and the Batman sequel was good, therefore the latest Bond movie won't be. All makes sense to me.

Did you actually read what I put, or are you just trying to put your own clever spin on it?

I have fears that QOS will slip back to the crappy Brozza era, and with a song not involving Arnold, a title that sounds like it has jumped straight out of the Brozza era, and yes, a superb Batman sequel which QOS will have to live up to, I do have doubts about the film.

Or is this not allowed in your little world...?

You certainly don't seem to have a glass half full attitude.

1. You ever heard the phrase don't judge a book by its cover? Titles don't make or break songs. I wonder how many people heard the title of the song "Over the hills and far away" before they heard the song and started bitching immediately?

2. Bond doesn't have to 'live up to' Batman. It has to live up to CR, a tall order in itself. But the critical and financial success of TDK has no influence on a movie released several months later. It's not like TDK is the new standard by which all films must be judged.

[[dark]]

What an interesting development.

With not one, but two huge names attached, the track will no doubt sell amazingly well. I'm really intrigued to hear what they'll come up with.

Like others, I'm disappointed David Arnold didn't write the track, though hopefully it'll appear in his score in some capacity.

I think I'm most disappointed that the title of the track isn't the same as the film. For all the flack it's copped, I think the phrase "Quantum of Solace" had the workings of a terrific song. "Another Way To Die" sounds pretty darn generic to me (especially given it features two thirds of the title "Die Another Day"!).

[honour]

Meh on the title.Keys 'n' White is fine with me though.

[Navy007Fan]

Well, we've been wanting something original, and it looks like we got it (be careful what you wish for?)! I'll reserve judgment until I, 1) hear the song, and 2) see how it fits in the film. I'm optimistic about QoS, and this news has not changed that feeling.

[The Dove]

*cued up and am listening to the Bond title tracks* I just had a thought.. "Another Way To Die" could be a great title for the next Die Hard film.. Just call it "Another Way To Die Hard"

[Jet Set Willy]

You certainly don't seem to have a glass half full attitude.

1. You ever heard the phrase don't judge a book by its cover? Titles don't make or break songs. I wonder how many people heard the title of the song "Over the hills and far away" before they heard the song and started bitching immediately?

2. Bond doesn't have to 'live up to' Batman. It has to live up to CR, a tall order in itself. But the critical and financial success of TDK has no influence on a movie released several months later. It's not like TDK is the new standard by which all films must be judged.

Actually I am usually optimistic. I was about CR, and I have been about QOS, but this song is sounding tooooo much like something from the nasty, horrendous Brosnan era. I thought EON had distanced themselves from that awful period. Obviously not.

As for QOS living up to CR, yes you are right. But there are parallels with Batman, whether you like it or not. Begins was a superb film that rebooted the franchise after it's own DAD - Batman & Robin. Likewise, CR did the same, with a similar CGI limited, more grounded approach that was found in Begins.

Nolan has outdone himself by making TDK every bit as good as Begins. Now all eyes are on QOS to see if that can do the same....

[DCI_director]

WOW! I never knew there were so many anti-Brosnan, I hate his Bond movies, haters on here!

[sark]

JetSet, I'm just not buying that most movie viewers are saying to themselves as they walk out of TDK, "Man, that new Bond movie coming out in November better live up to that!"

What's more, I doubt that on November 7 they'll be saying, "this new Bond film had better be as good as that Batman movie I saw four months ago."

Granted, everyone here will be comparing the two. But I have no reason to believe that anyone outside of CBn will be doing the same.

Edited by sark, 29 July 2008 - 10:45 PM.

[michallo_w]

I thought "Quantum of Solace" is a good name for song
I think we should be able to hear it in few next days. Months at least

Edited by michallo_w, 29 July 2008 - 10:48 PM.

[Jet Set Willy]

JetSet, I'm just not buying that most movie viewers are saying to themselves as they walk out of TDK, "Man, that new Bond movie coming out in November better live up to that!"

What's more, I doubt that on November 7 they'll be saying, "this new Bond film had better be as good as that Batman movie I saw four months ago."

Granted, everyone here will be comparing the two. But I have no reason to believe that anyone outside of CBn will be doing the same.

Fair enough. We'll agree to disagree on the Batman issue.

Now, about my other point. Do you understand why I have fears about the new song?

[ComplimentsOfSharky]

I don't really like Alicia Keys. I would've just preferred White Stripes but I can live with her.

But..."Another Way to Die"...seriously? Is that a joke? I wanted "Golden Death Never Lives Thursday" as the title song.

I'm not rushing to judgment on the song, its just a lackluster title.

[The Dove]

I think everyone is just making too much of the title of the song.. Let's wait and see what it sounds like..That's the true test of how it'll stand up among the other Bond themes.

[DaveBond21]

We have a song!

This is great news. I really like the sound of Jack White and Alicia Keys doing a duet. This is going to be good.

And I love the title, "Another way to die", very Bondian. Hey, it's a Bond movie, guys!!!

[dee-bee-five]

Oh dear. What a disappointment. A duet forged for corporate expediency. How dull. And I truly hope this isn't indicative of the quality of the film itself.

[dinovelvet]

My gut reaction is this sounds pretty crap to me. I hate the title of the song, it sounds like something from the Brosnan era, and I hate the fact that Arnold is not involved with the song at all. The collaboration sounds like U2 and Tina Turner's GE - which I absolutely hated!!!!!!

EON, what the hell are you doing? My fears were roused when I saw Craig flying the plane in the QOS trailer, and now this!! Did they not learn anything with what they did during the Brozza era, and with what they have now so miraculously done with CR?

Right now my optimism for this film is waning, especially in light of a truly great film like TDK. Nolan managed to pull off the impossible by making his sequel even better, but I'm beginning to think Babs and Co. only had one great film within them.

So to summarize then, a song you haven't heard sounds like another song you didn't like, and the Batman sequel was good, therefore the latest Bond movie won't be. All makes sense to me.

Did you actually read what I put, or are you just trying to put your own clever spin on it?

I have fears that QOS will slip back to the crappy Brozza era, and with a song not involving Arnold, a title that sounds like it has jumped straight out of the Brozza era, and yes, a superb Batman sequel which QOS will have to live up to, I do have doubts about the film.

Or is this not allowed in your little world...?

Willy, I think your fears and doubts are all based on some pretty superficial reasons, e.g. Craig flying a plane? There have been quite a lot of good Bond films where Bond has flown a plane, and a couple of bad ones. I don't really see how you can extrapolate that QOS will be bad just from this. Nor do I see what Batman has to do with this, its some guy dressing up in black rubber hanging out with a crazy man in make-up; there's a possible connection there with Lee Tamahori's private life, but that's about it.
And if the song is no good, then so what? Its three minutes at the beginning of the film that will have absolutely nothing to do with the quality of the two hours that come after it.

[Loomis]

Yet again Eon has failed me.

[dee-bee-five]

Yet again Eon has failed me.

And me. And I had such high hopes after Casino Royale. Oh, well...

[ImTheMoneypenny]

My only worry, and this was one I had when Winehouse was rumoured, is that they might get a little too soft with the theme. I hope I'll be eating my words when the song comes out, but I hear male/female duet I think 'ballad'. That's my only hang up about it. And I am hoping to be proved wrong, in fact I look forward to it! Please let me be wrong!!!

[DaveBond21]

Makes me wonder if from now on, EON will always be using title songs that aren't the same as the title of the movie. God I hope not!

I just think it's because the last two titles have been difficult to work into a song naturally. Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace are also both hard to find a rhyme with.

[Royal Dalton]

Oh dear. What a disappointment. A duet forged for corporate expediency. How dull. And I truly hope this isn't indicative of the quality of the film itself.

Quite.

I can't help thinking they've dropped the ball with this one.

Does Eon have some sort of deal with Arnold that only allows him to write every other theme tune, or something?

[Mr. Blofeld]

Good God, I hope EON hasn't gone off the deep end with this one...

[DaveBond21]

Oh dear. What a disappointment. A duet forged for corporate expediency. How dull. And I truly hope this isn't indicative of the quality of the film itself.

Quite.

I can't help thinking they've dropped the ball with this one.

Does Eon have some sort of deal with Arnold that only allows him to write every other theme tune, or something?

Is there any chance that the song was written a while ago, and that Arnold heard it in May, for example (when the first rumours surfaced about Jack White), and could still incorporate it into the score?

[tim partridge]

Another Way to Die

I'm sure this song will be just that.



White handling the production himself?

*COUGH* WHERE'S MARK RONSON?????! *COUGH*

I wonder who will be arranging the orchestra, assuming they haven't ditched that part of the song because Marc Forster says so...

Edited by tim partridge, 29 July 2008 - 11:10 PM.

[Harmsway]

Is there any chance that the song was written a while ago, and that Arnold heard it in May, for example (when the first rumours surfaced about Jack White), and could still incorporate it into the score?

Who knows. If he liked the song enough, he might. Otherwise I doubt he'd bother.

At any rate, I'm not willing to judge this collaboration just yet. Sure, it's uninspiring, but maybe the White/Keys pair will come up with a song that's surprising. It's not unimaginable.

[Captain Tightpants]

Don't tell me you're complaining that Arnold doesn't have enough involvement!?

If White submitted a demo tape (with or without Keys) and EON liked it so much that they decided it shouldbe the actual theme song with a little bit of re-arranging going on for the final quality, why shouldn't White get full credit for writing it? If David Arnold didn't have anything to do with it, his name doesn't deserve to go on it.

Anyway, I have to say I'm in two minds. While I like Ms. Keys' voice and didn't want to get my hopes up when she was linked to the song, I've only heard a few songs with White in them and I think he sounds a little nasal; Seven Naton Army sounded like he was singing with a mild cold. Then again, some of my favourite singers have odd voces, whether because they only have a limited vocal range or whatever, and with the presence of Keys, it might actually sound good with one voice off-setting another.

But in short, I'm disppointed at the reaction. We know two things: the title of the song and who is performing it, and already the vultures are circling overhead looking to pick it to pieces because they believe it's going to die.

[Blonde Bond]

We'll this definitely sounds interesting. I have every bit of faith in White & Keys.
A duet sounds fresh. A duet by two very different brand of artists.

And yes, apart for having 'Die' in the title, I think the name of the song, 'Another Way To Die' sounds extremely bondian. I am pleased.

Now if I could just hear the song, so I could make my final judgement.

WOW! I never knew there were so many anti-Brosnan, I hate his Bond movies, haters on here!

I know!

[Royal Dalton]

Don't tell me you're complaining that Arnold doesn't have enough involvement!?

Yes. And the reaction would be the same whoever the composer was.

[Nicolas Suszczyk]

I haven't heard them sing, but they seem OK.
"Another Way to Die"? It's that complicated to fit Quantum of Solace in the lyrics?

[tim partridge]

Makes you wonder why they didn't just name the movie ANOTHER WAY TO DIE.